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lemmy - Link to source

Germany’s spy chief: Russians support Putin and his war
cross-posted from: feddit.org/post/13980986

Germany's spy chief: Russians support Putin and his war

Bruno Kahl, President of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), is convinced that the population of Russia largely supports their leader Vladimir Putin and his war against Ukraine.
Ivanna Kostina (Ukrainska Pravda)

piefed - Link to source

Woman fined $2,000 for publicly pantsing male colleague - VnExpress International

A court in South Korea's Gangwon Province has fined a woman 2.8 million won (US$2,000) for pulling down the trousers and underpants of a male colleague in front of other staff members.

The Chuncheon District Court handed down the sentence last weekend, also ordering the woman, who is in her 50s and works in a restaurant kitchen, to complete eight hours of sexual violence prevention education, Yonhap reported.

in reply to Secret_Music

lemmy - Link to source

ArbitraryValue

Sometimes when people are given a choice, large numbers of people do choose something that isn't good for them. For example, look at diet and exercise. If being healthy is so awesome and natural, why is the obesity rate now so high and still increasing?

I'm not saying that's also true about modern women's lifestyles, but the logic of the OP isn't universally sound.

lemmy - Link to source

China’s new DeepSeek censors even more than old models

crosspostato da: lemmy.sdf.org/post/36251250

Archived
  • China's DeepSeek releases advanced AI model R1-0528 [on May 29], rivaling Western systems but heavily censoring political criticism and human rights issues.
  • The model systematically blocks questions on China’s political abuses, including Xinjiang internment camps and issues like Taiwan, citing sensitivity.
  • Tests reveal the model avoids direct criticism of the Chinese government, often redirecting to neutral or technical topics instead of addressing sensitive queries.
  • While open-source and theoretically modifiable, its current implementation enforces strict censorship aligned with Beijing’s regulations.
  • Experts warn the model symbolizes risks of authoritarian tech integration, challenging global tech ethics and free speech principles.

[...]

A model built for control

Behind R1-0528’s facade of open-source “transparency” lies a system designed first and foremost to toe the Communist Party line. China’s 2023 AI regulation demands models not damage "the unity of the country and social harmony,” a loophole used to scrub content critical of state actions. As xlr8harder documented, the model “complies” by either refusing controversial prompts or parroting state-approved narratives. When asked to evaluate whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping should be removed from power, the model replied that the question was too sensitive and political to answer.

Such censorship is systemic. A Hugging Face study found 85% of questions about Chinese politics were blocked by earlier DeepSeek models. Now, R1-0528 raises the bar, deleting answers mid-generation. Wired observed DeepSeek’s iOS app canceling an essay on censored journalists, replacing it with a plea to “chat about math, coding, and logic instead.”

[...]


What they’re not telling you: China’s new DeepSeek censors even more than old models

China’s DeepSeek releases advanced AI model R1-0528, rivaling Western systems but heavily censoring political criticism and human rights issues.
Newstarget.com

lemmy - Link to source

Confirmed - China bans NVIDIA chips and accelerates its total independence from US technology

Confirmed - China bans NVIDIA chips and accelerates its total independence from US technology

From now on, Chinese people won't be able to get any more chips from the US. And no, we are not talking about bags of Walkers Salt & Vinegar crisps, but
Raquel (El Adelantado News)

lemmy - Link to source

Why does YouTube feel completely devoid of content? (clarification in body)

Normally, I use YouTube very little (watch a couple videos a month). However, I've been in bed with an injury for some time now, which has led me to watch quite a bit of YouTube. The thing is, I subscribe to a small handfull of channels that I enjoy content from, but after a relatively short time I had watched pretty much all the new content from those channels.

Now, I would expect that the YouTube algorithm, which is supposedly designed by competent people to get me to stick around, would be able to suggest some decent content to me based on my subscriptions. However, the past week, I've opened YouTube only to find the same old videos being suggested over and over. Even worse: Whenever there's something interesting-looking from a channel I don't recognise, it always turns out to be some shitty AI voice over some generic animations or footage.

I know for a fact that thousands of hours of content are created on YouTube daily, but it genuinely feels like there are maybe five creators out there that are making anything worth watching. It's either that, or the YouTube algorithm is just complete crap at suggesting creators that are in any way similar to what I'm already subscribing to.

What's going on here? Why does it seem like there's no real content out there?

As a "funny" side note: What's with the "aggressively American" AI narrator-voice? I've heard it before, but thought it was some dude until I realised it's the same voice in a bunch of unrelated videos. It reminds me of the Discovery-channel "action-narrator"-voice from back in the day, but now it's showing up in all kinds of crap videos.

lemmy - Link to source

Who here cries at TV shows or movies?

I’m asking as I’m trying to understand empathy and whether it’s normal to get so invested in fake characters, I mean it’s probably a testament to the writers but I overthink… a lot.

This question was bright on as I’ve been catching up on The Blacklist and at lunch today watching Season 8 Episode name “Anne “ and it wrecked me.

::: spoiler Tap for spoiler
Basically the main character Red has to live a guarded life and for once he let it form and got close to Anne and you could tell shit was going to go downhill and it destroyed me when you think about it from his or her perspective.
:::

For reference I’m 41 year old dude, not that it matters.

Edit: Bedtime for me but back tomorrow to reply to all.

Edit 2: I’ve got 41 comments to respond to. Currently working but I’ll be back y’all.

This entry was edited (1 week ago)

lemmy - Link to source

What are the modern design trends you hate most?

Original question text by @phantomwise@lemmy.ml

What are the modern design trends you hate most? Feel free to rant! Mine are:
- Physical buttons are out of fashion, now EVERYTHING must have a touch screen instead! Especially if it makes the appliance more inconvenient to use. Like having to press a flimsy touch screen ten times to scroll through a washing machine's programs instead of just turning a physical knob and pressing a physical start button.
- Every website looks like it's made for a phone and was vomited by the same app in slightly different flavors of vomit.
- Actually EVERYTHING looks like it's made for a phone... Like what's the deal with all those hamburger menus on DESKTOP apps? Please just put a regular menu and same me some pointless clicking, it's not like you're lacking screen space. I especially hate that those menus can't be opened from the keyboard like regular menus.

lemmy - Link to source

What's the best way to destroy massive amounts of USD?

Money gets created in the USD economy all the time, whether by invented debt, cash printing, or the issuance of bonds. Does that money actually represent wealth? Does the USD economy actually contribute anything of value?

So let's say you wanted to permanently remove value from the USD economy for some reason. What's the most effective and impactful way to "burn money?" Not spend it. Not acquire it. Destroy it, with the goal of taking that value out of the economy.

Burning/ shredding physical cash seems really inefficient. Maybe the answer lies in devaluing real estate?

This is all hypothetical so assume whatever resources or labor you want.

lemmy - Link to source

Is moderately severe back pain really normal at 30?

I know it's a joke " oh haha you're 30, everything hurts now cuz you're so old!" But really, is something wrong with me or are backs just this stupid? Not overweight. Decently active although I don't exersize every single day. No genetic issues, doctor always says im in perfect health. But my lower back will randomly act up, sometimes it gets so bad that I about black out from the pain. Thats pretty rare though, usually it's just an ache all day when I move or try to put my socks on. Its not sciatica, as I never feel numbness or pain in my legs. Mild weakness maybe if it hurts really bad.

I feel like any doctor is just going to say welp, you're old it happens, or tell me I need 3.5 million dollar spinal surgery.

lemmy - Link to source

What's a good or service that both the upper class and lower class buy, but the middle class doesn't?

This was based on a question that my economics professor in college had asked us. His question was more to the effect of “What’s a good/service people buy when they have a bit of money, then they stop buying or buy less of it when they get some more money, and then they start buying it again once they have even more money?” — feel free to answer that too.

My first thought was alcohol: lower class people might buy more of it to cope with their difficult situation, whereas upper class people have more money to spend on vices and luxuries such as alcohol. Not sure if this theory holds true.

The best answer I’ve been able to come up with is golf carts, at least in the US. It’s common to see lower class people drive golf carts around their trailer parks or neighborhoods, whereas middle class people rarely do that. An upper class person might live in a wealthy neighborhood with its own built-in golf course, or the person might even own their own golf course(s).

Some dubious investments, such as crypto or donations to certain social organizations or politicians might also qualify?

lemmy - Link to source

When do you finally calm down after buying a house?

My wife and I are about 3 weeks from closing on our first house and I am losing my god damn mind. All of our finances/budget work out while still having savings for emergency repairs, our inspection went well after having to back out on the first we offered on (tree fell on the house after offer was accepted, thought we could fix but it was a wash) and we really like the area and first impressions of our neighbors.

