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"An interview with Anas Arafat from Plant the Land about the importance of emergency common assistance whilst working on longer-term solutions ~ Will B ~ Anas Arafat is a lawyer and longtime humanitarian aid activist based in Gaza. Anas co-founded the Plant the Land Team in 2015 and since then has
Tamar Meggido & Ronit Levine-Schnur & Yael Barda: ยป#Israel Has Already Annexed the #WestBank in Practice. Last month, Israel's Knesset voted in favor of the recognition of the State's right to Judea and Samaria, and the advancement of Israeli sovereignty over Jewish settlements in Area C. In reality, #annexation has already taken placeยซ haaretz.com/opinion/2025-08-05โฆ (Paywall)
Last month, Israel's Knesset voted in favor of the recognition of the State's right to Judea and Samaria, and the advancement of Israeli sovereignty over Jewish settlements in Area C. In reality, annexation has already taken place
ยปThe basic assumption in the Israeli public discourse, which includes right-wingers as well as center-left politicians, is that annexation requires an official announcement, such as legislation or a public declaration that changes the status of the territories. It seems that this is also the approach which was adopted by other countries. But that's an assumption that is legally inaccurate. In fact, the annexation of territory doesn't require a declaration or a legislative act.ยซ
ยปAs we have argued in a recent scholarly article published by the Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, to recognize that a "full" annexation is taking place, it is sufficient to look at the normative organizing framework with which the state manages the territory, the organizational structure and the bureaucratic machinery of the state; and the symbolic performance of power.ยซ
Wenn ich mich recht erinnere, haben Siedler auch schon erfolgreich dagegen geklagt, ausgerechnet im Zusammenhang mit Verbrsucherschutz, von israelischen Firmen als Auslandskunden behandelt zu werden.
ยปThe International Court of Justice, in its July 2024 Advisory Opinion, also adopted the position that annexation does not require an official declaration. It also found that Israel had already annexed at least parts of Area C. In other words, an undeclared annexation, accomplished through bureaucratic means, is annexation.ยซ
ยปThe actions of the Israeli government in the past two years have resulted in Israel already completing the annexation of the territories, without a political roadmap or legislation. It did this by comprehensively changing the authority of the state bodies operating in the territories, the structure and methods of its control over the territories, and the way in which budgets allocated to establishing and deepening Israeli control are utilized.ยซ
ยปThe military apparatus that governed the West Bank in recent decades, until recently, and which regarded itself as subject to international law, no longer exists. If until two years ago the West Bank was viewed as under military rule, today it is governed by Israel's civilian ministries. The Civil Administration is now subordinate to Bezalel Smotrich, who serves as an additional minister in the Defense Ministry.ยซ
ยปThis annexation isn't taking place on the pages of the newspaper [...] but through the wording of administrative documents, the transfer of budget items, a change in planning principles, accelerating licensing processes, the transfer of powers regarding land, developing infrastructure in favor of the settlements and including the settlements in Israel's infrastructure and civil law system. These steps are creating civilian Israeli sovereignty in the territories. ยซ
ยปWhat's the problem? In addition to the fact that annexation is totally forbidden according to international law, the infrastructure and government structures that were designed by the government in the territories are based on institutionalized discrimination, without granting civil rights to the Palestinian residents and through systematic discrimination against them when it comes to budgets and resources. ยซ
ยปIt is also a democratic problem: Annexation without rights is an apartheid regime. When 2 populations live in the same area, under diff. legal systems, diff. rights & diff. representation in pol. Institutions โ that's a regime that discriminates in a structural & systematic manner. And the denial of this reality by elected officials who refuse to recognize the fact that annexation is already here are helping to perpetuate violations of the law & the erosion of the democratic values [...]ยซ
ยปBut the annexation's effect is not limited to the apartheid that is directed at the marginalized Palestinian population. It's seeping in and destroying the foundations of the country. The significant increase in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank โ and the chain of attacks and arson by groups of settlers, some of them with the support of the army โ heralds the shift from an apartheid regime with separate laws for different populations to one in which the rule of law is a fiction,ยซ
ยปThe denial of the rule of law in the territories leads to a similar denial within the "Green Line" and in every other territory where the IDF operates. The time has come to acknowledge that one of the main goals of the judicial overhaul โ removing the barriers to annexation โ was already achieved. And like in a self-nourishing cycle, annexation also enables the continued entrenchment of the judicial coup's regime. ยซ
Es ist also deutlich - wer einer Idee eines Staates Israel anhรคngt, dass eine Demokratie und ein Rechtsstaat ist, sich aber weigert anzuerkennen dass der Staat Israel gerade eine Annektion der Westbank und Gazas durchzieht, Apartheid leugnet und nicht gehen Apartheid, Siedlungen, Vertreibungen und Annektion protestiert, der arbeitet daran mit dass der Staat Israel definitiv kein Rechtsstaat und keine Demokratie sein kann, egal wie oft derjenige sagt, dass er Netanyahu doof findet.
