Israel | Ben-Gvir's fascist lynch-mob wears noose lapel pins
Israel's fascist Otzma Yehudit party sinks to a new low, wearing 'noose' lapel pins in support of the death penalty against Palestinians
Archived version: archive.is/newest/thecanary.co…
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.
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Ukraine jails priest for supporting Russia
Ukraine jails priest for supporting Russia
Kiev has jailed a priest over alleged pro-Russia remarks as part of a widening crackdown on the Ukrainian Orthodox ChurchRT
Bar owner offering free beers to people who help ICE says he’s getting death threats
Mark Fitzpatrick, proprietor of the Old Station Saloon in Eagle, Idaho, says ‘liberals’ have threatened to kill him and burn down his business over promotion to encourage support for migrant crackdown
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US | ICEBlock developer sues Trump administration over App Store removal
‘We promised you we would fight back.’
Case file: s3.documentcloud.org/documents…
ICEBlock developer sues Trump administration over App Store removal
ICEBlock developer Joshua Aaron is suing Pam Bondi, Kirsti Noem, and other federal officials over Apple’s removal of the app.Jay Peters (The Verge)
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Sudanese Paramilitary Drone Strikes Kindergarten, Killing Dozens of Children
UN officials say that they believe at least 60,000 people have been killed in Sudan in just the past few weeks.
Archived version: archive.is/newest/truthout.org…
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.
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Israeli police swap UN flag for Israeli flag during raid on UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem
Israeli police removed the United Nations flag from the compound of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem and raised the Israeli flag in its place, the agency’s commissioner-general said Monday, Anadolu reports.
Archived version: archive.is/newest/middleeastmo…
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.
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Donald Trump's Border Patrol weapons spending skyrockets
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-chemical-less-lethal-weapons-pepper-spray-dhs-ice-cbp-11150372
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rima lo scontro a colpi di bastoni, poi lo scontro verbale in ospedale tra i parenti dei giovani coinvolti. È successo a Merano, dove i carabinieri della stazione di Postal hanno denunciato 6 persone
I militari sono intervenuti nei pressi del poligono per la segnalazione di una lite; sul posto hanno trovato i due giovani che si stavano ancora colpendo con bastoni in plastica e ferro, entrambi con vistose ferite sanguinanti. Disarmati e bloccati, i due sono stati trasportati all'ospedale Tappeiner di Merano. Per entrambi è scattata la denuncia per lesioni personali aggravate e porto abusivo di armi
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Merano: loro si prendono a bastonate, la rissa la continuano i parenti in ospedale
trentotoday.it/cronaca/rissa-p…
© TrentoToday
Loro si prendono a bastonate, la rissa la continuano i parenti in ospedale
Le indagini dei carabinieri hanno permesso di scoprire i motivi della faida sfociata in ferite sanguinanti. E che erano presenti altre quattro persone, fuggite...Redazione Cronaca (TrentoToday)
Tarquinia, tomba dei Pigmei: inaugurazione del nuovo sistema di accesso l’11 dicembre, ore 11
L’Associazione Amici delle Tombe di Tarquinia, in collaborazione con la Soprintendenza per la provincia di Viterbo e per l’Etruria meridionale, in occasione delle iniziative per la valorizzazione della Necropoli etrusca di Tarquinia, ha organizzato per giovedì 11 dicembre prossimo, l’inaugurazione del nuovo sistema di accesso alla straordinaria Tomba dei Pigmei, realizzato grazie al generoso contributo della Socia Federica Wiel Marin e, fino ad oggi, difficilmente accessibile a causa del lungo e ripido dromos.
L’appuntamento è alle ore 11 al parcheggio della Tomba dei Tori.
L’ingresso sarà contingentato e gratuito, senza obbligo di prenotazione.
Alla fine è previsto anche un brindisi per festeggiare l’evento: un importante intervento volto a garantire una maggiore fruibilità e accessibilità di un sito così prestigioso.
Tarquinia, tomba dei Pigmei: inaugurazione del nuovo sistema di accesso l’11 dicembre, ore 11 - Occhioviterbese
L’Associazione Amici delle Tombe di Tarquinia, in collaborazione con la Soprintendenza per la provincia di Viterbo e per l’Etruria meridionale, in occasione delle iniziative per la valorizzazione della Necropoli etrusca di Tarquinia, ha organizzato p…Occhioviterbese
There is a large amount of Anarchist larpers on Lemmy I can't name them all.
edit: Guess not, I have them blocked so I have no idea what they're posting or if they're an Anarchist. I think they crashed out on my instances music comm
Pietramelara (CE) – Stadio e misteri: al Leonardo i tifosi ospiti sistemati in “gabbia per polli”. E i lavori di adeguamento?
