mr.brown_financier (4684 followers)

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Premium (47 followers)

出遅れ気性難 おボルテとお弐寺がしたい

baekhyn (18 followers)

did you know that i love baekhyun

Despite Trump-Iran Deal, Netanyahu Says Israel Will Not Leave Lebanon 'As Long as I Am Prime Minister'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Wednesday that he will not end the military occupation of Lebanon even if it tanks US President Donald Trump’s peace deal with Iran. “As long as I am prime minister, we will maintain the security zone in southern Lebanon,” he said, referring to Israel’s occupation, which has cleared about one-fifth of the country of its inhabitants. About 1.2 million residents have been displaced by Israeli attacks and forced evacuation orders since March as part of a military campaign that’s killed about 4,200 people, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. As Trump seeks an end to his war with Iran, the Iranian delegation has stressed that it must be peace “on all fronts,” including Lebanon, which was outlined in the memorandum of understanding that has served as the basis for ongoing negotiations. Behind the scenes, Trump has reportedly fumed that by ramping up attacks on Lebanon, Israel is trying to sabotage the deal and drag the US back into war. But while he and Vice President JD Vance have offered some uncommonly blunt criticism of Israel over the past week, they’ve not yet gone beyond words. And Israel’s leaders seem to believe they won’t. Echoing the prime minister, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that the Israel Defense Forces were “not withdrawing” from Lebanon “even if there is an American demand to do so.” But he also stated that despite a US-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, “as of this moment… there is no American demand for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon,” which he described as “a political achievement.” That’s not likely to sit well with the Iranians, who, in response to a wave of Israeli attacks this weekend, announced that they were once again closing off the Strait of Hormuz, threatening more of the economic pandemonium that Trump wants to quell by ending the war. “For us, a ceasefire in Lebanon is as important as a ceasefire in Iran and, further, an end to the war in Lebanon is as important as an end to the war in Iran,” said Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and lead negotiator, on Wednesday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has attempted to thread the needle by claiming on Wednesday that “the Israelis have been clear they don’t have any quarrels with the Lebanese people, nor do they have any claims on the territory of Lebanon.” But this was undercut somewhat by Katz’s statement on Wednesday that the 200,000 civilians whom Israel ordered to leave southern Lebanon “will not return” to their homes because of the risk they allegedly pose to Israeli soldiers. “Soldiers in, residents out,” Katz said. “The infrastructure is destroyed, the houses are dangerous and ruined. We are not withdrawing.” Critics have pointed out that Trump does have ample amounts of leverage to coerce the Israelis to get with the program, including threatening to cut off US weapons shipments, and that his failure to do this may destroy any chance at peace with Iran. “The Israelis are going to continue testing what they can get away with,” said Rania Khalek, a journalist for BreakThrough News, on social media. “Iran was very clear that a deal with the US is dependent on a ceasefire in Lebanon.” “How embarrassing for Trump that the Israelis don’t care about his orders. They are trying to preserve their ability to kill all their neighbors,” she added. “Words are not enough to restrain the Israelis. There have to be real consequences.” From Common Dreams via This RSS Feed.

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nvsr (101 followers)

Finding friends on the fediverse 😊
ごめん日本語が下手くそ！
About me/私について: ♂️ 🇳🇱 🚴‍♂️ 📷 🍳 🌅 :opensourceparrot:

The U.S. and Iran have struck a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz, but Israel may prevent an end to the war

This story originally appeared in Mondoweiss on June 16, 2026. It is shared here with permission. According to reports, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and formally end the fighting between the two countries was signed on Monday. It is important to clarify that, regardless of White House statements, this is not a peace deal. It is an agreement to end the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz and a commitment to stop fighting for 60 days while an agreement is reached, hopefully. The negotiation period can be extended if both parties agree. Still, it is a important agreement that indicates a end to this disastrous war could be in sight. But as usual Israel stands to play the role of spoiler. The one thing that is most clear is that Tel Aviv won’t give up on its long-term goal of regime change in Iran. But if this MOU actually takes effect and opens the Strait of Hormuz, that will not be achieved through this war. What is the agreement? According to American officials, details of the MOU will be released in the next day or so. But we already have a pretty good idea of what it says and what it does not say. While none of the terms have been announced, it seems certain that the mutual blockades of the Strait will be lifted and commercial traffic will flow through the whole Persian Gulf again. That might take a bit of time, as mines planted by Iran must be removed, a delicate process. But if all sides cooperate, it will be done in short order. There seems to be a consensus that the ceasefire does apply to Lebanon. Even the Israelis seem to believe this. But there is less clarity about exactly what that means. Israel is currently occupying a large portion of Lebanon. Israeli leaders have already made it clear they have no intention of leaving. For the time being, it seems that the MOU will allow Israel to remain in place. The language both sides have used has often featured the “end of attacks” on Lebanon. Iran obviously seeks a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, but whether they are willing to put that off to the negotiation period rather than insisting on it happening immediately remains to be seen. Speaking on the Breaking Points podcast, journalist Jeremy Scahill said he had been told that, in exchange for refraining from retaliating against Israel for its attack on Sunday on Dahiya in Lebanon, U.S. President Donald Trump would press Israel to withdraw entirely from Lebanon. That would be welcome if true, but it is more likely that Iran refrained from that attack so Israel would not get what it wanted from its bombing, namely the disruption of this MOU. So Lebanon still stands out as the main trigger point for blowing up this agreement. Some outlets have reported that the MOU includes an agreement for the U.S. and its allies to free up about $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets. Other reports have omitted this point. What is most likely is that the Trump administration, stuffed as it is with figures, including the president himself, who have relentlessly blasted Barack Obama for giving Iran “pallets of cash” in the JCPOA, is trying to find a way to satisfy Iran’s demands for funds without lifting sanctions too soon or giving Iran cash or access to cash directly. Thus, they are pursuing alternatives where other countries would quietly make frozen Iranian funds available. The UAE was reported to have done just that in recent days, and, despite its vehement denials, it is very likely that those reports are accurate. The bulk of the money would come from Qatar, which would release $24 billion in two transactions, one at the beginning of talks and one at the end. It is unclear whether the United States has agreed to this arrangement, but it appears to be what Qatar proposed. Iran, for its part, will give Trump the talking point he needs by pledging, once again, that it will not pursue a nuclear weapon. Since this has been their position for decades, and that stance has been documented as truthful by American intelligence all that time, this is not a big ask from Tehran. But Trump will portray it that way, and that seems just fine with Iran. Israel is playing the spoiler, again Israeli leaders are scrambling to craft a domestic narrative about what amounts to a decisive defeat for them and the United States. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that “We will remain in the security zones for as long as required to defend our country.” Security zones, in Netanyahu-speak, mean occupied territories. He went on to say, in Trumpian fashion, “Iran was racing toward a nuclear weapon. If we had not acted at the time we did and with the power we did…Iran would already have atomic bombs.” That is, of course, a complete lie, one contradicted by every intelligence assessment in Israel, the U.S., Europe, and everywhere else that has assessed Iran’s nuclear ambitions. It’s a mark of Netanyahu’s desperation that he feels the need to say it. It is also a mark of his need to pacify Trump by affirming the false narrative of an American victory. Meanwhile, an Israeli attack killed one person and wounded a journalist in the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Tebnit. This was just a small signal that Israel intends to maintain the fighting in Lebanon as a means to scupper the deal with Iran. Hezbollah affirmed that it has the right to self-defense against both Israeli aggression and occupation, as indeed it does under international law. These facts on the ground create an open opportunity for Israel unless Trump is willing to act forcefully to restrain them. That quandary is an intentional result of the framework Iran has set up. They are testing Trump to see if he can and will rein in Israel. Tehran is surely as unimpressed as so many of us are with Trump’s public, epithet-laced scolding of Netanyahu. As I’ve noted, Netanyahu is also unimpressed with it. Words, no matter how harsh or vulgar, carry no weight here. Only the threat of real consequences will force Netanyahu to back off in Lebanon, and no one, including the Iranians, knows whether Trump will impose them on his ally. More risk for Iran While Trump faces intense electoral pressure to end this war, Netanyahu is facing even stronger pressure from hawks in the Israeli opposition. Naftali Bennett, a leading contender to replace Netanyahu in the upcoming elections, vowed that “The clock for regime change in Iran will start as soon as the government in Israel is changed.” Bennett advocates a multi-pronged strategy that depends more on Israel’s ability to stir up internal opposition in Iran than relying as much as Netanyahu has on pressure, although Netanyahu has used infiltration and espionage as well. For Bennett, the key is not so much the military pressure as maintaining sanctions and using economic stress to foment agitation against the Iranian government. That is a much cleverer strategy, although it is equally unlikely to produce a result Israel might want. Iranian leaders know they have a serious problem with domestic popularity that the U.S.-Israeli attack has only temporarily papered over. If the war does end, the economy still has a long road to recovery, and the Iranian government itself remains authoritarian and repressive. Many Iranians will not forget the events of this past January, when thousands of protesters were killed. Whatever role Israeli agents may have played in turning those protests violent, those Iranians were still killed by government forces. Netanyahu will also pursue that strategy if he fails to restart the all-out war against Iran. And should the MOU come into force, all-out war becomes much more difficult to attain, as it would mean the closure of the Strait of Hormuz again, something Trump and the rest of the world leaders are not likely to cooperate with. This is the obstacle Netanyahu has faced for forty years: he cannot wage war on Iran without American support. Until now, no American president was foolish enough to give him that support. And now, even the fool has learned why. American responses Unsurprisingly, there was bipartisan skepticism about the MOU. Republican Lindsey Graham, careful not to step on Trump’s toes, tweeted, “I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming. Under our law, any nuclear deal with Iran will be sent to Congress for review and a vote. I look forward to reviewing the final product and I believe it is imperative that the architect of the deal, Vice President Vance and his negotiating partners, be part of the process in presenting the final deal to Congress.” To be clear, the MOU is not a nuclear deal with Iran. Trump does not need congressional approval for it. He will need to submit any final deal that covers Iran’s nuclear program and the lifting of nuclear-related American sanctions on Iran to Congress, under the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA) of 2015. INARA, however, allows the Senate to pass a Joint Resolution of Disapproval, which would only kill the deal if the Senate can override a presidential veto. To do that, you need wide bipartisan support. So, it’s important that Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also expressed his skepticism and sounded a lot like Graham in doing so. Schumer’s statement read, in part, “The American people deserve details and full transparency – what exactly is in this ‘understanding’? …Trump must release the details publicly, brief Congress immediately, and end this war for good.” But whether the MOU meets with Schumer’s or Graham’s approval is unimportant, as they will have no say until a final deal is struck. Their responses, however, will help shape the politics around reasonable expectations for U.S.-Iranian talks. Those politics, at least among Democrats, will also be shaped by what is becoming a sharp split among pro-Israel Democrats. The far-right Democratic majority for Israel, naturally, called on Trump to only accept terms that Iran would never agree to. The more center-right Jewish Democratic Council of America offered some legitimate criticisms of Trump’s war but also criticized him for not allowing Israel to run wild and for giving Iran any kind of financial relief. On the other side, liberal Zionists expressed support for the deal. J Street “welcomes the announcement of an agreement to end the war with Iran. While the details of the agreement are still unclear, bringing this devastating conflict to a close will save lives, reduce the risk of further regional escalation and ease the severe economic harm this war has inflicted on people across the world.” Similarly, Hadar Susskind of the New Jewish Narrative stated, “For years we have argued that military force alone cannot deliver security for Israel or stability for the region. This war proved that point at enormous cost. It is past time for the leaders of Israel and the United States to apply that lesson.” That represents a further split among Jewish Democratic groups, as J Street and NJN would surely be joined by anti-Zionist and non-Zionist groups which will support an agreement that ends the war, even if not in the same terms as the pro-Israel groups. If a deal with Iran does materialize out of the seed planted by the MOU, pressure from those sectors could be decisive in ensuring that Congress cannot thwart it. From The Real News Network via This RSS Feed.