รbrigens: Heute wird der sogenannte E1-Plan vorangetrieben - ein neues Infrastrukturprojekt in der WestBank - was dazu dienen soll zahlreiche palรคstinensische Communities in der #Westbank komplett voneinander abzuschneiden.
Es ist quasi der letzte Infrastruktur-Baustein, der einer 2-Staatenlรถsung endgรผltig den Todesstoร versetzen wird, wenn er umgesetzt wird.
The Higher Planning Council will convene on August 6, 2025 to complete the hearing of objections submitted against the plans to build thousands of housing units in E1.
Damit kann sich wirklich keiner mehr herausreden, der von einer "verhandelten Zweistaatenlรถsung" als Ziel spricht. Die einzige Option dafรผr wรคre ein umgehender komplett-Rรผckzug des israelischen Staats mit allen Siedlern aus den besetzten palรคstinensischen Gebieten.
Wer das nicht fordern will, und dafรผr keinen Druck aufbauen mรถchte, dem bleibt nur noch Apartheid und Genozid รผbrig - oder eben dass es einen nicht-religiรถsen demokratischen Staat mit vollen, gleichen Rechten fรผr alle gibt.
Hans Jessen hat zur Bundesregierung zu E1 gefragt: sinngemรคร: "wir lehnen das entschieden ab, das wรคre vรถlkerrechtswidrig, eine 2-Staatenlรถsung muss mรถglich bleiben" Was die Bundesregierungen รผber die verbale Ablehnung hinaus machen? "Wir bleiben in Gesprรคch und machen das deutlich"
PeaceNow meldet, dass die finale Sitzung, in der das E1-Infrastrukturprojekt in der #Westbank, beschlossen werden soll bereits in der nรคchsten Woche - am 20.8.25 stattfinden wird.
Es handelt sich um den letzten Baustein, mit dem sich der Staat #Israel das Territorium der Westbank endgรผltig einverleibt, und damit die letzte Chance auf eine Zweistaatenlรถsung endgรผltig unmรถglich macht.
Yesterday (13/8/25), the Subcommittee for Objections of the Higher Planning Council published the protocol from its hearing on the objections to the E1 plans, held on 6/8/25.
Wer also nach diesem Beschluss noch immer davon spricht, dass er eine "verhandelte Zweistaatenlรถsung will", ohne die ganzen Siedlungen, sรคmtliche Siedler, ihre Unternehmen und Organisationen und das sie unterstรผtzende Militar vollstรคndig und umfassend zu sanktionieren der lรผgt รผber seine Motive.
Ohne Komplett-Sanktion von Siedlungen und Besatzungsregime wird E1 sicher gebaut - eine Verhanlungslรถsung fรผr einen Staat Palรคstina ist damit vรถllig unmรถglich.
Hier noch ein Thread von Daniel Seidemann darรผber was E1 bedeutet
ยปE-1 has long been considered by virtually all of the int'l community as the "doomsday settlement".ยซ
ยปE-1 will dismember the West Bank into 2 cantons, making a viable Palestinians State impossible. It will seal of Jerusalem from the West Bank, preventing a Palestinians capital. ยซ
ยปShould the Plan be allowed to proceed, it will indicate that there is no red line that Netanyahu will not crossยซ
@DanielSeidemann: Breaking and of UTMOST importance. 1/ Thread In a move that is likely Netanyahu's greatest "fuck you" to the int'l community, Israel's closest supporters and the prospects of any two-state outcome,...โฆ
Die Plรคne existieren seit vielen Jahren und sind hoch umstritten: Nun soll das Siedlungsprojekt E1 im Westjordanland kommen. Finanzminister Smotrich sagte, es gebe keine Chance fรผr einen palรคstinensischen Staat.