Pietramelara – Stadio e misteri: al Leonardo i tifosi ospiti sistemati in “gabbia per polli”. E i lavori di adeguamento?
Pietramelara – “… Il problema è che si annuncia in pompa magna l'apertura di uno "stadio" ristrutturato e invece ospitate i tifosi ospiti in un recinto per galline... Almeno fateci vedere la partita.La redazione (PaeseNews quotidiano di Terra di Lavoro online)
Gondolieri sub raccolgono 18 quintali di rifiuti a Venezia
Gondolieri sub raccolgono 18 quintali di rifiuti a Venezia - Notizie - Ansa.it
Record assoluto per i Gondolieri Sub, che questa mattina a Venezia hanno riportato alla luce 18 quintali di rifiuti, ripulendo i fondali del rio di Santa Marta-Santa Maria Maggiore.. (ANSA)Agenzia ANSA
Il cantore del Polesine, omaggio a Gian Antonio Cibotto
Il cantore del Polesine, omaggio a Gian Antonio Cibotto - Libri - Ansa.it
Il devastante straripamento del Po che nel 1951 provocò nelle province di Rovigo e Vicenza un centinaio di morti e danni per 300 miliardi si rivelò un banco di prova decisivo per quel giovane volontario impegnato nei soccorsi: dal diario dell'esperie…Agenzia ANSA
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Mike Johnson strips military IVF coverage from defense bill – report
A massive defense policy bill, revealed by US lawmakers on Sunday, does not include a provision that would have provided broad healthcare coverage for in vitro fertilization (IVF) for active-duty members of the military, despite Donald Trump’s pledge to strengthen access to the procedure.
Both the House and Senate previously approved the provision, which was added to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) as an amendment earlier this year. But Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House and a diehard anti-abortion Republican, worked behind the scenes to strip the provision from the new version of the NDAA, MS NOW reported last week.
Mike Johnson strips military IVF coverage from defense bill – report
House speaker worked behind the scenes to strip provision after it was added as an amendment earlier this yearCarter Sherman (The Guardian)
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Shock Poll: 82% Of Brits Want Israel Removed From Eurovision
A new poll suggests that 82% Of British people want Israel to be removed from the Eurovision Song Contest.
The country’s continued involvement with the Song Contest is the subject of controversy, with Russia having been removed following its invasion of Ukraine.
The poll was pieced together by Pablo O’Hana, and utilised a survey sample of 1093, done in a nationally representative manner.
A noted Eurovision fan himself, Pablo O’Hana adds: “Eurovision isn’t just about songs and staging – it’s about values. If Israel is permitted to compete, the people of Britain believe we should walk away. The BBC must find its backbone before walking into that meeting today.”
https://www.clashmusic.com/news/shock-poll-82-of-brits-was-israel-removed-from-eurovision/
Shock Poll: 82% Of Brits Want Israel Removed From Eurovision
A new poll suggests that 82% Of British people want Israel to be removed from the Eurovision Song Contest.
The country’s continued involvement with the Song Contest is the subject of controversy, with Russia having been removed following its invasion of Ukraine.
The poll was pieced together by Pablo O’Hana, and utilised a survey sample of 1093, done in a nationally representative manner.
A noted Eurovision fan himself, Pablo O’Hana adds: “Eurovision isn’t just about songs and staging – it’s about values. If Israel is permitted to compete, the people of Britain believe we should walk away. The BBC must find its backbone before walking into that meeting today.”
https://www.clashmusic.com/news/shock-poll-82-of-brits-was-israel-removed-from-eurovision/
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Australian here. IDK much about the feelings of Brits.
How could the populace feel so strongly about this divisive issue, while apparently such strong support for Farage exists, when I presume he would be pro-Israel?
... and seeing that I'm here, I have a bonus question: if Brits generally acknowledge that Brexit was a terrible idea, why isn't Farage tarnished by his ardent support for it?
Why were the people in Albany, Georgia, so sick, when the town’s most powerful institution was a hospital?
