********** ENTERTAINMENT **********
return to top
The 65 Best Movies on Disney+ Right Now (February 2025)
Thu, 30 Jan 2025 20:00:00 +0000
Raiders of the Lost Ark, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Elton John: Never Too Late are just a few of the movies you should be watching on Disney+ this month.
Match ID: 0 Score: 55.00 source: www.wired.com age: 0 days
qualifiers: 35.00 (best|good|great) (show|movie), 20.00 movie
The 52 Best Shows on Disney+ Right Now (February 2025)
Tue, 28 Jan 2025 20:00:00 +0000
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Goosebumps: The Vanishing, and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew are just a few of the shows you should be watching on Disney+ this month.
Match ID: 1 Score: 35.00 source: www.wired.com age: 2 days
qualifiers: 35.00 (best|good|great) (show|movie)
Fury and denunciations: when pop idol Marianne Faithfull took to the stage – and silenced her critics
Fri, 31 Jan 2025 14:02:17 GMT
Faithfull’s casting in Chekhov’s Three Sisters in 1967 caused a perfect storm, yet she held her own against the vastly more experienced cast including Glenda Jackson. It was the start of many such triumphs
• News: Marianne Faithfull dies aged 78
• Alexis Petridis: ‘Faithfull was not just a muse’
• Peter Bradshaw: ‘Faithfull was a magnet for film-makers’
• Marianne Faithfull’s 10 best recordings
Marianne Faithfull had to overcome a good deal of prejudice in her life. When, as a 21-year-old, she was cast as Irina in a 1967 production of Chekhov’s Three Sisters at London’s Royal Court, it caused a perfect storm. The press was sceptical about a pop idol going straight and Equity, the actors’ union, delayed giving her a membership card. Indeed, William Gaskill, who ran the Royal Court and directed the production, recalled being denounced at a union meeting as “an irresponsible and vicious poseur”. In the end, Faithfull gave a highly creditable performance and showed a rare capacity to convey innocence on stage.
Gaskill confirms this in his memoir, when he talks of the impact she made at a first meeting. “This deathly pale girl, exquisitely beautiful, arrived. I suppose I’d expected a bit of gorblimey but Marianne is related to the Sacher-Masochs and was more than suited to be one of the Prozorovs. One of the lines Edward Bond [who did the translation] gave to Tusenbach describes her perfectly, ‘Your paleness is like a lamp. It makes the darkness shine.’”
Continue reading...I was wearing white, and foolishly imagined I’d emerge unsplattered
Krokodilos, a new Greek restaurant, has spread out its tail and claws in Kensington. This sleek, moderately fancy celebration of all things from Athens to the coast of Crete is currently working hard to channel a sun-kissed sojourn on the Aegean, in winter, in London. Yet step inside, away from the concrete and drizzle outside, and the place is airy, opulent and verging on the semi-Californian. This is movie-set Greece hewn in tones of dappled, early evening Athenian sunshine, all bronze, peach, tan and gold, and enhanced with tasteful lighting, velvety soft furnishings and comfortable leather banquettes. Before I walked in, I was just a woman in thermals with a flaky nose, but then – bang! – I’m suddenly Christina Onassis sipping a mulberry mournoraki in a rustic yet dashingly chic taverna.
All this and a kitchen headed by Angelos Togias, ex of the Connaught, and with a clear vision to honour the many wonderful things about modern Greek cooking and ingredients. We begin with a “tasting” of five olive oils in tiny bowls with house flatbread, each of them passionately explained by our server as if they were the finest wines from the cellar. Doesn’t the 245 Organic 0.8% have subtle wafts of citrus and fresh grass? How about the fuller, fruitier aroma of the Mitira Lesvos? As a non-drinker nowadays, I found the ceremony of the experience rather delightful – why do we reserve such nerdiness mainly for wine?
Continue reading...In 1983, Wim Wenders set out across the American west, capturing the sunsets and desolate landscapes that helped shape his iconic movie
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
Video:
00:06:40
A group of volunteers is spending two months lying in bed—with their feet up and one shoulder always touching the mattress—even while eating, showering, and using the toilet. But why? This extreme bedrest study is helping scientists understand how space travel affects the human body and how to keep astronauts healthy on long missions.
Microgravity causes muscle and bone loss, fluid shifts, and other physiological changes similar to those experienced by bedridden patients on Earth. By studying volunteers here on Earth, researchers can develop better countermeasures for astronauts and even improve treatments for medical conditions like osteoporosis.
In this study, participants are divided into three groups: one stays in bed with no exercise, another cycles in bed to mimic astronaut workouts, and a third cycles while being spun in a centrifuge to simulate artificial gravity. Scientists hope artificial gravity could become a key tool in protecting astronauts during deep-space missions.
Donald Trump says tariffs will start at 25% and ‘may or may not’ rise over time
Secretary of state Marco Rubio will travel to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic beginning on Saturday, the state department said.
Rubio will travel to Central America to “advance President Trump’s America First foreign policy,” the department said.
Secretary Rubio’s engagements with senior officials and business leaders will promote regional cooperation on our core, shared interests: stopping illegal and large-scale migration, fighting the scourge of transnational criminal organizations and drug traffickers, countering China, and deepening economic partnerships to enhance prosperity in our hemisphere.
Continue reading...Celebrity Bear Hunt sees Grylls track the likes of Mel B and Boris Becker through the jungle to teach them about survival. Sam Wollaston travels to Costa Rica to see what it’s like – but things do not go to plan
I am slithering across the forest floor, stealthily, silently, like a pit viper perhaps? But that would make me the predator and I think I’m the prey here. Actually – to be honest – slithering and stealthily are wishful thinking; it’s more like trying to creep, a little stooped, in an attempt to be less visible to Bear Grylls, who is hunting me. Although – further honesty alert! – he’s not really hunting me. We’ll come to that.
I’m trying to remember what Grylls said in his brief about how to avoid detection. A lot of things beginning with S: sound obviously, though it’s hard to be quiet here because the forest floor is covered in dry leaves and twigs. Smell is another; wish I’d gone easier on the Lynx Jungle Fresh – hopefully Bear is upwind. Shadow, silhouette and shine are also no-nos, some of which Grylls himself helped with by rubbing dirt on my face.
Continue reading...The founder of Mothers Against College Antisemitism says her 62,000-member Facebook group is influencing NYU policy.
The post A Well-Connected NYU Parent Is Trying to Get Students Deported appeared first on The Intercept.
From mindful waking in the Yorkshire Dales to a Buddhist retreat in Japan, our tipsters have found inner peace and rejuvenation all over the world
With Eryri national park (Snowdonia) on the doorstep and guided wild swims available, north Wales’ Tawelu Retreats offers options to explore the outdoors or go full hibernation with the retreat’s yoga classes and meditations, plus a sauna and hot tub. The chef cooked up filling, comforting veggie food and gorgeous chai and hot chocolate. Even getting lost running up the Welsh fells and nearly missing my hot shells massage didn’t trouble my stress levels. It’s women only, four days from £650.
Laura King
A city associated with sausage and herring is now a haven for plant-based foods – and Poland’s rightwing politicians aren’t happy
I want to tell you about a relatively typical neighbourhood in my city. There are two vegan sushi restaurants, three vegan ramen spots. There are a few vegan delis. All the convenience stores have a vegan section. There’s an abundance of vegan bakeries. There’s a place that does vegan peking duck – it’s good, I promise. Many of these vegan places proudly have a rainbow flag on display. I’m not talking about Los Angeles or New York. I’m not even talking about Copenhagen. My neighbourhood is called Śródmieście. The vegan paradise I’m talking about – it’s Warsaw.