Smotrich: ยป"We are definitively burying the idea of a Palestinian state. We will make sure that by September, Europe's hypocritical leaders will have nothing to recognize."ยซ
Reaktion der Bundesregierung: ยป"Der Siedlungsbau verstรถรt gegen das Vรถlkerrecht und einschlรคgige Resolutionen des UN-Sicherheitsrats, sagte ein Sprecher des Auswรคrtigen Amtes. "Er erschwert eine verhandelte Zweistaatenlรถsung sowie ein Ende der israelischen Besatzung des Westjordanlands, wie der Internationale Gerichtshof es fordert."ยซ tagesschau.de/ausland/asien/isโฆ
Wahrscheinlich wird man in der israelischen Regierung darรผber herzlich darรผber lachen und sagen: That's exactly what we want.
Die Plรคne der israelischen Regierung, im besetzten Westjordanland Tausende neue Wohneinheiten zu bauen, stoรen auf scharfe Kritik. Unter anderem die Bundesregierung wirft Israel die Missachtung internationalen Rechts vor.
Solche Statements kann man eigentlich nur erklรคren, wenn man annimmt, dass die Bundesregierung nicht weiss was sie tut oder genau weiss was sie tut aber halbherzig zeigen will dass sie was anders will.
Das entscheidende Problem ist halt dass all diese รuรerungen nicht von Taten unterfรผttert sind. Damit kommen wir keinen Millimeter weiter. Nur einschneidende Sanktionen wรผrden helfen.
The decision of Israeli authorities to advance the E1 settlement plan further undermines the two-state solution while being a breach of international law.
Dort findet sich auch ein Verweis auf dieses hilfreiche Dokument der israelischen NGO Terrestrial Jerusalem, das den E-1-Plan einordnet und auch mit Hilfe von Karten die Isolierung Jerusalems und die Zweiteilung der Westbank zeigt: orange-juditha-6.tiiny.site/
Mehrere Aufnahmen aus der Luft von der systematischen Zerstรถrung, die #Israel in #Gaza angerichtet hat. Das ist wirklich nur mit einem Motiv konsistent - dem jedes Leben von Palรคstinensern in Gaza unmรถglich zu machen, und jede Spur vom Leben dieses Volks auszulรถschen - #Genozid
ยปA wasteland of rubble, dust and graves: how Gaza looks from the sky. The Guardian joins a Jordanian military airdrop for a rare chance to observe a landscape devastated by Israelโs offensiveยซ theguardian.com/world/2025/augโฆ
Irish President Michael Higgins has called on the UN to take urgent action in Gaza, asking Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to invoke powers under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter to bypass Security Council stalemate and streamline the delivery of hโฆ
Melanie OโBrien, President of the International Association of Genocide Scholars: โIt is without a doubt that we are witnessing a #genocide now in #Gaza, and state parties to the Convention are failing in their obligation to prevent and punish genocide.โ
[Melanie OโBrienย is Associate Professor of International Law at the University of Western Australia, President of theย International Association of Genocide Scholars, and Visiting Scholar with the Hโฆ
Hey Gemini, I need your help analyzing and understanding a final parting message left by a developer for his archived open-source file encryption software. Can you me with that?
Sanctions don't work; perhaps diplomacy would help. The European Union, meanwhile, continues to hurt itself. Last months it sanctioned an Indian refinery for buying Russian oil which promptly led to higher diesel prices in Europe:
The recent EU sanctions on Indiaโs Niara Energy refinery have removed approximately fifteen percent of European diesel imports overnight, sending prices higher and creating significant market volatility.
... With alternative supplies needed from the Middle East, Asia, and the US, diesel prices have jumped from $2.40 to $2.47 per gallon, and gas oil has climbed from $700 to $725 per metric ton. The shift comes amid already tight global supply, with Europe now required to pay a premium to attract new barrels.
It is also planning new sanctions on China even as China has proven to have escalation dominance in trade and is certain to hit back.
The attempt to fight Russia by secondary sanctions against its customers is likely to fail.
We can thus expect more attacks on Russia related shipping.
Fun fact: Microsoft also jumped onto the 'sanctions' train and blocked Nayara Energy's (if same company) entire cloud stack, like M365, Outlook E-Mail, Azure instances etc., despite Nayara having fully paid their licenses!
For IT folks: perhaps there's a lesson somewhere in this?
