Comparing Kung Fu vs Modern Combat Sport training styles
m.youtube.com/watch?v=egipW75x…
In this martial arts breakdown for beginners, we're exploring the effectiveness of Kung Fu in a real fight. With its rich history and diverse styles, includi...YouTube
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The head of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, confirmed that the government of Change and Construction will continue its work in a caretaker capacity, stressing that the blood of al-Rahawi and his fellow ministers will serve as a catalyst for resilience, rebuilding, and continuing the path.
In a speech on Saturday evening, al-Mashat added that “our great martyrs bore their responsibility with full merit during the most difficult period in Yemen’s history and fulfilled their pledges to support Gaza,” noting that state institutions will continue to provide services to the Yemeni people.
Al-Mashat also stressed that the Yemeni people are capable of overcoming all difficulties and challenges, adding, “The enemy will not be able to break our resolve, and we will not be intimidated by airstrikes or terrified by threats.”
He also vowed revenge for the Zionisti crime, addressing the Israelis, saying, “We will have our revenge, and we will forge victory from the depths of our wounds. Our vengeance is implacable, and black days await you.”
“We will meet challenge with challenge, and you Zionists will never again taste any sense of security,” he stressed.
Furthermore, al-Mashat affirmed that Yemen’s stance regarding Gaza is firm, no matter the scale of the sacrifices, stating that the blood of the martyrs “was consecrated by a covenant to support Palestine.”
In messages to the international community, al-Mashat called on Arab and Islamic nations, as well as the world, to boycott any dealings with assets tied to the occupation, stating that “the opportunity is still ripe for settlers to return to their home countries.”
He also issued a final warning to all companies in the occupation entity to “leave before it’s too late.”
The presidency of the republic in Sanaa had announced on Saturday the martyrdom of Prime Minister Ahmad Ghaleb al-Rahawi and a number of his fellow ministers, following a Zionist strike that targeted a meeting they were attending this past Thursday.
Ahmad Ghalib Nasser al-Rahawi Al-Yafei, a southern Yemeni politician from the General People’s Congress, was born in Khanfar district in Abyan Governorate, and he held several administrative positions, including Deputy Governor roles in both al-Mahwit and Abyan.
After the Saudi-led war on Yemen began, al-Rahawi relocated to Sanaa, where he was appointed Governor of Abyan and later joined the Supreme Political Council, and, on August 13, 2024, he became head of the Government of Change and Construction.
A prominent southern figure opposing the US-backed aggression, al-Rahawi survived multiple assassination attempts, including the destruction of his home by Al-Qaeda. He was known for his patriotic stance, tribal influence, and loyalty to Yemen’s sovereignty.
Across the board, the factions offered their deepest condolences to the Yemeni people, the government, and the leadership of Ansarallah.
Hamas emphasized the blending of Palestinian and Yemeni blood in the ongoing battle of Al-Aqsa Flood. The movement stated that these “pure and dear bloods that were shed on the brotherly land of Yemen… mix today with the blood of the convoys of our Palestinian people,” which serves to “affirm the unity of our nation and the centrality of our cause.” Hamas framed the assassination as an act of “zionist arrogance against all international norms and laws” that underscores the danger the entity poses to the entire region.
The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine described the martyrdom as a “badge of honor, pride, and dignity for the leaders of Yemen and its brave heroes.” The statement stressed that this event “confirms the unity of blood between the Palestinian and Yemeni peoples” in their shared confrontation with the “criminal zionist entity, the enemy of the nation and of humanity.” PIJ expressed total confidence that Yemen will continue to defend the nation’s dignity and “punish the usurping entity for its brutal crimes.”
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine focused on the futility of the enemy’s actions, stating that its “policies of assassination and treachery… have proven their impotence and failure.” The Front asserted that the enemy will “reap nothing from its crimes but more shame and disgrace,” while the blood of the martyrs will “remain fuel for the march of steadfastness.” The PFLP praised the fallen leaders as a “model of loyalty and commitment to the nation’s causes, foremost among them the cause of Palestine.”