Sick in a Hospital Town
The five-part series, “Sick in a Hospital Town,” pursues one question: Why are people in Albany so sick when its most powerful institution is a hospital?ProPublica
What is that? It looks interesting but it also might be an AI image of something that doesn't exists
Edit: what the fuck is an EDC tactical wallet? I thought it was some kind of rugged electronic thing
If you're asking in earnest:
EDC - "Essential daily carry," just a loosely defined but also self-explanatory term. My keys are part of my EDC, so is my wallet and my pocket knife, because I use them every day so I carry them with me.
Over the past few years, the EDC community has formed a little cottage industry where things aren't EDC because they're carried every day, they're EDC because they say they are and they're designed to be that way. The term "EDC" evolved then into describing a specific type of object. Tactical here is just a marketing term here to appeal to some kind of utility beyond a normal wallet
Hope this helps. Can't believe I wrote all that on my lunch break about an obviously AI picture
PalestinaHackathon 10 januari Göteborg
10 januari 2026 kl 11-18, Norra Hamngatan 14 Göteborg
Välkommen på en heldag där vi avslöjar kopplingar mellan svenska aktörer och folkmordet i Palestina. Det finns uppgifter för dig som vill koda, skriva, gräva fram info eller designa. Vi kommer att analysera data, researcha, designa visualiseringar och andra uppgifter som du kan hitta på. Tillsammans tar vi fram underlag för artiklar, material till kampanjer eller publicerar saker direkt.
Det kommer finnas lite öl och pizza, ta gärna med din överblivna glögg eller nåt annat du vill bjuda på.
Vi som ordnar det här är journalist och IT-konsult. Senaste halvåret har vi samlat på oss dokument och data om svenska kopplingar till Israel som vi inte riktigt hinner gå igenom själva. Och vi tror att vi tillsammans kan få fram ännu mer genom att söka i datamängder, begära ut fler handlingar och visualisera data. Både du som har koll på det här och du som vill lära dig mer är välkommen.
Maila anmälan eller frågor senast 7 januari till
palestinahackathon@mailbox.org
Records reviewed by AP detail online monitoring, arrests in New Orleans immigration crackdown
State and federal authorities are closely tracking online criticism and protests against the immigration crackdown in New Orleans, monitoring message boards around the clock for threats to agents while compiling regular updates on public “sentiment” surrounding the arrests, according to law enforcement records reviewed by The Associated Press.
The intelligence gathering comes even as officials have released few details about the first arrests made last week as part of “Catahoula Crunch,” prompting calls for greater transparency from local officials who say they’ve been kept in the dark about virtually every aspect of the operation.
“Online opinions still remain mixed, with some supporting the operations while others are against them,” said a briefing circulated early Sunday to law enforcement. Earlier bulletins noted “a combination of groups urging the public to record ICE and Border Patrol” as well as “additional locations where agents can find immigrants.”
Russian troops liberate two communities in Ukraine operation over past day — top brass
Russian troops liberate two communities in Ukraine operation over past day — top brass
Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted more than 145 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the Defense Ministry reportedTASS
Old Teslas Are Falling Apart
Old Teslas Are Falling Apart
On Consumer Reports' latest ranking of used car reliability, Tesla came in dead last with a rating not even half of the top placed brand.Frank Landymore (Futurism)
Greek farmers rise up and the KKE stands by their side
cross-posted from: news.abolish.capital/post/1232…
Photo: Eurokinissi The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) has taken a clear, decisive position in support of the escalating struggle of poor farmers across the country.
With a series of on-site visits to the roadblocks in Larissa, Karditsa, Trikala, Tirnavos and other areas, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, conveyed the Party’s full solidarity and its commitment to stand at the side of those fighting for their survival.
During his meetings with farmers, Koutsoumbas underlined that the government bears full responsibility for the explosive situation in the countryside. It refuses to address the just demands of small farmers because it is structurally committed to the interests of big capital—large agricultural businesses, exporters, energy monopolies, shipowners, and all those who profit from the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy. As he stressed, the government subsidises industrial groups and big exporters, guarantees tax exemptions to shipowners, supports companies in renewable energy sources, and even allows them to charge exorbitant prices, while farmers are forced to pay out of pocket for their essentials.