"I don't think that is an argument that would have any legal force at the end of it, because it's not an agreed process.
โIt might be what we would like to do โ I would love Scotland to be independent today, but it's not going to deliver that process of Scotland becoming an independent country.โ
John Swinney dismisses SNP members' rival independence plan | The National
Das Bild besteht aus vier quadratischen Bildern, die nebeneinander angeordnet sind. Jedes Bild zeigt eine รคhnliche Szene, in der ein nackter Mann und eine Frau in einem Sessel sitzen. Die Frau liegt auf dem Rรผcken, wรคhrend der Mann vor ihr sitzt. Die Bilder sind in verschiedene Stile und Farben bearbeitet:
Das obere linke Bild zeigt die Szene in einem natรผrlichen Farbton, mit einem emoji รผber dem Gesicht des Mannes.
Das obere rechte Bild ist ebenfalls in natรผrlichen Farben, mit demselben emoji รผber dem Gesicht des Mannes.
Das untere linke Bild ist in einem goldenen Farbton mit Sternen und Blรผten, ebenfalls mit dem emoji รผber dem Gesicht des Mannes.
Das untere rechte Bild ist in einem blauen Farbton, mit dem emoji รผber dem Gesicht des Mannes.
Jedes Bild zeigt die gleiche Szene, aber mit unterschiedlichen visuellen Effekten.
Bereitgestellt von @altbot, privat und lokal generiert mit Ovis2-8B
Danke fรผr die Antworten. Ich hoffe es hat etwas Spaร gemacht. Ich dachte nicht, dass ihr euch des Voyeurismus schuldig fรผhlt. Sehr selbstreflektierend. Und natรผrlich ist die Frau schuld weil Aktionen mit ihr passieren. Kind of Patriarchat #feminism #feminismus
Oh, Du gehst aber ganz schรถn ins Detail. Dabei wollte ich nur darauf aufmerksam machen, dass bestimmte Gruppen bestimmte Regeln aufgestellt haben/aufstellen. Ob dieses Berechtigt ist, ist eine ganz andere Frage und halt auch, ob wir alle diese auch akzeptieren oder annehmen..... Habt einen schรถnen Tag weiterhin.
Richtig @gauze jeder hat seine Regeln und Grenzen und das ist auch gut so. Was nicht ok ist, diese anderen aufzuzwingen. Aber man kann darรผber reden und die andere Meinung akzeptieren. Und manchmal etwas satirisch รผbertreiben nimmt den Ernst aus der Sache. Allerdings ist der Ausgang der Umfrage erstaunlich. Ich dachte ich wรผrde mehr "Schuld" abbekommen. Es ist ja auch nicht bierernst gemeint.
@gauze ja der Pfarrer verurteilt alle. Der Nachbar weil er das begehrt, was seinem Nรคchsten gehรถrt. ยง10 Die Frau darf nicht ehebrechnen, was man so andeuten kann ยง7 Der Mann verstรถรt gegen kein Gesetz und ist save. Typisch weiรe alte Mรคnner Style. Und die Voyeure fallen unter ยง1 weil sie mich neben Gott als Gรถttin ansehen. Eine Sex frage und soviel Tiefe.
In light of these draconian restrictions imposed by the UK and Australia upon people in the interest of "protecting children", I felt it might be interesting to talk about how the #DPRK protects children.
You find all these articles proclaiming everything from "rape is rampant in the DPRK" but "porn possession is punishable by death" and whatever other contradictory nonsense without a shred of proof (then turning around and saying, actually, violent crime is extremely rare in the DPRK โ but only because punishments for it are so harsh, because that's how criminology works, don't look that up). However, if you actually read the DPRK's criminal code, pornography isn't in there at all. It is in China's, and other countries that prohibit porn, but not the DPRK.
And it stands to reason: Kim Jong-il was a big film buff, which definitely included some pornography, and contrary to popular belief, you absolutely can just walk into an app shop (yes, apps are sold in physical stores) in the DPRK and buy western films. I recall an anecdote from a recent tourist who got to talk with a young North Korean woman on the train, and asked if if she'd ever seen Shrek. Her English wasn't wonderful, but she told him to wait when the bus stopped, dashed out and into an app shop, and then dashed back, to show him that Shrek was now on her phone.