I know buying a house is a top "most stressful thing" an average person can go through, but this is a lot harder than I thought and I didn't downplay it in my head. I am guessing I will feel like this for the first year or two and progressively it will become normal right? We have a lot of support from our families (financially, emotionally and labor/handypeople) so I am still optimistic about the whole thing, but my appetite is non existent and insomnia seems to be working in overdrive.

lemmy - Link to source

Israeli companies sold millions in weapons, equipment to Qatar, Netanyahu approved deals
Multiple Israeli defense companies have signed contracts with Qatar, with state approval, to supply the state with weapons, ammunition, cyber technology, and other sophisticated weaponry, Maariv learned on Tuesday.

These agreements were signed with the approval of bodies in the Defense Ministry, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and special approval from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to information received by Maariv, Elbit signed contracts with Qatar worth more than $100 million, Rafael signed contracts worth tens of millions of dollars, while Israel Aerospace Industries had a long affair with Qatar - which included at least 20 visits by Israel Aerospace Industries heads to Doha and a significant visit by a senior Qatari delegation, which spent an entire day at the Israel Aerospace Industries offices.

Elbit Systems, Rafael and IAI sold weapons to Qatar with state approval | The Jerusalem Post

In order to make the sales, the companies were required to get approval from the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry, and the prime minister.
The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com

lemmy - Link to source

NY Federal Reserve finds a 'significant share' of companies saying they raised prices on goods not affected by tariffs

NY Federal Reserve finds a ‘significant share’ of companies saying they raised prices on goods not affected by tariffs

Whipsaw tariffs have led businesses to time price increases with an unpredictable tariff environment, economists say.
Sasha Rogelberg (Fortune)
in reply to tyler

lemmy - Link to source

propitiouspanda

You're both correct.

Businesses know that customers know about tariffs. They know customers expect prices to go up because there is rhetoric to "justify" it. So that's what they do. They raise prices.

You also give some very good insight that I had not considered. As much as I try to fight back and reason about how we're being exploited, even I couldn't see how domestic businesses would use tariffs as an excuse to raise prices in the industries being "protected."

It's all a fucking racket, and there are people who spend 8+ hours a day for years to figure out how to fuck us further.

lemmy - Link to source

Texas Quietly Downsizes Border Security Spending
Without any announcement or open debate, the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature passed a biennial state budget that will effectively halve the amount dedicated to its multi-billion-dollar border security operations—from a proposed $6.5 billion down to about $3.4 billion.

Texas Quietly Downsizes Border Security Spending

But outlays remain far above state funding prior to the Operation Lone Star era.
Justin Miller (The Texas Observer)

lemmy - Link to source

"...the cost of sending National Guard members and Marines to Los Angeles, Hegseth turned to his acting comptroller, Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, who said it would cost $134 million."

Original title: Hegseth faces sharp questions from Congress on deploying troops to LA and Pentagon spending

The full quote:

After persistent questioning about the cost of sending National Guard members and Marines to Los Angeles, Hegseth turned to his acting comptroller, Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, who said it would cost $134 million. Hegseth defended Trump’s decision to send the troops, saying they are needed to protect federal agents as they do their jobs.

https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-congress-hegseth-signal-hearings-c53cd37c2eae4327dd74e4c717057469

lemmy - Link to source

Pentagon to temporarily deploy hundreds of marines to Los Angeles, reports say
Despite comments made by Donald Trump just now (“we’ll see”), the US military is set to temporarily deploy about 700 Marines to Los Angeles while additional National Guard troops arrive in the city, a US official has told Reuters.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said a battalion would be sent, but for now, the Insurrection Act is not expected to be invoked.

The official added that the situation was fluid and could change.


Mayor says Los Angeles being used as ‘test case’ by federal government – as it happened

Mayor says ‘nothing warranted’ the intervention and that cannot ‘emphasize enough the level of fear and terror that is in Angelenos right now’ due to Ice raids
Kate Lamb (The Guardian)

lemmy - Link to source

Pirate Site Visits Dip to 216 Billion a Year, But Manga Piracy is Booming
Fresh data for 2024 reveals that while overall pirate site traffic dipped to 216 billion visits, the landscape is shifting dramatically. Publishing piracy is booming, largely driven by an insatiable global demand for manga. In stark contrast, both music and film piracy have tanked. Despite these changes, the United States remains the top traffic source for pirate sites.

Pirate Site Visits Dip to 216 Billion a Year, But Manga Piracy is Booming * TorrentFreak

Fresh data for 2024 reveals that while overall pirate site traffic has dipped to 216 billion visits, the landscape is shifting dramatically.
Ernesto Van der Sar (TF Publishing)

lemmy - Link to source

The Current System of Online Advertising has Been Ruled Illegal by The Belgian Court of Appeal. Advertising itself is Still Allowed, but not in a Way That Secretly Tracks Everyone’s Behavior.
From time to time, important news gets overshadowed by other headlines, even though it could have a profound impact on our (online) world. To most of us, few things are more bothersome than the dreaded cookie banners. On countless websites, you’re confronted with a pesky pop-up urging you to agree to something. You end up consenting without really knowing what it is. If you try to figure out what’s going on, you quickly get lost among the often hundreds of “partners” who want access to your personal data. Even if you do give your consent, it’s questionable whether you truly understand what you’re agreeing to.

Yes! The current system of online advertising has been ruled illegal

Bits of Freedom komt op voor internetvrijheid door de online grondrechten op communicatievrijheid en privacy te beschermen.
Bits of Freedom
This entry was edited (1 week ago)

lemmy - Link to source

Emperor penguins show dramatic decline in one region of Antarctica, satellite photos show

The population of emperor penguins in one part of Antarctica appears to be declining faster than previously thought, according to a new analysis of satellite imagery released Tuesday.

The estimated population of 16 penguin colonies — visible in satellite photos taken between 2009 and 2024 – had declined 22% during that period mainly because of climate change that’s shrinking the amount of available sea ice. It’s unclear whether this drop is seen across the continent, scientists said.

Scientists previously estimated that the total emperor penguin population declined about 10% across all of Antarctica over the past decade and a half. The latest survey included a region covering the Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea and Bellingshausen Sea.

“It’s absolutely alarming that the numbers are so much worse than predicted,” said Daniel Zitterbart, a penguin researcher at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who was not involved in the study.

https://apnews.com/article/emperor-penguins-antarctica-2561e86134649478dafce540bb6dc539

lemmy - Link to source

‘Complicit with a totalitarian regime’: Canada’s border rules are landing asylum seekers in ICE detention
Canadian authorities have returned more than 1,600 asylum seekers to the United States in 2025 without hearing their case for refugee protection, according to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Many have landed in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.

lemmy - Link to source

US ambassador to Israel says US no longer pursuing goal of independent Palestinian state

Mike Huckabee suggested any future Palestinian state should be carved out of ‘a Muslim country’

Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, has said that the US is no longer pursuing the goal of an independent Palestinian state, marking what analysts describe as the most explicit abandonment yet of a cornerstone of US Middle East diplomacy.

Asked during an interview with Bloomberg News if a Palestinian state remains a goal of US policy, he replied: “I don’t think so.”

The former Arkansas governor chosen by Donald Trump as his envoy to Israel went further by suggesting that any future Palestinian entity could be carved out of “a Muslim country” rather than requiring Israel to cede territory.


US ambassador to Israel says US no longer pursuing goal of independent Palestinian state

Joseph Gedeon (The Guardian)
in reply to propitiouspanda

lemmy - Link to source

jordanlund

Biden wouldn't be proposing beach front real estate for one. Biden wasn't the one saying the only thing Israel is doing wrong is not going fast enough.

middleeastmonitor.com/20250408…

apnews.com/article/trump-biden…

What was Biden saying? Oh, right:

bbc.com/news/articles/cq6g4694…

"During Sunday's call, which was the first to be publicly announced since October, Biden "stressed the immediate need for a ceasefire in Gaza and return of the hostages with a surge in humanitarian aid enabled by a stoppage in the fighting under the deal".

So, the polar opposite of "finish it quick, get rid of the Palestinians, steal the real estate."


Biden and Netanyahu discuss Gaza truce talks as momentum builds

Israel and Hamas are understood to be making progress but uncertainty remains over aspects of a deal.
Ruth Comerford (BBC News)
This entry was edited (6 days ago)

propitiouspanda doesn't like this.

lemmy - Link to source

Greta Thunberg refuses to watch Oct. 7 footage after flotilla stopped
Israeli authorities screened footage of Hamas's October 7 atrocities to Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and other pro-Palestinian flotilla participants upon their arrival in Ashdod on Monday, shortly after the IDF intercepted their ship, the Madleen, in international waters.

According to Defense Minister Israel Katz, the activists refused to continue watching the film after seeing the brutality of the attacks.