If you don’t believe me, well, Warsaw has been ranked among the top vegan cities in the world by HappyCow (a vegan ranking website) for the past six years. In 2022, it was National Geographic’s number one vegan city in the world. Maybe your perception of Poland is all kielbasa (sausage) and conservative politics. Herring and hate. It’s more complicated than that. In the past two decades there has been a quiet vegan revolution in the country.
Karol Adamiak is a chef from Warsaw. Barclay Bram contributed research and writing to this article. They cook together as Bracia
Continue reading...In her big plan to get the economy growing again the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has prioritised growth over almost everything else. But at what cost? John Harris speaks to the Labour MP Clive Lewis about concerns that climate action is taking a back seat. Plus, the columnist Gaby Hinsliff talks us through whether the party’s quest for growth will work
Continue reading...Overseas tourists are blocking roads or walking onto railway tracks in Otaru to capture its views, stoking local resentment and complaints of overtourism
Authorities in Japan are stepping up measures to deter crowds of overseas visitors from taking risks in their quest for the perfect photo, in another attempt to address the negative impact of a record surge in inbound tourism.
Tourism officials in Otaru, a small city in the northernmost main island of Hokkaido, deployed security guards this week to prevent people congregating on Funami-za, a steep street and the perfect spot for photos of the port and sea in the distance.
Continue reading...Asylum-seekers are being detained because they come from Russia and Central Asia, immigrants and attorneys told The Intercept.
The post They Flee Russia as Dissidents Seeking Asylum. The U.S. Locks Them Up. appeared first on The Intercept.
We would like to hear from people on the stormy weather conditions and the impact it has had on their journey
Due to stormy weather and flooding, a major incident has been declared in Somerset with blocked roads, schools closed and rest centres set up for those who have been forced to leave their homes in Chard, Ilminister and Somerton.
More than 50 flood warnings and more than 150 flood alerts were in place for England on Monday, with three Met Office yellow warnings in England and Wales for heavy rain and strong winds.
Continue reading...Poland has promised Netanyahu safe passage to an Auschwitz memorial service. Former and current EU officials are speaking out.
The post Netanyahu Has an ICC Arrest Warrant. Poland’s Promise to Ignore It Would Be a “Grave Mistake.” appeared first on The Intercept.
From biking adventures to city breaks, get inspiration for your next break – whether in the UK or further afield – with twice-weekly emails from the Guardian’s travel editors. You’ll also receive handpicked offers from Guardian Holidays.
From biking adventures to city breaks, get inspiration for your next break – whether in the UK or further afield – with twice-weekly emails from the Guardian’s travel editors.
You’ll also receive handpicked offers from Guardian Holidays.
Continue reading...Following Trump’s executive order, a trans woman held at a federal prison was told she would be moved to a men’s prison.
The post Trans Women in Federal Custody Face the Terror of Being Transferred to Men’s Prisons appeared first on The Intercept.
UNRWA delivered the majority of food aid during the war and sheltered more than 1 million people. What happens when it’s banned?
The post Israel Bans UNRWA as Trump Throttles Foreign Aid appeared first on The Intercept.
Gabbard is a rare Washington politician who defended the NSA whistleblower. But she has also changed positions and even political parties.
The post Tulsi Gabbard Once Called for an Edward Snowden Pardon. Will She Flip-Flop Now? appeared first on The Intercept.
The FBI trawled NSA records without a warrant to investigate a man suspected of trying to join a terror group, prosecutors admit.
The post FBI’s Warrantless Search Ruled Unconstitutional in a Blow to Government Spying appeared first on The Intercept.
Such a profound social change needs consensus and leadership. Those tasked with seeing this through are offering neither
There is something about the sound of Prof Sir Chris Whitty’s voice that inexorably takes me back. Whenever he speaks it’s hard not to think about R numbers and social distancing, masks and variants. His was the judgment we learned to trust in the days when the only certainty was that thousands were going to die; his the not-quite-inscrutable face we studied for clues that some politician had just said something stupid. For those reasons and more, I would very much like to know what the chief medical officer thinks about assisted dying for terminally ill people. But when he came before the committee scrutinising this most sensitive of issues on Wednesday, he wouldn’t say.
Whitty answered all questions posed about the proposed new law, including how accurately doctors can predict that someone has only six months left. (Not entirely, though he explained that they’re better at predicting that death will come in the foreseeable future – which seems more important here than whether it’s five, six or seven months exactly, though Whitty didn’t say the last part.) He wasn’t asked how well doctors can predict what that death might be like: how much pain or indignity it’s likely to involve, which might be equally hard to say but is what I’d want to know. (Some apply for assisted death without ever using the option, just to know it is there if needed.)
Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Continue reading...Appeal court ruled that decision to anonymise three judges connected to case was misguided and wrong
The judge who decided that Sara Sharif should live with her father, who went on to kill her, can be named after a court of appeal ruling.
Urfan Sharif and his wife, Beinash Batool, murdered Sara in August 2023, less than four years after the designated family judge for Surrey made the decision.
Continue reading...The founder of Mothers Against College Antisemitism says her 62,000-member Facebook group is influencing NYU policy.
The post A Well-Connected NYU Parent Is Trying to Get Students Deported appeared first on The Intercept.
Katerina gets embarrassed when daughter Anya tops up her tips. Anya says waiters deserve a decent bonus. You decide who should foot the bill
I find it offensive when Anya tops up my tip in a restaurant – if I’m paying she should follow my lead
Continue reading...The government deserves praise for delivering breakfast clubs, a home schooling register and admissions reform
The fuss kicked up by the Conservatives about the education bill over the past month has been about trying to land political blows – not making the lives of children in England safer or better. MPs’ horror at sexual exploitation gangs is sincere, but attempting to bolt a public inquiry on to Bridget Phillipson’s bill was an ill-judged attempt to sour the mood around an important piece of progressive legislation. That amendment was defeated. But ministers were rattled when Kemi Badenoch echoed complaints by academy leaders that the bill will cramp their style. Wording was altered so that they will not, after all, be obliged to pay teachers in accordance with nationally agreed pay scales.
Ministers should now draw a line and stand their ground. The shortage of teachers in key subjects is a problem that got worse under the Conservatives. It is questionable whether tighter pay rules would have caused the harm claimed, and Sir Keir Starmer was right to stress that there is nothing remarkable about requiring teachers in all schools to be qualified. Mrs Badenoch’s jibe – are Olympians not qualified to teach PE? – was a rhetorical flourish, not a serious point.
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Continue reading...Road outside high court blocked in protest at ‘draconian’ sentences given to 16 Just Stop Oil ‘political prisoners’
Hundreds of protesters have blocked the road outside the high court in London, where the appeals of 16 jailed climate activists are being heard, in condemnation of “the corruption of democracy and the rule of law”.
As England’s most senior judge heard arguments in the appeal of the sentences of the Just Stop Oil activists, who are serving a combined 41 years in jail, their supporters sat on the road in silence holding placards proclaiming them “political prisoners”.
Continue reading...Asylum-seekers are being detained because they come from Russia and Central Asia, immigrants and attorneys told The Intercept.
The post They Flee Russia as Dissidents Seeking Asylum. The U.S. Locks Them Up. appeared first on The Intercept.
Trump’s recent executive orders show unwavering support of Israel and the further dehumanization of Palestinians.
The post Trump’s Nightmare Plan for Gaza appeared first on The Intercept.
Skeptical senators ruthlessly questioned Trump’s national intelligence director nominee ahead of confirmation vote
Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s nominee for national intelligence director, refused to call the whistleblower Edward Snowden a “traitor” but sought to rein in her unorthodox views on foreign dictators and opposition to electronic surveillance during a tense confirmation hearing that could sink her nomination to oversee the country’s sprawling intelligence community.