The difference, and the reason that porn doesn't need to be punishable by law, is because you'll have a rough time finding it. All media that you can purchase easily is media that is approved and sold by the state. The national intranet, too, is publicly owned.
That having been said, there are more direct ways that the DPRK protects children, which the UK and Australia do not do and probably would not even consider: Article 258 makes it illegal to neglect, abuse, or otherwise fail to protect and care for your children, elderly, or disabled family members (punishable by a sentence of labour of less than one year). Article 181 makes it illegal to compel a minor to work (similar sentencing).
In the DPRK, the principle role of children is to become educated, and it is the principle role of adults to form a society that is conducive to that education. If a child, therefore, gets their hands on pornography, it is not the fault of the child, but the fault of whoever was meant to be protecting them from it.
(Incidentally, the punishment for rape is between 5-10 years of labour at minimum, beaten out only by murder, which is always over 10 years, and crimes around terrorism and conspiracy against the state, which are the only ones which could land you the death penalty within regular criminal law.)
Of course, I'm sure there are people who will say, like absolute madmen, "Yeah, but that's just what the law says, which is just propaganda for the people that the judicial system doesn't actually follow!" But you'll have to reconcile the fact that it's expected of every Korean citizen to study on a weekly basis and learn more about their country, history, how it works, and its place in the wider world; there's a good chance that anyone you talk to will be able to tell you off by heart what is in this post, and you would have to reconcile the idea that someone like this could watch supposed public executions for porn possession and still feel immense trust, loyalty, and pride in their country and state โ which is nearly always the case; as it has been noted grudgingly even by western sources, the DPRK is a remarkably politically stable nation, much to their chagrin.
Firstly, neither Zionism nor the Turks could foresee what was happening, therefore, the reaction was rather strange, the parties simply guided themselves based on the situation in real time.
Robert Birsel is a Newsweek reporter based in Asia with a focus on political and general news. Robert joined Newsweek in 2025 from Radio Free Asia and had
"Ceux qui laissent entrer les #migrants sont complices de tous les #assassinats produits sur notre sol : ils doivent รชtre jugรฉs et condamnรฉs, comme en temps de #guerre. C'est une #invasion bien orchestrรฉe et subie : dรฉnoncer l'#islamisme et vous รฉtiez taxรฉs de #raciste, voire envoyรฉs devant les #tribunaux grรขce aux lois votรฉes par nos politiques. Ce qui confirme bien que, si les flux migratoires sont รฉtroitement surveillรฉs, leurs contrรดles restent politiques. Cette invasion de lโ#Europe par les รฉmigrants des pays musulmans et de l'Afrique Noire est programmรฉe, contrรดlรฉe et acceptรฉe. Rien du trafic #migratoire en #Mรฉditerranรฉe nโest ignorรฉ des autoritรฉs franรงaises, militaires et civiles. La Direction du Renseignement Militaire, qui est leader en France sur le Renseignement dโOrigine Imagerie (ROIM) fourni par les satellites-espions militaires, a inaugurรฉ le 19 Janvier dernier un trรจs discret Centre dโexpertise, le CRGI (Centre de Renseignement Gรฉospatial Interarmรฉes). Pluridisciplinaire, il intรจgre une trentaine de spรฉcialistes civils, militaires et rรฉservistes de haut niveau dont la principale fonction consiste ร fusionner le renseignement recueilli par la DRM ร partir dโune multitude de capteurs (interceptions, satellites, sources ouvertes, cybersurveillance, etc....). Cโest ainsi que la DRM peut prรฉsenter au Gouvernement franรงais une situation prรฉcise de la prรฉsence des migrants subsahariens en Libye, ainsi que les identitรฉs exactes, les modes opรฉratoires et les stratรฉgies des ยซ #passeurs ยป de migrants. Ces informations sont transmises par la #France ร lโรฉtat-major de la mission europรฉenne en Mรฉditerranรฉe (Eunavfor Med) lancรฉe en mai dernier.ยญยญยญ Le Renseignement franรงais sait oรน les passeurs รฉchangent leurs cargaisons humaines, oรน ils les hรฉbergent. ยญยญll les voit prรฉparer les dรฉparts vers lโEurope depuis les plages de Tripolitaine et de Cyrรฉnaรฏque, imposant aux migrants un processus immuable. ยญยญยญAvant tout dรฉpart en mer, les passeurs appellent le Centre de Coordination Italien des Secours Maritimes, et cโest ainsi que les bateaux europรฉens vont recueillir directement en mer les masses migratoires, pour les transporter ร bon port, de crainte quโils ne sโรฉgarent sur les cรดtes africainesโฆ Le GEOINT est devenu lโoutil idรฉal pour valoriser des donnรฉes massives gรฉo-localisรฉes. Il joue le rรดle dโun accรฉlรฉrateur de prises de dรฉcisions en donnant une vision claire et complรจte aux chefs militaires et aux dรฉcideurs politiques. L'Invasion nโavance pas au hasard : il nโy a aucun mystรจre, tout se sait ! On sait oรน les ยซ passeurs ยป vont sโapprovisionner en bateaux. On sait que la Turquie dรฉlivre de faux passeports et que les autoritรฉs de rรฉception ferment les yeux.... Le Renseignement Franรงais est donc capable de voir le trafic migratoire en Afrique jusque dans ses moindres dรฉtails, et il pourrait le voir รฉgalement en Europe." #politique
Have you ever bought underwear and took them out of the pack, and they looked enormous. Then, when you put them on, they fit like a glove? No? Just me then.
