********** MUSIC **********
return to top
Filter efficiency 100.000 (0 matches/1026 results)
********** USA POLITICS **********
return to top
The Capitol Rioters Are Free — But Ed Martin’s Crusade Against Jan. 6 Prosecutors Is Just Getting Started
Tue, 04 Feb 2025 18:59:45 +0000
The Trump minion has said Jan. 6 defendants should get cash reparations and those responsible for the charges should get jail time.
The post The Capitol Rioters Are Free — But Ed Martin’s Crusade Against Jan. 6 Prosecutors Is Just Getting Started appeared first on The Intercept.
This blog has now closed. Read our latest story here
Donald Trump will sign an executive order to prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports at 3pm today, the White House said.
Dubbed “No Men in Women’s Sports”, the order will change how the administration interprets Title IX, a civil rights law that addresses sex discrimination at schools that receive federal funding, including in athletics.
Continue reading...This live coverage has ended. You can find the latest US news here.
As the clock nears midnight in Washington DC, signalling the beginning of Trump’s tariffs on China’s imports, here is a look at how China might respond, via AFP:
From retaliatory tariffs on US goods like car parts and soya beans to controls on raw minerals essential for American manufacturing – analysts say China has plenty of options if it wants to reply to fresh US levies.
9:00 AM In-Town Pool Call Time
2:00 PM THE PRESIDENT signs Executive Orders
Oval Office
Closed Press
4:00 PM THE PRESIDENT greets the Prime Minister of the State of Israel
Stake Out Location
Open Press
4:05 PM THE PRESIDENT hosts a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of the State of Israel
Oval Office
In-House Pool
4:20 PM THE PRESIDENT participates in an expanded bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of the State of Israel
Cabinet Room
Closed Press
5:10 PM THE PRESIDENT holds a press conference with the Prime Minister of the State of Israel
East Room
Pre-Credentialed Media
Media Sign Up Here
Media Link closes Tuesday, at 10am EST
5:40 PM THE PRESIDENT has dinner with the Prime Minister of the State of Israel
State Dining Room
Closed Press
Russell Vought, who directed the OMB once before, during Trump’s first term, was a key figure in drafting Project 2025
Today is the deadline for federal workers to accept a buyout offer issued to employees by the Office of Personnel Management 28 January.
The Washington Post reports that more than 40,000 people had accepted the buyout offer as of Wednesday, 5 February. Confusion over how and if, in fact, it would actually be implemented persisted as the deadline approached. Elon Musk, who leads the unofficial government program “Department of Government Efficiency” has touted the offer.
Continue reading...With the Democratic Party reeling from its losses, the DNC is voting on a new chair. Will it choose to reform its top-down model?
The post The Democratic National Committee Is Undemocratic. That’s by Design. appeared first on The Intercept.
Senators express concern at expected confirmation of key Project 2025 architect Russell Vought
Democratic senators held an all-night session to protest the pending confirmation of Russell Vought to lead the office of management and budget (OMB), expressing their deep concerns in speeches through the night that a key architect of Project 2025 intends to work with Donald Trump to dismantle the federal government.
“We’re going to have more than 35 United States senators on the Democratic side, opposing Russ Vought’s nomination,”the senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii said in a video posted on X before he spoke on the floor on Wednesday afternoon. Schatz said Democrats would take to the floor for 30 hours – the time allowed for debate on Vought’s nomination.
Continue reading...A whole slew of dramas and plays mark half a century since her election as Tory leader. But there is too much gloss, when so many people are still suffering
Now she’s an opera. Yet another myth-making apotheosis lifts Margaret Thatcher to iconic realms, crafting for her an image recalling Elizabeth I. Historian Dominic Sandbrook is writing the libretto of her story, as one Thatcher tribute act trips over the next. This week saw James Graham’s Brian and Maggie drama about an interview that helped tip her towards her downfall. Next week, Radio 4 brings us When Larry met Maggie, Tim Walker’s play imagining scenes when Laurence Olivier coached the ingenue education secretary in the art of wooing and even seducing audiences.