The Palestinian Mujahideen Movement declared that the martyrdom of Yemen’s leaders is “conclusive proof of the correctness of the path” and an affirmation of the “nation’s unity and its destiny in the face of the corrupting zionist enemy.” The movement highlighted that targeting a civilian government meeting reflects the “state of helplessness and failure” the enemy has reached due to Yemen’s powerful and continuous strikes. It also stressed that the Palestinian people “will not forget the sacrifices of the great Yemeni people who are paying the price for their authentic and honorable position.”
Fatah Al-Intifada offered its condolences with “verses of pride, honor, insistence, and steadfastness.” The movement praised Yemen’s leaders and people who “continue to write the most wonderful epics of heroism in their support for the oppressed Palestinian people.” The statement warned that far from weakening them, “all these assassinations… will increase their steadfastness, firmness, and insistence on remaining in the camp of resistance,” vowing that “these pure bloods will bring calamity upon this zionist enemy.”
abolitionmedia.noblogs.org/?p=…
#alAqsaFlood #assassinations #houthis #palestine #resistance #westAsia #yemen
Let me transport you back in time to three months ago, on June 6th, a day when a bunch of terrible things were unfolding in Los Angeles that were kinda just derailing my entire day. And I decided, hey-- I'm not gonna let fascist thugs keep me from attending an event I'd been looking forward to for some time now.
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#75: LAX may feel like one of the more frustrating airports out there, but it really is the front door to this city. Yes, it's always jammed, always under co...YouTube
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An autumn of discontent in France
counterfire.org/article/an-aut…
Militarisation and austerity combined with poor economic conditions are producing apolitical crisis, which we must replicate here in the UK, argues Chris Bambery The French prime minister, François Bayrou, is facing defeat on his attempts to p…Counterfire
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Its bewildering to me how online shop search engines can be so dysfunctional. A random primary school nerd could do a better job.
Exhibit A: search for mug (which I know they sell) returned one result "Queen." Could that be a mug fit for a Queen? Incorrect. Its Queen Brand Chocolate Ice Cream Topping.
The provided text introduces two core concepts: the "consent illusion" and the "escalation ladder." The "consent illusion" refers to the mistaken belief that...YouTube
old.bitchute.com/video/pc05Uke…
Standing Tall: #Spine #Alignment With #Kate #Shemirani
Sons Of Liberty - Tim Brown - 2025-08-30 - Saturday - Standing Tall: Spine Alignment With Kate Shemirani CLICK THIS LINK: → https://ugetube.com/watch/xLyBrR7Nx7AZTRE ← IF THIS VIDEO-SHARING PLATFORM ISN'T WORKING PROPERLY. Bible Gateway: http…BitChute
like this
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a deaf girl buys the same scooter as mine.
My friend Amy bought a brand new Vespa at dealership in Austin, Texas! I was like why not go and film her getting her new vespa! Camera: http://amzn.to/2ppL...YouTube
Xi meets Modi as China and India seek to rebuild ties
https://apnews.com/article/china-india-modi-tianjin-shanghai-cooperation-organization-6357f66ef17a8e7cd1b6adb5afbb71c8?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Asia @asia-AssociatedPress
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💙🩷💜Ⓑⓡⓔⓣⓣ🐡🍉🐧 likes this.
💙🩷💜Ⓑⓡⓔⓣⓣ🐡🍉🐧 reshared this.
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still not enough for that slop
nichegamer.com/bungie-paying-p…
Bungie has begun sending out invites to playtest the upcoming extraction shooter Marathon for a full month. To get the new invite (via Game Post)…Eustace (Niche Gamer)
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るべちか likes this.
@p I hate that it keeps pushing you to that final mission tree man.
Like it wants you to ignore shit.