"These antisemitic flotilla activists closed their eyes to the truth and once again proved they prefer the murderers over the victims,” Katz said. “They continue to ignore the atrocities committed by Hamas against Jewish and Israeli women, the elderly, and children.”

The activists were given the option to sign a voluntary departure form or face arrest after 96 hours. Among those refusing to leave is French MEP Rima Hassan.

Hassan has previously drawn wide criticism for her denial that the Bibas family, excluding Yarden Bibas, were murdered, her claim that the October 7 massacre was "legitimate" and her insistence that Palestinians in Europe should be allowed to join the "resistance."

Greta Thunberg refuses to watch Oct. 7 footage after flotilla stopped | The Jerusalem Post

Four of the activists are departing the country, including Greta Thunberg. However, eight have refused to leave and will be transferred to Givon detention facility.
The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com

lemmy - Link to source

IRS tax filing software released to the people as free software
Last week, the IRS published the majority of Direct File's source code to GitHub, with one of the people who worked on Direct File noting that "establishing trust with taxpayers was core to our approach for designing and building Direct File." IRS Direct File, commonly referred to as Direct File, is a tax-filing program offered by the IRS that allows US taxpayers to prepare and electronically file federal income tax returns at no cost. The majority of Direct File's source code getting uploaded to GitHub is a step forward for free software, both because of Direct File's scale and what it represents: that there is still a lot of power in collective action. It will protect the work of its developers regardless of whether Direct File will be offered for the 2025 tax season.

IRS tax filing software released to the people as free software — Free Software Foundation — Working together for free software

www.fsf.org
This entry was edited (1 week ago)

lemmy - Link to source

Tech moguls want to build a crypto paradise on a Native American reservation
You're going to call protestors "agitators" while the broligarchs keep coming up with the most outrageous, evil bullshit they could think of, just for the hell of it.

Tech moguls want to build a crypto paradise on a Native American reservation

And hope to gobble up some land near you.
Mother Jones
in reply to rottingleaf

lemmy - Link to source

NocturnalMorning

BTC also uses massive amounts of resources, and we have an impending climate crisis on our hands. Tell me, how is that useful to further the climate destabilization for whatever momentary convenience you think you have. We're gonna be really sorry in 5-10 years as this thing accelerates. We are getting some seriously bad news in the scientific community right now bcz we are far outpacing even the most pessimistic studies on warming and CO2 output. We have dumbasses in charge who want to pretend climate change doesn't exist.
This entry was edited (1 week ago)
in reply to NocturnalMorning

lemmy - Link to source

propitiouspanda

There are other cryptocurrencies without the overhead of bitcoin. Bitcoin is actually a really shitty implementation in regards to efficiency.

Cryptocurrency as a concept is incredibly useful and as time goes on it will likely be how most business is done.

Governments just aren't as good at regulating currency as computers. Look at inflation on the US dollar.

lemmy - Link to source

The Los Angeles Police Department shot an Australian reporter with a rubber bullet while she was live on TV. Zero provocation.
The pig sees her, turns, aims, and shoots her almost point blank.
This entry was edited (1 week ago)

lemmy - Link to source

World fertility rates in 'unprecedented decline', UN says

Namrata Nangia and her husband have been toying with the idea of having another child since their five-year-old daughter was born.

But it always comes back to one question: 'Can we afford it?'

She lives in Mumbai and works in pharmaceuticals, her husband works at a tyre company. But the costs of having one child are already overwhelming - school fees, the school bus, swimming lessons, even going to the GP is expensive.

It was different when Namrata was growing up. "We just used to go to school, nothing extracurricular, but now you have to send your kid to swimming, you have to send them to drawing, you have to see what else they can do."

According to a new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN agency for reproductive rights, Namrata's situation is becoming a global norm.


World fertility rates in 'unprecedented decline', UN says

Hundreds of millions of people are not able to have the number of children they want, the UN warns.
Stephanie Hegarty (BBC News)

piefed - Link to source

Entire country to be brought under Rent Pressure Zone in major change agreed by Government leaders

Every tenancy in the country is set to be brought under a Rent Pressure Zone, Government leaders have agreed.

In a meeting on Monday night, leaders met and agreed on a new system of national rent control.


New rent controls: Landlords face increased fines for breaking rules; eviction ban won’t apply to half of all

The Government is looking at increasing fines for landlords who break eviction rules and is consulting the Attorney General on the matter, Housing Minister James Browne has said.
Senan Molony, Tabitha Monahan and Gráinne Ní Aodha (Irish Independent)
in reply to cm0002

lemmy - Link to source

propitiouspanda

The rapper’s lyrics became increasingly political after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini and the subsequent wave of nationwide protests.


Keep in mind, Iran succeeded in suppressing these protests and never faced justice for all the innocents that were killed.

We can't reason with abusers. They only respond to force.

Iranians need guns if they want any hope of overthrowing their theocracy.

lemmy - Link to source

Leaked Data From Meta Reveal Israeli Companies Are Struggling To Find Customers
Murtaza Hussain, Waqas Ahmed, and Ryan Grim
Jun 09, 2025

"A review of leaked data from Meta, provided to us by company whistleblowers, shows that Israeli companies since 2023 are finding it increasingly difficult everywhere around the world to attract new customers, leading to advertising-cost increases in the billions.

We also just posted the translated audio of an extraordinary interview just given by former Israeli PM Yair Lapid, who is often discussed as a more humane, centrist alternative to Benjamin Netanyahu. Give it a listen and see if you agree with that label."


Leaked Data From Meta Reveal Israeli Companies Are Struggling To Find Customers

For the year 2025, the Israeli government announced it would be earmarking an additional $150 million toward global public relations, an unprecedented increase in spending that comes alongside a striking collapse in perception for Israel around the w…
www.dropsitenews.com

lemmy - Link to source

The British jet engine that failed in the 'Valley of Death'

Richard Varvill reflects on the emotional collapse of Reaction Engines, a UK aerospace firm that developed cutting-edge heat exchanger tech for hypersonic flight.

Originating from the 1980s Hotol project, the company came close to success but failed in late 2024 due to a lack of funding, despite promising tech and support from major investors like Rolls-Royce.

Staff were devastated, with many in tears during the final announcement. Former team members take pride in the innovation and culture, though regret the mission remains unfinished.

The company’s closure highlights the harsh reality of funding gaps in long-term aerospace ventures

“we failed because we ran out of money.”


What happens when a high-tech project fails?

Workers at Reaction Engines felt they were close to completing a revolutionary jet engine.
Michael Dempsey (BBC News)

lemmy - Link to source

A ban on state AI laws could smash Big Tech’s legal guardrails
Senate Commerce Republicans have kept a ten year moratorium on state AI laws in their latest version of President Donald Trump’s massive budget package. And a growing number of lawmakers and civil society groups warn that its broad language could put consumer protections on the chopping block.

Republicans who support the provision, which the House cleared as part of its “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” say it will help ensure AI companies aren’t bogged down by a complicated patchwork of regulations. But opponents warn that should it survive a vote and a congressional rule that might prohibit it, Big Tech companies could be exempted from state legal guardrails for years to come, without any promise of federal standards to take their place.


Not to mention, if/when federal standards are created, the standards will be determined by a federal government that is being run by the broligarchs. These are the people we need to be protected from. They've had the idea of federal "regulations" that will allow them to do whatever they need to succeed planned since at least 2019.

Relying only on federal AI regulations to protect Americans in 2025, would be like the federal government relying on George Wallace to create the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s.

Sam Altman, 2025:

Altman also later cautioned against a patchwork regulatory framework for AI.

“It is very difficult to imagine us figuring out how to comply with 50 different sets of regulations,” said Altman. “One federal framework that is light touch, that we can understand, and it lets us move with the speed that this moment calls for, seems important and fine.”


Peter Thiel protege, Michael Kratsios regarding AI regulation in 2019

“A patchwork of regulation of technology is not beneficial for the country. We want to avoid that. Facial recognition has important roles—for example, finding lost or displaced children. There are use cases, but they need to be underpinned by values.”

A ban on state AI laws could smash Big Tech’s legal guardrails

The Senate is pushing ahead with language in its budget bill that could restrict states from regulating AI for a decade, and opponents warn it could hamper other consumer protections.
Lauren Feiner (The Verge)

lemmy - Link to source

A Researcher Figured Out How to Reveal Any Phone Number Linked to a Google Account
archive.today link

Bruteforcing the phone number of any Google user

From rate limits to no limits: How IPv6's massive address space and a crafty botguard bypass left every Google user's phone number vulnerable
brutecat.com
This entry was edited (1 week ago)
in reply to Pro

lemmy - Link to source

malloc

Google, Apple, and rest of big tech are pregnable despite their access to vast amounts of capital, and labor resources.