This week marks the 50th anniversary of Thatcher’s election as leader of her party. I started counting but lost track of the myriad actors who have played her, some of the greatest of our time. Harriet Walter was magnificent, as ever. So were Gillian Anderson and Meryl Streep. Lesley Manville was just as fine, as was Patricia Hodge, and I’m sure Frances Barber will be next week in Walker’s radio play. None but royalty of stage and screen are fit to play her.
Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading...Recent research claims young people are attracted to authoritarianism, populist politics and ‘strong man’ leaders
They have been dismissed as idealistic and over-sensitive snowflakes, obsessed with healthy living and social media. But generation Z – those born between the mid-to-late 1990s and the early 2000s – has recently been accused of something far more sinister.
A Mail on Sunday poll of 18- to 27-year-olds found 67% were in favour of chemically castrating sex offenders and 45% supported the death penalty. A study for Channel 4 found 52% of gen Zers thought “the UK would be a better place if a strong leader was in charge who does not have to bother with parliament and elections”.
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.
An authoritarian regime has been rocked by an anti-corruption movement generating society-wide anger and indignation
When a building structure collapses because it is old, as happened in Dresden a few months ago, people naturally respond with disbelief and disapproval of the authorities. It is a different story when new buildings crumble and kill people. The 1 November 2024 collapse of the concrete canopy of a railway station in Novi Sad, Serbia – whose restoration was completed only months earlier, accompanied by great government pomp – killed 15 people, and has sparked continuing nationwide outrage and indignation. The mass protests have forced the prime minister to resign and put the president under increasing pressure.
Initially, the powers that be downplayed the collapse and the 15 lives it claimed, relying on the usual shoulder-shrugging platitude that, despite the tragedy, “Serbia cannot stop”. No time for grief, no need for questions, as on so many previous occasions. Much has been sacrificed for this ruthless, unstoppable “progress”. The rule of law and democracy have been its cardinal victims, fostering a culture of impunity, violence, widespread incompetence and corruption. National institutions like the judiciary, long captured by the regime, turned a blind eye to the unconstitutional, usurping actions of the oligarchy in power. It seemed this would be another case where the public would receive no satisfactory explanation, and no one would be held accountable.
Continue reading...Public service minister Katy Gallagher says opposition leader’s words are ‘reckless’ and would bring back ‘expensive consultants’ and robodebt
Peter Dutton has yet to reveal any detail about his plan to slash public servant jobs in Canberra under a government he leads, as Labor warns his plan will cut crucial government services and risks another robodebt.
In a rare press conference at Parliament House on Thursday, the opposition leader provided little information on his plans to get the “economy back on track” through slashing government jobs and other “wasteful spending”.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
Continue reading...Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Turkey and its militias have cut off the Kurdish city of Kobane from the rest of Syria.
The post Twelve Days in Kobane, Where Syrian Kurds Are Under Attack by Turkey appeared first on The Intercept.
Exclusive: Takeover of USAid agency by Doge operatives seen as pilot for large-scale overhaul of federal government
USAid security personnel were defending a secure room holding sensitive and classified data in a standoff with “department of government efficiency” employees when a message came directly from Elon Musk: give the Doge kids whatever they want.
Since Donald Trump’s inauguration last month, a posse of cocksure young engineers answering to Musk have stormed through Washington DC, gaining access to government computer systems as part of what Senator Chuck Schumer has called “an unelected shadow government … conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government”.
Continue reading...New UK ambassador to US says is hoping to persuade Trump administration to maintain isecurity guarantee for Europe and boost growth
During PMQs yesterday Keir Starmer implied there were national security factors not in the public domain that explained why the government was so committed to transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Alex Wickham from Bloomberg says he has cracked the secret. It is all to do with the International Telecommunication Union, apparently. He explains this in a post on social media. Here is an extract.