nina.apsr (456 followers)

curhat sini aja, gak berisik

Oxford debate with Tommy Robinson and assorted scum to go ahead

The Oxford Union Society (OUS) is set to go ahead with its postponed debate featuring notorious racists Tommy Robinson, Laurence Fox, and Jacob Rees-Mogg. And, that’s in spite of urging to the contrary from community leaders and campaign groups. The OSU, though independent from the University of Oxford, draws much of its membership from the university. On 17 June, it’s set to debate the motion: This House Believes the West is right to be Suspicious of Islam The debate was originally scheduled for 28 May. However, it was postponed after public outcry over Robinson’s presence, in particular. Tommy Robinson is just the tip of the racist iceberg Because obviously the motion itself wouldn’t result in enough Islamophobic sentiment in its own right, the invited guest speakers supporting the motion will be Tommy Robinson, Laurence Fox, and Jonathan Sacerdoti. The Canary has written enough on Robinson’s repeated criminal violence, white-supremacist agitation and low-down grifting to fill several books. However, his most recent racist provocations resulted in rioting and arson attacks across Belfast, Southampton, and elsewhere. Laurence Fox was once better known for playing Inspector Morse’s sidekick’s sidekick on telly. Nowadays, the putative ‘free speech champion’ seems to spend his days spewing bigoted filth online, making unsuccessful libel claims, and failing to become London’s mayor. Sacerdoti is a journalist with bylines in the Spectator, Daily Mail, and *Jewish Chronicle,*among others. He’s previously appeared at the OUS to argue against the motion that Israel is an apartheid state. …And the opposition? Their opponents will be Jacob Rees-Mogg, Michael Doward, and Abdullah al Andalusi. And yes, you read that right – Rees-Mogg is somehow on the ‘against’ side. Noted Victorian cosplayer and Tory politician Rees-Mogg managed to lose his once-safe parliamentary seat in 2024. Nowadays, he makes his money presenting for far-right *GB News.*Oh, and he’s also a trustee of the charity that safeguards the OUS, if you’re wondering why he’s actually here. Meanwhile, both Doward and al Andalusi are both new ones on us. Doward is a Muslim revert who runs the podcast Speaker’s Corner, which “shines a light” on issues affecting Muslims. Regarding al Andalusi, also a revert, anti-fascist investigative outlet Searchlightstated that: Rees-Mogg’s fellow opposition speakers are two Muslim converts. One is Abdullah al-Andalusi, whose former name was Mouloud Farid. Under that name he managed to pass security vetting more than a decade ago and worked for almost two years (until July 2014) for HM Inspectorate of Constabulary. Though a very marginal figure in the Muslim community, he has managed to persuade some media outlets to give him publicity and an opportunity for fundraising. Andalusi was reported in the mid-2010s to be “closely associated with the extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir”, which has been banned as a terrorist organisation since 2024. The OSU were always going to be scraping the barrel to find any Muslim leaders or anti-Islamophobia campaigners to dignify this debate with their presence. However, the choices of Rees-Mogg and al Andalusi really do seem intended to fan the flames of racial hatred. The city stands opposed Given the presence of walking incitement-to-riot Robinson in particular, the community opposition to the debate has been fierce. Susan Brown – Labour leader of Oxford City Council – has called for the OSU to foot the bill for the massive amount of security that the city is having to put in place. She stated that: Whilst we are committed to free speech and open debate, that must be balanced against ensuring all our residents can live free from hatred, intimidation and harm. […] This will cause considerable disruption for local residents and businesses, and comes at a substantial cost. The Oxford Union must meet the full costs of staging their event, rather than leaving Oxford’s taxpayers to pick up the bill. Meanwhile, Ian McKendrick – campaign group Oxford Stand Up To Racism’s vice chairman – called out the OSU’s invitation to Robinson. He stated that the extreme-right leader had been whipping up “violent race riots” and: radicalising tragedies to stir up hate and inspire fear. We cannot stay silent and watch our country descend into chaos and division. Oxford must present a united front and say no to racism, no to fascism. The Bishop of Oxford, Steven Croft, and Imam Monawar Hussain penned a joint letter calling for the OUS to withdraw its invitations. The pair, who together chair the Oxfordshire and Thames Valley Faith and Civic Leaders Forums, wrote that the debate society’s leaders have a: duty of care to the many thousands of Muslims, Jews and others of different faiths in the city. Those who have issued this invitation need to be mindful not only of the University of Oxford but of the city in which they live and study as students – a city which has a long tradition of hospitality to migrants and the poorest sections of society. We make a strong appeal in these weeks and months of global tension that this invitation should be reconsidered and withdrawn for the sake of this city and its peace. Dangerous disregard Whilst the debate society styles itself as a champion of ‘free speech’, and its president Arwa Elrayess touts her Palestinian origins, this debate is nothing more than a low-down publicity grab. Worse still, it comes at a very real cost to the people of Oxford around them. Elrayess posted a statement voicing her delight that the OSU would: continue to uphold the central principle of free speech that this Society was built upon. The OSU has shown a dangerous disregard for the safety of the inhabitants of the city around them. And of course, that applies twofold for the people of colour who will inevitably bear the brunt of attacks by Robinson’s white-supremacist followers. Featured image via the Canary By Grace From Canary via This RSS Feed.