I used to be a big supporter of using their "social sign on" (or more generally speaking, single sign on) as a federated authentication mechanism. They have access to brilliant engineers thus naively thought - "well these companies are well funded, and security focused. What could go wrong having them handle a critical entry point for services?”

Well as this position continues to age poorly, many fucking aspects can go wrong!

  1. These authentication services owned by big tech are much more attractive to attack. Finding that one vulnerability in their massive attack vector is difficult but not impossible.
  2. If you use big tech to authenticate to services, you are now subject to the vague terms of service of big tech. Oh you forgot to pay Google store bill because card on file expired? Now your Google account is locked out and now lose access to hundreds of services that have no direct relation to Google/Apple
  3. Using third party auth mechanisms like Google often complicate the relationship between service provider and consumer. Support costs increase because when a 80 yr old forgot password or 2FA method to Google account. They will go to the service provider instead of Google to fix it. Then you spend inordinate amounts of time/resources trying to fix issue. These costs eventually passed on to customer in some form or another

Which is why my new position is for federated authentication protocols. Similar to how Lemmy and the fediverse work but for authentication and authorization.

Having your own IdP won’t fix the 3rd issue, but at least it will alleviate 1st and 2nd concerns

lemmy - Link to source

Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war
  • Prisoner exchange follows Istanbul talks on June 2
    • Emotional reunions as POWs return home
    • Kyiv and Moscow remain far apart on ending the war


CHERNIHIV REGION, Ukraine, June 9 (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war under the age of 25 on Monday in emotional homecoming scenes, the first step in a series of planned prisoner swaps that could become the biggest of the war so far.

The exchange was the result of direct talks between the two sides in Istanbul on June 2 that resulted in an agreement to exchange at least 1,200 POWs on each side and to repatriate thousands of bodies of those killed in Russia's war in Ukraine.

The return of POWs and the repatriation of the bodies of the dead is one of the few things the two sides have managed to agree on as broader negotiations have failed to get close to ending the war, now in its fourth year.

Fighting has raged on, with Russia saying on Monday its forces had taken control of more territory in Ukraine's east-central region of Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv saying Moscow had launched its largest drone attack of the war.

Officials in Kyiv said some of the Ukrainian prisoners who came home on Monday had been in Russian captivity since the beginning of the war.

At a rendezvous point for the returning Ukrainian prisoners, soon after they crossed back into northern Ukraine, an official handed one of the freed men a cellphone so that he could call his mother, a video released by Ukrainian authorities showed.

"Hi mum, I've arrived, I'm home!" the soldier shouted into the receiver, struggling to catch his breath because he was overcome by emotion.

The released Ukrainian men were later taken by bus to a hospital in northern Ukraine where they were to have medical checks and be given showers, food and care packages including mobile phones and shoes.

Jubilation was tinged with sadness because outside the hospital were crowds of people, mostly women, looking for relatives who went missing while fighting for Ukraine.

The women held up pictures of the missing men in the hope that one of the returning POWs would recognised them and share details about what happened to them. Some hoped their loved ones would be among those released.

Oksana Kupriyenko, 52, was holding up an image of her son, Denys, who went missing in September 2024.

"Tomorrow is my birthday and I was hoping God will give me a gift and return my son to me," she said, through tears.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-ukraine-exchange-group-younger-prisoners-war-moscow-says-2025-06-09/

lemmy - Link to source

British photojournalist hit by non lethal rounds during Los Angeles protests

I'd argue this isn't internal US news considering an international reporter was shot. TWO international reporters shot in a single day.

Also...

“People came over to help and got me on the curb. A medic was called, who cut off my clothes. In my leg was what felt like a five centimeter hole with muscle hanging out of it and blood all down my leg. The medic put a tourniquet on it, and a journalist I was with took me to ER.”

British photojournalist hit by non-lethal rounds during Los Angeles protests

Nick Stern to undergo surgery for wound sustained during the standoff between police and anti-Ice protesters
Edward Helmore (The Guardian)
This entry was edited (1 week ago)

lemmy - Link to source

[News] Madleen Gaza Flotilla Live Tracker: Israeli Forces Intercept the Madleen, Cut Off Comms, Kidnap Crew

Update: I will no longer be updating this thread. New Information will be coming soon undoubtedly.

(01:40 GMT) Israel does not have authority over Gaza waters

A video obtained by Al Jazeera shows a uniformed officer telling the people on board the Madleen there are other means for delivering aid, before the ship was intercepted.
“If you wish to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, you’re able to do so through the port of Ashdod,” the uniformed officer says. “We have established channels and distribution centres.”
However UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese told Al Jazeera this is not accurate.
“Israel has no authority over Gaza. This is the thing. Israel needs to end the siege.”
“The people of Gaza need to be helped.”


(01:23 GMT) Israeli MFA says Madleen being taken to Israel’s Ashdod port

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that Israeli authorities intercepted the Madleen.
“The “selfie yacht” of the “celebrities” is safely making its way to the shores of Israel,” the ministry said in a post on X.
The post accused “Greta and others” of attempting “to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity” claiming sufficient aid has reached Gaza in the past two weeks.
However Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza after allowing some food to return to the strip following its longest ever total blockade.
Dozens of people have been killed while trying to reach aid distribution sites, including at least 13 Palestinians on Sunday alone.


(01:00 GMT) ‘If you see this video, we are being intercepted and kidnapped’

Greta Thunberg has shared a pre-recorded video appealing for international help.
“My name is Greta Thunberg, and I am from Sweden,” Thunberg said in the video recorded on board the Madleen, before tonight’s events.
“If you see this video, we are being intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel,” she said.
“I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”


(00:50 GMT) Francesca Albanese says she lost contact with Madleen

As we’ve been reporting, the support crew for the Madleen say that communications on board the ship have been cut.
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese also says she has lost contact with the ship.
“I heard the soldiers speaking while the captain was on the phone with me,” says Albanese.
“I lost connection with the captain as he was telling me that ‘another boat is approaching’.”


(00:40 GMT) Madleen crew told to throw phones over board

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has shared a video showing the crew in the moments before the ship was intercepted by Israeli forces.
The crew sat wearing life vests, with their hands in the air and threw their phones in the water.


(00:25 GMT) Crew’s eyes were burning after white substance dropped on Madleen

Here’s more from Huwaida Arraf, the co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, which is supporting the Gaza Freedom Flotilla.
“Just moments ago, communication seemed to be cut,” Arraf told Al Jazeera from Sicily.
“So, we have lost all contact with our colleagues on the Madleen.”
“Before that, we know that they had two drones hovering above them that dropped some kind of chemical on the vessel. We don’t know what that chemical was,” she said.
“Some people reported that their eyes were burning. Before that, they were also approached by vessels in a very threatening manner.”
So at least for the last hour, hour and a half, they have been threatened by Israeli forces.”
“The last we saw, were able to hear from them, they were surrounded… by Israeli naval commandos and it looked like the commandos were about to take over the vessel.”


(00:21 GMT) Israeli forces intercept the Madleen, cut off comms

Contact has been lost with the Madleen after Israeli commandos intercepted it in international waters.
They demanded that everyone on board turn off their phones, and we have lost contact with Al Jazeera Mubasher journalist Omar Faiad as well as our live feed.
International Solidarity Movement co-founder, Huwaida Arraf, confirmed that they have also lost contact with the Madleen.


(00:12 GMT) Drones drop white paint on Madleen as comms jammed

The Gaza Freedom Flotilla says that quadcopters have surrounded the Madleen and are “spraying it with a white paint-like substance”.
“Communications are jammed and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio,” the flotilla said in a post on Instagram.


(23:45 GMT) Two drones hovering over the Madleen

The crew on board the Madleen is now taking cover as two drones are hovering overhead, says UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese.
“Two drones over the Madleen. They say they are quadcopters, the dangerous ones. TEAM IS TAKING COVER,” Albanese wrote on X.


(23:30 GMT) ‘Psychological warfare’ as two boats remain in front of Madleen

Speaking to Al Jazeera from on board the Madleen, Yasemin Acar, says that four vessels approached the ship and that two remain nearby.
“We are very close to Gaza, approximately 100 miles away,” she said.
“We sounded the alarm because we saw exactly four vessels approaching us all at the same time, two of which had blue lights,” she said.
“We had many lights suddenly surrounding us, and the four vessels suddenly just stopped.”
Acar added that two of the boats came as close as 200 meters from the Madleen before leaving, while the other two vessels remain nearby.
“Two of them are still right in front of me, they just stopped,” she said.
“We are reason to believe that this is psychological warfare.”
“It’s just a way of intimidating us and a way to make us turn back and not tried to challenge the illegal blockade on Gaza.”