@p Dude its like mass effect. They slide that gay shit in there.
dumb but at least they let you ignore it for the most. No wonder siverhand ditched him
@ins0mniak No, nothing gay happens. Especially, like, you should have played as a chick. She's a really bad voice actress but I tried playing as the dude and he's not only worse, but like, V is really goddamn whiny, and it's annoying coming from a woman but it makes me wanna punch the dude, like why you such a bitch.
Also I was trying to make the 
guy and could not because there is no "basic afro" option available and there is also no, like, regular grey suit.
Fed Upheaval Sows New Uncertainty About Path of Rates
wsj.com/economy/central-bankin…
Trump’s Revenge Summer Heats Up With Fed Ouster, Bolton Raid
bloomberg.com/news/articles/20…
#Project2025 #TechBros #CorpMedia #Oligarchs #MegaBanks vs #Union #Occupy #NoDAPL #BLM #SDF #DACA #MeToo #Humanity #FeelTheBern
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Jude Law debuts portrayal of Vladimir Putin in 'The Wizard of the Kremlin' at Venice Film Festival
https://apnews.com/article/venice-film-festival-jude-law-putin-movie-6b5132780cace15a22ffafd5e1141d7d?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Posted into Entertainment @entertainment-AssociatedPress
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“Here is my final point...About drugs, about alcohol, about pornography...What business is it of yours what I do, read, buy, see, or take into my body as long as I do not harm another human being on this planet? And for those who are having a little moral dilemma in your head about how to answer that question, I'll answer it for you. NONE of your fucking business. Take that to the bank, cash it, and go fucking on a vacation out of my life.”
- Bill Hicks
#quote #quotes #humanrights #ausgov
"Didn't kill anybody, didn't rape anybody, didn't rob anybody, laughed my ass off, and went about my day."
(another quote from him on the same subject)
He was definitely one that went much too soon. How great it would be to have him commenting on some stuff that happens today....
Nando161 reshared this.
Exploring the escalation ladder in police encounters and why resisting arrest almost always ends the same way—law enforcement prevails.Chris Abraham
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Samantha Power has admitted that Washington financially backed the pro-Western presidential election winnerRT
Seven Zionist soldiers were injured overnight when an explosive device struck a Namer armored personnel carrier in the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City, according to Zionist Army Radio on Saturday.
The Zionist Broadcasting Corporation reported that the vehicle belonged to the 99th Division and the 7th Brigade, operating in the northern Gaza Strip. Local Palestinian sources described fierce overnight confrontations between Palestinian resistance fighters and occupation invading units attempting to advance into the area.
Furthermore, Zionist media described the incident in al-Zaytoun as one of the most serious since the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023. Several soldiers were reported killed, 11 critically wounded, and four remain unaccounted for, feared captured by the Palestinian resistance.
Following the attack, the occupying invading units withdrew from the area. A publication ban was imposed on the fate of the missing soldiers, according to Zionist military censors.
Late Friday night, Zionist media confirmed that the army sustained three major operational setbacks across the Gaza Strip, triggering large-scale evacuations via helicopter. The incidents occurred in:
Each location witnessedintense face-to-face combat between Palestinian resistance fighters and Zionist invading units.
The heaviest confrontation unfolded in al-Zaytoun, which Zionist outlets described as “one of the most difficult events since October 7, 2023.” Resistance fighters ambushed a unit from the “Nahal” Brigade, killing at least one soldier and wounding others.
In a second ambush, fighters reportedly attempted to capture Zionist soldiers, triggering massive searches for four missing troops. Zionist media said the army had not issued an official statement, while mortar fire from the resistance hindered occupation search operations.
In response, the occupation reportedly activated the “Hannibal Directive” in al-Zaytoun to prevent the capture of soldiers. Confrontations in the neighborhood continued into the early hours of Saturday as more resistance fighters joined the battle.
In a related development, the Al-Qassam Brigades posted a brief message on their official Telegram channel, declaring: “We remind those who forget, death or capture.”