The US and UK currently have full and unrestricted access to the electromagnetic spectrum at the Diego Garcia military base, allowing them to securely control American and British military and diplomatic communications in the region, as well as monitor hostile activity from foreign states, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity discussing sensitive information …
The US and UK are members of the International Telecommunication Union, a United Nations agency based in Geneva, Switzerland which coordinates the electromagnetic spectrum and global satellite communications. If an international court was to rule in future that the US and UK were using Diego Garcia to run satellite communications in breach of international law, that would have consequences for the base and defense and technology companies involved in supply chains used there, the people said, highlighting the need to secure its legal status.
There must be no forced displacement of Palestinians, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza Strip. Palestinian civilians should be able to return to and rebuild their homes and their lives. That is a right, guaranteed under international law.
The UK is clear that we must see a negotiated two state solution, with a sovereign Palestinian state, which includes the West Bank and Gaza, alongside a safe and secure Israel with Jerusalem as the shared capital that has been the framework for peace for decades.
Continue reading...Plans being considered to put on sale 9,000 works owned collectively by the public place a vital cultural asset in jeopardy
Last month we all saw striking images of Emmanuel Macron standing in front of the Mona Lisa to announce plans for the major renovation of the Louvre. France is immensely proud of its national collection. The Louvre “renaissance” will cost an estimated €700-800m (£583-£666m). The five-year renovation of the Pompidou Centre, housing an extensive modern and contemporary art collection, will cost €262m. Accommodating more visitors and ensuring everyone can see the treasures of the collections is important to these French institutions and their funders.
I wish there was such good news on this side of the Channel. Recent reports that the British Council has been contemplating selling its art collection have shocked us all. The British Council holds works from artists including Henry Moore, Tracey Emin, Lucian Freud and David Hockney, and shows them globally. It is our public face to the world. Yet chief executive Scott McDonald has said that due to a £250m pandemic-era emergency loan from the Foreign Office, with interest charged at £14m annually, the Council faces the “threat of insolvency”.
Continue reading...Those who celebrate his defiance and sadism are as claimed by his logic as those who are paralyzed with outrage
As Trump delivers a series of devastating and appalling executive orders and public pronouncements every day, it has never been more important to avoid being captured by his obscenity and focus on how the issues are interconnected.
It is easy to forget or sideline the executive orders of the previous week: bans on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and discourse as well as “gender ideology” in all federally funded programing, as new obscenities flood the news cycle. Threats of deportation to international students who engage in legitimate protest; expansionist designs on Panama and Greenland and proposals to take over the total and forcible displacement of Palestinians in Gaza from their land are announced in quick succession. In each case, Trump makes the declaration as a show of power, testing to see whether it can take effect. The executive orders can be stopped by courts, but the deportation of immigrants has already begun, as has the re-opening of the grotesque camps of Guantánamo.
Continue reading...Keir Starmer is treading a fine line as he avoids picking sides between the EU and US. But with Donald Trump saying he wants to ‘take over’ Gaza and threatening to impose tariffs on the EU, can the prime minister really keep both on side? John Harris asks Prof Anand Menon, director of UK in a Changing Europe, and Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff
Rosalind Mitchell says the name Agincourt could have offended Scots as well as the French. John Rushton finds the humour in news of a royal intervention
Never mind the possibility of offending the French by naming a submarine HMS Agincourt, Emma Brockes (Digested week, 31 January). What is often conveniently forgotten is that Agincourt (1415) was a strictly English victory. Scotland was on the other side, allied with France. Naming a vessel of the British Royal Navy after a defeat for a significant part of Britain seems odd, to say the least.
If the Royal Navy was minded to name a vessel Agincourt, perhaps it could restore the balance by calling another one Castillon, the 1453 Auld Alliance rout of a much larger English force that brought an end at last to the hundred years war. Curiously absent from the history syllabus in my English school.
