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“Opportunism and Fear”: Crypto Industry Sets Its Sights on Governors’ Mansions
Thu, 27 Feb 2025 21:10:11 +0000
An industry increasingly associated with Trumpism is moving into the spotlight in Democratic gubernatorial races in New Jersey and New York.
The post “Opportunism and Fear”: Crypto Industry Sets Its Sights on Governors’ Mansions appeared first on The Intercept.
Friday’s economic boycott is a one-day attack on corporate interests. The degrowth movement calls for a broader societal shift.
The post How to Turn an “Economic Blackout” Into an All-Out War on Corporate Power appeared first on The Intercept.
This week, Donald Trump continued to dominate the world stage, welcoming a procession of global leaders to Washington, including Keir Starmer. But while the ‘special relationship’ is front and centre in the UK, attention in the US is very much elsewhere. As the president goes full steam ahead with his domestic agenda, there are warning signs for Trump in the polls. So, could he be in trouble at home? And how could the Democrats take advantage?
Jonathan Freedland speaks to Stanley Greenberg, the bestselling author, Democratic pollster and political strategist who played a crucial role in the elections of Bill Clinton and Tony Blair
Continue reading...Lobbying to return Andrew Tate to the U.S. reveals the hollowness of the Republican Party’s anti-sex trafficking campaign.
The post Trump Helps Alleged Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate Cross Border Into U.S. appeared first on The Intercept.
Anat Shenker-Osorio and Sunjeev Bery discuss sustained civil resistance on The Intercept Briefing.
The post How to Really Resist appeared first on The Intercept.
With the ceasefire in Gaza on the edge of collapse, Sanders once again introduced resolutions to block certain weapons sales to Israel.
The post Bernie Sanders Hasn’t Stopped Arms Sales to Israel — But He Won’t Stop Trying appeared first on The Intercept.
Senator responds to Republicans’ pro-resignation remarks after Ukrainian president’s heated meeting with Trump
Independent US senator Bernie Sanders has dismissed as “horrific” claims that Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy may have to resign after a diplomatic meltdown in the Oval Office with Donald Trump.
Sanders’ comments, in an interview with NBC’s Meet The Press on Sunday morning, served as a retort to pro-resignation remarks from his fellow US senator Lindsey Graham, which in turn had been affirmed by the Republican House speaker Mike Johnson.
Continue reading...GOP lawmakers said that they couldn’t enforce bathroom bans with the civil rights protections on the books.
The post Iowa Becomes the First State to Repeal Civil Rights Protections for Trans People appeared first on The Intercept.
Joseph Czuba’s comments about Palestinians and Muslims took center stage the his trial for the murder of Wadee Alfayoumi.
The post Landlord Convicted in Hate Crime Stabbing of 6-Year-Old Palestinian American Boy appeared first on The Intercept.
Progressive Conservative premier of Canada’s most populous province retains office and vows to work with all sides of politics in ‘fighting back against Donald Trump’
Doug Ford, the incumbent premier of Canada’s Ontario province, has declared victory in an election returning his Progressive Conservative party to office for a rarely won third term.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) projected a sweeping victory for the Progressive Conservatives, with 43% of the vote.
Continue reading...The German elections show we don’t need to moderate fascism, we need to oppose it.
The post Grow a Spine: Democrats Have a Lot to Learn From the German Left appeared first on The Intercept.
Instead of bowing to rightwing populism, Starmer should take it on by rebuilding towns – and giving people the jobs and homes they crave
The south Welsh town of Pontypool doesn’t quite suggest a crucial political frontline. The town centre is full of imposing 19th- and 20th-century buildings that were created in a spirit of pride and optimism but have long since lain empty; local people talk about the shadow of the old iron and coal industries, and the fact that precious little ever came along to take their place. On the Monday afternoon I visited, the most forlorn sight was a huge mural of a local rugby crowd, lovingly sprayed on the exterior of a former discount store: a two-dimensional throng, put there to “inspire people to remember what Pontypool could be like as a thriving community”.
Despite appearances, a significant watershed moment happened here recently. Like so much of south Wales, Pontypool has long been seen as a loyal Labour redoubt – but on 13 February, Reform UK gained its first Welsh councillor in a byelection for the local borough council. The victor was a former army major who won 457 votes to Labour’s anaemic 259, and claimed, when greeting his win, that there would now be no Labour councillors, MPs or members of the Senedd, the Welsh parliament, who could confidently think they represented safe seats. Reform UK is set on banishing the lingering idea of south Wales as a staunch socialist heartland: Nigel Farage intends to make the 2026 devolved Welsh elections “by far our biggest priority”.
John Harris is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading...Resistance to any proposals remains speculative until administration lays out its plan for the federal agency
After the postmaster general, Louis Dejoy, a former Trump fundraiser and logistics executive appointed during the president’s first term, announced last month that he was stepping down, defenders of the US Postal Service (USPS) concerned that the 249-year-old institution could soon experience the slice and slash of Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” scimitar have expressed alarm.
Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to dissolve USPS’s bipartisan board of governors and place the agency under the control of the commerce department secretary, Howard Lutnick, the Washington Post recently reported.
Continue reading...Harris running mate discussed campaign missteps after saying he’ll run for third term as Minnesota governor
Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’s running mate in the November presidential election won by Donald Trump, says he deplores how much time he spent addressing the opposing campaign’s decision to spread false, racist rumors of pets being abducted and eaten in Springfield, Ohio.
“They sucked me in on” that, Walz said in a recent episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour podcast. Echoing similar remarks that he made on a recent episode of the Fast Politics With Molly Jong-Fast podcast, he added: “I was just horrified and angry when they were demonizing folks in Springfield, Ohio. [And] there I was talking for almost a week about immigration, right where they wanted us to be.”
Continue reading...The bloated Department of Defense spends more money than any other government agency. So where is Elon Musk and DOGE?
The post Hey Elon: We Found a Place to Cut More Than $2 Trillion in Wasteful Spending appeared first on The Intercept.