On his part, Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, stated that the Zionist military would pay a hefty price for its plans to occupy Gaza City with the blood of its soldiers, which would also increase the chances of more troops being captured.
In a post on Telegram on Friday, Abu Obeida warned that these plans to occupy Gaza would spell disaster for the occupation on both the political and military levels. The military spokesperson further emphasized that the al-Qassam freedom fighters are fully prepared, maintaining high morale, and ready to demonstrate extraordinary examples of heroism and steadfastness, teaching the invaders a harsh lesson.
He stated that “the war criminals, Netanyahu and his Nazi ministers, have deliberately and insistently decided to reduce the number of living prisoners by half and to make the bodies of most of their captured dead disappear forever, for which the enemy’s army and its terrorist government will bear full responsibility.”
abolitionmedia.noblogs.org/?p=…
#alAqsaFlood #alQassam #gaza #guerrilla #hamas #palestine #resistance #westAsia
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On August 21, a unit of the New People’s Army (NPA)-Albay (Santos Binamera Command) ambushed a 16-member 49th IB squad operating in Barangay Palapas, Ligao City, Albay Province. At least three fascist soldiers were killed and one reportedly wounded in the ambush.
The NPA-Albay reported that the 49th IB troopers were attempting to raid the said unit’s temporary camp. The people’s army detected the military’s movement and immediately carried out a decisive action against the soldiers.
To cover up its defeat, the 49th IB concealed the deaths of the three soldiers. In the news, the 49th IB only admitted to the wounding of a Charlie Company trooper identified as Pvt. Dani. A Ratsada Bareta broadcast of Eagle FM 92.7 Naga reported that the wounded soldier was rushed to a hospital in Ligao City and later transferred to a hospital in Legazpi.
Contrary to the military’s statement, no Red fighters of the NPA-Albay were injured and the unit safely withdrew.
NPA-Albay spokesperson Ka Florante Orobia said the successful action resulted from the people’s army’s vigilance and readiness to actively defend against enemy attacks. He added that effective intelligence and the broad support the NPA receives from the masses were crucial.
“The readiness and determination displayed by the unit were the result of renewed exercises and training by the Red fighters to overcome previously identified weaknesses,” Ka Florante added. He called on all NPA-Albay units to continue maintaining an offensive posture to ensure more victories in the revolutionary armed struggle.
Throughout the month of August, multiple armed actions and active defenses by NPA units against attacking Armed Forces of the Philippines troopers were reported. These were recorded in the Provinces of Aurora, Mindoro Oriental, Quezon, and Capiz.
Communist Party of the Philippines’ information officer Ka Marco L. Valbuena said that these series of battles disprove Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s July claim that “no guerrilla groups remain” in the country.
Source : philippinerevolution.nu/angbay…
abolitionmedia.noblogs.org/?p=…
#asia #guerrilla #ndfp #npa #philippines #resistance
On August 21, a unit of the New People’s Army (NPA)-Albay (Santos Binamera Command) ambushed a 16-member 49th IB squad operating in Barangay Palapas, Ligao City, Albay.Philippine Revolution Web Central
T. Hoxha is a Palestine activist who has been imprisoned for 9 months without trial in connection with the so-called Filton 24 case. This case is part of the targeting of Palestine Action — including its recent proscription in Britain — the activist group accused of participating in an action against the site of leading Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems in Filton in April 2024. Palestine Action has been playing a leading role globally in directly confronting the producers of arms fueling the ongoing Zionist-imperialist genocide against the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza.
She has been on hunger strike at Peterborough Prison since August 11. Her demands are that she be able to return to her job at the library and receive all the mail she has not yet received.
Casey Goonan, political prisoner of the student intifada in the United States, is charged with firebombing a cop car at UC Berkeley in response to the police’s brutal and violent treatment of students, who were protesting to demand an end to university complicity in the ongoing genocide. Upon hearing of T. Hoxha’s hunger strike, Casey Goonan and their cellmate have decided to join her in solidarity declaring:
Today I learned about T Hoxha, a Pal Action prisoner in the UK who is on day 16 of their hunger strike at HMP Peterborough. As of 4pm eastern time, August 26, 2025, 2 out of 3 of her demands have been met, but she is still on strike to demand that the prison release the mail they have been withholding from her.