Rosalind Mitchell
Edinburgh
Move likely to deepen political rift between Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr
Philippine vice-president Sara Duterte has been impeached on a range of accusations that include plotting to assassinate the president, large-scale corruption and failing to strongly denounce China’s aggressive actions against Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea.
Wednesday’s move by legislators in the House of Representatives, many of them allies of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, deepens a bitter political rift between the two highest leaders of one of Asia’s most rambunctious democracies.
Continue reading...‘Poll of polls’ gives prime minister’s Bharatiya Janata party a majority in the Delhi assembly, which would oust the reformist Aam Aadmi party (AAP)
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s party appears poised to win Delhi state elections, a victory that would end a 27-year drought, according to voter exit polls.
If the projections hold, the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) is set to end the reformist Aam Aadmi party’s (AAP) nearly decade-long rule in the national capital region and reclaim the Delhi assembly.
Continue reading...Interesting analysis:
We analyzed every instance of AI use in elections collected by the WIRED AI Elections Project (source for our analysis), which tracked known uses of AI for creating political content during elections taking place in 2024 worldwide. In each case, we identified what AI was used for and estimated the cost of creating similar content without AI.
We find that (1) half of AI use isn’t deceptive, (2) deceptive content produced using AI is nevertheless cheap to replicate without AI, and (3) focusing on the demand for misinformation rather than the supply is a much more effective way to diagnose problems and identify interventions...
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.
An FBI official urged the American Academy of Forensic Sciences to cancel a conference presentation titled “Taking on the FBI.”
The post Forensics Experts Challenged the FBI. So the FBI Tried to Censor Their Conference. 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.
Parabon NanoLabs sells police composite images of suspects built on DNA. Critics say the product is snake-oil science fiction that can exacerbate problems in the criminal legal system.
The post A Forensics Company Tells Cops It Can Use DNA to Predict a Suspect’s Face. Scientists Worry the Tool Will Deepen Racial Bias. appeared first on The Intercept.
Region would be ‘one of the greatest and most spectacular developments on Earth’ and no US troops would be required, claims president
Spain’s foreign minister José Manuel Albares on Thursday rejected the suggestion by Israeli defence minister Israel Katz that Spain should accept displaced Palestinians from Gaza.
More details soon …
Continue reading...Some MPs and activists upset at tone of party’s Facebook campaign aimed at countering Farage
Labour has launched a series of adverts with Reform-style branding and messaging as the party looks to combat the rise of the right-wing party.
The Facebook adverts include a series from a group called UK Migration Updates boasting about how many migrants the government has deported. The adverts do not display the Labour logo and are in a similar shade of blue to that used by Reform UK.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Hundreds of men given £20 or $20 for completing Commission for Countering Extremism survey
Hundreds of men who identified as “incels” or involuntary celibates were paid by a government body to take part in a survey.
Academics working for the Home Office’s Commission for Countering Extremism (CCE) gave the men £20 or $20 each for completing a 40-minute survey as part of an effort to investigate incel behaviour.
Continue reading...High court upholds verdict that Nadra Tabasam Almas suffered disproportionate breach of her rights in 2004
The Home Office must pay £100,000 to an asylum seeker who was unlawfully detained before her ability to work, buy food and socialise was “grossly restricted”, the high court has said.
After her student visa ran out in 2004, Nadra Tabasam Almas, of Leicester, made repeated attempts to stay in the UK, while complying with conditions placed on her as an overstayer.
Continue reading...Neither home secretary nor presenter seemed willing to admit we live in an imperfect world we can’t fully control
This was more like it. The kind of slow day when the government more or less looked like it was going to set the news agenda. Not be derailed by some catastrophe or cock-up. Or Donald Trump declaring war on Greenland and turning Gaza into a Middle East Riviera of golf courses and casinos. The world as one large real-estate deal.