The ‘great replacement’ theory, human sacrifice and torture videos: Tom Homan’s talk with Tucker Carlson offered a grab bag of far-right talking points
Donald Trump’s “border czar”, Tom Homan, and far-right media personality Tucker Carlson talked about a bizarre range of extremist and racist conspiracy theories in an interview just weeks before Homan took office and was trusted with implementing a wide-ranging crackdown on migrants.
The conversation included Carlson’s claim that Mexican cartels come “from cultures that have practiced human sacrifice for thousands of years”, connected the racist “great replacement” theory to Biden’s immigration policy, and advocated the arrest of elected US leaders who opposed Donald Trump’s policies on migrants.
Continue reading...Government must scrap English baccalaureate to make arts more accessible to working-class children, critics say
Leading cultural figures have expressed doubts about the government’s commitment to restoring the creative arts in English schools, with one warning that Labour has “lost the plot” and “the current signs are they are worse than the Tories”.
When Labour won the election, it promised to expand opportunities for working-class children by broadening the school curriculum to include more drama, art, music and sport alongside the core academic subjects.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Government document confirms electricity from large-scale renewables has flatlined, with one campaigner saying pipeline has ‘little sign of life’
Officials have warned the Western Australian Labor government that work to build wind and solar farms for the state’s main electricity grid has stalled under its leadership, a leaked document shows.
A confidential state government document reveals state bureaucrats advised the government that the “decarbonisation work program” in Perth’s electricity grid had “stalled to date”. It said there were “few new wind developments” advanced enough to be added to the grid before the promised closure of a coal power station in 2027.
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Continue reading...President bullying countries’ leaders into collaborating with his deportation agenda that critics say violates rights
Central America has long been a source of immigrants, and in recent years, it’s also become a major transit route for those from around the world heading to the United States.
That shift led to record numbers of immigrants arriving at the US border, and contributed to the supposed crisis that helped Donald Trump win the election this past November.
Continue reading...Federal opposition refuses to reveal where money will come from to purchase 28 extra F-35s if it wins election
The federal Coalition says it would spend $3bn for 28 fighter jets to add a fourth squadron to the country’s F-35 fleet – but it won’t reveal where the money is coming from.
The election pledge means Australia would end up with 100 of the F-35s if the Coalition wins the upcoming poll.
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Continue reading...Nearby development is booming as the west London rail mega-hub takes shape, helping feed prospects of 22,000 new homes and 19,000 new jobs
Overlooking one of Europe’s biggest building sites might not be every luxury apartment dweller’s ideal view, but at least one man is revelling in it.
Below the new 54-storey Icon Tower, Old Oak Common station is starting to take shape: the initial London hub of HS2, and the catalyst for the economic transformation of an unloved part of west London. According to Gary Sacks, the chief executive of the tower’s developer, City & Docklands, this is now “the capital’s new development hotspot”, vindicating the group’s foray west.
Continue reading...Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey have a behind-the-scenes look at Keir Starmer’s trip to meet Donald Trump at the White House, after Pippa travelled with the prime minister to Washington DC. So, how was Starmer’s charm offensive received by the president? And has the trip moved the dial on Ukraine and tariffs?
After the Supreme Court ordered a new trial for Richard Glossip, his fate is in the hands of an Oklahoma City district attorney.
The post After Nine Execution Dates and Three Last Meals, Richard Glossip May Soon Walk Free appeared first on The Intercept.
Last month, the UK government demanded that Apple weaken the security of iCloud for users worldwide. On Friday, Apple took steps to comply for users in the United Kingdom. But the British law is written in a way that requires Apple to give its government access to anyone, anywhere in the world. If the government demands Apple weaken its security worldwide, it would increase everyone’s cyber-risk in an already dangerous world.
If you’re an iCloud user, you have the option of turning on something called “advanced data protection,” or ADP. In that mode, a majority of your data is end-to-end encrypted. This means that no one, not even anyone at Apple, can read that data. It’s a restriction enforced by mathematics—cryptography—and not policy. Even if someone successfully hacks iCloud, they can’t read ADP-protected data...
Keir Starmer opened the summit by saying a good outcome for Ukraine is vital for the security of every nation represented here
Kemi Badenoch said she does not agree that the Oval Office clash was part of an orchestrated “ambush”, as some had suggested, as both Kyiv and Washington were representing their “respective national interests”.
The leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch, says there is no difference between Labour and Conservative in terms of British support for Ukraine. When asked about the furious exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House, the Conservative party leader said her “heart went out” to the Ukrainian president while she was watching it.
I couldn’t believe what was happening. He was being humiliated. I don’t think we should conduct these sort of difficult conservations in front of the cameras and we have to remember that President Zelenskyy is a hero.
He is the person who represents that strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people and whatever difference and difficulties we might have during negotiations we need to be able to set them aside when everyone is watching because the only person who would have liked that wild have been Vladimir Putin.
Continue reading...Prime minister confirms UK and France will lead a ‘coalition of the willing’ to help end the war with Russia
Keir Starmer has said Europe is “at a crossroads in history” and must act to support Ukraine to secure a lasting peace, as he confirmed the UK and France would lead a “coalition of the willing” to help stop the fighting.
After a crucial defence summit in London, the prime minister said Britain was willing, with other European nations, to put “boots on the ground and planes in the air” to help provide an effective deterrent to Russia.
Continue reading...Bold pledges to fund climate projects now appear under threat, exposing deeper fiscal constraints and policy dilemmas within the government
In October, the prime minister, chancellor and energy secretary pledged billions to kickstart the UK’s first carbon capture projects – one of the biggest green spending promises of the parliament. By December, Ed Miliband was signing contracts, Sir Keir Starmer vowed to “reignite our industrial heartlands” and Rachel Reeves warned that without bold action, Britain would be stuck with low growth and falling living standards. More importantly, net zero targets wouldn’t be met without removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Fast forward and the Treasury is, reportedly, preparing to scrap the £22bn plan, after economic growth failed to materialise. What a difference a few weeks make.