As captives imprisoned for our participation in the Palestinian liberation movement in the west, we have a responsibility to each other across borders to pursue our lives in prison with the same steadfastness as the Palestinian Prisoners movement held captive in ‘Israeli’ prisons.
The states we have been captured by are the enablers of the Zionist entity’s accelerated genocide of Palestinians, as well as the ongoing genocides of black and indigenous people who’s lands they continue to occupy.
As the Western left continues to move from crisis to crisis, avoiding their responsibilities to Palestine, we are all that we have. By we I am referring to people facing repression for their support for Palestine, the people who are truly sacrificing. Such as T Hoxha, who has suffered through 16 days of starvation just to get her mail.
The Palestine solidarity movement in the west cannot abandon people like her who have risked their lives and continue to do so in resistance to the intolerable condition of genocide.
As of today one of my cellmates and I are on hunger strike at Santa Rita jail until her demands are met.
Solidarity with T Hoxha and all prisoners of the Palestine Solidarity movement!
Raze the walls!
Liberate all prisoners of the settler empire!
Casey Goonan
Hoxha’s and Goonan’s hunger strikes must not go unheard. We must make clear as a movement that our prisoners will not be left behind! They are incarcerated for their participation on the front lines of the Palestinian solidarity and liberation movements, because they heard the Palestinian people’s call to escalate, and responded by attacking the structures that enable the Zionist Entity within the imperial core.
Free T. Hoxha, Casey Goonan, The Filton 24, Anan Yaeesh, Elias Rodriguez, Jakhi McCray, Tarek Bazrouk, Ghassan Elashi and Shukri Abu Baker of the Holy Land 5;
Free the Black prisoners resisting the U.S Empire from its interior, free Mumia Abu Jamal, Imam Jamil al-Amin, Joseph Bowen, Fred Burton, Veronza Bowers, Kojo Bomani Sababu, Kamau Sadiki, and all of the prisoners of the Black Liberation Movement;
Free the 16 Lebanese and dozens of Syrian prisoners in Zionist jails, abducted and held hostage to impose Zionist-Imperialist control over Lebanon and Syria;
Free the over 10,800 Palestinian Prisoners who are routinely subjected to physical and sexual assault, psychological torture and abuse, sleep deprivation, starvation and denial of access to food and medical care, who continue to lead, inspire and guide Palestinian, Arab and international Resistance.
FREE THEM ALL!
CALLS TO ACTION TO SUPPORT T. HOXHA
Toolkit for T. Hoxha and Casey Goonan
docs.google.com/document/d/1yx…
Follow Prisoners 4 Palestine
instagram.com/prisoners4palest…
source: Samidoun
abolitionmedia.noblogs.org/?p=…
#alAqsaFlood #CaseyGoonan #gaza #northAmerica #palestine #Solidarity #tHoxha #uk #us
TOOLKIT FOR T. HOXHA AND CASEY GOONAN 1. Email for HMP Petersborough (Template): To: pbfamilymatters@sodexogov.co.uk, tony.simpson@sodexogov.co.uk, Ian.whiteside@sodexogov.co.uk, PBgeneralenquiries@sodexogov.co.uk, karen.reid@sodexogov.co.Google Docs
US Political Prisoner Casey Goonan on Hunger Strike in Solidarity With Pal Action Prisoner T. Hoxha
Today I learned about T Hoxha, a Pal Action prisoner in the UK who is on day 16 of their hunger strike at HMP Peterborough. As of 4pm eastern time, August 26, 2025, 2 out of 3 of her demands have been met, but she is still on strike to demand that the prison release the mail they have been withholding from her.