In this framework, even the most elementary measures for farmers—such as reducing production costs, securing fair prices, or establishing real protective mechanisms—are dismissed as “fiscal impossibilities,” while billions are channelled to capitalist groups. The recent example of forcing livestock breeders to destroy their animals instead of ensuring vaccinations demonstrates, once more, that state policy sacrifices small producers for the benefit of monopoly interests.
The KKE places this entire confrontation within a broader class context. The struggle of the poor farmers concerns not only those who work the land in Thessaly or Macedonia; it affects workers, employees, and the popular strata across the country. High food prices—driven not by farmers but by wholesalers, middlemen, and state taxation—burden working-class households daily. The same political forces that crush farmers are those that attack labour rights, public services, wages, and social provisions.
For this reason, the KKE calls on the working class to actively support the farmers’ mobilisations. It denounces efforts by the government and the mass media to divide workers and farmers or to present the struggling rural poor as an obstacle to society. Such divisive tactics, alongside the deployment of riot police, chemicals, and arrests, aim to wear down the movement. The KKE demands the lifting of all repressive measures, the release of all detained demonstrators, and the immediate withdrawal of police forces from the roadblocks.
In his interventions, Koutsoumbas also linked the farmers’ struggle with Greece’s deeper political commitments to NATO and EU militarism. He pointed to the transformation of regions like Thessaly—especially Larissa—into strategic hubs for U.S. military drones and operations extending from the Balkans and Black Sea to the Middle East and the Red Sea. While the government spends more than €30 billion on armaments for NATO missions, it claims a lack of resources for essential support to farmers and workers. The KKE exposes this contradiction as proof that the state serves imperialist designs rather than the needs of the people.
Against this backdrop, the Party promotes a clear political perspective: no sustainable solution for poor farmers can be found within the current framework of capitalist development, EU policies, and market competition. Partial adjustments or temporary subsidies cannot reverse the relentless concentration of land and production in the hands of agribusiness. The KKE argues that the only real alternative is a radical shift—a people’s economy based on social ownership, central planning, and cooperatives of small producers integrated into a unified plan for food production, infrastructure, and supply. Such a system can guarantee low-cost inputs, stable and fair prices, rational use of resources, and the elimination of parasitic intermediaries.
The Party thus calls for escalation of the people’s struggle, not only to defend the urgent demands of the farmers but to build the political and social alliance capable of confronting monopoly power, breaking with the EU and NATO, and paving the way for workers’ and people’s power.
The KKE’s presence at the roadblocks, its intervention in Parliament, and its continuous activity across unions, associations, and popular organisations highlight a consistent line: the battle of the poor farmers is a battle of the entire working people. The Party urges both workers and farmers to strengthen their unity, reject any attempt at division, and continue the fight with confidence, determination, and a clear orientation toward the real solution—popular power and a socialist reconstruction of agriculture and the economy as a whole.
From In Defense of Communism via This RSS Feed.
In Defense of Communism
Greek farmers rise up and the KKE stands by their side | In Defense of Communismwww.idcommunism.com
3D printing 1939
- YouTube
Profitez des vidéos et de la musique que vous aimez, mettez en ligne des contenus originaux, et partagez-les avec vos amis, vos proches et le monde entier.youtube.com
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Obamacare Users Face Higher Deductibles, Higher Premiums | People who have insurance under the Affordable Care Act are being asked to pay more for plans that will cover less of their care.
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asknostr.site - Questions show up across multiple nostr apps. Questions and answers can't be fully removed, people can't be permanently banned.
This is a frontend for the asknostr hashtag on nostr, a more decentralized fediverse alternative.
More questions are needed, if you can help. You can sign up instantly with no email address or anything, but it's hard for the user base to grow, because the questions are usually too focused on a small (honestly cultish) number of topics. I find that odd when anyone can ask anything.
The website has content filters to remove spam and stuff from its own display, but the nostr protocol is open source, and you can self host your own backups of removed posts and display them on your own website without losing any data. I also haven't heard of anyone getting a "ban" where all their past posts are filtered at once / they have to stop posting.
As someone who constantly gets banned from places like asklemmy for being a radical communist or whatever, it's especially important to me that there are no bans here, because it means I don't have to worry about admins repeatedly wiping out time I invest in helping people with answers to their questions.
Note: asknostr.site is still early in development and kinda buggy. Remember you can also post to it through the asknostr hashtag from other nostr apps if you want.