In a three-hour hearing before the Senate intelligence committee, Gabbard, a former congresswoman and member of the Hawaii army national guard, partially recanted her views that Russia was provoked into invading Ukraine, said she had “no love” for the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and denied meeting with Hezbollah representatives during a trip to Lebanon in 2017.
Continue reading...Facing more than a dozen questions about her views on the NSA leaker, Gabbard held her ground at her DNI confirmation hearing.
The post Tulsi Gabbard Refused to Back Down on Edward Snowden. It Could Tank Her Nomination. appeared first on The Intercept.
Officials are making clean-energy moves in California, New York and beyond, and Republican states will be integral too
As the Trump administration rolls back decades-old environmental protections and pulls Biden-era incentives for renewable energy, state-level advocates and officials are preparing to fill the void in climate action.
Some state leaders are preparing to legally challenge the president’s environmental rollbacks, while others are testifying against them in Congress. Meanwhile, advocates are pushing for states to meet their ambitious climate goals using methods and technologies that don’t require federal support.
Continue reading...  | submitted by /u/HellYeahDamnWrite [link] [comments] |
The Alien Enemies Act provides sweeping powers to detain or deport foreign nationals. It’s ripe for abuse, experts say.
The post Trump Leans on WWII Japanese Incarceration Law to Deport Immigrants appeared first on The Intercept.
The “privacy-first” company surprised its user base when CEO Andy Yen lauded Trump on social media.
The post Proton Mail Says It’s “Politically Neutral” While Praising Republican Party appeared first on The Intercept.
For many government employees, merely owning cryptocurrency is off-limits. Not for Trump, who created a “very grifty” meme coin.
The post Trump Appointees Can’t Own Crypto. That Rule Doesn’t Apply to Trump Himself. appeared first on The Intercept.
Advocates say the bill will put domestic violence survivors who face false allegations from their abusers at greater risk of deportation.
The post Republicans Say This Anti-Immigrant Bill Will Protect Victims of Abuse. It Will Do the Opposite. appeared first on The Intercept.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is writing law today. This has required no changes in legislative procedure or the rules of legislative bodies—all it takes is one legislator, or legislative assistant, to use generative AI in the process of drafting a bill.
In fact, the use of AI by legislators is only likely to become more prevalent. There are currently projects in the US House, US Senate, and legislatures around the world to trial the use of AI in various ways: searching databases, drafting text, summarizing meetings, performing policy research and analysis, and more. A Brazilian municipality ...
The CIA director nominee’s tour through the revolving door included work on AI — an industry now angling to pick up major government contracts.
The post Democrats Are Worried About John Ratcliffe’s Role in the 2020 Election. They Should Also Take a Look At His AI Gigs. appeared first on The Intercept.
Facing more than a dozen questions about her views on the NSA leaker, Gabbard held her ground at her DNI confirmation hearing.
The post Tulsi Gabbard Refused to Back Down on Edward Snowden. It Could Tank Her Nomination. appeared first on The Intercept.
Gabbard is a rare Washington politician who defended the NSA whistleblower. But she has also changed positions and even political parties.
The post Tulsi Gabbard Once Called for an Edward Snowden Pardon. Will She Flip-Flop Now? appeared first on The Intercept.
The Alien Enemies Act provides sweeping powers to detain or deport foreign nationals. It’s ripe for abuse, experts say.
The post Trump Leans on WWII Japanese Incarceration Law to Deport Immigrants appeared first on The Intercept.
General secretary highlights ‘legacy of 14 years of falling living standards under the Tories’
In an article for the Guardian, the Labour MP Clive Lewis said Rachel Reeves’ growth speech this week means the party has abandoned its pre-election green commitments.
Here is an extract.
A growing suspicion looms that our government lacks a coherent governing philosophy or ideological compass beyond the vague pursuit of “growth”. But if growth at any cost is the mantra, the costs will soon become painfully clear. Why pledge to be clean and green, only to undermine that commitment with a Heathrow expansion promise six months later? Burning the furniture to stay warm doesn’t signal confidence – it reeks of panic.
Regardless of the motivation, Labour has crossed the Rubicon. Approving Heathrow expansion is an irreversible break with our pre-election pledges. In 2021, Reeves stood in front of the Labour party conference and declared that she would be the “first-ever green chancellor”. Now, Labour is accused of obstructing the climate and nature bill and abandoning its ambitious decarbonisation plans. The rapid turnaround is striking …
I do a bit. There are nine million working age adults who are not working. And as we compete globally with countries like, you know, South Korea, China, India, you know, we need a work ethic. We need everybody to be making a contribution. … we need to lift our game and to up our game.
Chris Philp was the architect of the Liz Truss budget which crashed the economy and sent family mortgages rocketing.
After the Conservatives’ economic failure left working people worse off, it takes some real brass neck for the Tory top team to tell the public that it’s really all their fault.
I was making the case that tax cuts…need to be accompanied by spending control or spending reductions … in order to show that the books are being balanced and to avoid the market reaction that we saw …
I made that case internally … but it wasn’t unfortunately listened to. I think had my suggestions been listened to a bit earlier, then there was a there’s a much higher chance that [the mini-budget] would have worked. And it’ll be always a matter of regret that those points weren’t taken on board.
Continue reading...For many government employees, merely owning cryptocurrency is off-limits. Not for Trump, who created a “very grifty” meme coin.
The post Trump Appointees Can’t Own Crypto. That Rule Doesn’t Apply to Trump Himself. appeared first on The Intercept.
Trump’s recent executive orders show unwavering support of Israel and the further dehumanization of Palestinians.
The post Trump’s Nightmare Plan for Gaza appeared first on The Intercept.
Trump’s vision of governance calls to mind the declaration attributed to Louis XIV: ‘L’état, c’est moi’: I am the state
The new Trump administration is busy. In a fury of executive orders, the restored president has frozen hiring at the federal government, cut off large amounts of science and research funding, ended or severely curtailed international programs in women’s health and HIV treatment, attempted to unilaterally amend the constitution to deny citizenship to hundreds of thousands, cut off aid to Ukraine, provoked a diplomatic spat with Colombia and renamed the Gulf of Mexico in official documents as “the Gulf of America”.
Many of these moves are stunts and distractions, meant to appease Donald Trump’s base of aggrieved culture warriors. Others are meant to further Trump’s personal power, and to make sure that no obstacles will be presented to his second term agenda of malice, retribution and corrupt self-dealing.
Continue reading...As Trump creates unprecedented chaos, Democrats have offered little more than platitudes – sparking comparisons to France’s collaborationist second world war regime
At the dawn of the second Trump presidency, defiance has given way to compliance.
While Donald Trump has rapidly and ruthlessly thrown the federal government into unprecedented chaos, the leaders of the Democratic party have offered up little more than limp banalities and platitudes. “Presidents come and presidents go. Through it all. God is still on the throne,” tweeted the House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, at the end of Trump’s first week in office.
Continue reading...Officials are making clean-energy moves in California, New York and beyond, and Republican states will be integral too
As the Trump administration rolls back decades-old environmental protections and pulls Biden-era incentives for renewable energy, state-level advocates and officials are preparing to fill the void in climate action.
Some state leaders are preparing to legally challenge the president’s environmental rollbacks, while others are testifying against them in Congress. Meanwhile, advocates are pushing for states to meet their ambitious climate goals using methods and technologies that don’t require federal support.
Continue reading...The “privacy-first” company surprised its user base when CEO Andy Yen lauded Trump on social media.
The post Proton Mail Says It’s “Politically Neutral” While Praising Republican Party appeared first on The Intercept.