Pie theory taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/0โฆ Lisa Nandy, the wealth secretary, is on the morning media round. She is treating the world to a dose of pie theory. She has actually referred to the need "for a bigger pie." And pie theory has never and can never solve any known economic problem.
Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, is on the morning media round. She is treating the world to a dose of pie theory. She has actually referred to the need
An Israeli security cabinet meeting that had been expected to discuss Benjamin Netanyahuโs call for the โfull occupationโ of Gaza has been postponed amid mounting tensions over whether the plan is feasible.
Forget about independence. Start eating processed foods again. Take drugs. Use AI. My future unless Swinney gets a grip. ๐คฌ
"If there is a majority at [[Holyrood]], then the 2029 Westminster election becomes crucial โ because if the [[SNP]] were to have leverage in a hung parliament, that in my view has always been the most likely way in which a referendum could happen, sooner rather than later.โ
John Curtice on 'most likely' route to new Scottish independence vote
Laith sits with fiction author, journalist and translator, Lilian Hamze, to discuss current realities of Unitary Muslims (Druze) in Syria, Lebanon and Palest...
I must ask why does he want pharmaceuticals made in the USA, when his health minister, Kennedy is cancelling research into vaccines, and Medicaid etc is all being cancelled in the USA? The population there wonโt be able to afford anything for their health; unless they are the millionaires and billionaires. Trump should not be able to hold the world to ransom while depriving his own citizens of healthcare & medications. I do hope the companies and governments involved will call this bluff. Also, itโs unlikely a whole manufacturing set-up and all the ingredients, and the skilled workforce can be designed, built and in operation in a few months - given the specialist hygiene etc involved.
Iโm astonished Ireland is still permitting Israeli bonds, or Israeli anything at this point. Though I know the current government is at fault, because they no longer have a spine or good partners in their coalition.
The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank of the European Union countries which have adopted the euro. Our main task is to maintain price stability in the euro area and so preserve the purchasing power of the single currency.
It should be a picture of the destroyed Gaza. European values in action. Total destruction sponsored, paid, supported, tolerated by European governments.
Prominent Palestinian historian Rashid Khalidi discusses the anti-colonial struggle against Israel, U.S. and European complicity in the genocide and why he won't teach at Columbia in the fall.
Iโm not sharing because there isnโt a CW on the photo. But those people are clearly very hungry and havenโt eaten in quite a while. Netanyahuโs administration is so far beyond deliberate starvation and war crimes it beggars description; to read that Netanyahu is talking of a complete invasion of Gaza today is just intolerable. I just cannot grasp that the world is continuing to let this happen and take no actions against Netanyahu and his vile government.
"There were the doomsdayers, the moaners and, letโs face it, the ill-wishers, hoping that a march across one of the most famous bridges in Australia would not take place. Despite this, some 100,000 people attended the March for Humanity gathering which began in Sydneyโs central business
"August 2nd to 3rd 2025 marked the โholidayโ of Tisha Bโav. Jews observe it with readings of Lamentations, a part of the extended Torah, chronicling the history of one of many catastrophic destructions of the nation of Israel. Observant Jews fast on Tisha Bโav, and the text of Lamentations includes detailed passages describing famine in More The post On Starvation Hasbara appeared first on Counter"
Zelenskyโs move to centralize control over Ukraineโs anti-corruption agencies sparked mass protests and EU backlash, putting billions in funding at risk.