As captives imprisoned for our participation in the Palestinian liberation movement in the west, we have a responsibility to each other across borders to pursue our lives in prison with the same steadfastness as the Palestinian Prisoners movement held captive in ‘Israeli’ prisons.
The states we have been captured by are the enablers of the Zionist entity’s accelerated genocide of Palestinians, as well as the ongoing genocides of black and indigenous people who’s lands they continue to occupy.
As the Western left continues to move from crisis to crisis, avoiding their responsibilities to Palestine, we are all that we have. By we I am referring to people facing repression for their support for Palestine, the people who are truly sacrificing. Such as T Hoxha, who has suffered through 16 days of starvation just to get her mail.
The Palestine solidarity movement in the west cannot abandon people like her who have risked
their lives and continue to do so in resistance to the intolerable condition of genocide.As of today one of my cellmates and I are on hunger strike at Santa Rita jail until her demands are met.
Solidarity with T Hoxha and all prisoners of the Palestine Solidarity movement!
Raze the walls!
Liberate all prisoners of the settler empire!
Casey Goonanabolitionmedia.noblogs.org/?p=…
#CaseyGoonan #hungerStrike #palestine #palestineAction #politicalPrisoner #Solidarity #tHoxha
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Try NMN (Anti-aging & NAD+): (Buy ONE Get ONE Free PROMO For 48HR Only!) https://blackforestsupplements.com/WATSONNEW MERCH! https://modernity.news/shop/DONA...YouTube
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I know a lot of you still think of the #Fediverse as just “Mastodon”.
But it’s far more than that. There’s an entire ecosystem of federated message boards that’s already proven popular: #Piefed, #NodeBB, #Lemmy, #Mbin, and #Discourse.
Even the classics like #Friendica and #Hubzilla have solid forum features baked in.
If you’re only here for the microblogging, you’re missing a key piece. Communities built around interests are something #Twitter never offered, and #Bluesky still doesn’t.
So if you’re looking to replace your #Facebook Groups, the Fediverse already has you covered.
My wife and I pulled our ol' pickup into the lumberyard and she jumped out, and strolled into the office.
“We need some four-by-twos.”
The clerk raised an eyebrow. “You mean two-by-fours, right?”
My wife scratching her head. “Uh… let me check.”
She walked back to the truck, had a quick word with me, then returned. “Yep, two-by-fours.”
“Alright,” the clerk said. “How long do you need them?”
My wife frowned, deep in thought. After a long pause, she muttered, “Hmm… better check.”
She disappeared again, had another discussion with me by the truck, then went back inside.
With a confident nod, she announced, “A long time. We’re building a house.”
shkspr.mobi/blog/2013/04/what-…
More bad news for Android owners. A huge Russian malware operation is infecting Android apps in the the Google Play Store. The malware - hopefully now removed - hijacks your personal details, and sends premium rate text messages to drive profits for its owners.
Nasty.
This is the price we pay for Android's open access policy. iPhone users can smirk all they want - but I like being able to run anything I desire on my phone, rather than be restricted to the puritanical walled garden of Apple's App Store.
The late lamented Symbian OS did many things wrong - but it had an interesting approach to keeping users secure from malicious apps.
The first time an app wanted to access a feature - like Internet, SMS, phonebook - the phone would prompt the user to grant the app permission.
Now, the Symbian model wasn't without flaws. It would often forget that you'd granted an app permission or repeatedly ask annoying questions.
Is this what is needed for Android? the first time an app tries to access, say, the dialer - should Android say "Are you sure you want Angry Birds to make a phone call?"
Or, should Android take a leaf out of BlackBerry 10? When installing the app, the user can choose whether to grant certain permissions.
Finally, what about personal responsibility? The Android permission model is quite opaque to most users, it's true, but there are some basic precautions users can take.
I was recently hit by a "drive by installation". A malicious website automatically downloaded an app to my Android phone. When I clicked on it to install, this is what I got:
If you think a Battery app needs all those permissions... I'm not sure encasing you in bubble-wrap is enough to keep you safe from yourself!