UK foreign secretary issues direct warning during phone call with Rwandan president after escalation of conflict
Rwanda has put $1bn of global aid under threat by taking part in the invasion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, has said.
He made the direct warning in a phone call to the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, on Sunday after also speaking to the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, about the crisis.
Continue reading...Following Trump’s executive order, a trans woman held at a federal prison was told she would be moved to a men’s prison.
The post Trans Women in Federal Custody Face the Terror of Being Transferred to Men’s Prisons appeared first on The Intercept.
Advocates say the bill will put domestic violence survivors who face false allegations from their abusers at greater risk of deportation.
The post Republicans Say This Anti-Immigrant Bill Will Protect Victims of Abuse. It Will Do the Opposite. appeared first on The Intercept.
Asylum-seekers are being detained because they come from Russia and Central Asia, immigrants and attorneys told The Intercept.
The post They Flee Russia as Dissidents Seeking Asylum. The U.S. Locks Them Up. appeared first on The Intercept.
The decision to expand Heathrow is just the latest evidence that my party is chasing policies that serve profit, not people
Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s recent “big growth agenda” speech wasn’t just the expression of a vision for the economy. It was also a warning shot to wavering Labour MPs. The message was blunt: get on board with the government’s economic strategy or step aside. Growth, we were told, is the non-negotiable mission.
This was not a sudden shift but a reaffirmation of her stance at Davos, where she made clear that “the answer can’t always be no”. That answer, now firmly codified, prioritises GDP growth above all else. Heathrow airport expansion is in; net zero, bats and newts are out. The promise? A revitalised economy, busy high streets and more bobbies on the beat – a Labour-friendly vision of progress designed to bolster morale and stuff leaflets with “good news” ahead of the next election.
Clive Lewis is the Labour MP for Norwich South
Continue reading...Trump’s better-known adversaries were expecting payback, but more intense vengeance felt by civil servants
Federal government workers have been left “shell-shocked” by the upheaval wrought by Donald Trump’s return to the presidency amid signs that he is bent on exacting revenge on a bureaucracy that he considers to be a “deep state” that previously thwarted and persecuted him.
Since being restored to the White House on 20 January, the president has gone on a revenge spree against high-profile figures who previously served him but earned his enmity by slighting or criticising him in public.
Continue reading...The president is more concerned with attacking the federal government than with putting safety first
Few stretches of airspace on the planet are as busy or as carefully monitored as the skies above Washington DC. Commercial and military aircraft are on the move there at all times. The greatest concentration is around Reagan National airport, the city’s principal domestic hub, which sits on the west bank of the Potomac River within sight of the Capitol dome.
No one yet knows how a Black Hawk military helicopter collided with an American Eagle flight from Wichita above the Potomac on Wednesday evening. But the destruction was total. No survivors have been found from among the 64 people on board the flight from Kansas or among the three-strong crew of the helicopter. By early Thursday, the rescue effort was already a recovery operation. Bodies were being lifted from the river’s icy waters through the day.
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Continue reading...Jen Easterly is out as the Director of CISA. Read her final interview:
There’s a lot of unfinished business. We have made an impact through our ransomware vulnerability warning pilot and our pre-ransomware notification initiative, and I’m really proud of that, because we work on preventing somebody from having their worst day. But ransomware is still a problem. We have been laser-focused on PRC cyber actors. That will continue to be a huge problem. I’m really proud of where we are, but there’s much, much more work to be done. There are things that I think we can continue driving, that the next administration, I hope, will look at, because, frankly, cybersecurity is a national security issue...
As the second Trump presidency begins, John Harris and John Domokos go to a Staffordshire town whose economy went from coal to Amazon warehousing to find out if 21st century populism
is cutting through. At a byelection down the road, meanwhile, there's a big question facing voters: Labour or Reform UK?
Continue reading...The FBI trawled NSA records without a warrant to investigate a man suspected of trying to join a terror group, prosecutors admit.
The post FBI’s Warrantless Search Ruled Unconstitutional in a Blow to Government Spying appeared first on The Intercept.
Exclusive: Labour and Green MPs write to regulator’s chief executive voicing fears about an expensive public bailout
A group of 30 Labour and Green MPs have written to Ofwat to demand that Thames Water is taken into special measures.
In an open letter to David Black, the chief executive of the regulator, the MPs expressed fears of an expensive public bailout and demanded that Thames Water be placed into the special administration regime (SAR) and restructured under public oversight.
Continue reading...Shadow home secretary says fact 9 million people are out of work shows Britain must ‘up our game’
One of Kemi Badenoch’s senior team has been accused of “real brass neck” after saying Britain needed a better work ethic.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said there were 9 million working-age people not in work and Britain needed to “lift our game and to up our game”.
Continue reading...The founder of Mothers Against College Antisemitism says her 62,000-member Facebook group is influencing NYU policy.
The post A Well-Connected NYU Parent Is Trying to Get Students Deported appeared first on The Intercept.
South Australian slot goes to candidate backed by factional powerbroker Alex Antic as moderates lose more ground in Canberra
The right wing of the Liberal party has gained another number in Canberra at the expense of the party’s waning moderate faction after an Alex Antic-backed candidate won the race to replace Simon Birmingham.
Leah Blyth, the president of the South Australian Liberal party, will fill Brimingham’s old Senate seat after winning a ballot of party members in Adelaide on Friday night.
Continue reading...The government deserves praise for delivering breakfast clubs, a home schooling register and admissions reform
The fuss kicked up by the Conservatives about the education bill over the past month has been about trying to land political blows – not making the lives of children in England safer or better. MPs’ horror at sexual exploitation gangs is sincere, but attempting to bolt a public inquiry on to Bridget Phillipson’s bill was an ill-judged attempt to sour the mood around an important piece of progressive legislation. That amendment was defeated. But ministers were rattled when Kemi Badenoch echoed complaints by academy leaders that the bill will cramp their style. Wording was altered so that they will not, after all, be obliged to pay teachers in accordance with nationally agreed pay scales.
Ministers should now draw a line and stand their ground. The shortage of teachers in key subjects is a problem that got worse under the Conservatives. It is questionable whether tighter pay rules would have caused the harm claimed, and Sir Keir Starmer was right to stress that there is nothing remarkable about requiring teachers in all schools to be qualified. Mrs Badenoch’s jibe – are Olympians not qualified to teach PE? – was a rhetorical flourish, not a serious point.
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Continue reading...In her big plan to get the economy growing again the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has prioritised growth over almost everything else. But at what cost? John Harris speaks to the Labour MP Clive Lewis about concerns that climate action is taking a back seat. Plus, the columnist Gaby Hinsliff talks us through whether the party’s quest for growth will work
Continue reading...Skeptical senators ruthlessly questioned Trump’s national intelligence director nominee ahead of confirmation vote
Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s nominee for national intelligence director, refused to call the whistleblower Edward Snowden a “traitor” but sought to rein in her unorthodox views on foreign dictators and opposition to electronic surveillance during a tense confirmation hearing that could sink her nomination to oversee the country’s sprawling intelligence community.
In a three-hour hearing before the Senate intelligence committee, Gabbard, a former congresswoman and member of the Hawaii army national guard, partially recanted her views that Russia was provoked into invading Ukraine, said she had “no love” for the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and denied meeting with Hezbollah representatives during a trip to Lebanon in 2017.
Continue reading...Donald Trump says tariffs will start at 25% and ‘may or may not’ rise over time
Secretary of state Marco Rubio will travel to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic beginning on Saturday, the state department said.
Rubio will travel to Central America to “advance President Trump’s America First foreign policy,” the department said.