These are the days that governments live for. A rare moment of stability. Nothing going visibly wrong. Or more wrong that it already was. A day when ministers have the illusion of being in control. When their delusions were more or less aligned with reality. When Rachel Reeves could say the interest rate cut was all down to her. When Keir Starmer could go out and about and talk about his plans to build mini-nuclear reactors on every street corner and be guaranteed that a few people were actually listening.
Continue reading...Experts fear consequences of Trump’s restrictions on CDC as state sees one of largest outbreaks ever recorded in US
Kansas is experiencing one of the largest tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks ever recorded in the US, as public health powers at the state and federal level have been greatly curtailed.
Outbreaks like these may become more common and dangerous as officials’ efforts are hamstrung and their communications are limited, experts say.
Continue reading...Labor has found itself trailing up the scorched earth path blazed by Dutton on issues of national security and law and order
Labor has found itself once again dancing to the tune of Peter Dutton’s drumbeat on national security issues. And the wider Coalition is cheering on the show.
First, Labor executed an abrupt U-turn on not only its own legislation to further criminalise hate crimes, but also its own longstanding party policy against mandatory minimum sentencing.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
Continue reading...Exclusive: Barristers also say offenders could pay compensation to victims, in effort to tackle court backlog
First-time offenders in low-level crimes should be diverted from trials by paying compensation to victims or enrolling in rehabilitation to solve the courts crisis, the Bar Council has said.
The government has proposed abandoning jury trials in some cases to tackle the backlog in crown court cases, but the body representing barristers in England and Wales said this was “not a principled response” and would not work.
Continue reading...Educators have been rushing to keep students safe and support anxious parents, as fear of deportation ramps up
As immigration officers moved in on Chicago following Donald Trump’s inauguration, carrying out the president’s plans for “mass deportations”, the city’s schools began to notice waves of absences.
Parents were picking up kids early, or parking a few blocks away – fearful immigration raids will target the pickup rush. In a city that has received thousands of new immigrant students in recent years, teachers made house calls to check in on families that were terrified of leaving their homes. At after-school programs for high-schoolers, educators passed out “know your rights” information for students to give to their undocumented parents.
Continue reading...One votes Conservative, the other Labour, and they disagreed on what should motivate MPs. Did they come any closer on Elon Musk or taxing cyclists?
Adam, 35, Blackpool
Occupation Accountant
Continue reading...The president’s Gaza proposal is a signal that old-school, blunt-force US expansionism seems to be back in fashion
Donald Trump’s proposal that the US take ownership of the Gaza Strip, expel and resettle the people there, and turn Gaza into a “Riviera of the Middle East” has outraged Palestinians, shocked the international community and even confused many of his own conservative voters.
Yet the announcement seems like yet another sign that the president, while sometimes distancing himself from the neoconservative foreign policies that entangled the US in Iraq and Afghanistan, is willing to pursue – or at least entertain pursuing – an undisguised US imperialism that has more in common with the expansionism of Teddy Roosevelt and Andrew Jackson, the 19th- and early 20th-century presidents associated with some of American’s most brazen and violent conquests.
Continue reading...Latest quarter-point reduction comes with warning households face inflation of 3.7% by autumn
The Bank of England has cut interest rates to 4.5%, as it halved its UK growth forecasts for the year and warned households would face renewed pressure from rising prices.
With the government under fire over the sluggish economy, the Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of seven to two to reduce its key base rate, down from 4.75%, to provide some financial relief to borrowers.
Continue reading...Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law who floated idea to take over Gaza, is just one member of president’s clan who has business ties that pose conflicts
Donald Trump’s stunning proposal to take over Gaza and turn it into a “Riviera for the Middle East” was first floated by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, illuminating the potential for family-centered conflicts of interest in his administration.
Kushner, who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka, and served as an adviser in his first presidency, created headlines when he lauded the “very valuable” potential of the coastal strip’s “waterfront property” in an interview with the Harvard School of Government’s Middle East Initiative last year. Foreshadowing Trump, he proposed moving inhabitants out “to clean it up”.