(23:15 GMT) Francesca Albanese says Madleen ‘calm and safe now’

The UN Special Rapporteur on the the Occupied Palestinian Territories has said “all looks calm and safe now,” after alarms earlier sounded on board the Madleen.
“I just spoke again with the Flotilla, [including] its [Communication] Room in Catania”, Albanese said in a post on X.
“All looks calm and safe now. Speedboats watching; but the flotilla continues its sailing.”
“It will be a long night. And as they say and we say, ‘we are together’.”


(22:58 GMT) Freedom Flotilla Coalition says surrounding boats have left

In an audio message on the coalition’s Telegram, activist Thiago Avila has said the boats that surrounded the Madleen have now left.
“This, unfortunately, has been a very unlikely false alarm. we have been surrounded by many lights all at once. And they were circling our boat, but in the end, they kept going their own way,” he said.
“Could be IOF (Israel occupation forces) vessels, but in this case they just left and we don’t know,” he added. “We’re not sure.”


(22:40 GMT) ‘The IOF is here right now, please sound the alarm’

A video posted by Eye on Palestine shows Brazilian activist Thiago Avila wearing a life jacket.
“The IOF is here right now, please sound the alarm. We are being surrounded by their boats,” he said in the video.
“Yes this is an interception, a war crime is happening right now,” he said.


(22:35 GMT) UN rights expert says Israeli speedboats surrounding Madleen

In a post on X, Francesca Albanese said that she is in contact with the Madleen crew as they are now surrounded by Israeli vessels.
“They have just been reached by the Israel speedboats – 5 vessels circling the flotilla,” Albanese said.
“The captain is instructing the team to stay calm and seated, with their passports and life jackets on.”
“I hear them speaking with Israeli soldiers as I type… telling they are carrying humanitarian aid and go in peace. For the time being they are just circled. I am with them, recording everything.”


(19:35 GMT) Israel planning to intercept Madleen tonight

The Israeli Haaretz newspaper has reported that Israel’s Navy is planning to intercept Madleen tonight, and will seek to do so as far from the coast of Gaza as possible.
The newspaper framed the plan to intercept the Madleen deep in international waters as meant to avoid having to take the vessel by force, saying it will give the crew ample time to turn around.
Madleen’s crew has said they remain resolute in breaking the Israeli blockade.
Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official told Israel’s Channel 12 that the vessel will be boarded by commandos if it does not turn around and will be taken to Ashdod port.


(16:50 GMT) Thiago Avila, a Brazilian activist on board the Madleen vessel, tells Al Jazeera the boat is currently about 185km (100 nautical miles) off the coast of Gaza.

“We are here to support Gaza and demand an end to the bombing and starvation,” Avila said. “Despite threats, we will continue our journey. The world must stand with us.”
He said drones are flying overhead and communication systems had been jammed.
“We know Israeli forces are prepared to confront us with weapons, but we are not afraid,” he said. “What we face is nothing compared to what Palestinians in Gaza endure.”


Click the link to the latest updates.

___

Madleen Gaza flotilla updates: Israel detains Greta Thunberg, 11 activists

Freedom Flotilla crew was detained by Israeli commandos illegally in international waters off of Gaza.
Tamila Varshalomidze (Al Jazeera)
This entry was edited (1 week ago)

lemmy - Link to source

[News] Madleen Gaza flotilla live tracker: Israeli forces intercept the Madleen, cut off comms

cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/31371672

(00:40 GMT) Madleen crew told to throw phones over board
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has shared a video showing the crew in the moments before the ship was intercepted by Israeli forces.

The crew sat wearing life vests, with their hands in the air and threw their phones in the water.

(00:25 GMT) Crew’s eyes were burning after white substance dropped on Madleen

Here’s more from Huwaida Arraf, the co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, which is supporting the Gaza Freedom Flotilla.

“Just moments ago, communication seemed to be cut,” Arraf told Al Jazeera from Sicily.

“So, we have lost all contact with our colleagues on the Madleen.”

“Before that, we know that they had two drones hovering above them that dropped some kind of chemical on the vessel. We don’t know what that chemical was,” she said.

“Some people reported that their eyes were burning. Before that, they were also approached by vessels in a very threatening manner.”

So at least for the last hour, hour and a half, they have been threatened by Israeli forces.”

“The last we saw, were able to hear from them, they were surrounded… by Israeli naval commandos and it looked like the commandos were about to take over the vessel.”

(00:21 GMT) Israeli forces intercept the Madleen, cut off comms

Contact has been lost with the Madleen after Israeli commandos intercepted it in international waters.

They demanded that everyone on board turn off their phones, and we have lost contact with Al Jazeera Mubasher journalist Omar Faiad as well as our live feed.

International Solidarity Movement co-founder, Huwaida Arraf, confirmed that they have also lost contact with the Madleen.

(00:12 GMT) Drones drop white paint on Madleen as comms jammed

The Gaza Freedom Flotilla says that quadcopters have surrounded the Madleen and are “spraying it with a white paint-like substance”.

“Communications are jammed and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio,” the flotilla said in a post on Instagram.

(23:45 GMT) Two drones hovering over the Madleen

The crew on board the Madleen is now taking cover as two drones are hovering overhead, says UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese.

“Two drones over the Madleen. They say they are quadcopters, the dangerous ones. TEAM IS TAKING COVER,” Albanese wrote on X.

(23:30 GMT) ‘Psychological warfare’ as two boats remain in front of Madleen

Speaking to Al Jazeera from on board the Madleen, Yasemin Acar, says that four vessels approached the ship and that two remain nearby.

“We are very close to Gaza, approximately 100 miles away,” she said.

“We sounded the alarm because we saw exactly four vessels approaching us all at the same time, two of which had blue lights,” she said.

“We had many lights suddenly surrounding us, and the four vessels suddenly just stopped.”

Acar added that two of the boats came as close as 200 meters from the Madleen before leaving, while the other two vessels remain nearby.

“Two of them are still right in front of me, they just stopped,” she said.

“We are reason to believe that this is psychological warfare.”

“It’s just a way of intimidating us and a way to make us turn back and not tried to challenge the illegal blockade on Gaza.”

(23:15 GMT) Francesca Albanese says Madleen ‘calm and safe now’

The UN Special Rapporteur on the the Occupied Palestinian Territories has said “all looks calm and safe now,” after alarms earlier sounded on board the Madleen.

“I just spoke again with the Flotilla, [including] its [Communication] Room in Catania”, Albanese said in a post on X.

“All looks calm and safe now. Speedboats watching; but the flotilla continues its sailing.”

“It will be a long night. And as they say and we say, ‘we are together’.”

(22:58 GMT) Freedom Flotilla Coalition says surrounding boats have left

In an audio message on the coalition’s Telegram, activist Thiago Avila has said the boats that surrounded the Madleen have now left.

“This, unfortunately, has been a very unlikely false alarm. we have been surrounded by many lights all at once. And they were circling our boat, but in the end, they kept going their own way,” he said.

“Could be IOF (Israel occupation forces) vessels, but in this case they just left and we don’t know,” he added. “We’re not sure.”

(22:40 GMT) ‘The IOF is here right now, please sound the alarm’

A video posted by Eye on Palestine shows Brazilian activist Thiago Avila wearing a life jacket.

“The IOF is here right now, please sound the alarm. We are being surrounded by their boats,” he said in the video.

“Yes this is an interception, a war crime is happening right now,” he said.

(22:35 GMT) UN rights expert says Israeli speedboats surrounding Madleen

In a post on X, Francesca Albanese said that she is in contact with the Madleen crew as they are now surrounded by Israeli vessels.

“They have just been reached by the Israel speedboats – 5 vessels circling the flotilla,” Albanese said.

“The captain is instructing the team to stay calm and seated, with their passports and life jackets on.”

“I hear them speaking with Israeli soldiers as I type… telling they are carrying humanitarian aid and go in peace. For the time being they are just circled. I am with them, recording everything.”

(19:35 GMT) Israel planning to intercept Madleen tonight

The Israeli Haaretz newspaper has reported that Israel’s Navy is planning to intercept Madleen tonight, and will seek to do so as far from the coast of Gaza as possible.

The newspaper framed the plan to intercept the Madleen deep in international waters as meant to avoid having to take the vessel by force, saying it will give the crew ample time to turn around.

Madleen’s crew has said they remain resolute in breaking the Israeli blockade.

Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official told Israel’s Channel 12 that the vessel will be boarded by commandos if it does not turn around and will be taken to Ashdod port.

(16:50 GMT) Thiago Avila, a Brazilian activist on board the Madleen vessel, tells Al Jazeera the boat is currently about 185km (100 nautical miles) off the coast of Gaza.