Your website is the digital foundation of your businessโyour online shop, marketing tool, and customer service hub all in one. But if it loads slowly, it's failing to deliver. Visitors don't wait for sluggish sitesโthey move on.
The good news? You don't need a massive budget to make your site fast. With a few smart, low-cost tweaks, you can boost performance and keep users engaged. Here's how to optimize your website affordably, whether you're building it yourself or working with a cheap website designer.
Clear Out the Excess
Many small business websites are weighed down by unnecessary featuresโplugins, pop-ups, and animations that add bulk without value. These often pile up over time, slowing your site and frustrating users.
Review your site like a first-time visitor. Remove anything that doesn't serve a purpose. That homepage carousel you haven't updated in months? It's likely dragging performance. Those auto-playing ads? They're probably doing more harm than good.
When hiring a cheap website designer, ensure they prioritize clean, efficient design. A lean site loads faster and keeps visitors happy.
Optimize Images for Performance
Images are often the biggest culprits behind slow websites. Uploading high-resolution photos without resizing them can tank your load times.
Before uploading, resize images to their display size and compress them using free tools like TinyPNG, Squoosh, or ImageOptim. Use JPEG for photos and PNG for graphics with transparency. If your site only needs a 700px-wide image, don't upload a 4000px version.
For those on a cheap web design budget, this is a free way to improve speed. Optimized images mean faster pages and better user engagement.
Reduce Third-Party Scripts
Your site may load external contentโanalytics tools, chat widgets, social media feeds, or ad scripts. Each one adds a delay as it fetches data from another server.
If you're running multiple trackers or unused widgets, you're slowing your site for no reason. Stick to essentials like Google Analytics and one marketing tool. If that Facebook feed isn't driving clicks, cut it.
Use tools like GTmetrix or WebPageTest to identify scripts slowing your site. Eliminate the rest to keep things lean.
Pick a Speed-Focused Theme
Some themes look stunning but are packed with heavy scripts, animations, and features that hurt performance. A flashy demo can hide a bloated codebase.
For platforms like WordPress or Shopify, choose a lightweight theme like Astra, GeneratePress, or Neve. These are designed for speed without sacrificing style.
If you're working with a cheap website designer, ask about their theme choice. A good designer will prioritize performance over visual flair.
Upgrade Hosting on a Budget
If your site is still sluggish after optimization, your hosting might be the bottleneck. Cheap shared hosting works for small sites, but it can struggle as traffic grows.
You don't need a premium server. Affordable hosts like SiteGround, A2 Hosting, or Cloudways offer fast plans starting under $15/month. Check your Time to First Byte (TTFB)โif it's high, it's time to switch.
A small hosting upgrade can deliver big speed improvements without breaking the bank.
Implement Caching
Caching saves a pre-rendered version of your site, so it loads faster for visitors. It's a simple way to cut load times and reduce server strain.
For WordPress, free plugins like WP Super Cache or LiteSpeed Cache are easy to use and highly effective. Install one, enable it, and see instant results.
Streamline Your Code
Your site's CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files often include extra spaces, comments, or formatting that slow browsers down. Minifying removes this excess, and combining files reduces requests.
Plugins like Autoptimize or Fast Velocity Minify handle this automatically. Test changes to ensure your theme still works properly.
Limit Fonts
Custom fonts add personality but require downloads from servers like Google Fonts, slowing your site. Stick to one or two fonts, or use system fonts that load instantly.
Speed matters more than fancy typography. A fast site with clean fonts outperforms a slow one with elaborate designs.
Focus on Mobile Performance
Most visitors browse on mobile, often on slower networks or older devices. A site that's fast on desktop might lag on a phone.
Use Google's PageSpeed Insights or Mobile-Friendly Test to check mobile performance. They'll flag issues like oversized images or blocking scripts. Fixing these ensures a smooth experience for all users.
Cheap web design should prioritize mobile without cutting corners. It's about delivering what users need.
Speed is User Satisfaction
A fast website lets visitors shop, browse, or contact you without frustration. A slow one sends them away. Speed isn't just a technical detailโit's the core of a great user experience.
You don't need deep pockets to make your site fast. Trim clutter, optimize images, and use free tools. If you're working with a cheap website designer, ensure they focus on performance.