Continue reading... ![]() | submitted by /u/vriska1 [link] [comments] |
Cabinet Office minister will unveil a set of performance standards intended to ensure value for money in Whitehall
Senior civil servants must find cuts in their Whitehall budgets or risk losing their jobs under new rules, ministers will announce on Thursday.
Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office minister, will unveil a set of performance standards intended to ensure value for money in Whitehall.
Continue reading...If Trump executes his plans, it’s because the media helped pave the way. It’s beyond time for more of my colleagues to speak up
“They make a desert and call it peace,” said Tacitus, paraphrasing Calgacus.
Israel, meanwhile, has made a graveyard of Gaza, and Donald Trump is calling it a real estate opportunity. The president, as you will know, has decided the US should just take over the Gaza Strip. As for the Palestinians who are inconveniently there at the moment? According to Trump, they can just be moved somewhere else. They can be dumped in Jordan or Egypt or Saudi Arabia. They won’t mind. Those Arabs are all the same anyway.
Continue reading...In today’s newsletter: Donald Trump’s proposal is an attempt to reshape political reality that has historical precedent, explains architect and researcher Eyal Weizman
Good morning. Donald Trump’s suggestion that Palestinians should be forced out of Gaza so that it could be rebuilt as a US-run “Riviera of the Middle East” is so outlandish that many have returned to the reminder that we should beware of taking what he says too literally. And, it’s true, the comments don’t seem as if they came on the back of a detailed feasibility study; White House officials spent much of yesterday trying to walk his comments back.
But it’s also true that his proposal, which if enacted would amount to an unambiguous case of ethnic cleansing, tells us something about who Trump understands to be the stakeholders in Gaza’s future: not Palestinian civilians, but the United States, Israel, and the contractors who could make it happen. And the idea has so delighted the Israeli right that it is easy to see how, even if no American soldier ever sets foot in Gaza, it creates the space for serious discussion of the same project by other means.
UK economy | Bank of England policymakers are poised to cut interest rates and downgrade forecasts for economic growth, underlining the risks facing Rachel Reeves’s budget plans. With inflation falling, the Bank’s monetary policy committee is expected to cut rates by a quarter point to 4.5% – the lowest level since June 2023 – on Thursday.
Democratic Republic of the Congo | Hundreds of women were raped and burned alive after a Rwandan-backed rebel group entered the Congolese city of Goma last week. The female inmates were attacked in their wing inside Goma’s Munzenze prison during a mass jailbreak, according to a senior UN official.
Energy | Keir Starmer will unveil plans for a historic expansion in nuclear power across England and Wales, pledging to use Labour’s large majority to make new sites across the country available for new power stations. The prime minister said that he anticipated small modular reactors could be built by 2032 and could become commonplace across Britain.
UK news | The families of Valdo Calocane’s victims have called for doctors responsible for his treatment to be named and held accountable. The intervention followed the publication of a report detailing Calocane’s mental health treatment before the attacks in Nottingham in 2023.
Media | A high court judge has criticised lawyers representing Noel Clarke for “unacceptable” allegations against Guardian journalists which “should not have been made and publicly aired without foundation”. Mrs Justice Steyn dismissed claims there had been any fabrication of evidence by them and said any deletion of documents was “not in breach of any rule or duty” to preserve them.
Continue reading...This liveblog is now closed.
Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says his government continues to support a two-state solution in the Middle East, “where both Israelis and Palestinians could live in peace and security.”
“We’ve supported a ceasefire, we’ve supported hostages being released and we’ve supported aid getting into Gaza,” he told reporters Wednesday in Canberra when asked about Trump’s remarks. “That is consistent with what Australia governments have always done, which is to provide support.”
Albanese did not directly respond to reporters’ questions about how he would characterise Trump’s Gaza plan.
“I’m not going to have a running commentary on statements by the president of the United States,” he said. “I’ve made that very clear.”
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump’s remarks about taking over the Gaza Strip were ‘ridiculous’ and ‘absurd’.