Moderators Delete Reddit Thread as Doctors Torch Dead UnitedHealthcare CEO

Reddit post from Mountain_Fig_9253: Thank you for choosing United Healthcare for your healthcare needs. After a careful review of the claim submitted for emergency services on December 4, 2024, we regret to inform you that your request for coverage has been denied. Our denial is based on the following findings: Lack of Prior Authorization: Our records indicate that you failed to obtain prior authorization before seeking care for the gunshot wound to your chest. While we acknowledge the emergent nature of the situation, our policy requires that all non-preventative services, including “unexpected chest injuries,” be pre-approved through our 24/7 Prior Authorization Hotline. Unfortunately, our hotline received no such call during your ambulance transport or at any point before your admission to the emergency room. Failure to Prove Medical Necessity: The submitted documentation does not sufficiently demonstrate that treatment for a penetrating chest wound meets the definition of “medically necessary.” Our guidelines specify that life-threatening conditions must be substantiated with a second opinion from a network provider, preferably before care is rendered. Alternative Options Not Explored: Based on our retrospective analysis, alternative, more cost-effective treatment options—such as a virtual telehealth consult or at-home first aid—were not attempted prior to your emergency room visit. We understand that you were actively “bleeding out,” but this does not exempt you from exploring lower-cost care pathways. Out-of-Network Care: The emergency room where you received treatment is not within our network. While City General is geographically closer to the location of your shooting, our network partner, DiscountCare Clinic, is only 25 miles away and equipped with staplers and gauze for such injuries. Next Steps: You may file an appeal within 30 days i you believe this decision is incorrect. Appeals must include: « A notarized letter from the attending physician, explaining why you thought you were entitled to not bleed to death while waiting for approval. « Evidence that your injuries were, in fact, serious enough to merit immediate attention, such as photos, videos, or live reenactments. We encourage you to familarize yourself with your plan benefits and utilize in-network providers for future incidents. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our customer support team if you have questions about this Sincerely and in good health, United Healthcare P.S. Remember: Preventative care is the best care! If you’d lie, we can help you schedule your annual physical or connect you to a mindfulness seminar to prevent future traumatic injuries. Thank you for your recent appeal regarding the denial of coverage for your emergency room visit on December 5, 2024. We have carefully reviewed the additional information you provided, including the attending physician’s notes, photographic evidence of your gunshot wound, and the security footage of the event. After a thorough re-evaluation of your case, we regret to inform you that the original denial decision has been upheld. Our reasons for this decision are outlined below: Insufficient Documentation Supporting Medical Necessity: While we acknowledge the physician’s statement that your “life was in immediate danger,” we remain unconvinced that the treatment you received in the emergency room was the only appropriate course of action. Specifically, we find the decision to intubate and transfuse blood unnecessarily aggressive when other cost-effective options, such as applying firm pressure to the wound with a clean cloth, could have been attempted first. Failure to Contact Prior Authorization Hotline: Your appeal asserts that you were “unable to call” due to being “unconscious” after sustaining the gunshot wound. While we empathize with your condition, we remind you that our Prior Authorization Hotline is available 24/7 and can be contacted by a friend, family member, or even a concerned bystander. The failure to delegate this responsibility during your medical emergency further substantiates our denial. Out-of-Network Services: As stated previously, City General Emergency Department is not part of our network. While we understand that DiscountCare Clinic is 25 miles away and does not operate ambulances, the choice to seek care at a non-network facility remains inconsistent with your plan’s cost-saving guidelines. Our analysis indicates that driving oneself, despite injury, or calling a rideshare service might have provided a viable and more affordable alternative. Policy Exclusions on Firearm-Related Injuries: Your plan explicitly excludes coverage for injuries resulting from “unapproved use of firearms.” As no evidence was provided to confirm the shooting was accidental or unavoidable, we are unable to overturn this aspect of the denial. Next Steps: This decision is final. You may choose to escalate your appeal to the Independent Medical Review Board (IMRB) at your own expense. If the IMRB overturns our decision, you may be eligible for partial reimbursement minus a $5,000 “Claim Reconsideration Fee.” We encourage you to consult our Member Handbook to better understand your plan benefits and avoid similar misunderstandings in the future. Should you find your current coverage unsatisfactory, we invite you to explore our new UNH UltraBasic plan, which offers even fewer benefits at an even lower premium. Sincerely and in good health, United Healthcare P.S. Please note: Our appeals process is designed to promote proactive healthcare decision-making. While this unfortunate incident did not meet policy requirements, we commend your efforts to stay alive and wish you a speedy recovery.

Avengers: Doomsday (2026, dir Anthony Russo and Joe Russo)

Beloved heroes from three distinct universes are set on a deadly collision course and face an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered. https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1003596-avengers-doomsday Editor’s note on Infinity Vision: Theater chains have developed a trend of labeling their largest auditoriums with a variety of creative, in-house “premium large format” (PLF) brand names: AMC’s “Prime”/“XL”, Cineplex’s “UltraAVX”, Regal’s “Premium Experience (RPX)”, Kinepolis’s “Laser Ultra”, etc. The chains are doing this to help spotlight each theater’s top-tier exhibition offering (“Is this one on the big screen?”) while avoiding IMAX’s steep equipment, calibration and upkeep costs. Earlier this year (in April 2026) Disney introduced Infinity Vision, a new PLF certification program with baseline standards for screen size, brightness and sound capabilities that any or all of those in-house PLF brands may or may not meet… if they pay for the certification. Way back in 1948, the US Supreme Court ruled on United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc., finding that film studios could not own and operate theaters as the only place your could see that studio’s films. Since then, the US DOJ has not permitted any studio from owning any theater chain. Studios have always sought to squeeze money from theaters. This latest attempt is being dressed-up as consumer protection and quality assurance. Theater venues are forced to decide between paying Disney’s ~~protection money~~ QA certification fee so they can show tentpole films with the advertised stamp of approval on their venue, or not pay and risk losing audiences to other venues who did. With independent cinemas struggling to get by, the last thing they need is a shakedown. Support your local independent cinemas, regardless of whether or not their screens support the du jour Vision-O-Rama exhibition technology. They need your money more than Disney does.

Youtube has started to artificially slow down video load times if you use Firefox

I dont believe this will have the desired affect Google thinks it will. I, personally, will never buy Premium or switch to Chrome without an AD block. If anything, I will just download via linux or just not watch Youtube anymore.

The pop culture hype for GTA VI is totally undeserved.

Let me preface this by saying that I’m a longtime GTA fan, and so, to some extent, I don’t blame people for being excited for the newest game in that franchise. GTA 3 on the PS2 was a revolutionary game that changed the medium forever. Vice City and San Andreas built upon that same template and engine making games that were bigger in better in just about every way. I have mixed feelings about both GTA 4 and 5, both in terms of gameplay and story, but overall feel that they were good games with better shooting and driving than the PS2 era games. I never got into the online stuff outside of occasional racing, but I understand that it’s hugely popular. With that background, I don’t doubt that GTA 6 will be a big seller, maybe even the biggest ever… But be that as it may, I think that it is riding on a big wave of unearned cultural hype: We have seen very little of what the game actually plays like, and almost nothing about what sets it apart from GTA 5 in terms of systems. The marketing leads me to believe this will be less sandbox and more story… All we have been told about the story of this game is that you play as Jason and Lucia, two lovers and ex-cons in Vice City. The trailers focus on their relationship, which is a unique angle for a GTA game, but we really don’t get any insight into who these characters are as individuals or what makes them interesting. Despite the fact that GTA has always been something of a hit-or-miss parody of modern (usually American) life and culture, every piece of media I’ve seen surrounding this game has been totally devoid of any humor or commentary. There’s a lot to make fun of in America (Florida especially) today, but based on the trailers, this is looking to be the least funny or satirical GTA game ever. This is the most expensive GTA game ever, and that’s even without factoring in the paywalled features like premium car modding and character styling, but will it be the biggest? What does $80-100 get us? For better or worse, quite a few of the key people who made the GTA series what it was are now out of the picture, so the development team is going to be pretty different than past games. That could go either way, but I think it does invite a certain amount of skepticism. No initial PC release. No physical release for consoles. So again, I really don’t blame people for being hopeful or excited about a new GTA game coming out. If you’re looking forward to this one then more power to you! But I can’t help feel that the levels of hype are way overblown for what we’ve seen of the gameplay, story and world building. If it wasn’t part of the “GTA” franchise, I think this would be just another new release.

Youtube send a Letter to Grayjay Creator

YouTube legal wants Futo to release apis and user data to them as they believe Grayjay is violating their terms. Grayjay doesn’t store user data nor is it using their APIs so the terms don’t apply Futo will not be removing Grayjay and won’t be complying with a request that cannot be fulfilled. Other details: YouTube Premium’s download feature still requires an Internet connection to access content downloaded. Louis makes the point of being tired of paying for products and services that end up giving you less and less, which is part of the reason why Grayjay was created Content creators shouldn’t fear of being banned by an temperamental AI that could cripple their livelihood without an explanation which Grayjay attempts to solve as viewers can still access their content on Rumble, Twitch and other platforms if they get banned on Youtube. Good on Louis for sticking to his guns.

Bulletins and International News Discussion from April 20th to April 26th, 2026 - Countering the Blockade of the Blockade With Two More Blockades?

Anyone following following AI reporting by Ed Zitron? The industry looks really bad. $65 billion max in total revenue across the entirety of AI when Western tech media really wants you to believe the entire world economy revolves around AI now. The entire industry — including OpenAI and Anthropic’s theoretical revenues of $13.1 billion and $4.5 billion — hit around $65 billion last year, and that includes the revenues from providing compute generated by neoclouds like CoreWeave and hyperscalers like Microsoft. For reference Lenovo, the company behind the Thinkpad laptops, has $80 billion in revenue.. Except Lenovo actually makes money. There’s this image from Western media anywhere where the entire world economy would collapse if the AI bubble bursts, or at minimum would cause a DotCom or 2008 style crash but it wouldn’t be anywhere near that big. Nobody would notice if Lenovo disappeared overnight. The more I read from Ed Zitron the more that the AI craze looks like the NFT bubble. Front page of Ed Zitron’s reporting: https://wheresyoured.at/

Troops rescue kidnap victim, dismantle terrorists’ hideouts in Katsina

I would not recommend buying the Daily Trust’s proffered premium Nigerian domains. ::: [2026-06-19] Daily Trust Troops of the Nigerian Army under Operation CLEAN SWEEP have rescued a kidnap victim, Nura Yar’adua and destroyed several terrorist hideouts during ongoing operations against criminal elements in Katsina State. Military sources said the operations were conducted by troops of the 17 Brigade Strike Group and the Quick Response Force in collaboration with elements of the 8 Division Special Forces as part of efforts to dismantle terrorist enclaves, disrupt their logistics networks and restore security in communities across the North-West. According to the army, troops, on the fourth day of the operation, carried out a coordinated clearance mission targeting terrorist strongholds in and around Tuga in Matazu Local Government Area. The operation was supported by real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets, as well as precision air strikes by the Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA. The sources disclosed that the troops subsequently advanced into the notorious Fafu forest under army’s “Relentless Incursion” strategy designed to deny terrorists safe havens. Following coordinated aerial and artillery bombardments of identified targets, ground forces moved into the area and destroyed several camps and concealed hideouts used by the terrorists. During the exploitation phase of the operation, the troops reportedly discovered a hideout linked to a notorious terrorist leader where kidnapped victims were being held under harsh conditions. Military authorities said two lifeless bodies were recovered from the location, while Nura Yar’adua was found in chains and successfully rescued. The army added that the rescued victim was given immediate first aid before being evacuated to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina for further medical attention. Troops recovered a large number of rustled livestock believed to have been stolen by the terrorists. The recovered animals include 36 cattle, 280 sheep and two donkeys. UPDATE NEWS: Nigerians can now invest ₦2.5 million on premium domains and profit about ₦17-₦25 million. All earnings paid in US Dollars. Rather than wonder, click here to find out how it works. :::

Youtube stopped working for me today when using uBlock Origin in Firefox or Vivaldi with anti-ad enabled.