Secretary Rubio’s engagements with senior officials and business leaders will promote regional cooperation on our core, shared interests: stopping illegal and large-scale migration, fighting the scourge of transnational criminal organizations and drug traffickers, countering China, and deepening economic partnerships to enhance prosperity in our hemisphere.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Language during debates reinforces view of migration as inherently unlawful, says Runnymede Trust
The word “illegal” has been one of the terms most strongly associated with migrants in UK parliamentary debates over the past 25 years, research has found.
Findings from the Runnymede Trust, published on Friday, examine how politicians and the media have portrayed migrants, refugees and Muslims in their discourse.
Continue reading...Since the council declared itself bankrupt, and bin workers went on strike, the city’s streets have become clogged with bin bags and fly-tipping
As he walks through the streets of Small Heath in east Birmingham, Gerry Moynihan threads as if he is tackling an obstacle course, avoiding piled-up bin bags, dumped cars and fridges, fly-tipped furniture and discarded nitrous oxide canisters that clutter the pavements.
Residents across the city have raised alarm at the growing level of litter and fly-tipping, which they say has worsened since the Labour-run city council declared itself effectively bankrupt in 2022, and even more so since bin workers started strike action this month in a dispute over roles being scrapped to save money.
Continue reading...Grassland for livestock faces largest cut, so people will be encouraged to eat less meat, says environment secretary
Farmland in England will be reduced by more than 10% by 2050 under government plans, with less meat produced and eaten by the country’s citizens.
The environment secretary, Steve Reed, launched the government’s blueprint for land use change on Friday, designed to balance the need to build infrastructure and meet nature and carbon targets.
Continue reading...Ministerial colleagues are said to be exasperated with Richard Hermer holding up policy decisions
Keir Starmer has full confidence in Richard Hermer, Downing Street said on Friday, after reports suggested ministerial colleagues had become exasperated with the attorney general holding up policy decisions.
No 10 defended Hermer after multiple Labour ministers were quoted anonymously saying he had become a block on government decision-making.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Documents seen by Guardian Australia show a sustained strategy approved by environment minister Tanya Plibersek
The Australian government carried out an international lobbying campaign to keep the Great Barrier Reef off a list of world heritage sites in danger, including dispatching politicians and officials to Unesco’s Paris headquarters and asking diplomats to gather intelligence on countries that could influence the decision.
The campaign is revealed in documents released to the Greens after a parliamentary request and show how Australia sought to influence Unesco and members of the 21-country world heritage committee in the lead up to a crunch meeting in July last year.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
Continue reading...President’s cabinet picks suggest help for big companies and regulatory rollbacks will take precedence in food policy
When Robert F Kennedy Jr. suspended his campaign for the presidency in August 2024, throwing his support behind Donald Trump, he promised to continue fighting to “make America healthy again”. Kennedy’s criticism of ultra-processed foods and big food companies became a central feature of the Trump campaign. And after Trump was elected, he nominated Kennedy to be his secretary of health and human services.
Yet, just days before naming Kennedy, Trump nominated another senior official to his administration: Susie Wiles, a longtime lobbyist whose clients have included the same big food companies Kennedy has critiqued for their role in pushing ultra-processed foods into kitchens and grocery stores across the US. The two stood in stark contrast: a critic and a lobbyist for the food industry standing side-by-side the president-elect.
Continue reading...Cousin of prospective US health secretary shares disturbing tale involving blender for his Senate confirmation hearing
“Trying not to upset the French” could be a chapter in a Debrett’s guide to etiquette and manners, one that may have been taken to heart by the government this week with its decision to change the name of a new submarine. The Astute-class attack vessel is still being built, but on Sunday night, the Royal Navy announced that what was to become HMS Agincourt would, instead, be given the more Franco-friendly name of HMS Achilles. Up pops Grant Shapps, the former Conservative defence secretary, to dust off his opportunism and accuse the navy of bending to Labourite “woke nonsense”. It’s just like riding a bike!
Continue reading...M23 rebel group swept into Congolese city after a rapid advance in recent weeks
People living in Goma on the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s eastern border with Rwanda have spoken of their fear and acute hunger after the M23 rebel group swept into the city earlier this week.
“We are very afraid. This situation feels hopeless,” said Judith Saima, a 28-year-old merchant in Goma, where heavy fighting that cut the city off from the outside world and left bodies piling up in the streets only subsided two days ago.
Continue reading...Melania Trump, Sabrina Carpenter and the Princess of Wales are among those turning up the volume
It’s big. It’s bouncy. And it’s back. From the catwalks to Capitol Hill, hair with added volume is trending. Raised at the roots and curled at the ends, big and bold hair has knocked relaxed, beachy waves off the hairstyle charts.
It’s the hairstyle Melania Trump loosely based her hair on for her official Flotus 2.0 portrait and it’s quickly becoming the signature style for her husband’s cabinet. Just days after being appointed White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt swapped her usual go-to straight and sleek look for it. Last year, Kristi Noem completed her Maga makeover with her previously short cropped hair in a shoulder-length style, alongside new teeth and fluttery fake eyelashes. This week, she posted images of herself attending her first deportation raid as homeland security secretary to X, her hair noticeably groomed and curled under a law enforcement cap. “Did she go to Drybar before this,” commented one user, referencing the hair salon chain that focuses on blow-drys.
Continue reading...Five years after we left the EU, people are still paying the price. We’re ready to work with Westminster to forge closer bonds with Europe
The pantomime season may be over, but when it comes to the government’s much-repeated claim to be pursuing economic growth above all else, the cry of “It’s behind you” is sounding ever louder. This classic panto joke works when everyone in the audience can see something clearly but the character on stage pretends not to. So it is with Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal and Rachel Reeves’s attempts to kickstart the economy. Reeves and Keir Starmer are ignoring what is blindingly obvious to everyone else: Brexit is a significant drag on Britain’s growth prospects. They know it’s true but refuse to acknowledge it and, more importantly, to do anything about it.
There is, however, nothing comical about this situation. The hard Brexit negotiated by Johnson took the UK out of the EU, the single market and the customs union and brought an end to freedom of movement. As a result, people are paying the price through higher food bills, lower growth and therefore lower tax revenue that could and should be spent on the NHS.
John Swinney is the first minister of Scotland
Continue reading...Trade unions write to home secretary to complain about officers’ behaviour and tactics in London on 18 January
The Met police is facing growing questions over its handling of a pro-Palestine protest in central London at which more than 70 people were arrested.
On Friday, trade union leaders became the latest group to write to the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, demanding an independent inquiry into “repressive and heavy-handed policing” at the 18 January demonstration.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Officials admitted in 2023 there were ‘no current border checks’, as salmonella and other illnesses surged
UK health bosses privately admitted that a lack of border inspections in the wake of Brexit had left British consumers exposed to diseased meat, an investigation has found.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has previously uncovered a host of failings in the government’s handling of outbreaks of drug-resistant salmonella, particularly that linked to supermarket chicken from Poland. Illnesses connected to the outbreaks – which also affected eggs – peaked at different points between 2020 and 2024, while border checks that were supposed to be in place post-Brexit were being repeatedly delayed.
Continue reading...A city associated with sausage and herring is now a haven for plant-based foods – and Poland’s rightwing politicians aren’t happy
I want to tell you about a relatively typical neighbourhood in my city. There are two vegan sushi restaurants, three vegan ramen spots. There are a few vegan delis. All the convenience stores have a vegan section. There’s an abundance of vegan bakeries. There’s a place that does vegan peking duck – it’s good, I promise. Many of these vegan places proudly have a rainbow flag on display. I’m not talking about Los Angeles or New York. I’m not even talking about Copenhagen. My neighbourhood is called Śródmieście. The vegan paradise I’m talking about – it’s Warsaw.