Continue reading...PM’s decision to bring forward Zelenskyy meeting and forge Franco-British peace plan shows UK can still play global leadership role
As Keir Starmer and his aides huddled to discuss their response to Friday’s calamitous White House meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the prime minister’s team pondered whether to issue a statement on social media.
Already messages of support were flooding in for the Ukrainian president from other European leaders, including Emmanuel Macron of France and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.
Continue reading...With relations between Washington and Kyiv in tatters, we examine what can realistically be achieved for Zelenskyy
Britain and France are trying, with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to develop a peace plan to end the fighting in his country, in the aftermath of his disastrous White House summit with Donald Trump.
However, the initiative announced by Keir Starmer on Sunday raises questions about whether peace is possible, and on what terms, in the face of continuing Russian hostility and uncertain US intentions.
Continue reading...The US president has no interest in countering aggressors. His short-termist game plan will cost America dear
The White House meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be remembered as far more than just a diplomatic disaster. It marked the end of international politics as we know it, and was a harbinger for the sunset of Pax Americana. Zelenskyy, reeling from the meeting, arrived in London on Saturday to attend a defence summit with other European leaders. Thanks to Trump’s performance, those leaders now have clarity on where the US government stands on the war in Ukraine – and, more broadly, on how US foreign policy may look in future.
It is hard to overstate what a departure this is. Since the end of the second world war, the US has been the primary architect and guarantor of an intricate network of global institutions anchored by Nato, the World Trade Organization, and the International Monetary Fund. Together, these partners crafted a security umbrella whose benefits far outweighed its expense. It produced political stability and provided US and European companies with unrivalled access to markets and resources. The US was all too happy to share the gains of this order with its allies, and, to a lesser extent, with its rivals and adversaries.
Olga Chyzh researches political violence and repressive regimes. She is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto
Continue reading...Russia’s foreign minister also praises Donald Trump for his ‘commonsense’ aim to end the war in Ukraine
The Kremlin said on Sunday that the dramatic pivot in the foreign policy of the US “largely” coincides with its own vision, with Donald Trump described as having “common sense”.
The US president, who has often said he respects his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, has worked to build ties with Moscow since taking office in January, including twice siding with Russia in UN votes.
Continue reading...President of the NAACP New York state chapter fought tirelessly for voting rights, fair housing and education
Hazel Dukes, the president of the New York state chapter of the NAACP and lifelong civil rights advocate, died Saturday at the age of 92.
Dukes peacefully passed away in her New York City home surrounded by family, her son, Ronald Dukes, said in a statement.
Continue reading...Tesla once appeared the future of vehicles. Then Musk’s salutes and support at Trump’s inauguration left owners feeling ‘saddled with a symbol of hate’
When Elon Musk unveiled Tesla’s “truck of the future” in 2019, Filipos could barely contain his excitement. He quickly paid $100 to get on the waitlist. Filipos described himself as a “true Tesla fanboy”, and the Cybertruck would be the third vehicle he’d buy from the company.
“When the Cybertruck came out, I watched the live event that night, and my wife was sitting there going, ‘No. No. No,’” said Filipos, who lives in a suburb of Philadelphia and whose last name is being withheld for fear of online retribution. Despite his wife’s disapproval, Filipos loved the bulky trapezoidal truck. “I was truly geeking out on it,” he said.
Continue reading...With Trump’s true intentions clear, new thinking is needed to fund UK defence, be it fully seizing Russian assets or reversing Hunt’s NI cuts
Principled political resignations are rare at Westminster, so Anneliese Dodds’s departure on Friday, over Labour’s cuts in aid to fund defence spending, was a significant moment.
In her powerful resignation letter, Dodds rightly highlighted the heavy costs of the cuts for some of the world’s poorest people, compounding the damage caused by the Trump administration shutting US aid projects.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Leonie Mellinger believes media storm minimised her role as key part of Labour leader’s team
The media storm around Keir Starmer’s lockdown “voice coaching” was “revolting”, inaccurate and misogynistic, the woman at the heart of the row has told the Guardian.
Leonie Mellinger said parts of the British press had dismissed and minimised her role as a key part of Starmer’s team and used it as a “political weapon”. She added that it was “absolutely wrong” to describe her as a voice coach, and explained that she had worked on Starmer’s emotional connection when speaking in public, not on his voice or elocution.
Continue reading...Widespread alarm at Keir Starmer’s decision to slash funds, amid warnings of dire consequences for world’s poorest
Keir Starmer promised at the UN last September that the UK would “be a leading contributor to development”. Just five months later few expected an announcement that could result in UK aid spending falling to its lowest level this century.
Overseas development aid will fall from 0.5% of the UK’s gross national income to 0.3% – a cut of about £6bn – in order to pay for increased defence spending.
Continue reading...Widespread shooting and looting preceded arrival of M23 rebels, overwhelming city’s poorly resourced facilities
Patients at hospitals in the second-largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have described how they sustained serious injuries during the chaotic withdrawal of the Congolese army and its allies in the days before Rwanda-backed M23 rebels marched in.
Widespread shooting and looting preceded the arrival of the rebels in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, on 14 February, overwhelming the city’s poorly resourced hospitals.
Continue reading...  | submitted by /u/marketrent [link] [comments] |
Emergency meeting called over strictness of discipline at Essex schools run by Mossbourne Federation
Parents and teachers have voiced alarm about the treatment of children at three Essex schools after they were taken over by a high-profile academy trust which is under investigation.
The Mossbourne Federation, known for strict discipline and high grades, runs four schools and a sixth form in Hackney, and began a takeover of two failing secondary schools and one primary in Essex late last year.