Ad blockers assert your belief in the web browser as user agent, not server agent We know you’re using an ad blocker. How dare you. Alphabet’s cross-subsidy, and the political value of controlling the Overton window, allows Youtube to remain publicly accessible. You can get double-penetrated with Youtube Premium, first on the subscription fee then on the usage analytics.

Black Voters May Be Abandoning the Dems—But They'll Never Be Republicans

This article was written by Jeff Charles. A podcaster and political contributor who has appeared on fox News and Newsmax. He’s also anti sensible gun control, transphobic and believes being trans is just ignoring biology, believes that schools should ban books that have “ideology” in them (anything queer), thinks kids are being indoctrinated just because it occasionally comes up that there are different ways of being a person, says he’s an anarchist but will say libertarian sometimes to avoid “making people think he’s crazy” but just doing that shows that he doesn’t actually understand what anarchism is (or how crazy some libertarians are), and also talks about how the left wants Americans to be dependent on the state (all social programs). He’s also on point for some things, specifically things that most libertarians ascribe to, like fuck cops and anti drug war. But like most libertarians, he only believes in his “do whatever you want and leave me alone” mentality when it lines up with his personal beliefs. I don’t disagree that there are black voters who are frustrated with the dems, but this is not a very good article and is written by an ass who has to push the idea so he can continue to be brought onto Fox News and Newsmax to talk about it and so his site gets new subscribers. Subscribers that have to pay 50 bucks a year for his premium content. Which I’m honestly surprised doesn’t cost more. He’s also partnered with Doni Anthony who has his own site/substack, which when you’re on the landing page, the second article is, well, it requires subscribing and I’m not gonna do that. But it’s about a bill called the Inclusive Democracy Act of 2023 which is about restoring voting rights to people with criminal records/felonies who have done their time, the article is about the “hidden” reason the democrats support the bill, which is a far right conspiracy that average voters would never vote for a democrat so they have to make new voters to be able to win. It’s all baseless conspiracy stuff and is the same thought process for the “illegal immigrants voting” conspiracy. The point is that an article is only as reliable as the author is, and this author is just crap.

bandar.auto (416 followers)

pokoknya ada

Direct Action Is Now Terrorism

Last Friday at Woolwich crown court, Mr Justice Johnson sentenced four Palestine Action activists to a total of nearly 27 years (Nelson Mandela’s term in prison) for their role in an action on the Bristol-based research centre of an Israeli weapons factory. At the same time, our history was rewritten. The suffragettes, the chartists, the women of Greenham Common, and many more besides: all terrorists. Those sentences – six years each for Charlotte Head and Leona Kamio, five years and eight months for Fatema Zainab Rajwani and eight years and eight months for Samuel Corner – were extended by the judge’s finding of a terror connection behind the criminal damage they did at Elbit System’s Filton site. That aggravating factor allowed him to sentence four people as terrorists, none of whom have ever been accused of an act of terrorism, let alone charged with a terrorist crime. It’s the first time in British history that anyone has been sentenced as a terrorist for damaging property. It won’t be the last. I’ve interviewed Head and Jordan Devlin (who was acquitted by the jury on all charges). I’ve also interviewed the mothers of Kamio and Zoe Rogers (who was also acquitted last month). Only the deranged could watch those discussions and believe these people are terrorists. But terrorist derangement syndrome is no joke. Especially when it infects the courts. The damage caused to Elbit was substantial “to the point of destruction”, Johnson said. But the four came nowhere near to the destruction of Elbit. What’s more, while the damage was valued at over £1m, in 2025, Elbit’s gross profit was nearly $2bn, buoyed by Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Calling a million substantial against that is like breaking an egg and calling it murder. Johnson said the four had engaged in the action in order to influence the British government. Previously, he’d said it was to influence the Israeli government. But that was too absurd. Not even Donald Trump can influence Benjamin Netanyahu. In his new argument, Johnson talked about the strategic aim of Palestine Action, which he said was “to end British complicity” in war crimes by using property damage to influence the government. By simply signing up to the group, he appeared to suggest, it showed that their aim in the Filton action was to influence the government. That is a leap. He gave no answer to the question: did those four individuals have in mind ending British complicity when they smashed up Elbit’s lab? Or did they simply believe they were breaking those weapons, on that night, in that place because they could end up killing yet more children in Gaza if they didn’t act? He went further. “You all well knew,” he said, “that an attack on Elbit was an action undertaken in the furtherance of Palestine Action’s strategic aim.” Say that’s true. Well, so what? Palestine Action was not proscribed at the time of the Filton raid. Its proscription last summer has since been ruled unlawful by judicial review. They weren’t joining a terrorist organisation. Unless, of course, you believe that any British group that uses direct action – including damage to property – to influence our own government is doing terrorism. It’s hard not to conclude that is what Johnson believes. Later today, a court will rule on the government’s appeal against the finding of the judicial review that then-home secretary Yvette Cooper should not have proscribed the group. The government may well lose, in which case Palestine Action was never a terrorist organisation. But if it wins, and Johnson’s decision is given as a reason, I won’t be surprised. It’ll be just one more legal loop-de-loop in the loopiness of the general situation. Johnson also held against the four that they didn’t simply admit their crimes, with their heads high, so it “did not amount to an act of civil disobedience”. But what the Filton 4 knew, which the juries in both the first and second trial did not, is that in admitting the crimes they could be admitting a terror connection. The juries were also not allowed to know their full reasons for why they did the criminal damage. How can you admit to something when you’ve been barred from explaining why you did it? Addressing the Filton 4 in his sentencing remarks, Johnson referred to Elbit as “the victim of your offending”. Elbit is not a victim. It’s not a person, for a start, and property damage against a company is not the corporate equivalent of violence against a human being. But if Elbit were a person, it would be the henchman to a murderous psychopath, one that has used its weapons to kill not just thousands of Palestinians, but British citizens too. How quickly it’s been forgotten that, according to Israeli military sources, it was an Elbit 450 drone that carried out the strikes on a World Central Kitchen convoy in Gaza in April 2024. Three vehicles were hit, one after the other, with survivors of each strike running to the next vehicle only to be struck again, until finally all seven aid workers were killed. Three of them were Brits. Elbit is Israel’s largest weapons maker. It’s also the main weapons supplier to the Israeli military. Rather than holding the company to account, not just for its part in enabling war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, but also for the murder of three British citizens, the UK government has given it cover in our own country. It has been made a revered guest, one that gets to have private chats with the CPS and successive government ministers. And when activists tried to do what the government would not – namely disable the possibility of it supplying weapons to a state that kills our citizens and countless others with them – our establishment sided with Elbit rather than us. Rather than punish Elbit for providing the tools to blow up and burn our countrymen (two of the veterans no less), it’s four young people they’ve punished so it can continue to do so. Not just punished. Labelled them terrorists. Tell me, who did Leona, Charlotte, Fatema Zainab or Samuel kill? Who did they even try to kill? Who did they ever aim to hurt? People who enjoy commenting far above their intellectual paygrade will point to the fact that Samuel Corner injured a policewoman in the action. That is true, but a jury decided on the facts that he had not intended to. Nor did the judge find a terror-connection in this act. Of his sentence, less than half will be served for that crime. The majority is for criminal damage. A sign, as though we needed another one, that the state values Elbit’s killing objects above the well-being of our public servants. The new terrorism defined by the Filton 4 ruling is one that reaches far and wide. Left or right, the space for politically motivated action in this country has been radically diminished. In the last few years, even minor disruptive tactics have been criminalised. Now, direct action has been terrorised. One by one, the tools by which our population has been permitted to engage forcefully and politically against its government have been stripped away. Power, always powerful enough, has been allowed to become unchallengeable. The grand theatre of British political life is being reduced to a show of shadow puppets. And anyone who demands more may soon be a terrorist too. From Novara Media via This RSS Feed.

ennasty (393 followers)

lover of the world
🪷 guided by beauty, soul and energy
live on the island, Phuket

I won a Pulitzer for explaining the Great Depression. The AI spending boom terrifies me | Fortune

Will the AI investment boom mimic that of the railroads? Until recently, most investors took comfort in the fact that, unlike the 19th-century railroads, much of the AI capital investment boom was being financed out of the massive profits earned by big tech companies such as Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon. The expectation was that startup AI companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic—which have comparatively modest revenues—would have no problem raising capital through IPOs or from deep-pocketed sovereign wealth funds of the Middle East. Easy access to capital was thought to preclude the sort of boom-bust cycle that characterized the railroad era. … By the beginning of 1873, Cooke had managed to raise only $14 million of the $100 million he had promised, with less than a third of the planned track having been laid. Finding it increasingly difficult to persuade the public to buy Northern Pacific bonds, and unwilling to abandon the project, he began—as a last resort—to pump funds from his own bank into the railroad to bridge its financing needs. Using money from depositors who had the right to withdraw their funds on demand to finance long-term, illiquid investments with an uncertain and distant payoff was a highly risky strategy—and one with echoes of what is currently creating turmoil among private credit funds today. … …in the last six months two things have changed dramatically over the last twelve months. … First, estimates of what companies are willing to spend on AI infrastructure keep being revised upward. As in so many preceding booms, even though tech companies may be aware that collectively they are overinvesting, each individual company—believing that the rewards for being one of the winners are enormous—has a powerful incentive to go for broke. Competitive pressures are therefore forcing even the giant hyper-scalers to seek alternative sources of outside capital in the form of debt to supplement their internal funds. More and more data centers are being financed by companies issuing debt, tapping private credit funds, or through special purpose vehicles backed by securitized debt and mortgage bonds. … Second, in much the same way as the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 dramatically changed conditions on international capital markets, the war in the Middle East has upended the world’s equity and credit markets. Fears that European economies will be squeezed by rising inflation and slowing growth have caused the risk premium on long-term interest rates around the world to spike. Meanwhile the supply of capital from the Middle East is likely to slow, creating a global liquidity squeeze.