Continue reading...Prime minister vows to ‘push past nimbyism’ and calls on tech firms to help build small modular reactors to power AI datacentres
Keir Starmer will unveil plans for a historic expansion in nuclear power across England and Wales, pledging to use Labour’s large majority to make new sites across the country available for new power stations.
The announcement follows the prime minister’s call for tech companies to work alongside the government to build small modular reactors (SMRs) to power energy intensive AI datacentres across Britain.
Continue reading...Clashes break ceasefire days before Rwandan and Congolese presidents attend crisis summit
Rebels of the M23 armed group and allied Rwandan forces have launched a new offensive in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), days before the Rwandan and Congolese presidents are due to attend a crisis summit.
The UN said the battle for the key city of Goma, which M23 and Rwandan troops seized last week, had left at least 2,900 people dead – far higher than the previous death toll of 900.
Continue reading...President’s plan for US to take over Gaza Strip and move Palestinians out also rejected by allies Saudi Arabia and Jordan
Donald Trump’s proposal for a US takeover of Gaza was met with anger and blunt rejection from regional allies, delight from Israel’s far right and a warning against “ethnic cleansing” from the head of the UN.
The secretary general, António Guterres, told a UN meeting on Wednesday that “it is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing” after the US president said he wanted to “own” Gaza and resettle its Palestinian residents elsewhere.
Continue reading...As economic inequality deepens, political leaders continue to side-step structural issues while extremists aim to claim the votes of the left behind
Early in the 2010s, class politics was everywhere. Bankers were bailed out, and the price Europeans apparently had to pay was austerity. Protests erupted from Greece to Wall Street. Thomas Piketty’s book on inequality, Capital in the Twenty-First Century, took the world by storm, and Britain seemed poised for a shift – first with Ed Miliband’s critique of “predatory capital”, then when Labour members chose to back Jeremy Corbyn’s attack on a rigged economy.
A decade later, it might seem that time’s arrow has finally hit its mark. Britain has a Labour government with a whopping majority and, after years in which British prime ministers hopped off the conveyor belt from Eton or Winchester, the country is now led by the son of a toolmaker. Even the leader of the Tories, Kemi Badenoch, claims she “became working class” as a teen, while doing a few shifts at McDonald’s.
Continue reading...Normal service resumes after initial suspension, in latest episode of growing trade war between the US and China
The US Postal Service briefly suspended incoming parcels from China and Hong Kong on Tuesday before returning to normal service on Wednesday after accusations of “unreasonable suppression” from Beijing, in the latest episode of a growing trade war between the US and China.
The initial suspension came as Donald Trump said he was not in a hurry to speak to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, despite expectations that they would hold talks after announcing tit-for-tat tariffs.
Continue reading...Atrocity follows escape of thousands of male inmates amid chaos as Rwandan-backed M23 rebels seize eastern DRC city
Hundreds of women were raped and burned alive during the chaos after a Rwandan-backed rebel group entered the Congolese city of Goma last week.
The female inmates were attacked in their wing inside Goma’s Munzenze prison during a mass jailbreak, according to a senior UN official.
Continue reading...Trump told reporters that he wants to expel “all” Palestinians from Gaza — not just during a period of reconstruction, but permanently.
The post Trump: “The U.S. Will Take Over the Gaza Strip” appeared first on The Intercept.
Human rights groups alarmed as Marco Rubio, US secretary of state, meets with Nayib Bukele during overseas trip
El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, has offered to accept deportees from the US of any nationality and hold them in his jails, including “dangerous American criminals”, Marco Rubio said on Monday.
The US secretary of state, who this week made his first overseas trip as the top US diplomat, visited El Salvador on Monday as part of a wider trip through Central America and the Caribbean.
Continue reading...Press secretary says at least two deportation flights to Cuban base of undocumented immigrants ‘under way’
The Trump administration has begun flying undocumented immigrants from the US to a military detention facility at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said on Tuesday.