Continue reading...The US continues to roll back trans, gay and abortion rights, and the UK is not immune to any of it
I type this through nervous laughter but, haha, should we all be learning how to perform abortions? Just in case? Should we all perhaps, have a little stash of mifepristone in our makeup bags, a secret number in our phone? Something is happening in the US that requires our attention. Hard-earned rights are being erased and the speed at which history is being rewritten there does not bode well for our freedoms here. We are already seeing dark reflections in the glass. This month the Observer reported how British anti-abortion campaigners are echoing US vice-president JD Vance. He claimed our new buffer zone laws, preventing protests outside abortion clinics, were an attack on the “liberties of religious Britons”, shifting focus away from the reason they were implemented to a debate about freedom of speech.
Buffer zones (intended to protect staff and women using the clinics) are being targeted in a careful campaign by conservative Christian groups such as the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a group that wants to ban abortion, opposes same-sex marriage and, in the US, has helped at least 23 states pass legislation barring trans athletes from girls’ and women’s events as well as drafting legislation restricting gender-affirming treatment for minors. With only 1.4% of adolescents in the US identifying as transgender, LGBTQ+ rights groups accused the ADF of “whipping up a panic” over decisions better left to doctors, teachers and parents.
Continue reading...Victims commissioner tells chancellor cutbacks and national insurance hike creating ‘existential crisis’ for rape and domestic abuse charities
The government has cut millions of pounds in funding for victims’ services, prompting warnings that “criminals will go unpunished” unless it urgently changes its position.
The Victims’ Commissioner has written a letter to chancellor Rachel Reeves, shared exclusively with the Observer, saying a combination of funding reductions and the upcoming employers’ national insurance increase was creating an “existential crisis” for charities. The commissioner and charities in the sector are calling for an urgent funding increase in the next spending review, which concludes this spring.
Continue reading...MPs ask ‘what will be left of Labour programme?’ amid calls for rethink and plan to speak out against decision
Keir Starmer is facing a backbench revolt by Labour MPs this week as anger mounts over the government’s decision to cut the international development budget by almost half in order to pay for an increase in defence spending.
The Labour chair of the all-party select committee on international development, Sarah Champion, who has already called on the government to rethink the decision, has secured a debate in the Commons on Wednesday at which dozens of Labour backbenchers are considering intervening to express their dismay.
Continue reading...On the streets of Windsor even some who don’t like the US president say the UK ‘can’t afford to fall out with America’
The pageantry of a state occasion is something Joanna Chin usually enjoys. She stood on Thames Street in Windsor, outside the castle, to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday and Harry and Megan’s wedding. Will she come out for President Trump?
“I can’t stand the man,” she said. “It’s difficult to even believe it’s happening – that somebody like that can be president of the United States. He’s dangerous.”
Continue reading...Case is seen as early test of scope of presidential authority as Trump seeks to rein in federal agencies’ independence
A US judge on Saturday declared president Donald Trump’s firing of the head of a federal watchdog agency illegal in an early test of the scope of presidential power likely to be decided at the US supreme court.
US district judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington had previously ruled that Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel who is responsible for protecting whistleblowers, could remain in his post pending a ruling.
Continue reading...Latest federal lawsuit so far applies only to 10 men detained in the US and facing transfer to the naval base in Cuba
Civil rights attorneys sued the Trump administration Saturday to prevent it from transferring 10 undocumented immigrants detained in the US to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, their second legal challenge in less than a month over plans to hold up to 30,000 people there for deportation.
The latest federal lawsuit so far applies only to 10 men facing transfer to the naval base in Cuba, and their attorneys said the administration will not notify them of who would be transferred or when. As with a lawsuit the same attorneys filed earlier this month for access to people already detained there, the latest case was filed in Washington and is backed by the American Civil Liberties Union.
Continue reading...With or without the US, Europe must learn to defend itself, and Ukraine, against Russian aggression
The treatment of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, by the US president, Donald Trump, during what appears to have been a staged confrontation in the White House in front of the world’s press, marks one of the most profoundly shocking moments in US diplomacy in decades.
In this crass and deeply disturbing performance, the wartime leader of a democratic European country that is fighting against an illegal invasion by Russia, which has seen its citizens killed and cities bombed indiscriminately, was subjected to a vicious, ignorant and mendacious attack that was designed to humiliate.
Continue reading...Rafael Caro Quintero arraigned in New York over federal agent’s death after years as one of US’s most wanted men
After years as one of US authorities’ most wanted men, the Mexican drug cartel boss Rafael Caro Quintero was brought into a New York courtroom on Friday to answer charges that include orchestrating the 1985 killing of a US federal agent.
Caro Quintero pleaded not guilty to running a continuing criminal enterprise. Separately, so did Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, the leader of another cartel. Carrillo is accused of arranging kidnappings and killings in Mexico but not accused of involvement in the death of the DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena.
Continue reading...Hopes of swaying the White House on Ukraine look bleak as US prioritised theatrics over security commitments in a volatile world
Europe hoped that concerted efforts could have some effect in bringing round Donald Trump to a more reasonable position on Ukraine, and mitigate the worst of his administration’s instincts. After the combined persuasion and flattery of Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron brought out a somewhat tamer and more jovial version of the US president, there were modest hopes that the Ukrainian president’s visit to Washington might be more productive than feared – even if there was no sign that they had succeeded in tempting Mr Trump towards the security assurances so desperately needed.
Instead, his Oval Office meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy soon exploded into acrimony, with the US president berating his guest for ingratitude. Mr Trump had earlier spoken of partnership with the Ukrainian president. But he and his vice-president, JD Vance, teamed up to deliver a public kicking. It would, the president added, be “great television”.
Continue reading...The Bureau of Prisons rescinded rules shielding trans women from being searched by male guards, The Intercept has learned.
The post Trump Administration Abolishes Rules Protecting Trans Prisoners appeared first on The Intercept.
USAid cuts to clinics dispensing antiretroviral drugs will be ‘death sentence for mothers and children’, expert warns
Sweeping notices of termination of funding have been received by organisations working with HIV and Aids across Africa, with dire predictions of a huge rise in deaths as a result.