larseijssen (62 followers)

Lars Eijssen, maar dan Premium.
📍Amsterdam

jualbelilaptopbekasjogja.id (74 followers)

Yang punya laptop PC rusak daripada nganggur mending dijadiin duit
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A Gay Palestinian Fled to Israel’s “Safe Haven.” Israel Tried to Exploit Him for Intelligence.

cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/8647530 cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/53372 Kareem’s father was furious when he heard the rumors circulating in Ramallah about the sexuality of his 22-year-old son. “My dad aimed his gun towards me,” Kareem recalled, “and said that if he ever finds out that I’m gay, he would ‘rest a bullet between my eyes.’” Kareem, whose name has been changed to protect his safety, had lived in the close-knit West Bank city for years, but he’d long known he would one day need to leave. It was March 2024, and the Tel Aviv Court for Administrative Affairs had recently ruled that LGBTQ+ Palestinians can petition for asylum in Israel — upending years of precedent that considered them ineligible. The following month, Kareem crossed into Israel, a country that has occupied the West Bank for more than twice as long as he’d been alive. Supporters of Israel have long pointed to the “only democracy in the Middle East” as a purported safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community. While detractors say the argument amounts to “pinkwashing,” the use of LGBTQ+ inclusion to distract from moral and legal violations in other spheres, the Israeli government has doubled down on the concept, invoking it often to distract from violations of international law. In a speech before the United States Congress on July 24, 2024, for example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mocked protesters holding “Gays for Gaza” signs, saying they “might as well hold up signs saying ‘Chickens for KFC.’” As Netanyahu spoke, Kareem was living legally in Israel, believing his status secure while an administrative storm was brewing behind the scenes. Palestinians like Kareem might be safer by virtue of the distance from their families, but the bureaucratic process of seeking asylum imposes its own dangers. In interviews with The Intercept, Kareem and multiple advocates and lawyers for Palestinian asylum-seekers described how Israeli authorities put asylum-seekers through permit revocations, instability, and, in many cases, coerce them into sharing information with Israel’s internal intelligence agency. Kareem felt this pressure, he told The Intercept. At a processing facility at Sha’ar Ephraim, a crossing point in the separation wall west of Tulkarm in the northern West Bank, Kareem recalled, Israeli authorities repeatedly pressed him for information on friends and family still living in the West Bank, anything that might be of use. The implication was a quid pro quo: intelligence in exchange for an easier permit approval process. “When you are in such a fragile situation, you cannot be in the territories [the West Bank], and you don’t have status in Israel, the security bodies like the police … use this weakness and they try to get information or get someone’s cooperation from those people,” Kareem’s attorney, Tamir Blank, told The Intercept. “They promise them that they will not deport them or put them in jail.” Kareem didn’t have the kind of information necessary to secure such a process. He found himself, like so many Palestinian asylum-seekers in Israel, in a series of cascading double binds. After they flee, they find themselves trapped: Leaving the West Bank for Israel carries with it the stigma, true or not, of having collaborated with Israeli authorities, making it even more difficult to return, and leaving nowhere else to go. Home to about 30,000 Palestinians, Ramallah is small and insular, but it contains a space for queer Palestinians to hold conversations that aren’t always possible elsewhere in the West Bank. A loose network of activists hosts weekly community meetings that range from knitting circles to conversations dissecting the Eurocentricity of LGBTQ+ identity terminology in Arabic. During Ramadan this year, as rockets flew overhead during the Israel–U.S. war on Iran, they hosted a queer iftar in the city. Kareem was active with the group for a year before rumors made their way to his parents. They had long suspected “there was something off with me,” Kareem recalled. It also did not help that the family, as is typical of Ramallah’s upper class, is conservative and politically involved. His father works for the Palestinian Authority, just as his father before him, who was involved with the Palestine Liberation Organization before the 1993 Oslo Accords. The family home in Al-Bireh is an old stone building, “colder inside in the winter than it is outside,” according to Kareem, and adorned with a classic Palestinian metal gate. Aside from occasional Israeli military raids, Al-Bireh feels like the only true bubble inside of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. There are upscale cafes, flower shops, and a concerted effort by all who live there to pretend they enjoy more freedom than they do. Despite the idyllic atmosphere, there are only a handful of checkpoints by which to exit the city, all manned by Israeli soldiers. [ Related With World’s Eyes on Iran, Israel Locks Down the West Bank](https://theintercept.com/2026/03/10/israel-iran-war-west-bank-lockdown/) Kareem worked in his cousin’s welding shop in the Jalazone refugee camp, where, as he would later recount to Israeli authorities, he faced years of abuse — both sexual and physical — from his cousins, who taunted him for his feminine presentation. After Kareem’s father confronted him, he recalled, “My father was sending my cousins after me to stalk my friends and me.” At first, Kareem thought he should flee to a different city in the West Bank, possibly Bethlehem. Israel had stopped issuing permits for most West Bank Palestinians after October 7, citing “security concerns,” and Kareem worried that his family’s associations with the Palestinian Authority would count against him. But the West Bank is small, so small that without checkpoints blocking the way, one could drive from Jenin at the top of the West Bank to Hebron at the bottom in about an hour and a half. As the crow flies, it is only 22 kilometers from Ramallah to Bethlehem. Families know each other, and word spreads fast. So Kareem tried to fashion a life for himself in Israel. Not only would his family follow him to Israel after he fled, but so too would Israel’s occupation. His life would turn into a series of military court hearings and attempts to solicit intelligence from him by Shin Bet, Israeli domestic intelligence, with the specter of returning home meaning likely death. Israeli forces patrol during a raid on Al-Bireh in the West Bank on Oct. 7, 2025. Photo: Rimawi Issam/Anadolu via Getty Images Kareem secured a welfare permit by April 2024 with the help of pro bono lawyers from HIAS, a Jewish humanitarian organization that provides legal support to asylum-seekers in Israel, including a small number of Palestinians fleeing persecution. He spent months sleeping on benches and couch surfing before finally moving into an emergency LGBTQ+ youth shelter in Tel Aviv called HaGag HaVarod (“The Pink Roof” in Hebrew), where he went from never having met an Israeli who wasn’t holding a rifle to living together in shared housing. “I was so confused. They had just given me the permit, so why would they take it away?” In October 2024, just six months after leaving the West Bank, Kareem woke up to an alert on his phone that his permit to stay in Israel had been invalidated. His lawyers advised him to leave the shelter immediately. It was operated under the Israeli Ministry of Welfare, putting him at risk of deportation without a permit. “I was so confused. They had just given me the permit, so why would they take it away?” Kareem recounted. His family appeared to have worked to sabotage his legal status through multiple channels. In June, they had filed a report with Israeli social services claiming Kareem was a Hamas member planning to attack civilians. When a security flag appeared in his file, triggering the revocation of his welfare permit, his lawyers raised the possibility in court that it too had been planted by his family to engineer his deportation. The Intercept attempted to reach Kareem’s father for comment but was unable to get in touch. “I had a security block on my application,” Kareem said. “There was no way to get it back without petitioning the military commander for reconsideration.” Nimrod Avigal, deputy director of HIAS Israel, has been tracking LGBTQ+ Palestinian asylum claims for more than a decade. He worked on Kareem’s case at the outset. “Everything became much more difficult after October 7,” he said. “Many more people were refused because of security issues, mostly related to a family member.” Back in his hometown, rumors were circulating that Kareem was collaborating with Israeli authorities, according to testimony submitted to the Jerusalem District Court, a justification not only for his family to track him down, but also for others to help them. His family began posting notices in Facebook groups offering a cash reward for any information leading to his whereabouts, declaring him a “missing person.” One such post appeared in a public Jerusalem Facebook group with more than 450,000 members. His phone was flooded with calls, 60 to 80 a day, mostly from unknown numbers. Eventually, as Kareem recounted to The Intercept, he threw his phone into the Mediterranean Sea in the hopes it would solve the problem. It did not. The family hired men in Ramallah to track Kareem down on the other side of the separation wall. “They said that they were hired by my family to look for me and bring me back ‘after I tarnished the family’s reputation,’” Kareem recalled, “and that they need to ‘wash their honor as soon as possible.’” A childhood friend now living in Spain sent Kareem a voice memo with a warning: “Your family has placed a bounty of 35,000 shekels on your head. It is absolutely clear that this will not end well and that your family is truly determined to catch you.” The only thing standing between Kareem and deportation back to the West Bank was his welfare permit, and now it was gone. In a court filing, Kareem’s attorney wrote that his family members wished “to obtain information about his whereabouts and bring him to the territories, dead or alive, in order to settle accounts with him, that is, to ensure he does not remain alive.” Israel contended in court that Palestinians in Kareem’s position were motivated not by genuine fear but by a desire to “enjoy the more liberal lifestyle in Israel, rather than facing an actual threat,” language drawn from a 2013 Israeli Inter-Ministerial Committee report on Palestinians claiming persecution based on sexual orientation. Israel contended that queer Palestinians were motivated by a desire to “enjoy the more liberal lifestyle in Israel, rather than facing an actual threat.” In response to a request for comment from The Intercept, COGAT, the Israeli military body that oversees civilian affairs in the occupied territories, said that permits of this kind are granted “first and foremost for the purpose of saving lives, and allow the applicant to remain in Israel until a permanent solution is found in a receiving country.” As Kareem’s lawyers and other human rights organizations in Israel have long argued, rather than being welcomed, gay Palestinians are frequently subject to blackmail by Israeli authorities, who pressure them to provide intelligence in exchange for protection, turning their vulnerability into a tool of coercion. In the 10 Years Tamir Blank has been working with Palestinians from the West Bank filing asylum claims in Israel, he has accepted that many of his clients will either willingly choose to collaborate with Israeli intelligence or be coerced into it. Many asylum-seekers feel pressured to offer intelligence to Israeli authorities in the hope that it might help them obtain a humanitarian stay permit, which entitles them to the right to work. (Even that is a relatively recent development: The permits only began allowing legal employment in 2022, after extensive litigation, before which Palestinians were often forced into grey industries like the sex trade.) In one case, a transgender Palestinian woman named Zehava who fled the West Bank in 2021 died by suicide after Israeli authorities revoked her permit. [ Related Israel Revoked Palestinians’ Work Permits — Then Launched a Deadly Crackdown on Laborers](https://theintercept.com/2025/12/04/israel-palestinians-work-permits-laborers/) “The Israeli policy is to minimize the presence of Palestinians within its borders, in the West Bank and within the 48 borders,” referring to Israel’s pre-1967 territory, said Anat Matar, an Israeli academic and head of the Israeli Committee for Palestinian Prisoners. Israeli authorities deter Palestinians from fleeing to Israel with bureaucratic hurdles, she told The Intercept, as they seek to maintain a Jewish demographic majority. Blank’s clients are often so desperate to hold onto their status, feeling pressured to offer intelligence is “not something that is unique,” he said. The authorities “use every weakness they can.” Kareem, however, was out of luck. He had no such intelligence to offer, as is often the case with LGBTQ+ Palestinians forced to flee. According to Blank, the very fact of their social exclusion means they are rarely privy to intelligence of value to Israeli authorities, regardless of who their family members might be. Because he was born in the West Bank and holds a Palestinian Authority-issued ID, Kareem is unable to ever obtain residency or citizenship in Israel. Doing so, Israeli authorities fear, would set a precedent for a broader right of return for Palestinians displaced in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The original welfare permit Israel issued required Kareem to pursue resettlement in a third country; there was no path for him to remain in Israel. Reut Ahdut, of the Aguda Israel, which until 2025 ran a program offering assistance to LGBTQ+ Palestinians fleeing the West Bank, said permits that used to be relatively stable are now often granted for only one to three months, with applicants required to regularly provide evidence that they are at risk across all Palestinian Authority territories, including the West Bank. Despite the 2024 ruling, Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority maintains that Palestinians are not subject to the United Nations Refugee Convention and therefore that it is not obligated to provide them asylum on the grounds that UNRWA, the U.N. agency mandated to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees, bears that responsibility instead. After banning UNRWA from operating on its territory in 2025, Israel demolished UNRWA’s East Jerusalem headquarters in January. After a court battle at the Jerusalem District Court, Kareem’s permit was reinstated in December 2024, and he has since been able to renew it with the permission of the military commander. In its ruling, the court acknowledged that the security intelligence used to revoke his permit may have been “based on false allegations that his family has made against him, in order to bring about his deportation.” For now, Kareem has no path out of Israel — his life suspended, renewed six months at a time. At one point, Kareem hoped he could be resettled to Canada through the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees resettlement program, but amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment even in Canada, that option has vanished. His time living in the shelter is over. With the help of the Tel Aviv Municipality, Kareem has moved into transitional housing in the Tel Aviv area. He keeps his lightheartedness, switching seamlessly from referencing TikToks he found hilarious, to drama at work, to decrying how life as a Palestinian in Israel has become all but impossible since October 7th. With the Port of Jaffa to the left and the Tel Aviv skyline looming off to the right, Kareem stared out at the Mediterranean, reflecting on the past year. “I hate the sea, I really do, and I am supposed to say at least I got to see it because of my permit. But really what I miss is my home, the West Bank,” Kareem said. “That is where I am from, but for now, the sea will do.” The post A Gay Palestinian Fled to Israel’s “Safe Haven.” Israel Tried to Exploit Him for Intelligence. appeared first on The Intercept. From The Intercept via This RSS Feed.