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Android needs to do more to allow users to enjoy their freedom.
Going down the Symbian path of insisting every app be signed by a third party and repetitively interrupting the user is probably not the right way to do things. What is clear from the current crop of malware is that simply telling the user of the permissions an app is requesting at installation time is insufficient.
Until Google makes things better for its users, it's worth installing an app like Permissions Denied which will allow you to see which apps have more access than they need - and restrict them if necessary.
#android #mobile #security #symbian
Overview Lookout has discovered BadNews, a new malware family, in 32 apps across four different developer accounts in Google Play. According to Google Playweb.archive.org
shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/08/is-it…
In which I attempt to be pragmatic.
Are you allowed to run whatever computer program you want on the hardware you own? This is a question where freedom, practicality, and reality all collide into a mess.
Google has recently announced that Android users will only be able to install apps which have been digitally signed by developers who have registered their name and other legal details with Google. To many people, this signals the death of "sideloading" - the ability to install apps which don't originate on the official store0.
I'm a fully paid-up member of the Cory Doctorow fanclub. Back in 2011, he gave a speech called "The Coming War on General Computation". In it, he rails against the idea that our computers could become traitorous; serving the needs of someone other than their owner. Do we want to live in a future where our computers refuse to obey our commands? No! Neither law nor technology should conspire to reduce our freedom to compute.
There are, I think, two small cracks in that argument.
The first is that a user has no right to run anyone else's code, if the code owner doesn't want to make it available to them. Consider a bank which has an app. When customers are scammed, the bank is often liable. The bank wants to reduce its liability so it says "you can't run our app on a rooted phone".
Is that fair? Probably not. Rooting allows a user to fully control and customise their device. But rooting also allows malware to intercept communications, send commands, and perform unwanted actions. I think the bank has the right to say "your machine is too risky - we don't want our code to run on it."
The same is true of video games with strong "anti-cheat" protection. It is disruptive to other players - and to the business model - if untrustworthy clients can disrupt the game. Again, it probably isn't fair to ban users who run on permissive software, but it is a rational choice by the manufacturer. And, yet again, I think software authors probably should be able to restrict things which cause them harm.
So, from their point of view it is pragmatic to insist that their software can only be loaded from a trustworthy location.
But that's not the only thing Google is proposing. Let's look at their announcement:
We’ve seen how malicious actors hide behind anonymity to harm users by impersonating developers and using their brand image to create convincing fake apps. The scale of this threat is significant: our recent analysis found over 50 times more malware from internet-sideloaded sources than on apps available through Google Play.
Back in the early days of Android, you could just install any app and it would run, no questions asked. That was a touchingly naïve approach to security - extremely easy to use but left users vulnerable.
A few years later, Android changed to show user the permissions an app was requesting. Here's a genuine screenshot from an app which I tried to sideload in 2013:
No rational user would install a purported battery app with that scary list of permissions, right? Wrong!
We know that users don't read and they especially don't read security warnings.
There is no UI tweak you can do to prevent users bypassing these scary warnings. There is no amount of education you can provide to reliably make people stop and think.
Here's the story of a bank literally telling a man he was being scammed and he still proceeded to transfer funds to a fraudster.
It emerged that, in this case, Lloyds had done a really good job of not only spotting the potential fraud but alerting James to it. The bank blocked a number of transactions, it spoke to James on the phone to warn him and even called him into a branch to speak to him face-to-face.
Here's another one where a victim deliberately lied to their bank even after acknowledging that they had been told it was a scam.
Android now requires you to deliberately turn on the ability to side-load. It will give you prompts and warnings, force you to take specific actions, give you pop-ups and all sorts of confirmation steps.
And people still click on.
Let's go back to Google announcement. This change isn't being rolled out worldwide immediately. They say:
This change will start in a few select countries specifically impacted by these forms of fraudulent app scams, often from repeat perpetrators.…
September 2026: These requirements go into effect in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. At this point, any app installed on a certified Android device in these regions must be registered by a verified developer.