#asknostr - Q&A site powered by Nostr
This website is a Q&A community on top of Nostr. The purpose of the site is showcase the power of a decentralized social network protocol and allow easy content discovery.Asknostr.site
BrikoX doesn't like this.
- I'm not fiatjaf, my nostr will be better than fiatjaf's
- Idk where fiatjaf said that. Where?
- Not being banned is the foundational aspect for me
Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros. in Deal Valued at $82.7 Billion
Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros. in $82.7 Billion Deal
The streaming giant's proposal includes a $5.8 billion breakup fee and promises to maintain Warner Bros. current operations, "including theatrical releases." Theater owners are already speaking out.Georg Szalai (The Hollywood Reporter)
Democratic governors say the party's midterm strategy must focus on voters' pocketbook concerns
From the playbook of no shit sherlock.
Of course that's not what ineffective democratic leadership will do.
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Fish hook theory
Left–right political spectrum - ProleWiki
The left–right political spectrum is a diagram intended to categorize political ideologies in 3 distinct categories: left wing, right wing and centrist. The model...ProleWiki
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“Trump’s not their Daddy any more.” Russian paper on Europe, over new US national security strategy
Bag of words, have mercy on us
Bag of words, have mercy on us
OR: Claude will you go to prom with me?Adam Mastroianni (Experimental History)
The Supreme Court weighs Trump's bid to fire independent agency board members
The Trump administration’s push to expand control over independent federal agencies comes before a sympathetic Supreme Court that could overturn a 90-year-old decision limiting when presidents can fire board members.
Lawyers for the administration are defending President Donald Trump’s decision to fire Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter without cause and calling on the court to jettison the unanimous 1935 decision in Humphrey’s Executor.
Arguments are taking place Monday.
The court’s six conservative justices already have signaled strong support for the administration’s position, over the objection of their three liberal colleagues, by allowing Slaughter and the board members of other agencies to be removed from their jobs even as their legal challenges continue.
Monday, December 8, 2025
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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]
Over 25,000 members make our journalism possible. Can we count on you, too? Joining is easy and safe.
Olga Rudenko, editor-in-chief
of the Kyiv Independent
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Aftermath of the destruction of a residential building following a Russian attack with FAB-250 and drones in the city of Sloviansk in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on Dec. 7, 2025. One person was killed and a 15-year-old boy was injured in the attacks. (Jose Colon/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Locals report explosions near Engels airfield, oil depot in Russia’s Saratov Oblast amid overnight drone attacks. Locals reported explosions near the Engels airfield and an oil depot amid overnight drone attacks in Russia’s Saratov and Rostov oblasts.
Kellogg claims Ukraine peace deal close, with Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant key sticking points. Trump envoy Keith Kellogg says a Ukraine peace deal is in its “final stretch” as talks focus on territorial concessions and security guarantees.
Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.
Ukraine reports frontline gain in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast as Russia advances in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Amid an ongoing Russian offensive, Ukraine has liberated a village in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the Ukrainian open-source mapping project DeepState and Ukraine’s military reported.
Ukraine braces for ‘critical damage’ after Russian strike on Kharkiv Oblast dam threatens water supply. Russia attacked the Pechenihy dam on Dec. 7, threatening the reservoir that supplies water to Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian drones score ‘successful hit’ on Russia’s Ryazan Oil Refinery, General Staff says
Ukrainian forces conducted another strike on Russia’s Ryazan Oil Refinery — one of the country’s largest — during the night of Dec. 5-6, the General Staff reported, marking the ninth attack on the facility this year.
Photo: Wikipedia
Learn more
Looking for the 10 best Ukraine-related books of 2025? We’ve got you
The Kyiv Independent has selected 10 of the best Ukraine-related books published in 2025. Curious readers should use this list as a guide on the path to discovering even more books from this and previous years, with the anticipation of what is to come in 2026 as well.
Photo: The Kyiv Independent
Independent journalism is never easy, and it’s even harder in wartime
Yet we can do it without paywalls, billionaires, or compromise — because of our community.
Human costs of war
At least 2 killed, 19 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over past day. Russia launched five ballistic missiles and 241 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force reported.
General Staff: Russia has lost 1,180,870 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. The number includes 1,080 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Trump’s peace plan hits a wall | Ukraine This Week
International response
Czech president says Europe may need to shoot down Russian aircraft, drones violating NATO airspace. Czech President Petr Pavel warned that repeated Russian airspace violations may eventually force Europe to shoot down Russian aircraft and drones, and said European countries must be ready to fight and win a war on their own if the U.S. is tied up elsewhere.