milagros_de_miau (148 followers)

Milagros de Miau's big book of grievances.

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Dude is against open source cuz "it mathematically leads to monopoly" while working for Microsoft.

He’s playing into that absurd liberal “If you aren’t paying for the product, you are the product” false dichotomy. Here’s a hot tip for anyone who still believes that mantra: there’s absolutely no reason why you won’t become the product while you’re also paying for the service. In fact, due to the nature of capitalism, the companies which manage to sell your data or to manipulate you and which manage to get you to pay for it simultaneously are going to be the most successful over time (all things being equal for argument’s sake.) You think that if you’re paying you’re not going to be manipulated, like it’s some sort of social contract in the era of digital media? Lol. The entire conventional PR industry prior to the advent of computers has been predicated upon both manipulating you and getting you to pay for it. But you only need to look at any Google paid services (e.g. YouTube premium) or Roblox or anything similar to see people both paying for it and getting manipulated and being harvested for data to illustrate that his claim is entirely bogus. This guy talks like a guru. And I mean that in the most derogatory way possible.

facts don't care about your feelings, redcaps

They believe in it only because it allows them to make more money by increasing premiums due to “increased risk” of whatever, or deny claims due to “acts of god”. If there was profit in denial, then that’s what they would do. Thats why fossil fuel industries try so hard to hide the impact they are making.

China’s Rental Market Flooded with Listings as Rents Continue to Slide - Caixin Global

It’s a little funny that Chinese media even does the “But at what cost” thing. Here’s the problem: in China, local governments are the landlords! With nearly 30% of the local government budget revenues relying on land premium (and in some cities like Guangzhou, a key manufacturing hub that is now experiencing slowed export from Trump’s tariffs, this proportion is 40+%), the plunging property prices are significantly curbing a key income source of the local governments. Somebody has got to keep the subways, rails, infrastructure, public utilities running, you know. To understand how we got to this debacle, we need to understand a little bit about China’s economic history since the reform and opening up era. A major feature since the reform era is the highly decentralized economy of China, as many reformers believed that the central planning bureaucracy under Mao was too inefficient and led to devastating output like during the Great Leap Forward. The central government grants a very large autonomy to the local governments to drive local development, and in turn, it controls the behavior of the local governments and sets national priorities through promotion of local officials. The main KPI for promotions is GDP numbers. It is no coincidence that Chinese officials are obsessed with raising the GDP numbers by any means necessary. Initially, local governments only had to pay a fixed amount of fiscal tax to the central government. This wasn’t so much a problem when most of the provinces were still poor at the start of the reform era. However, soon, by the 1980s, the coastal Southeastern cities like Shenzhen and Guangzhou were able to take advantage of their export capacities to grow very lucrative light industries and allowed them to grow a disproportionate of wealth compared to the rest of the country. Because they only had to pay a fixed amount of fiscal tax, the local governments of these coastal cities were left with a large amount of profit and soon, these cities had grown so rich that they even exempted corporate income taxes altogether. Businesses flocked to the Southeastern provinces to take advantage of the business-friendly environment and relaxed taxation. By 1993, the central government received only 20% of the national tax revenues, but was still responsible for financing large scale investments and operating the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) across the country. Meanwhile, local governments were able to pocket the rest of the wealth, but mostly concentrated in the wealthy coastal regions. The attempt to wrestle back financial control came during the 1994 Tax Sharing Reform, with two significant changes to the taxation rules: A much higher proportion of value-added tax (the most important form of tax revenues in China) would be levied by the central government, and is then redistributed back down to the local/municipal levels. (Nearly 75% goes to the central government, while only 25% are retained by the local governments) More importantly, the local governments are now responsible for financing the investments as well as operational budgets of the SOEs under their jurisdiction. Such a radical change would have far-reaching consequences. The first provinces to panick were the Three Northeastern Provinces (Heilongjing, Jilin and Liaoning), where China’s heavy industry SOEs were concentrated. Because of the huge amount of investment and budget required to run heavy industries, the local governments now suddenly tasked with financing their own budget turned to an even more radical act: privatization. As private capital took over China’s state-owned heavy industries, the “reform” resulted in mass layoffs and the ensuing economic crisis in 1994-1996, the first large scale unemployment never seen under Mao. It is estimated that between 1996-2002, more than 60 million workers in China were laid off during the privatization wave, a trend that would not be reversed until China joined the WTO in 2001 and turned itself into the famous “world factory”. But perhaps more consequential is the fact that the 1994 Tax Sharing Reform forced the local governments to look for non-tax revenues to obtain a stream of income to keep the municipalities running. And where could a local government obtain lucrative non-tax income? That’s right - by selling and leasing land. And how do you raise the land price? By driving heavy investment in property market. When Zhu Rongji officially ended the welfare housing (distributed based on seniority, rank and job responsibilities) in 1998, the age of private property market has finally taken off in China. In 2007, the subprime mortgage loan crisis hit Wall Street and kickstarted a global financial crisis with tens of millions of unemployment worldwide. The sudden slump from the American consumer market caused severe drop in tax revenues for both the central and local governments (remember, the value-added tax is the most important form of tax revenue in China). Many local governments took the signal from the central government to turn towards infrastructure investment (the infamous “4 trillion yuan stimulus”) to go all in on property market to use the land revenue to make up for the loss of income. Initially, local governments were not allowed to issue municipal bonds directly, so they turned to establishing shadow banks (LGFVs) to borrow massively from financial institutions and various unofficial sources to finance the property market development (these are known as “hidden debt” since they are off the book). Tons and tons of new housing projects were built and high speed rails connecting cities across the country. The resulting hidden debt grew so massively that by 2015, even the central government had panicked and issued a stern warning to the local governments, the famous “you’re now responsible for fetching your own kids” (i.e. the central government is tired of cleaning up your mess from reckless borrowing). Hoping that the local governments would turn more fiscally responsible, they are now given the authority to issue their own municipal bonds instead of borrowing through the shadow banks in the form of “hidden debt”. Surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly, the local governments became even more reckless in their borrowing and it became a competition to drive up GDP by issuing more and more debt to invest in more and more infrastructure. Many local officials made the career promotion of their lifetime during this period, as their GDP numbers shot through the roof through reckless expansion. The property market peaked in 2021, and with the implosion of Evergrande in 2021-2023, many local governments are now running into budgetary issues since they have been relying so much on land premium to keep their provinces and cities running. It is no coincidence that the Chinese government is throwing a lot of money into slowing the free fall of the property prices (an inevitability at this point, just how much you can cushion the fall). This is because mass mortgage defaults can risk triggering a crisis in the financial sector and the local governments that rely on the land prices to stay up, and in turn, the manufacturing and tech industries that rely on the local governments subsidies to survive! This is how wealth is repeatedly being funneled to the top to prevent a larger economic crisis from happening. A scale of the 2007 subprime mortgage crisis in the US is unlikely to happen in China, because the costs are being socialized through the vast amount of the national wealth. As such, despite the amazing economic development in China over the past two decades, this has not been translated into wage growth and increase in purchasing power for your average Chinese worker. Hence, deflation sets in as their home prices fall, and people become even more cautious with spending.