Run your site through PageSpeed Insights to spot weak spots. Make small, steady tweaks. A fast site keeps visitors and drives growth.
Remember When the Democrats Lost the Elections Because of Fears About Inflation? The NYT Doesnโt counterpunch.org/2025/08/06/reโฆ
"As usual, the New York Times gets things exactly wrong in a piece headlined โTrumpโs Tariffs are Making Money. That May Make Them Hard to Quit.โ The gist of the article is that the tariffs are on a path to raise close to $400 billion a year, and possibly
Im Norden ist heute mit wechselnder Bewรถlkung und einzelnen Schauern zu rechnen. Im Sรผden bleibt es meist trocken und freundlich. Die Temperaturen steigen auf den Inseln auf bis zu 19 Grad, im Raum Gรถttingen auf bis zu 23 Grad. Der Wind weht schwach bis mรครig, an der See frisch und bรถig aus westlicher Richtung. /LL
"Ministรจre de lโIntรฉrieur Police des chemins de fer Commissaire spรฉcial dโAnnemasse Haute-Savoie Nยฐ 1535 Anarchistes GLUSCHITZ Mathias Annemasse, le 17 โฆLire la suite โ"
Ministรจre de lโIntรฉrieur Police des chemins de fer Commissaire spรฉcial dโAnnemasse Haute-Savoie Nยฐ 1535 Anarchistes GLUSCHITZ Mathias Annemasse, le 17 novembre 1892 Rapport On signale comme anarchiโฆ
Every daring attempt to make a great change in existing conditions, every lofty vision of new possibilities for the human race, has been labelled utopian. -- Emma Goldman
"August 6 and 9 are the 80th anniversaries of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The killing of 140,000 civilians at Hiroshima was the effect of detonating a 60-million-degree Celsius explosion (ten thousand times hotter than the surface of the sun) over the city. Richard Rhodesโ The Making of the Atomic Bomb reported, More The
The death of children from hunger in Gaza is no longer a metaphorโit has become a deadly reality, the result of genocide and starvation policies imposed by the Israeli enemy on more than a million starving children in the besieged Strip.
Is there an up-to-date and, most importantly, good desktop app for Lemmy? My instance is having issues with the web frontend at the moment, it'd be nice to have a backup. Ubuntu 25.04, if that matters.
I use Tesseract, which is fantastic. Be wary, though: the developer recently put the project in maintenance mode and swore off the fediverse, then i guess changed his mind and continues to develop it - it's certainly possible it could happen again.
Oh, I think I've heard of Tesseract before... The reason I ended up going with Alexandrite was because Tesseract looked a little over-featured and very busy; not really what I was looking for, but it looks great!
A shame about those issues with developments. Sometimes that's just what happens with Open Source, especially for niche stuff developed by a single individual. Do you know why the dev swore off the Fediverse? I'm very interested in why someone would decide that. I did go thru their post history and got an idea as to a possibility, but I wonder if they made a post about it or something that I might've missed.
The only Desktop one that comes to mind is Interstellar, but you could probably also use a web fronted that is instance independent like phtn.app (Which I would recommend if it works)
I have รพe same question, except wiรพ a qualification: no web apps. No electron apps. I want a desktop app, not an SPA bundled with a bunch of JavaScript.
More รพan รพat, however, I want a decent, functional TUI for รพe FediVerse. รere's a couple great ActivityPub microblogging TUIs, but I haven't been able to find a good TUI for รพreaded FediVerse like Pixelfed or Lemmy.
Both being Go based apps. but the neonmodem looks more interesting to me.
Another option is a hybrid one, to add the rss feeds from the lemmy communities your're interested in, or the rss feed from all of them together into your feed reader (even better if newsraft), but those feeds don't show full lemmy conversations and one has to show them in the browser, and also if in need to comment or post one still need to use the browser.
apps doc is constantly evolving, so it's good to keep an eye on it periodically, ๐
Neonmodem looks really cool and support multiple backend. TUI is cool and definitely earns its place. Excellent for my old laptop.
But on the other hands, I wish we have a proper complicated non electron liked desktop gui. My browser probably has 1000+ tabs. So able to open multiple threads are must. But building this sophisticated desktop app is hard. I am really being spoiled by open source apps. And I am always thankful to devs' hardwork.
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