After the US announced a permanent end to funding for HIV projects, services across the board have been affected, say doctors and programme managers, from projects helping orphans and pregnant women to those reaching transgender individuals and sex workers.
Continue reading...US president also says delayed tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico will go into effect on 4 March
Donald Trump has threatened China with an additional 10% tariff on its exports to the US, prompting a promise of “countermeasures” from Beijing and setting the stage for another significant escalation in the two governments’ trade war.
The US president also claimed he planned to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting next Tuesday, having delayed their imposition last month after talks with his counterparts.
Continue reading...The US president, Donald Trump, denied calling the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a dictator, despite calling him one on his social media platform, Truth Social. Trump was asked by a reporter if he still held that view in a press conference alongside the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, and he replied: 'Did I say that? I can't believe I said that'
Continue reading...Peter Marocco sends letter to UNAids terminating US involvement in serious blow to live-saving health service
The Trump administration has terminated its funding of the joint United Nations program on HIV/Aids, known as UNAids, delivering another devastating blow to the global fight against the disease.
The notice that US funding of UNAids is being cut off is the latest move by the administration to end American involvement in life-saving health and anti-poverty programs around the world. It was issued by Peter Marocco, a Trump loyalist who is spearheading the evisceration of the US overseas aid program through USAid.
Continue reading...Deaths and injuries reported after explosions at rally attended by thousands in city captured by rebel group
Several people have been killed and dozens more injured after blasts at a mass rally held by the M23 group in Bukavu, the city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo captured by the rebels earlier this month.
Footage posted on social media showed people fleeing the scene. In another video, bloodied bodies lay on the ground and injured people were being carried away.
Continue reading...Want to expose wrongdoing in the U.S. government? Take these steps to keep yourself safe.
The post How to Leak Under the Trump Administration appeared first on The Intercept.
Cryptocurrency slips into technical bear market as optimism after Donald Trump’s election win fades
Bitcoin has recorded its largest monthly loss since June 2022, pushing it into a bear market as the euphoria over cryptocurrencies after Donald Trump’s election win faded.
The price of bitcoin fell by 17.5% in February, the biggest monthly drop since June 2022, and its 11th worst month in the last decade, as negative sentiment gripped financial markets.
Continue reading...Under proposed new codes submitted to eSafety commissioner, tech companies would have six months to implement new measures
Social media and technology companies would have six months to implement a suite of new measures to restrict Australian children from accessing adult content online, or face fines up to $50m, under proposed new codes developed by the industry.
The draft codes, submitted to the eSafety commissioner last week for approval, would require social media platforms that allow pornography to prevent access to minors, and implement age assurance measures for users.
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Continue reading...Bureau of Meteorology says guidance ‘favours landfall on Thursday’ as premier David Crisafulli warns ‘large system presents big challenge’
Tropical Cyclone Alfred will “likely” turn towards major population centres in south-east Queensland this week, with authorities warning more than 4 million people from Bundaberg to the Gold Coast that their communities could be “in the firing line”.
The Queensland premier, David Crisafulli, said on Sunday the system could cause serious and potentially dangerous coastal erosion, flash flooding and strong winds.
Continue reading...Australian navy ship heading to Coral Sea after Aurimas Mockus calls for help one week out from reaching Queensland
A Royal Australian Navy ship is bound for the Coral Sea after a Lithuanian man attempting to row across the Pacific Ocean from San Diego to Brisbane got into trouble.
Aurimas Mockus activated his emergency beacon on Friday night about 740km east of Mackay, Queensland, and 90km west of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Continue reading...Xiao Qian says exercises in Tasman Sea posed ‘no threat’ to Australia as previously unreported communications between pilots and air traffic controllers show confusion over drills
China doesn’t even need to “think” about apologising over the way it notified Australia about live-fire naval drills off the Australian coast, the country’s ambassador says.
Xiao Qian told the ABC the drills last Friday and Saturday posed “no threat” to Australia and were “a normal kind of practice for many navies in the world”.
He said the notification of the drills had followed normal international practice, despite Australian authorities first becoming aware of them after they began, from a passing Virgin pilot.
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Continue reading...With DOGE initiatives getting hung up in court, Elon Musk and Donald Trump attacked judges and flirted with defying their rulings.
The post DOGE’s Lawyer Once Warned That Ignoring Court Orders Would Destroy the Country appeared first on The Intercept.
Business secretary says negotiations – now in their 15th round – are a ‘top priority’ for Labour government
Ministers are relaunching negotiations with India this week in an attempt to clinch a multibillion-pound free trade agreement that they hope will boost the UK’s flatlining economy.
Jonathan Reynolds, the business and trade secretary, flew to Delhi on Sunday to meet his Indian counterpart, Piyush Goyal, for the first time since Labour won the election.
Continue reading...Trump’s crusade against “wokeness” is co-opting the language of the civil rights movement to undo its legacy.
The post How Trump Twisted DEI to Only Benefit White Christians appeared first on The Intercept.
A former campaign staffer said Sen. John Fetterman’s single-minded focus came at the exclusion of the progressive positions he ran on.
The post Fetterman Staff Quit Amid Frustration Over “Just Working on Israel All the Time” appeared first on The Intercept.
The Trump administration may claim Title 42 aims to stop the spread of tuberculosis. But it’s truly a ploy to stop asylum-seekers.
The post Title 42 Isn’t About Public Health — It’s About Keeping Immigrants Out appeared first on The Intercept.
Apparently baseless claim that $21m was given to help voter turnout seized on by Trump and Modi government
Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” has been accused of setting off a political firestorm in India after it claimed that the US government had been sending millions of dollars to support the Indian elections.
In a list published on Musk’s social media platform X last week, Doge, a special group that Donald Trump created, claimed that a $21m grant distributed by USAid – the US agency for international development – to help “voter turnout in India” had been cancelled, as part of the president’s sweeping cuts to foreign aid.