[2026-06-01] Daily Trust – How General Rabe, wife were ambushed, abducted in Katsina

Fresh details have emerged on how bandits abducted a former Director of Defence Information of the Nigerian Army, Major General Rabe Abubakar Batsari (rtd), and his wife in Katsina State on Saturday. The retired major general was reportedly travelling to Katsina on Saturday alongside his wife, Hajiya Amina Abubakar, and their driver, Abdullahi Sa’idu, when their vehicle was ambushed along the Marabar Musawa–Kafinsoli road in Matazu Local Government Area. The attack occurred near Zakin Baure village, where witnesses said armed men, believed to be bandits, suddenly emerged from hiding, blocked the road and opened fire on the vehicle, forcing it to a halt before abducting the retired officer and his wife into a nearby forest. SPONSOR AD Sources familiar with the incident told Daily Trust that the driver was shot in the hand during the attack but was later spared by the gunmen. Primaries: Candidates’ fate uncertain as party headquarters set to announce results How ram dealers suffered losses in Abuja “They shot him in the hand and abandoned him, but took the General and his wife away. He was bleeding seriously but managed to get help and has since been treated,” a source close to the family said. Security operatives later recovered the victims’ vehicle and moved it to the Matazu Divisional Police Headquarters as investigations and rescue operations intensified. A witness, who requested anonymity due to security concerns, said the attack appeared to be a well-planned ambush. “The gunmen blocked the road and waited for vehicles. Everything happened very fast. They were many and heavily armed. People around could not intervene because of fear,” he said. Another source said the armed men first stormed a phone-charging centre in the village, where they carted away several mobile phones and power banks. “They also seized a motorcycle belonging to one of the villagers. After that, they moved to the road, where they encountered a red vehicle and opened fire on it,” the source said. The incident attracted widespread attention after villagers shared photographs of the abandoned red Peugeot vehicle on social media with a caption seeking information about its owner. “Who knows the owner of this car? The occupants were just abducted by bandits along the Matazu road,” the post read. As the post gained traction online, a retired military officer reportedly identified the occupants as Major General Batsari (rtd) and his wife, sparking widespread concern. However, sources in the Matazu area, where the incident occurred, believe the attackers may not have known that one of their captives was a retired senior military officer. Residents said the retired officer may have embarked on the trip because Batsari had recently experienced a relative improvement in security compared to some other parts of the state that have long been affected by banditry. Many indigenes of the area were said to have travelled to and from Batsari safely during the ongoing Sallah festivities. Meanwhile, the Katsina State Police Command has confirmed the attack and abduction but did not identify the victims as the retired army General and his wife. In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, the command said the incident occurred at about 11:00 am on Saturday when armed bandits intercepted a red Peugeot 406 saloon car travelling along the Karaduwa–Matazu road. The statement identified the occupants as Abdullahi Sa’id, the driver, who sustained a gunshot wound to his right arm, Abdullahi Batsari and Amina Abdullahi. However, the police did not clarify whether the individuals named in the statement were the same persons widely reported to be the retired General and his wife. According to the police, the Commissioner of Police in Katsina State, CP Ali Umar Fage, visited the scene shortly after the incident and directed the immediate deployment of additional personnel and operational assets to strengthen ongoing search-and-rescue efforts. The command said security operatives were intensifying efforts to rescue the abducted victims unharmed and bring the perpetrators to justice. It added that further updates would be provided as investigations and rescue operations continue. Local government authorities confirmed the incident and expressed concern over the growing insecurity along major and rural roads in the area. A senior official of Matazu Local Government told Daily Trust that consultations had been intensified among security agencies, traditional rulers and community leaders to address the situation. Suspected mastermind Sources within the area have claimed that the retired army General and his wife were allegedly abducted by associates of a bandit leader known as Muhammadu Fulani, who has reportedly been terrorising communities around the Kuki and Sayaya axis. A source in the area said the kidnappers were targeting a high-profile individual from whom they could demand a substantial ransom. However, another source told our correspondent that there are growing doubts about any direct connection between the abduction and the camp of Fulani. The source said Muhammadu Fulani has not been significantly active in the area in recent months following a major security operation conducted in May this year. During the operation, joint security forces reportedly killed five bandits and rescued 32 kidnapped victims in coordinated raids targeting the bandit leader’s camp. The source noted that the operation weakened the group’s activities and contributed to the relative peace that communities around the Batsari axis have enjoyed in recent weeks. He further explained that Muhammadu Fulani is known for carrying out large-scale attacks that are usually designed to attract attention and instill fear among residents. “From our experience in this area, this operation does not appear to be one spearheaded by Muhammadu Fulani. We know him as a notorious and boastful operator who likes to make his presence known whenever he strikes. “His attacks are usually devastating and leave communities in fear and sorrow. This particular incident does not look like his handiwork or that of his loyal fighters,” the source said. Another resident of Sayaya village also expressed similar doubts, revealing that available information suggests the abductors may not have known the true identity of their victims at the time of the attack. According to the resident, the manner in which the operation was carried out suggests that the kidnappers could belong to a different criminal gang operating in the area rather than Muhammadu Fulani’s network. “From what we gathered, the abductors were not even aware that they had intercepted and abducted a retired senior military officer. They appeared to be operating like opportunistic criminals rather than members of a well-known bandit group,” the resident said. He added that the attackers were fewer in number than the large contingents usually associated with Muhammadu Fulani’s operations. “They operated more like petty criminals. They were not as many as the fighters who usually accompany Muhammadu Fulani’s men whenever they launch attacks. The red vehicle was the only car hence it became the only target at the scene. “Of course, it is possible that criminal groups may change their tactics over time, but from what we know, this operation does not resemble that of the Muhammadu Fulani we are familiar with, who is known to be extremely deadly and ruthless,” the resident said. A reminder to Gen. Tsiga’s abduction The latest abduction marks the second known attack involving a retired military general in Katsina State since the kidnapping of retired Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga in 2025. Tsiga, a former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), spent 56 days in captivity after he and nine other residents were abducted by bandits. Residents said Tsiga and four others were taken from Tsiga town, while another victim, his two wives, children, and relatives were kidnapped from the nearby Gidan Biye community. Speaking after his release, Tsiga recounted the harsh conditions in captivity, saying the hostages were fed only once a day and regularly encountered snakes and scorpions in the forest. “A day before I left, we suddenly saw hyenas roaming around the mountain where we were being held, searching for food. We feared they were after us,” he said. Tsiga also revealed that the kidnappers used prominent captives as human shields during aerial bombardments by the Nigerian Air Force, believing the military would avoid striking locations where hostages were present. He said the bandits targeted him because they assumed retired military officers and government officials had access to large sums of money. “They believed people in uniform always keep government funds. That was why they tried to force their way into my house and eventually used explosives when they could not gain access,” he said. 16 people killed in recent attack Katsina State has remained one of the epicentres of banditry in the North-West despite sustained military operations and several community-based peace initiatives aimed at ending the violence. Last Friday, bandits attacked Kiliya village in Dutsinma Local Government Area, killing at least 16 people. The assault occurred shortly after residents had concluded Juma’at prayers and gathered to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir festivities. A resident, who requested anonymity, said he was among villagers relaxing after prayers when armed men stormed the community on motorcycles, causing panic and confusion. He said he narrowly escaped by taking shelter in a nearby house. “After the Friday prayers, we were sitting together when I called a boy selling local drinks and bought a bowl from him. Suddenly, the bandits arrived. The boy and I ran into a house and hid,” he said. “While inside, we heard screams and gunshots everywhere. When the shooting stopped and we came out, we found about 16 lifeless bodies, including some of my uncles and cousins.” The attack reportedly sparked a mass exodus from the village, with more than 400 residents fleeing to neighbouring Bagagadi and Radda communities in search of safety. Several people are still unaccounted for, raising concerns that the casualty figure could increase. Residents also said some victims may have been attacked while working on their farms, as several bodies were reportedly recovered from farmlands surrounding the village. Katsina’s most dangerous roads Findings by Daily Trust indicate that some of the most dangerous roads in Katsina State due to persistent banditry include the Marabar Musawa–Matazu–Kafin Soli–Charanchi road, Katsina–Dutsinma road, Kankara–Marabar Kankara road, Funtua–Tsafe–Gusau road, and the Jibia–Sokoto highway. Other notorious routes are Marabar Sheme–Kankara, Marabar Kankara–Kankara–Dutsinma, and the Katsina–Kankia–Gidan Mutum Daya–Dayi–Malumfashi road. Further findings revealed that motorists have largely abandoned the Marabar Musawa–Matazu–Kafin Soli–Charanchi road because of frequent bandit attacks. The road has effectively become a haven for criminals who take advantage of the dense vegetation and surrounding forests to carry out attacks. The route is a major alternative road linking Katsina with Kaduna, Funtua, Malumfashi and even parts of Kano State, including Gwarzo Local Government Area. A resident of Musawa town, Malam Yusuf Alasan, told Daily Trust that motorists had avoided the road for nearly three years. “Only on rare occasions do you see vehicles using this road. I was surprised to hear that a retired soldier was kidnapped on the road. “You can drive for 40 minutes without encountering another vehicle. That shows how deserted the road has become. I believe the retired military officer who was recently abducted there was unaware of the security situation,” he said. He said bandits exploit the bushy terrain and operate at any time of the day or night. “Not long ago, bandits passed through this town with a kidnapped victim. They were riding three motorcycles, carrying three people on each bike. The victim’s head was covered with a black cloth and his hands were tied. All of them were armed with rifles,” he said. Daily Trust observed that many travellers from Abuja and Kaduna now prefer entering Katsina through Kano, while some take the longer Daura route to avoid dangerous stretches. The Katsina–Dutsinma–Marabar Kankara road remains particularly risky between Dutsinma and Yargoje, while the Katsina–Kankia–Gidan Mutum Daya–Dayi–Malumfashi road is considered most dangerous between Kankia and Dayi. The Kankara–Ruwan Godiya–Faskari road has also been virtually taken over by bandits. The route, which is the shortest link between Kankara and Faskari and forms part of the corridor to Tsafe and Gusau, is about 15 to 20 kilometres long. Because of the insecurity, motorists now take the longer Kankara–Funtua–Faskari route, which stretches beyond 50 kilometres. Another notorious route is the Yantumaki–Dutsinma road, which commercial drivers have nicknamed “Ka bi ta da addu’a”—meaning “travel it with prayers.” Many road users describe it as a death trap. Similarly, the Kankara–Mabai–Ruwan Godiya–Faskari road has been largely abandoned by motorists. Daily Trust observed that only heavily armed security personnel now ply the route. The Jibia–Sokoto highway, a federal road linking Katsina and Sokoto states, has also become notorious for bandit attacks. Although it is the shortest route between Jibia and Sokoto, persistent attacks have forced many drivers to avoid it for years. Residents said numerous passengers have either been kidnapped or killed during encounters with bandits along the road. The Marabar Sheme–Kankara road, another key route linking Kankara to Tsafe and Gusau, has also been abandoned. Motorists travelling to Gusau through Kankara now pass through Funtua instead, adding about an hour to their journey. For many residents and travellers, these roads have become symbols of the deepening security crisis confronting Katsina State and the wider North-West region. Food production threatened in Katsina – Residents The latest abduction has further heightened fear among residents, many of whom say insecurity has continued to disrupt farming activities, movement and local commerce in several parts of Katsina State. Community leaders said repeated attacks and abductions along the Marabar Musawa–Kafinsoli axis and other rural roads have forced many farmers to abandon their farmlands, worsening food insecurity and economic hardship. A community leader in Matazu, Malam Ibrahim Yusuf, said residents are increasingly afraid to travel. “Our people are living in fear. Farmers can no longer go to their farms freely, and travellers are always worried about being attacked. Each new abduction deepens the trauma and uncertainty in our communities,” he said. Members of community-based organisations in Matazu and Batsari Local Government Areas described the incident as a reflection of the broader security crisis facing the state. Speaking to Daily Trust, Musa Lawal, a member of one of the organisations, urged both the federal and state governments to intensify efforts against banditry. “The abduction of a retired Major General clearly shows that no one is immune. We need decisive action, improved intelligence gathering and sustained military operations to dismantle these criminal networks,” he said. Another community activist, Aisha Bello Sani, said the impact of insecurity on local economies had become severe. Daily Trust gathered that levies have been placed on communities that wish to farm, with the gunmen insisting that huge sums be paid by farmers before accessing their farmlands. “Many markets are no longer active, businesses are closing, and agricultural production has dropped because people are afraid to move around. Security is directly linked to economic survival,” she said. Family members of the retired General in Kaduna and Batsari LGA in Katsina appealed to security agencies to intensify rescue efforts and ensure the safe return of the victims. “We are praying for their safe return. General Batsari served this country with dedication and honour. We appeal to the authorities to do everything possible to rescue him and his wife unharmed,” a family member said. ‘Politics fuelling insecurity’ A Katsina-based security analyst and former military intelligence officer, Abubakar Ibrahim, said the recent surge in killings and abductions may be connected to political developments ahead of the next election cycle. He said there appears to be a recurring pattern in which incidents of kidnapping and violent attacks increase as elections draw closer. “There is a clear pattern. Each time the country approaches an election period, incidents of kidnapping and violent attacks begin to escalate. This gives room to believe that insecurity is being manipulated for political purposes,” he said. Abubakar expressed concern that insecurity has continued despite ongoing military operations across Katsina and neighbouring states, arguing that the challenge extends beyond the battlefield. “The military has been active, no doubt, but the major problem is the absence of strong political will to confront insecurity decisively. Without firm commitment from political leaders, military efforts alone cannot end the crisis,” he said. He also cautioned leaders of vigilante groups and the Katsina State Community Security Watch Corps (C-Watch) against actions that could provoke reprisals from armed groups, citing the recent violence in Kiliya village, Kuki ward of Dutsinma Local Government Area. “What happened in Kiliya is a painful reminder. Vigilantes and C-Watch officials must be properly guided and warned against any action that could trigger retaliation from bandits because it is always innocent villagers who suffer the consequences,” he said. Abubakar called for stronger coordination among security agencies, community watch groups and political authorities, stressing that only a united, intelligence-driven approach can reverse the worsening security situation. “There must be synergy and clear coordination. Without collective resolve and cooperation, we will continue to witness a repeat of these tragic incidents,” he added. From Ibrahim Musa Giginyu, Abdullahi Yamadi (Katsina) & Yusha’u A. Ibrahim (Bauchi) UPDATE NEWS: Nigerians can now invest ₦2.5 million on premium domains and profit about ₦17-₦25 million. All earnings paid in US Dollars. Rather than wonder, click here to find out how it works.