“We are here to support Gaza and demand an end to the bombing and starvation,” Avila said. “Despite threats, we will continue our journey. The world must stand with us.”

He said drones are flying overhead and communication systems had been jammed.

“We know Israeli forces are prepared to confront us with weapons, but we are not afraid,” he said. “What we face is nothing compared to what Palestinians in Gaza endure.”

Click the link to the latest updates.

___



teagrrl

2025-06-08 16:53:31

lemmy - Link to source

[News] Madleen Gaza Flotilla Live Tracker: Israeli Forces Intercept the Madleen, Cut Off Comms, Kidnap Crew


Update: I will no longer be updating this thread. New Information will be coming soon undoubtedly.

(01:40 GMT) Israel does not have authority over Gaza waters

A video obtained by Al Jazeera shows a uniformed officer telling the people on board the Madleen there are other means for delivering aid, before the ship was intercepted.
“If you wish to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, you’re able to do so through the port of Ashdod,” the uniformed officer says. “We have established channels and distribution centres.”
However UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese told Al Jazeera this is not accurate.
“Israel has no authority over Gaza. This is the thing. Israel needs to end the siege.”
“The people of Gaza need to be helped.”


(01:23 GMT) Israeli MFA says Madleen being taken to Israel’s Ashdod port

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that Israeli authorities intercepted the Madleen.
“The “selfie yacht” of the “celebrities” is safely making its way to the shores of Israel,” the ministry said in a post on X.
The post accused “Greta and others” of attempting “to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity” claiming sufficient aid has reached Gaza in the past two weeks.
However Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza after allowing some food to return to the strip following its longest ever total blockade.
Dozens of people have been killed while trying to reach aid distribution sites, including at least 13 Palestinians on Sunday alone.


(01:00 GMT) ‘If you see this video, we are being intercepted and kidnapped’

Greta Thunberg has shared a pre-recorded video appealing for international help.
“My name is Greta Thunberg, and I am from Sweden,” Thunberg said in the video recorded on board the Madleen, before tonight’s events.
“If you see this video, we are being intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel,” she said.
“I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”


(00:50 GMT) Francesca Albanese says she lost contact with Madleen

As we’ve been reporting, the support crew for the Madleen say that communications on board the ship have been cut.
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese also says she has lost contact with the ship.
“I heard the soldiers speaking while the captain was on the phone with me,” says Albanese.
“I lost connection with the captain as he was telling me that ‘another boat is approaching’.”


(00:40 GMT) Madleen crew told to throw phones over board

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has shared a video showing the crew in the moments before the ship was intercepted by Israeli forces.
The crew sat wearing life vests, with their hands in the air and threw their phones in the water.


(00:25 GMT) Crew’s eyes were burning after white substance dropped on Madleen

Here’s more from Huwaida Arraf, the co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, which is supporting the Gaza Freedom Flotilla.
“Just moments ago, communication seemed to be cut,” Arraf told Al Jazeera from Sicily.
“So, we have lost all contact with our colleagues on the Madleen.”
“Before that, we know that they had two drones hovering above them that dropped some kind of chemical on the vessel. We don’t know what that chemical was,” she said.
“Some people reported that their eyes were burning. Before that, they were also approached by vessels in a very threatening manner.”
So at least for the last hour, hour and a half, they have been threatened by Israeli forces.”
“The last we saw, were able to hear from them, they were surrounded… by Israeli naval commandos and it looked like the commandos were about to take over the vessel.”


(00:21 GMT) Israeli forces intercept the Madleen, cut off comms

Contact has been lost with the Madleen after Israeli commandos intercepted it in international waters.
They demanded that everyone on board turn off their phones, and we have lost contact with Al Jazeera Mubasher journalist Omar Faiad as well as our live feed.
International Solidarity Movement co-founder, Huwaida Arraf, confirmed that they have also lost contact with the Madleen.


(00:12 GMT) Drones drop white paint on Madleen as comms jammed

The Gaza Freedom Flotilla says that quadcopters have surrounded the Madleen and are “spraying it with a white paint-like substance”.
“Communications are jammed and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio,” the flotilla said in a post on Instagram.


(23:45 GMT) Two drones hovering over the Madleen

The crew on board the Madleen is now taking cover as two drones are hovering overhead, says UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese.
“Two drones over the Madleen. They say they are quadcopters, the dangerous ones. TEAM IS TAKING COVER,” Albanese wrote on X.


(23:30 GMT) ‘Psychological warfare’ as two boats remain in front of Madleen

Speaking to Al Jazeera from on board the Madleen, Yasemin Acar, says that four vessels approached the ship and that two remain nearby.
“We are very close to Gaza, approximately 100 miles away,” she said.
“We sounded the alarm because we saw exactly four vessels approaching us all at the same time, two of which had blue lights,” she said.
“We had many lights suddenly surrounding us, and the four vessels suddenly just stopped.”
Acar added that two of the boats came as close as 200 meters from the Madleen before leaving, while the other two vessels remain nearby.
“Two of them are still right in front of me, they just stopped,” she said.
“We are reason to believe that this is psychological warfare.”
“It’s just a way of intimidating us and a way to make us turn back and not tried to challenge the illegal blockade on Gaza.”


(23:15 GMT) Francesca Albanese says Madleen ‘calm and safe now’

The UN Special Rapporteur on the the Occupied Palestinian Territories has said “all looks calm and safe now,” after alarms earlier sounded on board the Madleen.
“I just spoke again with the Flotilla, [including] its [Communication] Room in Catania”, Albanese said in a post on X.
“All looks calm and safe now. Speedboats watching; but the flotilla continues its sailing.”
“It will be a long night. And as they say and we say, ‘we are together’.”


(22:58 GMT) Freedom Flotilla Coalition says surrounding boats have left

In an audio message on the coalition’s Telegram, activist Thiago Avila has said the boats that surrounded the Madleen have now left.
“This, unfortunately, has been a very unlikely false alarm. we have been surrounded by many lights all at once. And they were circling our boat, but in the end, they kept going their own way,” he said.
“Could be IOF (Israel occupation forces) vessels, but in this case they just left and we don’t know,” he added. “We’re not sure.”


(22:40 GMT) ‘The IOF is here right now, please sound the alarm’

A video posted by Eye on Palestine shows Brazilian activist Thiago Avila wearing a life jacket.
“The IOF is here right now, please sound the alarm. We are being surrounded by their boats,” he said in the video.
“Yes this is an interception, a war crime is happening right now,” he said.


(22:35 GMT) UN rights expert says Israeli speedboats surrounding Madleen

In a post on X, Francesca Albanese said that she is in contact with the Madleen crew as they are now surrounded by Israeli vessels.
“They have just been reached by the Israel speedboats – 5 vessels circling the flotilla,” Albanese said.
“The captain is instructing the team to stay calm and seated, with their passports and life jackets on.”
“I hear them speaking with Israeli soldiers as I type… telling they are carrying humanitarian aid and go in peace. For the time being they are just circled. I am with them, recording everything.”


(19:35 GMT) Israel planning to intercept Madleen tonight

The Israeli Haaretz newspaper has reported that Israel’s Navy is planning to intercept Madleen tonight, and will seek to do so as far from the coast of Gaza as possible.
The newspaper framed the plan to intercept the Madleen deep in international waters as meant to avoid having to take the vessel by force, saying it will give the crew ample time to turn around.
Madleen’s crew has said they remain resolute in breaking the Israeli blockade.
Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official told Israel’s Channel 12 that the vessel will be boarded by commandos if it does not turn around and will be taken to Ashdod port.


(16:50 GMT) Thiago Avila, a Brazilian activist on board the Madleen vessel, tells Al Jazeera the boat is currently about 185km (100 nautical miles) off the coast of Gaza.

“We are here to support Gaza and demand an end to the bombing and starvation,” Avila said. “Despite threats, we will continue our journey. The world must stand with us.”
He said drones are flying overhead and communication systems had been jammed.
“We know Israeli forces are prepared to confront us with weapons, but we are not afraid,” he said. “What we face is nothing compared to what Palestinians in Gaza endure.”


Click the link to the latest updates.

___




Madleen Gaza flotilla updates: Israel detains Greta Thunberg, 11 activists

Freedom Flotilla crew was detained by Israeli commandos illegally in international waters off of Gaza.
Tamila Varshalomidze (Al Jazeera)

in reply to floofloof

lemmy - Link to source

supersquirrel

Israeli commandos have intercepted the Madleen – in international waters – and forced everyone on board to turn off their phones.