Continue reading...One HSBC banker was paid up to £16.6m in 2024 while figure at Barclays was £14.8m after loosening of pay rules
The demise of the UK banker bonus cap has sent pay soaring at Barclays and HSBC where the highest-paid bankers have received their biggest payouts since at least 2014.
Analysis of pay documents released this month shows payouts for their most expensive staff surged more than 50% to nearly €20m (£16.6m) last year, after the banks took advantage of looser pay rules and allowed staff to be paid bonuses worth 10 times their salary.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Leaked documents reveal the AFL struggles to detect if players are using inside information to manipulate betting markets, despite close ties to industry
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The AFL has admitted its integrity system for online gambling is seriously deficient and struggles to identity whether players, coaches and staff are using inside information to manipulate betting markets, in breach of their contracts.
Leaked documents seen by Guardian Australia reveal executives have expressed alarm about an “unprecedented” increase in “integrity risks” posed by the wagering industry, which has exploded in popularity since the pandemic with more than 80 bookmakers now taking bets on its games.
Continue reading...Kurdish militant group responds to call from its jailed leader, Abdullah Öcalan, to lay down arms
A Kurdish militia has declared a ceasefire in its 40-year insurgency against Turkey after its imprisoned leader called for the group to disarm and dissolve earlier this week.
“We are declaring a ceasefire to be effective from today on. None of our forces will take armed action unless attacked,” the executive committee of the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK) said in a statement.
Continue reading...With the mothers of Elon’s kids begging for his attention on social media, he makes much of ‘pronatalism’ – but is that just a fancy word for bad parenting? ‘I don’t know whether I’d describe it as fun,’ says Aimee Lou Wood on the intensity of making The White Lotus. And are ordinary life experiences, bodily imperfections and normal differences being unnecessarily pathologised? Neurologist and author Suzanne O’Sullivan argues just that
Continue reading...Germany embraced Israel to atone for its wartime guilt. But was this in part a way to avoid truly confronting its past? By Pankaj Mishra. Read by Mikhail Sen
Continue reading...Syria has a new leader, and for thousands it is a time of celebration and optimism. But old enmities and fears about what comes next haunt the country. Michael Safi reports
After more than a decade of war, and half a century of repressive rule under Bashar al-Assad and his father, Syrians have a new ruler and a new future. Michael Safi spent a week travelling around the country, speaking to people about their surging hopes and joy – but also their fears of how fragile this peace could prove to be.
Driving from Lebanon to Damascus with a family, he heard about the painful toll the years of war and repression had taken on them: a father killed, a brother disappeared, a sister jailed. But they also told him how optimistic they still were for this moment of history.
Continue reading...The video might bring pleasure to their supporters, but for us it is a call to shut down their fascist deportation machine.
The post Trump and Musk Delight in the Sounds of Human Suffering With Sick “ASMR” Immigrant Video appeared first on The Intercept.
Daughter of Peter and Barbie Reynolds says government must do ‘everything in their power’ to secure their release
The family of a British couple arrested by the Taliban in Afghanistan have called on the government to do “everything in their power” to secure their release.
Peter and Barbie Reynolds, 79 and 75, who run education and training programmes in Afghanistan, were detained by the Taliban on 1 February while returning to their home in the central province of Bamiyan.
Continue reading...This week on The Intercept Briefing, politics reporters Jessica Washington and Akela Lacy assess the full scope of Trump's first month in office.
The post One Month Under Trump: Are You Keeping Up? appeared first on The Intercept.
The cut, an anti-trans attack, was the latest example of confusion sown by bold claims that wither under scrutiny.
The post DOGE Said It Cut $232 Million From Social Security Budget. It Was Only About Half a Million. appeared first on The Intercept.
Beaty Rubens’s study of the impact of early radio broadcasts in Britain is full of fascinating and often poignant detail
One hundred years ago this summer, from high above Daventry in Northamptonshire, voices began to beam into the homes of 20 million people. They came from the 500ft tall Borough Hill transmitter – truly revolutionary technology in 1925 – which opened with a new work, Daventry Calling, by the poet Alfred Noyes.
“Sitting around your hearth/Ye are at one with all on earth,” the poem concluded, giving a utopian flavour that recurs often through Beaty Rubens’s meticulously detailed, engaging book. Exploring how radio transformed the lives of Britons between the two world wars, it’s a striking read in our smartphone-dominated world, as we witness another radical invention quickly becoming part of everyday life. A portal into other places from your own house was also an easy concept to sell. Take the cover of the first Christmas issue of Radio Times from 1923, one of many fascinating images in the book, showing a rapt family gathering around their small set.
Continue reading...Trump is leaving Ukraine with impossible choices: fight a losing war without U.S. support, or submit to economic vassalage.
The post Trump Doesn’t Care About Ukraine or Russia — Just Money appeared first on The Intercept.
A GP surgery in one of the most deprived areas in the north-east of England is struggling to provide care for its patients as the health system crumbles around them. In the depths of the winter flu season, the Guardian video producers Maeve Shearlaw and Adam Sich went to Bridges medical practice to shadow the lead GP, Paul Evans, as he worked all hours keep his surgery afloat. Juggling technical challenges, long waiting lists and the profound impact austerity has had on the health of the population, Evans says: 'We are seeing the system fail'
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.
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Continue reading...Exclusive: Zhou Bo says harm done to US image may make Taiwanese reconsider their attitude towards Beijing but says he sees Trump as overall being ‘rather friendly’
The damage caused by Donald Trump to the United States’ reputation is creating opportunities for China, particularly with regards to Taiwan, according to a retired senior colonel from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Speaking to the Guardian in Beijing, Zhou Bo said that Trump was damaging the US’s reputation “more than all of his predecessors combined”.
Continue reading...Threat after Taipei announces bigger military drills appears to mirror a line from children’s film Ne Zha 2
China’s defence ministry spokesperson has warned Taiwan “we will come and get you, sooner or later”, after Taipei announced an expansion of military exercises.