Earbuds

I didn’t believe the hype about wireless headphones until I bought some with noise cancelling and all that for around $130. Pros: 1 - You don’t realize how “tethered” you feel on older headphones until you really try to use wireless headphones. There’s a certain freedom you feel when you realize you can place your phone on a hotel table but lie down in bed. 2 - Noise cancelling and noise passthrough is a transformative experience when travelling or find yourself abroad. Airports are much easier to feel relaxed in when 80% of the noise or so can be filtered out as you wait for your flight to board. Additionally, the flight experience is less annoying (no engine drone gets through, even passengers can mostly be ignored) but you still have the option for pass through if someone absolutely needs to talk to you. 3 - Many of these headphones come with some kind of EQ feature, which can occasionally mean that you get speakers with more tunability and thus slightly better bang-for-buck that works globally across apps. 4 - Audio quality. Since these are expensive drivers, you’re often going to get better sound quality than those cheap 30 dollar throw aways were ever going to give. Cons: 1 - Latency. These things could never be used in professional audio situations other than listening to a pre-rendered song for quality judgements. I don’t thing gaming would be nice with these either, even if I’ve tried (and failed) to play counter strike on these on occasion to keep noise levels down. 2 - Mic quality of the built in is lacking on my particular headphones (Sennheiser CX Plus). They’re really only intended to capture the outdoor for noise cancellation IMO, not the greatest for calls or recordings. They’re servicable, but it’s the area I’d like the most upgrade (and it would probably improve noise cancellation features as well.) 3 - Environmental / Sustainability Concerns: Other than people just “losing” these devices with built in batteries that are bad for the environment being a problem in and of itself, there are other long-standing concerns I have about these devices. They often require proprietary non-open software to configure, meaning if the software gets delisted, you will no longer be able to configure them until someone comes up with some kind of alternative using reverse engineering (good luck). Batteries are likely to degrade over time, meaning you’ll eventually end up with a worthless ear bud on the left or right and the only solution will be to throw them out. These things are often pretty bad scoring on repairability metrics, and I can’t even blame the companies producing them here because they’re so small. 4 - Despite passthrough being a feature, it’s hard to convey to people that you can actually hear them through the device. There should be some kind of blinking light on the outside that indicates that passthrough is enabled or something. So I actually do love these devices, but #3 of the cons is really the biggest real issue I have with them. If they’re going to cost over 100 dollars, I would like to know that these things won’t just become ewaste in the same way that cheap crappy wired headphones end up being as well (which sea life often chokes on or gets tangled up in.) If they costs a premium, I would really like to know that they aren’t a figurative dead end when they eventually fail.

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