If you don’t believe me, well, Warsaw has been ranked among the top vegan cities in the world by HappyCow (a vegan ranking website) for the past six years. In 2022, it was National Geographic’s number one vegan city in the world. Maybe your perception of Poland is all kielbasa (sausage) and conservative politics. Herring and hate. It’s more complicated than that. In the past two decades there has been a quiet vegan revolution in the country.
Karol Adamiak is a chef from Warsaw. Barclay Bram contributed research and writing to this article. They cook together as Bracia
Continue reading...Such a profound social change needs consensus and leadership. Those tasked with seeing this through are offering neither
There is something about the sound of Prof Sir Chris Whitty’s voice that inexorably takes me back. Whenever he speaks it’s hard not to think about R numbers and social distancing, masks and variants. His was the judgment we learned to trust in the days when the only certainty was that thousands were going to die; his the not-quite-inscrutable face we studied for clues that some politician had just said something stupid. For those reasons and more, I would very much like to know what the chief medical officer thinks about assisted dying for terminally ill people. But when he came before the committee scrutinising this most sensitive of issues on Wednesday, he wouldn’t say.
Whitty answered all questions posed about the proposed new law, including how accurately doctors can predict that someone has only six months left. (Not entirely, though he explained that they’re better at predicting that death will come in the foreseeable future – which seems more important here than whether it’s five, six or seven months exactly, though Whitty didn’t say the last part.) He wasn’t asked how well doctors can predict what that death might be like: how much pain or indignity it’s likely to involve, which might be equally hard to say but is what I’d want to know. (Some apply for assisted death without ever using the option, just to know it is there if needed.)
Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Continue reading...Hours after the Washington plane crash, the president’s desire to politicise tragedy was breathtaking in its audacity
After the Challenger space shuttle disaster, Ronald Reagan ended an Oval Office address with the consoling thought that its crew had slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God. Successors such as Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden also shone in the crucial US presidential role of consoler-in-chief.
How would Donald Trump fare in his first test since returning to the White House? On Thursday he came to the press briefing room just 14 hours after the collision of a passenger plane and army helicopter near a Washington airport apparently left all 67 people dead.
Continue reading...Handover delayed by jostling crowd in Khan Younis, with Netanyahu suspending release of Palestinian prisoners
Three Israelis and five Thai citizens held in Gaza have been freed, as Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy met hostages’ relatives, reportedly telling them he was optimistic the ceasefire would hold to allow the return of all the living and the dead.
The handover on Thursday of seven hostages in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, was delayed by a chaotic crowd surging towards the group, despite an escort of heavily armed militants, jostling and blocking their passage to waiting Red Cross vehicles.
Continue reading...A reader with an autistic son responds to letters about Axel Rudakubana, while Peter Lowe suggests ways of restricting the sale and lethality of knives
I was relieved to read some letters (28 January) about issues which haven’t been headlines in the media, but which might have affected Axel Rudakubana. I also note that he had received a diagnosis of autism.
My son is autistic; he fits Keir Starmer’s “loners, misfits, young men in their bedroom” labelling to a T. He too has been marginalised, bullied and rarely leaves the house. He too lives his life through the internet. He too is vulnerable and influenced by what he reads there. When he was a teenager he too felt he wanted to kill someone. He was fortunate and received treatment.
Continue reading...Rebels ‘here in Goma to stay’ and Rwandan official says advance will continue amid fears of regional war
The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has pushed south from Goma, the border city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo that it captured this week, and declared its intention to remain in the city, as fears grow of a major regional war.
“We are here in Goma to stay,” Corneille Nangaa, the head of the Congo River Alliance, a coalition of militias that includes M23, said at a press conference in Goma. “We are going to continue the march until Kinshasa,” he added, referring to Congo’s capital 1,000 miles away.
Continue reading...The president wants to detain thousands of people at a site that is notorious for its secrecy and history of abuse
It has been denounced as “America’s gulag”: a secretive, abuse-ridden Caribbean prison camp for terror suspects that Donald Rumsfeld once said contained “the worst of the worst”.
“All of us have scars in our souls, deformities, from living at Guantánamo,” a former Yemeni inmate recalled of his time at the notorious military detention facility in south-east Cuba.
Continue reading...Alaa Abd el-Fattah’s family reveal letters showing his despair after initial hopes David Lammy could get him freed from Cairo jail
Alaa Abd el-Fattah, the British-Egyptian political dissident held in a Cairo jail for more than five years, has reached such a state of despair over the UK’s inability to secure his release that he has contemplated renouncing both his British and Egyptian citizenship, his letters reveal.
His family have given permission for some of his private letters to be published to show his situation and his concern for his 68-year-old mother, Laila Soueif, on hunger strike seeking his release.
Continue reading...At least 100 people killed and 1,000 wounded in three days of heavy fighting in North Kivu
Dead bodies lay on the streets and explosions and gunfire echoed across the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Tuesday, as fighting continued to rage between the army and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
Residents reported continuing gun and mortar fire in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province and a regional humanitarian hub for displaced people, after M23 fighters entered the city on Sunday.
Continue reading...| | submitted by /u/HellYeahDamnWrite [link] [comments] |
UNRWA delivered the majority of food aid during the war and sheltered more than 1 million people. What happens when it’s banned?
The post Israel Bans UNRWA as Trump Throttles Foreign Aid appeared first on The Intercept.
We’d like to hear from people or anyone in their family who has been ‘evicted’ from a care home providing specialist care for vulnerable adults due to funding cuts
Residential homes providing specialist care to thousands of vulnerable adults with learning disabilities and severe autism have warned they are having to “evict” residents to avoid insolvency because of tax and wage rises and local authority funding cuts.
The annual Sector Pulse Check survey of more than 200 social care providers, both private and charitable, says many are on the brink as they struggle to remain viable in the face of cash-strapped councils’ refusal or inability to meet the rising cost of services.
Continue reading...Accounts of the two men were accepted by decision-maker of national redress scheme with $45,000 and $95,000 awarded respectively
Two men abused by George Pell in Ballarat in the 1970s, when Pell was a priest in the diocese, have been granted compensation by the federal government’s national redress scheme.
An investigation by journalist Louise Milligan, published in the Monthly and by the ABC, states one of the men was compensated for being anally raped by Pell in a school gymnasium. The other told the redress scheme he was groped on the genitals by Pell during a game in a swimming pool.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
Continue reading...The Trump administration is taking a brute-force approach to push trans people out of public life.
The post Trump’s Anti-Trans Executive Order Is Unscientific Nonsense appeared first on The Intercept.
The CIA director nominee’s tour through the revolving door included work on AI — an industry now angling to pick up major government contracts.
The post Democrats Are Worried About John Ratcliffe’s Role in the 2020 Election. They Should Also Take a Look At His AI Gigs. appeared first on The Intercept.
Appeal court ruled that decision to anonymise three judges connected to case was misguided and wrong
The judge who decided that Sara Sharif should live with her father, who went on to kill her, can be named after a court of appeal ruling.
Urfan Sharif and his wife, Beinash Batool, murdered Sara in August 2023, less than four years after the designated family judge for Surrey made the decision.
Continue reading...As a sociologist, my career couldn’t be further from that of my father, who spent his life on the road as a truck driver. It’s only in recent years, as illness has struck, that I’ve started to truly understand him. By José Henrique Bortoluci. Read by Felipe Pacheco
Continue reading...Why is the US technology industry worried about Chinese company DeepSeek? Robert Booth reports
DeepSeek, the Chinese company behind the new AI chatbot R1, uses less computing power and fewer chips than its rivals, and claims the model is far cheaper.