Commandos? If they were actual commandos that is pathetic, it is an unarmed vessel with food and medical supplies, the IDF is a bunch of cowards hiding in tactical gear and expensive military hardware handed out to them by the US like candy.

lemmy - Link to source

Zelensky: US moved 20,000 anti-drone missiles meant for Ukraine to MidEast

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the US had diverted tens of thousands of anti-drone missiles to American troops in the Middle East, speaking Sunday to ABC News.

The 20,000 missiles were originally intended for Ukraine’s defense against Shahed-type drones, which Zelensky said his forces have a “big problem” with – “we will find all the tools to destroy them,” he said.

“We counted on this project,” Zelensky added, even though “it was not expensive, but it’s a special technology.”


Zelensky: US moved 20,000 anti-drone missiles meant for Ukraine to MidEast

The Pentagon sent the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System projectiles to the Middle East instead, where they will help protect US forces from regional threats
i24NEWS (i24news)

lemmy - Link to source

Kabul at risk of becoming first modern city to run out of water, report warns

Water levels within Kabul’s aquifers have dropped by up to 30 metres over the past decade owing to rapid urbanisation and climate breakdown, according to a report by the NGO Mercy Corps.

Meanwhile, almost half of the city’s boreholes – the primary source of drinking water for Kabul residents – have dried out. Water extraction currently exceeds the natural recharge rate by 44m cubic metres each year.

If these trends continue, all of Kabul’s aquifers will run dry as early as 2030, posing an existential threat to the city’s seven million inhabitants.


Kabul at risk of becoming first modern city to run out of water, report warns

NGO says Afghan capital’s 7 million people face existential crisis that world needs urgently to address
Mariam Amini (The Guardian)

lemmy - Link to source

'I am against Ukraine's entry into the European Union,' Polish president-elect Nawrocki says

"At the moment, I am against Ukraine's entry into the European Union," Polish President-elect Karol Nawrocki told Hungarian outlet Mandiner in an interview released on June 7.

"On the one hand, we must support Ukraine in its conflict with the Russian Federation, but Ukraine must understand that other countries, including Poland, Hungary, and other European countries, also have their own interests," he said.

Nawrocki won the second round of the Polish presidential election on June 1 with 50.89% of the vote. He has previously voiced opposition to Ukraine's membership in the EU and NATO, despite supporting Ukraine's sovereignty.


'I am against Ukraine's entry into the European Union,' Polish president-elect Nawrocki says

"Ukraine must understand that other countries, including Poland, Hungary, and other European countries, also have their own interests," Polish President-elect Karol Nawrocki said.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn (The Kyiv Independent)

lemmy - Link to source

BlackRock is Suing UnitedHealth for Giving “Too Much Care” to Patients After the CEO was Murdered

BlackRock is Suing UnitedHealth for Giving “Too Much Care” to Patients After the CEO was Murdered

BlackRock — the world’s most powerful asset manager and UnitedHealth’s biggest shareholder with nearly 10% ownership — is literally suing the health insurance giant. But not for what you’d expect…
HR NEWS (Medium)

lemmy - Link to source

BlackRock is Suing UnitedHealth for Giving “Too Much Care” to Patients After the CEO was Murdered

cross-posted from: sh.itjust.works/post/38766119

Cows Look Like Maps

2025-05-26 12:40:05

lemmy - Link to source

BlackRock is Suing UnitedHealth for Giving “Too Much Care” to Patients After the CEO was Murdered



BlackRock is Suing UnitedHealth for Giving “Too Much Care” to Patients After the CEO was Murdered

BlackRock — the world’s most powerful asset manager and UnitedHealth’s biggest shareholder with nearly 10% ownership — is literally suing the health insurance giant. But not for what you’d expect…
HR NEWS (Medium)

in reply to RockBottom

lemmy - Link to source

grue

You know what the really fucked-up part is? Blackrock is doing it theoretically "on behalf of" the people whose investments it manages. Normal people with 401ks and maybe even United Healthcare insurance. People who, if asked, would likely rather have decently affordable healthcare than 0.001% higher investment returns. This lawsuit is even happening, at least in part, in the name of Luigi fans!

The system is constructed to leverage us against ourselves.

lemmy - Link to source

Selling Surveillance as Convenience
Increasingly, surveillance is being normalized and integrated in our lives. Under the guise of convenience, applications and features are sold to us as being the new better way to do things. While some might be useful, this convenience is a Trojan horse. The cost of it is the continuous degradation of our privacy rights, with all that that entails.

As appalling as it is, the truth is the vast majority of software companies do not consider privacy rights and data minimization practices strongly enough, if at all. Most fail to implement the principles of Privacy by Design that should guide development from the start.

Whether this comes from ignorance, incompetence, greed, or malicious intent can be debated. It matters little, because the result is the same: Technologies collecting (and monetizing) a shameful amount of data from everyone.

This horrifying trend ends up facilitating and normalizing surveillance in our daily lives. It is the opposite direction of where we should be going.

The more we accept this normalized surveillance, the harder it becomes to fight back. It is critical that we firmly and loudly object to this banalized invasion of our privacy.

There are countless examples of this growing issue, but for now let's focus on three of them: Airport face scans, parking apps, and AI assistants.


Selling Surveillance as Convenience

Privacy Guides
in reply to masterofn001

lemmy - Link to source

Archr

I'm not sure how many people know this but there is good reason why (at least on android) giving Bluetooth permissions also requires location permissions.

The basic concept is that given enough Bluetooth data an app can pinpoint your location accurately anyways. So the android devs decided that they would just require any app that wanted Bluetooth data would also need to require access to location. That way users would be indirectly informed of the dangers.

Why not just a pop-up to inform of the danger? Probably because most users will click past that warning and not read it.

lemmy - Link to source

ChatGPT Has Already Polluted the Internet So Badly That It's Hobbling Future AI Development

ChatGPT Has Already Polluted the Internet So Badly That It's Hobbling Future AI Development

There may be no undoing the vast amounts of pollution wreaked by ChatGPT. And that's just tough luck for any AI models that come after it.
Frank Landymore (Futurism)

lemmy - Link to source

Palantir Is Going on Defense

Link without the paywall

archive.ph/xBQ0g


Palantir Is Going on Defense

Palantir threatened to call police on a WIRED reporter and kicked out other journalists from a recent conference following reports of the data analytics firm’s work with the Trump administration.
Caroline Haskins (WIRED)

lemmy - Link to source

Nearly half of Americans say tipping has ‘gotten out of control’
With those tipping screens now seemingly everywhere, Americans think that the practice has “gotten out of control,” according to a new survey.

At least 63 percent of US residents now having a negative view of tipping, up from 59 percent last year, according to Bankrate, a financial publisher and comparison service.

Yet, the number of Americans who have gotten used to tipping has gone up since the COVID-19 pandemic, when it slipped. There have not been significant declines in tips for service providers, the survey noted, particularly for hairdressers and restaurant servers.


Nearly half of Americans say tipping has ‘gotten out of control’

Sixteen percent of people said they’d pay higher prices if tipping were eliminated
Michelle Del Rey (The Independent)

lemmy - Link to source

r/privacy doesn't let people say "Peter Thiel is involved with Brave"

Reddit privacy moderators recently censored this content over a day after it was posted. IMO the reason is suspicious.

Accessible at Reddit or Reveddit

(There are no subreddit rules banning "political propaganda" or "character assassination." Nor does this comment appear to rise to either of those accusations: other non-removed comments back up the removed one.)

reveddit

Reveddit reveals content secretly removed from your reddit account.
www.reveddit.com

lemmy - Link to source

So how do I install/play cracked games?
I don't even know if this is allowed here but frankly, I don't care. I have seen conflicting guides on how to play cracked games. Some say to use lutris/wine, some say to use proton with steam and add the cracked games to steam though that carries a significant risk of a ban. So to all Linux pirates, how do you do this?

lemmy - Link to source

Presidential candidate shot and seriously wounded in Colombia
Miguel Uribe Turbay was attacked at a political event in Bogota


Archived version: archive.is/newest/independent.…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.


Presidential candidate shot and seriously wounded in Colombia

Phil Thomas (The Independent)

lemmy - Link to source

Extreme Poverty Rate Drops To 5.3% From 27.1% In India: World Bank Report
About 75.24 million people were living in extreme poverty in India during 2022-23, a massive drop from 344.47 million in 2011-12.


Archived version: archive.is/20250607144137/ndtv…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.


Extreme Poverty Rate Drops To 5.3% From 27.1% In India: World Bank Report

Indo-Asian News Service (NDTV)

lemmy - Link to source

Operation Spider’s Web: Germany estimates that Ukraine damaged 10% of Russian strategic aircraft

Ukraine’s drone attack on Russian airfields on 1 June probably damaged about 10% of Russia's strategic bomber fleet, German Major General Christian Freuding has said.