Leavitt told Fox Business Network that at least two deportation flights were “under way”, but gave no further details.
Continue reading...Navin Ramgoolam says Keir Starmer expressed confidence about finalising agreement within weeks
Downing Street has refused to comment on the prospect of an imminent deal over the Chagos Islands, after the Mauritian prime minister said Keir Starmer had told him he was confident about finalising an agreement in the coming weeks.
An interim deal on returning sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which would maintain the key UK-US military base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia, was agreed last year, building on work that began under the Conservative government.
Continue reading...Voters go to polls on Sunday to give verdict on Daniel Noboa, whose crime crackdown has eroded human rights
Carlos Javier Vega, 19, asked to switch shifts at his father’s bakery in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city, so he could help his cousin sell a puppy.
A few blocks from the buyer’s location, however, their car was stopped at a checkpoint manned by navy troopers deployed on the streets after President Daniel Noboa decreed an “internal armed conflict” against organised crime.
Continue reading... ![]() | submitted by /u/Wagamaga [link] [comments] |
The American tradition of airstrikes against Somalia is continuing into Trump’s second term.
The post Trump the “Peacemaker” Ramps Up America’s Forever War in Somalia appeared first on The Intercept.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Exclusive: Chan Zuckerberg Initiative workers express concern, as recent changes there similar to those at Meta
The for-profit charity organization founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan told employees last month that its commitment to corporate diversity is not changing even after Meta eliminated its diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Employees of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) expressed concern in January after Meta’s top HR executive announced that that company would no longer put resources toward hiring and working with diverse and underrepresented job candidates and business suppliers (a suite of practices often referred to as DEI, for diversity, equity and inclusion), according to internal CZI messages viewed by the Guardian.
Continue reading...Robyn Cowen is joined by Barry Glendenning, Nicky Bandini and Sam Dalling as Newcastle breeze past Arsenal to book their place in the League Cup final
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: that was much easier for Newcastle than anyone predicted as they beat Arsenal 2-0 at St James’ Park to win their League Cup semi-final 4-0 on aggregate. The panel question whether Eddie Howe has Arsenal’s number and just how restorative the Gunners’ warm-weather break in Dubai can really be before a gruelling end to the season.
Continue reading...From the shockwaves caused by DeepSeek’s launch, to fears of a new AI arms race, and the continued questions over the technology’s energy use, AI continues to throw up new challenges. As world leaders gather for the Paris AI summit, the Guardian’s global technology editor, Dan Milmo, joins Madeleine Finlay to discuss what will be top of the agenda. And young people attending the Alan Turing Institute’s Children’s AI summit explain what their hopes and fears for the technology are
Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod
Continue reading...We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors.
This week, from 2020: When the Colombian army defeated the Farc guerrillas, ending decades of conflict, General Mario Montoya was hailed a national hero. But then it was revealed that thousands of ‘insurgents’ executed by the army were in fact innocent men. By Mariana Palau. Read by Lucy Scott
Continue reading...The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, visited Panama on the weekend to put pressure on the country over how it runs the canal and its ties with China. Andrew Roth reports
“China is operating the Panama canal and we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.”
Donald Trump’s claim in his inauguration speech that Panama had “broken its promises” to the US was alarming for many Panamanians. Washington relinquished control of the canal in 1977, so why is Trump pressing the issue now?
Continue reading...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.
Aspiring emigrants seek help at ‘Visa Hanuman’ and ‘Visa God’ temples after US president demanded tougher vetting
Indian professionals have been flocking to Hindu temples believed to grant prayers for a US visa after Donald Trump signed several executive orders aimed at making immigration to the US more difficult.
The rush for divine help has been in evidence at Chamatkari Hanuman temple – popularly called “Visa Hanuman” – in Ahmedabad in the western state of Gujarat.
Continue reading... ![]() | submitted by /u/No-Information6622 [link] [comments] |
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.
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.
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.
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...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...
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...
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...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!