The threat was delivered in a press conference on Thursday, but grabbed attention inside China for its apparent mirroring of a line from the record-breaking children’s movie Ne Zha 2.
Continue reading...China has dramatically increased military activities around Taiwan, with more than 3,000 incursions into Taiwan's airspace in 2024 alone. Amy Hawkins examines how Beijing is deploying 'salami-slicing' tactics, a strategy of gradual pressure that stays below the threshold of war while steadily wearing down Taiwan's defences. From daily air incursions to strategic military exercises, we explore the four phases of China's approach and what it means for Taiwan's future
Continue reading...Rights experts say group, who have been detained for more than 10 years, face risk of disappearance and imprisonment
Dozens of Uyghurs have been deported from Thailand to China in the face of warnings from human rights experts that there is a high risk they will suffer torture, enforced disappearance and imprisonment.
US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, on Thursday said the US condemned Thailand’s move “in the strongest possible terms”.
Continue reading...Fastest expansion in three months as new orders rise at Chinese factories
China’s manufacturing activity expanded at the fastest pace in three months in February, despite the looming threat that Donald Trump will impose tariffs this week.
Production at China’s factories returned to growth last month, an official survey showed, thanks to higher new orders and purchase volumes.
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More than a thousand people have been evacuated near forest of Ofunato in northern region of Iwate
More than a thousand people have been evacuated as Japan battles its largest wildfire in more than three decades.
The flames are estimated to have spread over about 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) in the forest of Ofunato in the northern region of Iwate since a fire broke out on Wednesday, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
Continue reading...The bloated Department of Defense spends more money than any other government agency. So where is Elon Musk and DOGE?
The post Hey Elon: We Found a Place to Cut More Than $2 Trillion in Wasteful Spending appeared first on The Intercept.
US president also says delayed tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico will go into effect on 4 March
Donald Trump has threatened China with an additional 10% tariff on its exports to the US, prompting a promise of “countermeasures” from Beijing and setting the stage for another significant escalation in the two governments’ trade war.
The US president also claimed he planned to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting next Tuesday, having delayed their imposition last month after talks with his counterparts.
Continue reading...Xiao Qian says exercises in Tasman Sea posed ‘no threat’ to Australia as previously unreported communications between pilots and air traffic controllers show confusion over drills
China doesn’t even need to “think” about apologising over the way it notified Australia about live-fire naval drills off the Australian coast, the country’s ambassador says.
Xiao Qian told the ABC the drills last Friday and Saturday posed “no threat” to Australia and were “a normal kind of practice for many navies in the world”.
He said the notification of the drills had followed normal international practice, despite Australian authorities first becoming aware of them after they began, from a passing Virgin pilot.
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Continue reading...India beat New Zealand by 44 runs in a low-scoring contest at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday to top Group A in the Champions Trophy.
Electing to field, New Zealand restricted India to 249 for nine with Matt Henry, who took five for 42, leading a fine team bowling display backed up by their characteristic sharp catching.
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The India-based street and documentary photographer captures a group of children in a moment of joy
University student Pradiptamoy Paul currently lives in Siliguri, West Bengal, but he still regularly visits his home town of Mathabhanga, a few hours’ drive away. On the day he took this photograph, back in 2023, he had done some work in the morning and was taking a walk by the Mansai riverside, hoping to capture something special.
“It’s a residential area and there are no industrial sites nearby, so the water here is clean,” Paul says. “In this photo there is so much going on and so many characters. The boy at the front was taking a rest, someone else was splashing in the water, another boy was jumping from the concrete. And the boy jumping from the top corner happened spontaneously, at just the right moment! It’s impossible to say who the actual hero of this photograph is. They’re children immersed in a moment of energy and joy – they’re all heroes.”
Continue reading...Bianca, Garance and Honde churn across Indian Ocean as Alfred, Rae and Seru spin through south-west Pacific
An uncommon meteorological event unfolded on Tuesday when six named tropical cyclones were active simultaneously in the southern hemisphere, several in close proximity to one another.
Three developed in the south-west Pacific. Severe Tropical Cyclone Alfred formed on 20 February in the Coral Sea to the north-east of Australia, reaching an intensity equivalent to a category 4 hurricane on Thursday with sustained winds of 105mph (170km/h) and gusts at about 140mph.
Continue reading...Russian bombs hit Ukraine, protests in Greece, prayers for the Pope and Milan fashion week: the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists
Last month, the UK government demanded that Apple weaken the security of iCloud for users worldwide. On Friday, Apple took steps to comply for users in the United Kingdom. But the British law is written in a way that requires Apple to give its government access to anyone, anywhere in the world. If the government demands Apple weaken its security worldwide, it would increase everyone’s cyber-risk in an already dangerous world.
If you’re an iCloud user, you have the option of turning on something called “advanced data protection,” or ADP. In that mode, a majority of your data is end-to-end encrypted. This means that no one, not even anyone at Apple, can read that data. It’s a restriction enforced by mathematics—cryptography—and not policy. Even if someone successfully hacks iCloud, they can’t read ADP-protected data...
Court orders compensation to be paid to 30-year-old from Bangalore, saying ‘in the new era, time is considered as money, each one’s time is very precious’
For some, the adverts that precede the start of a film are the bane of a trip to the cinema; for others, they are a useful buffer as you stand in the popcorn queue.
But for one man in India, the lengthy marathon of cinema advertising was so infuriating that he took the matter to the courts – and won.
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Apparently baseless claim that $21m was given to help voter turnout seized on by Trump and Modi government
Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” has been accused of setting off a political firestorm in India after it claimed that the US government had been sending millions of dollars to support the Indian elections.
In a list published on Musk’s social media platform X last week, Doge, a special group that Donald Trump created, claimed that a $21m grant distributed by USAid – the US agency for international development – to help “voter turnout in India” had been cancelled, as part of the president’s sweeping cuts to foreign aid.