“It’s sort of the biggest news in this space of AI chatbots since November 2022 when ChatGPT came out,” Robert Booth, the Guardian’s UK technology editor, tells Helen Pidd.
Continue reading...Robyn Cowen is joined by Barry Glendenning, Lars Sivertsen and Mark Langdon to make sense of the 18-game final round of Champions League fixtures, along with looking ahead to the weekend’s Premier League action
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: the final 18 matches produced 64 goals – join the panel as they detail the significance of every single one of them.
Continue reading...In the second episode of our listener questions special, Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay what he has uncovered about who the exercise guidelines were created for and whether they apply to all of us, which exercises are best for keeping us strong, whether we should be eating particular foods when we exercise, and how much protein we need to consume if we’re packing in the hours at the gym. With contributions from Jason Gill, professor of cardiometabolic health at the University of Glasgow; Benjamin Wall, professor of nutritional physiology at the University of Exeter; Clyde Williams, emeritus professor of sports science at Loughborough University; Victoria Taylor, head of clinical support at the British Heart Foundation and I-Min Lee, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School
Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod
Continue reading...President Donald Trump began his first full day in office attending a prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral. The Episcopal bishop of Washington, Mariann Edgar Budde, pleaded with Trump during the service, asking the newly elected president to protect immigrants and respect gay rights. ‘There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives,’ she said as Trump and his family watched on. After the inauguration, Trump launched a sweeping immigration crackdown and promised mass deportations
Continue reading...Artificial intelligence (AI) is writing law today. This has required no changes in legislative procedure or the rules of legislative bodies—all it takes is one legislator, or legislative assistant, to use generative AI in the process of drafting a bill.
In fact, the use of AI by legislators is only likely to become more prevalent. There are currently projects in the US House, US Senate, and legislatures around the world to trial the use of AI in various ways: searching databases, drafting text, summarizing meetings, performing policy research and analysis, and more. A Brazilian municipality ...
Trans, intersex, and nonbinary people applying for passports will no longer be able to select an “X” marker for gender.
The post Rubio Orders State Department to Stop Issuing Accurate Passports to Trans People appeared first on The Intercept.
Trump hopes to gut birthright citizenship via executive order. In lawsuits filed across the country, immigrants seek to stop him.
The post The Pregnant Immigrants Fighting Trump’s Bid to End Birthright Citizenship appeared first on The Intercept.
Tech CEOs cozying up to Trump want to reshape reality to their politics.
The post The Broligarchy: The Who’s Who of the Silicon Gilded Age appeared first on The Intercept.
Poland has promised Netanyahu safe passage to an Auschwitz memorial service. Former and current EU officials are speaking out.
The post Netanyahu Has an ICC Arrest Warrant. Poland’s Promise to Ignore It Would Be a “Grave Mistake.” appeared first on The Intercept.
By denying funding to the Climate Justice Alliance over Palestine, Biden went after Trump’s political opponents for him.
The post Biden Attack on Nonprofit Over Palestine Stance Made Trump’s Job Easier appeared first on The Intercept.
Last month, Henry Farrell and I convened the Third Interdisciplinary Workshop on Reimagining Democracy (IWORD 2024) at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg Center in Washington DC. This is a small, invitational workshop on the future of democracy. As with the previous two workshops, the goal was to bring together a diverse set of political scientists, law professors, philosophers, AI researchers and other industry practitioners, political activists, and creative types (including science fiction writers) to discuss how democracy might be reimagined in the current century...
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...President Biden has signed a new cybersecurity order. It has a bunch of provisions, most notably using the US governments procurement power to improve cybersecurity practices industry-wide.
Some details:
The core of the executive order is an array of mandates for protecting government networks based on lessons learned from recent major incidents—namely, the security failures of federal contractors.
The order requires software vendors to submit proof that they follow secure development practices, building on a mandate that debuted in 2022 in response to ...
Winchester Racquets and Fitness expects to be served noise abatement order over ball strikes like ‘gunshots’
Padel is widely considered the fastest growing sport in the world – but residents of an affluent Hampshire suburb are not playing ball.
The upmarket Winchester Racquets and Fitness club has informed its members it expects to be served with a noise abatement notice after complaints from neighbours living in the £1m homes in the surrounding area.
Continue reading...From mindful waking in the Yorkshire Dales to a Buddhist retreat in Japan, our tipsters have found inner peace and rejuvenation all over the world
With Eryri national park (Snowdonia) on the doorstep and guided wild swims available, north Wales’ Tawelu Retreats offers options to explore the outdoors or go full hibernation with the retreat’s yoga classes and meditations, plus a sauna and hot tub. The chef cooked up filling, comforting veggie food and gorgeous chai and hot chocolate. Even getting lost running up the Welsh fells and nearly missing my hot shells massage didn’t trouble my stress levels. It’s women only, four days from £650.
Laura King
In the second episode of our listener questions special, Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay what he has uncovered about who the exercise guidelines were created for and whether they apply to all of us, which exercises are best for keeping us strong, whether we should be eating particular foods when we exercise, and how much protein we need to consume if we’re packing in the hours at the gym. With contributions from Jason Gill, professor of cardiometabolic health at the University of Glasgow; Benjamin Wall, professor of nutritional physiology at the University of Exeter; Clyde Williams, emeritus professor of sports science at Loughborough University; Victoria Taylor, head of clinical support at the British Heart Foundation and I-Min Lee, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School
Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod
Continue reading...
The Trump administration is taking a brute-force approach to push trans people out of public life.
The post Trump’s Anti-Trans Executive Order Is Unscientific Nonsense appeared first on The Intercept.
Grassland for livestock faces largest cut, so people will be encouraged to eat less meat, says environment secretary
Farmland in England will be reduced by more than 10% by 2050 under government plans, with less meat produced and eaten by the country’s citizens.
The environment secretary, Steve Reed, launched the government’s blueprint for land use change on Friday, designed to balance the need to build infrastructure and meet nature and carbon targets.
Continue reading...Maybe you’re just not partial to the London dry variety? Here are others to try …
There’s something I need to get off my chest, OK? Here goes: I have never liked gin. It feels good to admit that, because the assumption is that, being a drinks writer, I should adore any and all forms of inebriation. But I (shock!) have things I loathe just as any other person does, even when it comes to booze. I don’t like cardio or jobsworths, either, and that will never change. I do, however, want to change the gin thing.
I’ve abstained from the expansive world of gin with my philistine resistance to garnishes, tonic water and any glass that requires both hands to drink from. So, in a bid to get over my irrational fears, I put out a call for gin experts to prescribe me a failsafe drink. “If someone says they don’t like gin, I ask if it’s just London dry gin that they don’t like, which tends to be most people’s association with the category,” says Alexander Watson, founder of Renais. “I’d invite them to try something with a softer profile, because there’s just so much variety nowadays. With this kind of gin, I’d recommend a dry martini with a twist of lemon, where the heat of the liquid is taken out a little by the temperature of the drink, and there’s also a small bit of dilution.”
Continue reading...President’s cabinet picks suggest help for big companies and regulatory rollbacks will take precedence in food policy
When Robert F Kennedy Jr. suspended his campaign for the presidency in August 2024, throwing his support behind Donald Trump, he promised to continue fighting to “make America healthy again”. Kennedy’s criticism of ultra-processed foods and big food companies became a central feature of the Trump campaign. And after Trump was elected, he nominated Kennedy to be his secretary of health and human services.
Yet, just days before naming Kennedy, Trump nominated another senior official to his administration: Susie Wiles, a longtime lobbyist whose clients have included the same big food companies Kennedy has critiqued for their role in pushing ultra-processed foods into kitchens and grocery stores across the US. The two stood in stark contrast: a critic and a lobbyist for the food industry standing side-by-side the president-elect.