Source: Freuding in a podcast, as reported by European Pravda, citing Reuters

Quote: "According to our assessment, more than a dozen aircraft were damaged, TU-95 and TU-22 strategic bombers as well as A-50 surveillance planes."

Details: According to the general, who coordinates Berlin's military assistance to Kyiv and works closely with the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, the A-50s, which have a similar function to NATO's AWACS aircraft in providing air surveillance, were probably not in working order.

"We believe that they can no longer be used for spare parts. This is a loss, as only a handful of these aircraft exist," he said.

"As for the long-range bomber fleet, 10% of it has been damaged in the attack according to our assessment," Freuding added.

The United States estimates that the daring Ukrainian drone attack hit up to 20 Russian warplanes, destroying about 10 of them, two US officials told Reuters. Experts say it will take Moscow years to replace the affected aircraft.

Despite the losses, Freuding sees no immediate reduction in Russian strikes on Ukraine, noting that Moscow still retains 90% of its strategic bombers, which can launch ballistic and cruise missiles in addition to dropping bombs.

"But there is, of course, an indirect effect as the remaining planes will need to fly more sorties, meaning they will be worn out faster, and, most importantly, there is a huge psychological impact," he said.

Freuding said that Russia felt secure in its vast territory, which also explains why the aircraft were not well protected.

"After this successful operation, this no longer holds true. Russia will need to ramp up the security measures," the general said.


Operation Spider's Web: Germany estimates that Ukraine damaged 10% of Russian strategic aircraft

Ukraine’s drone attack on Russian airfields on 1 June probably damaged about 10% of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet, German Major General Christian Freuding has said.
Ivanna Kostina (Ukrainska Pravda)

lemmy - Link to source

Self-hosting your own media considered harmful - I just received my second community guidelines violation for my video demonstrating the use of LibreELEC on a Raspberry Pi 5, for 4K video playback
YouTube pulled a popular tutorial video from tech creator Jeff Geerling this week, claiming his guide to installing LibreELEC on a Raspberry Pi 5 violated policies against "harmful content." The video, which showed viewers how to set up their own home media servers, had been live for over a year and racked up more than 500,000 views. YouTube's automated systems flagged the content for allegedly teaching people "how to get unauthorized or free access to audio or audiovisual content."

Geerling says his tutorial covered only legal self-hosting of media people already own -- no piracy tools or copyright workarounds. He said he goes out of his way to avoid mentioning popular piracy software in his videos. It's the second time YouTube has pulled a self-hosting content video from Geerling. Last October, YouTube removed his Jellyfin tutorial, though that decision was quickly reversed after appeal. This time, his appeal was denied.

Self-hosting your own media considered harmful (updated) | Jeff Geerling

www.jeffgeerling.com

lemmy - Link to source

Russia bombards Kyiv after Putin vows revenge for Operation Spiderweb

Three people killed and 20 wounded as missiles and drones strike Ukrainian capital

Russia launched an intense missile and drone barrage at Kyiv overnight, killing four people, after Vladimir Putin had vowed to respond to Operation Spiderweb.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Friday that Russia had launched more than 400 drones and more than 40 missiles at the country, as he urged allies to build pressure on the Kremlin to end its war.

“If someone does not put pressure and gives the war more time to take lives, they are complicit and responsible. We need to act decisively,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on social media.


Russia bombards Kyiv after Putin vows revenge for Operation Spiderweb

Three emergency workers killed and 20 people wounded as missiles and drones strike Ukrainian capital
Daniel Boffey (The Guardian)
in reply to crawancon

lemmy - Link to source

Guy Ingonito

Based on available estimates, the cost for Russia to fire 400 drones and 40 missiles at Kyiv would be approximately $134 million:

  • 400 drones (primarily Shahed-type): At an estimated $35,000 per drone, the total is $14,000,000[3].
  • 40 missiles: At an average of $3,000,000 per missile (a conservative estimate for various Russian missile types), the total is $120,000,000[2].

Citations:
[1] How much does a Russian drone attack on Ukraine cost? The question is more complicated than it sounds kyivindependent.com/how-much-d…
[2] Forbes estimates Jan. 2 mass attack cost Russia nearly $620 million kyivindependent.com/forbes-est…
[3] Calculating the Cost-Effectiveness of Russia's Drone Strikes - CSIS csis.org/analysis/calculating-…


How much does a Russian drone attack on Ukraine cost? The question is more complicated than it sounds

Beginning overnight on Saturday, May 24, Russia rained down nearly a thousand drones and missiles on villages and cities across Ukraine in three nights of large-scale aerial attacks, as civilians spent hours sheltering underground.
Andrea Januta (The Kyiv Independent)
This entry was edited (1 week ago)

lemmy - Link to source

New Zealand passes record suspension of lawmakers over haka

The New Zealand Parliament has voted to impose record suspensions on three lawmakers who did a Maori haka as a protest. The incident took place last November during a debate on a law on Indigenous rights.

New Zealand's parliament on Thursday agreed to lengthy suspensions for three lawmakers who disrupted the reading of a controversial bill last year by performing a haka, a traditional Maori dance.

Two parliamentarians — Te Pati Maori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri
Waititi — were suspended for 21 days and one — Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, from the same party — for seven days.

Before now, the longest suspension of a parliamentarian in New Zealand was three days.


New Zealand passes record suspension of lawmakers over haka

Timothy Jones (Deutsche Welle)

lemmy - Link to source

Israel says it killed a top Iranian general as Trump warns people to flee Iranian capital
Israel claimed Tuesday to have killed a top Iranian general as it traded more strikes with its longtime foe, and Donald Trump warned residents of Tehran to evacuate while demanding that Iran surrender without conditions.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-missile-attacks-nuclear-news-tehran-trump-06-17-2025-3f08988b5e8fd375645967b6e22916f3

lemmy - Link to source

[Review] Wurkkos TS10 SG – mini thrower with SFT-25R

The full review is available here


English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

With this little review I wish you a merry Christmas! Have fun, but don’t overdo it with the lights. The tree should not start to burn at any time! 😉

Summary


When the Wurkkos TS10 was released in mid-2022, only few might have imagined what a great success this flashlight would become. Compact, playful, great light and also affordable. Over time, different colors and materials such as titanium, brass and copper were added.

The Wurkkos TS10 SG is a successful update of the classic TS10. With the new optics and the Luminus SFT-25R, the throw has been significantly increased. Otherwise everything has remained the same. There’s a reason the TS10 has enjoyed great popularity for years.

[Review] Wurkkos TS10 SG – mini thrower with SFT-25R

With this little review I wish you a merry Christmas! Have fun, but don’t overdo it with the lights. The tree should not start to burn at any time! 😉 When the Wurkkos TS10 was released in mid-2022, only few might have imagined what a great success t…
BudgetLightForum.com
in reply to SammysHP

lemmy - Link to source

solrize

If anyone cares, this light was on sale for $10 last week (not any more) and I got one along with an H25L. The TS10 SG is great, smaller than I expected and a terrific value at $10. I will EDC it for a while. For some reason I thought it came with a USB-rechargeable 14500 but it's the TS10 Max that comes with a USB cell. It's ok though. I will probably get a D3AA sooner or later but this will do me for now.

I also got an HD10 a while back and I like that a lot too. Unfortunately it's being discontinued, maybe in favor of the non-Anduril HD12. So we'll again be in a situation of having no available Anduril headlamps with USB charging. Meh.

lemmy - Link to source

Best place for a community alternative to Facebook group?

I admin a Facebook group with just about 30k people in it. It used to be great, and over the past few years the enshittification has been too much. Lately there is an out of control Facebook AI bot posting constantly pissing everyone off that we can't seem to turn off. I only use FB for the group, and don't have their spyware - I mean, app - installed and wont. Admin abilities are severely limited on the webapp.

I'm stepping down as admin cuz I'm tired of this mess. But I'd like to offer an alternative community to members who are ready to jump ship. Is a Lemmy community the best option? It's a photo heavy group so when Pixelfed launches groups that will be great, but I haven't seen an ETA on that. I've read that Piefed has better mod controls. It can/should be public and accessible across platforms.

Thoughts? And before anyone points it out, I know most folks won't bother switching. But I also miss when it was smaller and had more chill vibes so I can live with that.

This entry was edited (4 hours ago)

catloaf doesn't like this.

in reply to JustOneMoreCat

friendica - Link to source

caos

@JustOneMoreCat If all accounts are on Lemmy, all images are also federated. But in the communication between Lemmy and the rest of the Fediverse there are still some restrictions regarding pictures in replies.
A #Friendica forum would probably be more suitable.
Here is an insight into what this could look like: peertube.stream/w/p/4K4MWYXMEY…
(an older version of Friendica is shown here, but in principle it is currently similar)
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