Continue reading...Business secretary says negotiations – now in their 15th round – are a ‘top priority’ for Labour government
Ministers are relaunching negotiations with India this week in an attempt to clinch a multibillion-pound free trade agreement that they hope will boost the UK’s flatlining economy.
Jonathan Reynolds, the business and trade secretary, flew to Delhi on Sunday to meet his Indian counterpart, Piyush Goyal, for the first time since Labour won the election.
Continue reading...Trump is leaving Ukraine with impossible choices: fight a losing war without U.S. support, or submit to economic vassalage.
The post Trump Doesn’t Care About Ukraine or Russia — Just Money appeared first on The Intercept.
For all the brand awareness, the human element in decision making in the most emotional of sports is undervalued
When William Goldman wrote in his memoir Adventures in the Screen Trade that in Hollywood “nobody knows anything”, he coined a phrase that spoke directly to the chaos at the heart of the movie industry. It was a remark made in 1983, the year of classic movies such as Tootsie, Trading Places and Local Hero and an era when the box office was booming.
The phrase came to mind this past week in the ballroom of the Peninsula hotel in London, where the great and the good and the rest of the global football industry gathered for the latest FT Business of Football Summit.
Continue reading...Threat after Taipei announces bigger military drills appears to mirror a line from children’s film Ne Zha 2
China’s defence ministry spokesperson has warned Taiwan “we will come and get you, sooner or later”, after Taipei announced an expansion of military exercises.
The threat was delivered in a press conference on Thursday, but grabbed attention inside China for its apparent mirroring of a line from the record-breaking children’s movie Ne Zha 2.
Continue reading...
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are the most popular digital assets today, capturing the attention of cryptocurrency investors, whales and people from around the world. People find it amazing that some users spend thousands or millions of dollars on a single NFT-based image of a monkey or other token, but you can simply take a screenshot for free. So here we share some freuently asked question about NFTs.
NFT stands for non-fungible token, which is a cryptographic token on a blockchain with unique identification codes that distinguish it from other tokens. NFTs are unique and not interchangeable, which means no two NFTs are the same. NFTs can be a unique artwork, GIF, Images, videos, Audio album. in-game items, collectibles etc.
A blockchain is a distributed digital ledger that allows for the secure storage of data. By recording any kind of information—such as bank account transactions, the ownership of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), or Decentralized Finance (DeFi) smart contracts—in one place, and distributing it to many different computers, blockchains ensure that data can’t be manipulated without everyone in the system being aware.
The value of an NFT comes from its ability to be traded freely and securely on the blockchain, which is not possible with other current digital ownership solutionsThe NFT points to its location on the blockchain, but doesn’t necessarily contain the digital property. For example, if you replace one bitcoin with another, you will still have the same thing. If you buy a non-fungible item, such as a movie ticket, it is impossible to replace it with any other movie ticket because each ticket is unique to a specific time and place.
One of the unique characteristics of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) is that they can be tokenised to create a digital certificate of ownership that can be bought, sold and traded on the blockchain.
As with crypto-currency, records of who owns what are stored on a ledger that is maintained by thousands of computers around the world. These records can’t be forged because the whole system operates on an open-source network.
NFTs also contain smart contracts—small computer programs that run on the blockchain—that give the artist, for example, a cut of any future sale of the token.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) aren't cryptocurrencies, but they do use blockchain technology. Many NFTs are based on Ethereum, where the blockchain serves as a ledger for all the transactions related to said NFT and the properties it represents.5) How to make an NFT?
Anyone can create an NFT. All you need is a digital wallet, some ethereum tokens and a connection to an NFT marketplace where you’ll be able to upload and sell your creations
When you purchase a stock in NFT, that purchase is recorded on the blockchain—the bitcoin ledger of transactions—and that entry acts as your proof of ownership.
The value of an NFT varies a lot based on the digital asset up for grabs. People use NFTs to trade and sell digital art, so when creating an NFT, you should consider the popularity of your digital artwork along with historical statistics.
In the year 2021, a digital artist called Pak created an artwork called The Merge. It was sold on the Nifty Gateway NFT market for $91.8 million.
Non-fungible tokens can be used in investment opportunities. One can purchase an NFT and resell it at a profit. Certain NFT marketplaces let sellers of NFTs keep a percentage of the profits from sales of the assets they create.
Many people want to buy NFTs because it lets them support the arts and own something cool from their favorite musicians, brands, and celebrities. NFTs also give artists an opportunity to program in continual royalties if someone buys their work. Galleries see this as a way to reach new buyers interested in art.
There are many places to buy digital assets, like opensea and their policies vary. On top shot, for instance, you sign up for a waitlist that can be thousands of people long. When a digital asset goes on sale, you are occasionally chosen to purchase it.
To mint an NFT token, you must pay some amount of gas fee to process the transaction on the Etherum blockchain, but you can mint your NFT on a different blockchain called Polygon to avoid paying gas fees. This option is available on OpenSea and this simply denotes that your NFT will only be able to trade using Polygon's blockchain and not Etherum's blockchain. Mintable allows you to mint NFTs for free without paying any gas fees.
The answer is no. Non-Fungible Tokens are minted on the blockchain using cryptocurrencies such as Etherum, Solana, Polygon, and so on. Once a Non-Fungible Token is minted, the transaction is recorded on the blockchain and the contract or license is awarded to whoever has that Non-Fungible Token in their wallet.
You can sell your work and creations by attaching a license to it on the blockchain, where its ownership can be transferred. This lets you get exposure without losing full ownership of your work. Some of the most successful projects include Cryptopunks, Bored Ape Yatch Club NFTs, SandBox, World of Women and so on. These NFT projects have gained popularity globally and are owned by celebrities and other successful entrepreneurs. Owning one of these NFTs gives you an automatic ticket to exclusive business meetings and life-changing connections.
That’s a wrap. Hope you guys found this article enlightening. I just answer some question with my limited knowledge about NFTs. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comment section below. Also I have a question for you, Is bitcoin an NFTs? let me know in The comment section below
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