Continue reading...Agreement between farmers, politicians and environmental groups led to a €170m action fund for plant based food
“Plant-based foods are the future.” That is not a statement you would expect from a right-wing farming minister in a major meat-producing nation. Denmark produces more meat per capita than any other country in the world, with its 6 million people far outnumbered by its 30 million pigs, and it has a big dairy industry too. Yet this is how Jacob Jensen, from the Liberal party, introduced the nation’s world-first action plan for plant-based foods.
“If we want to reduce the climate footprint within the agricultural sector, then we all have to eat more plant-based foods,” he said at the plan’s launch in October 2023, and since then the scheme has gone from strength to strength. Backed by a €170m government fund, it is now supporting plant-based food from farm to fork, from making tempeh from broad beans and a chicken substitute from fungi to on-site tastings at kebab and burger shops and the first vegan chef degree.
Continue reading...Five years after we left the EU, people are still paying the price. We’re ready to work with Westminster to forge closer bonds with Europe
The pantomime season may be over, but when it comes to the government’s much-repeated claim to be pursuing economic growth above all else, the cry of “It’s behind you” is sounding ever louder. This classic panto joke works when everyone in the audience can see something clearly but the character on stage pretends not to. So it is with Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal and Rachel Reeves’s attempts to kickstart the economy. Reeves and Keir Starmer are ignoring what is blindingly obvious to everyone else: Brexit is a significant drag on Britain’s growth prospects. They know it’s true but refuse to acknowledge it and, more importantly, to do anything about it.
There is, however, nothing comical about this situation. The hard Brexit negotiated by Johnson took the UK out of the EU, the single market and the customs union and brought an end to freedom of movement. As a result, people are paying the price through higher food bills, lower growth and therefore lower tax revenue that could and should be spent on the NHS.
John Swinney is the first minister of Scotland
Continue reading...I was wearing white, and foolishly imagined I’d emerge unsplattered
Krokodilos, a new Greek restaurant, has spread out its tail and claws in Kensington. This sleek, moderately fancy celebration of all things from Athens to the coast of Crete is currently working hard to channel a sun-kissed sojourn on the Aegean, in winter, in London. Yet step inside, away from the concrete and drizzle outside, and the place is airy, opulent and verging on the semi-Californian. This is movie-set Greece hewn in tones of dappled, early evening Athenian sunshine, all bronze, peach, tan and gold, and enhanced with tasteful lighting, velvety soft furnishings and comfortable leather banquettes. Before I walked in, I was just a woman in thermals with a flaky nose, but then – bang! – I’m suddenly Christina Onassis sipping a mulberry mournoraki in a rustic yet dashingly chic taverna.
All this and a kitchen headed by Angelos Togias, ex of the Connaught, and with a clear vision to honour the many wonderful things about modern Greek cooking and ingredients. We begin with a “tasting” of five olive oils in tiny bowls with house flatbread, each of them passionately explained by our server as if they were the finest wines from the cellar. Doesn’t the 245 Organic 0.8% have subtle wafts of citrus and fresh grass? How about the fuller, fruitier aroma of the Mitira Lesvos? As a non-drinker nowadays, I found the ceremony of the experience rather delightful – why do we reserve such nerdiness mainly for wine?
Continue reading...Exclusive: Officials admitted in 2023 there were ‘no current border checks’, as salmonella and other illnesses surged
UK health bosses privately admitted that a lack of border inspections in the wake of Brexit had left British consumers exposed to diseased meat, an investigation has found.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has previously uncovered a host of failings in the government’s handling of outbreaks of drug-resistant salmonella, particularly that linked to supermarket chicken from Poland. Illnesses connected to the outbreaks – which also affected eggs – peaked at different points between 2020 and 2024, while border checks that were supposed to be in place post-Brexit were being repeatedly delayed.
Continue reading...From mindful waking in the Yorkshire Dales to a Buddhist retreat in Japan, our tipsters have found inner peace and rejuvenation all over the world
With Eryri national park (Snowdonia) on the doorstep and guided wild swims available, north Wales’ Tawelu Retreats offers options to explore the outdoors or go full hibernation with the retreat’s yoga classes and meditations, plus a sauna and hot tub. The chef cooked up filling, comforting veggie food and gorgeous chai and hot chocolate. Even getting lost running up the Welsh fells and nearly missing my hot shells massage didn’t trouble my stress levels. It’s women only, four days from £650.
Laura King
A city associated with sausage and herring is now a haven for plant-based foods – and Poland’s rightwing politicians aren’t happy
I want to tell you about a relatively typical neighbourhood in my city. There are two vegan sushi restaurants, three vegan ramen spots. There are a few vegan delis. All the convenience stores have a vegan section. There’s an abundance of vegan bakeries. There’s a place that does vegan peking duck – it’s good, I promise. Many of these vegan places proudly have a rainbow flag on display. I’m not talking about Los Angeles or New York. I’m not even talking about Copenhagen. My neighbourhood is called Śródmieście. The vegan paradise I’m talking about – it’s Warsaw.
If you don’t believe me, well, Warsaw has been ranked among the top vegan cities in the world by HappyCow (a vegan ranking website) for the past six years. In 2022, it was National Geographic’s number one vegan city in the world. Maybe your perception of Poland is all kielbasa (sausage) and conservative politics. Herring and hate. It’s more complicated than that. In the past two decades there has been a quiet vegan revolution in the country.
Karol Adamiak is a chef from Warsaw. Barclay Bram contributed research and writing to this article. They cook together as Bracia
Continue reading...Road outside high court blocked in protest at ‘draconian’ sentences given to 16 Just Stop Oil ‘political prisoners’
Hundreds of protesters have blocked the road outside the high court in London, where the appeals of 16 jailed climate activists are being heard, in condemnation of “the corruption of democracy and the rule of law”.
As England’s most senior judge heard arguments in the appeal of the sentences of the Just Stop Oil activists, who are serving a combined 41 years in jail, their supporters sat on the road in silence holding placards proclaiming them “political prisoners”.
Continue reading...In the second episode of our listener questions special, Ian Sample tells Madeleine Finlay what he has uncovered about who the exercise guidelines were created for and whether they apply to all of us, which exercises are best for keeping us strong, whether we should be eating particular foods when we exercise, and how much protein we need to consume if we’re packing in the hours at the gym. With contributions from Jason Gill, professor of cardiometabolic health at the University of Glasgow; Benjamin Wall, professor of nutritional physiology at the University of Exeter; Clyde Williams, emeritus professor of sports science at Loughborough University; Victoria Taylor, head of clinical support at the British Heart Foundation and I-Min Lee, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School
Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod
Continue reading...UNRWA delivered the majority of food aid during the war and sheltered more than 1 million people. What happens when it’s banned?
The post Israel Bans UNRWA as Trump Throttles Foreign Aid appeared first on The Intercept.
Our Mexican food specialist gives us her take on hot sauces from UK supermarkets
• ‘An absolute belter’: Grace Dent tests the best extra-chocolatey biscuits
What a fun job, tasting hot sauces! I had a great time with my 13-year-old and her Ethiopian pal, who assured me of her skill in this department thanks to the traditionally spicy food her family eats at home.
We tasted the sauces on their own and with food. Both are essential: with the first drop, you’re looking for the flavour profile and overall taste; with the second mouthful on food – in our case a margherita pizza – you’re looking for how the heat and flavour of the sauce cut through. The moment the heat from the chillies comes into contact with food, especially carbohydrates and fats, the potency is reduced and the heat is sucked up. If you want a sauce to season food and enhance its flavours, then you need more heat than is obvious, and definitely more heat than when tasting the sauces on their own.
Continue reading...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...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
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!