The police in Singapore have a page warning about the prevalence of these scams. They describe how victims are tricked or coerced into turning off all their phone's security features.
Similarly, there are estimates that Brazil lost US$54 billion to scams in 2024 (albeit not all through apps).
There are anecdotal reports from Indonesia which show how easily people fall for these fake apps.
Thailand is also under an ongoing onslaught of malicious apps with some apps raking in huge amounts of money.
It is absolutely rational that government, police, and civic society groups want to find ways to stop these scams.
Google is afraid that if Android's reputation is tarnished as the "Scam OS" then users will move to more secure devices.
Financial institutions might stop providing functionality to Android devices as a way to protect their customers. Which would lead to those users seeking alternate phones.
Society as a whole wants to protect vulnerable people. We all bear the cost of dealing with criminal activity like this.
Given that sideloaded Android apps are clearly a massive vector for fraud, it obviously behoves Google to find a way to secure their platform as much as possible.
This is quite obviously a bullshit powerplay by Google to ensnare the commons. Not content with closing down parts of the Android Open Source Project, stuffing more and more vital software behind its proprietary services, and freezing out small manufacturers - now it wants the name and shoe-size of every developer!
Fuck that!
I want to use my phone to run the code that I write. I want to run my friends' code. I want to play with cool open source projects by people in far-away lands.
I remember The Day Google Deleted Me - we cannot have these lumbering monsters gatekeeping what we do on our machines.
Back in the days when I was a BlackBerry developer, we had to wait ages for RIM's code-signing server to become available. I'm pretty sure the same problem affected Symbian - if Nokia was down that day, you couldn't release any code.
Going back to their statement:
To be clear, developers will have the same freedom to distribute their apps directly to users through sideloading or to use any app store they prefer.
This is a lie. I can only distribute a sideloaded app if Google doesn't nuke my account. If I piss off someone there, or they click the wrong button, or they change the requirements so I'm no longer eligible - my content disappears.
They promise that Android will still be open to student and hobbyist developers - but would you believe anything those monkey-punchers say? Oh, and what a fricking insult to call a legion of Open Source developers "hobbyists"!
I hate it.
I also don't see how this is going to help. I guess if scammers all use the same ID, then it'll be easy for Android to super-nuke all the scam apps.
Perhaps when you install a sideloaded app you'll see "This app was made by John Smith - not a company. Here's his photo. Got any complaints? Call his number."
But what's going to happen is that people will get their IDs stolen, or be induced to register as a developer and then sign some malware. They'll also be victims.
I've tried to be pragmatic, but there's something of a dilemma here.
Do we accept that a megacorporation should keep everyone safe at the expense of a few pesky nerds wanting to run some janky code?
Do we say that the right to run free software is more important than granny being protected from scammers?
Do we pour billions into educating users not to click "yes" to every prompt they see?
Do we try and build a super-secure Operating System which, somehow, gives users complete freedom without exposing them to risk?
Do we hope that Google won't suddenly start extorting developers, users, and society as a whole?
Do we chase down and punish everyone who releases a scam app?
Do we stick an AI on every phone to detect scam apps and refuse to run them if they're dodgy?
I don't know the answers to any of these questions and - if I'm honest - I don't like asking them.
On the average Web page, users have time to read at most 28% of the words during an average visit; 20% is more likely.Jakob Nielsen (Nielsen Norman Group)
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Sci-fi writers: AI will be incapable of deception
Actual AI: your code is running perfectly! The meeting is definitely on Tuesday! that's absolutely the right answer! 17 x 23 equals 391! These are all real citations that definitely exist!
narrator voice: none of this was true
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Macron's decision to recognize a Palestinian state in September angers Israel and the US
https://apnews.com/article/france-israel-gaza-palestinians-macron-5fc1f17fbeb0f5c7a7bdf21f987ccced?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
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