Russia, China hold joint anti-missile drills on Russian territory. China says recent joint anti-missile drills with Russia on Russian territory were routine and not aimed at any third party.
Son of president who shut down US corruption watchdogs slams Ukraine for corruption. Donald Trump Jr. warned on Dec. 7 that his father may walk away from Ukraine, parroting Kremlin propaganda about corruption in Kyiv driving Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
In other news
Russia’s Africa Corps committing war crimes in Mali, AP reports. The AP spoke to 34 refugees who reported kidnappings, sexual assault, and civilian killings at the hands of the Africa Corps, a paramilitary group controlled by the Russian Defense Ministry.
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Meta planning massive cuts to Reality Labs metaverse division
Report: Meta planning massive cuts to Reality Labs metaverse division
The money it is saving is to be shifted over to its AI wearables businessAlex Forbes-Calvin (GamesIndustry.biz)
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The Moment Carter Opens The Shrine, 1924, Egypt
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Lazarus Group’s IT Workers Scheme Hacker Group Caught Live On Camera
Lazarus Group’s IT Workers Scheme Hacker Group Caught Live On Camera
Lazarus Group’s Famous Chollima unit has been caught “live on camera” running its remote IT worker scheme, after researchers funneled its operatives into fake laptops that were actually long‑running sandbox environments under full surveillance.Guru Baran (CybersecurityNews)
Advent Calendar 8
Advent Calendar
Zen Mischief Photographs
This year for our Advent Calendar we have a selection of my photographs from recent years. They may not be technically the best, or the most recent, but they’re ones which, for various reasons, I rather like.Pine tree, Oxford Botanic Garden
© Keith C Marshall, 2018
Click the image for a larger view
How I block all online ads
How I block all online ads
A couple of years ago, I decided I'd had enough of ads. Not just the occasional banner or a quick pre-roll video — I mean all of them. They have to go.troubled.engineer
Vibe Coding: Empowering and Imprisoning - Anil Dash
Vibe Coding: Empowering and Imprisoning - Anil Dash
A blog about making culture. Since 1999.Anil Dash
La riposte pathétique d’Elon Musk face à l’Europe
C’est un spectacle fascinant, presque shakespearien s’il n’était pas joué par des clowns numériques, qui se déroule actuellement entre la commission européenne et ce qu’il reste de Twitter. Vendredi dernier, l’Union Européenne a frappé fort avec une amende de 120 millions d’euros pour violation du Digital Services Act. La raison ? Des pratiques trompeuses, un manque de transparence crasse et, surtout, ce fameux système de certification payant qui permet à n’importe quel escroc d’acheter une crédibilité autrefois réservée aux comptes vérifiés.
Mais au lieu de faire profil bas, d’analyser ses erreurs ou même de prétendre s’améliorer, X a décidé de réagir avec la maturité d’un adolescent privé de sa console de jeu. La plateforme a contre-attaqué en bannissant le compte publicitaire de la commission européenne. Le motif invoqué ? Une supposée tromperie. L’ironie est telle qu’elle en deviendrait presque étouffante.
Une vengeance aussi mesquine qu’inutile
Commençons par le cœur de cette blague cosmique. Samedi, Nikita Bier, le responsable produit chez X (un poste qui doit nécessiter une consommation industrielle d’aspirine), a annoncé triomphalement avoir banni le compte publicitaire de la commission. Selon lui, l’institution aurait violé les règles de la plateforme.
Le problème ? Cette dernière ne dépense plus un centime en publicité sur X depuis 2023. C’est là toute la beauté de la stratégie d’Elon Musk. Pour punir une entité qui vient de vous coller une amende de 120 millions d’euros, vous décidez de lui interdire d’acheter des publicités… qu’elle n’achetait déjà plus.
Un porte-parole de la commission a d’ailleurs confirmé l’absurdité de la situation, rappelant que leur politique de non-publicité sur la plateforme est en place depuis plus d’un an, en raison précisément des inquiétudes liées à la désinformation. La suspension imposée par X est donc aussi effrayante qu’un pistolet à eau face à un incendie de forêt.
L’accusation de la faille imaginaire
Pour justifier cette décision grotesque, X a dû inventer une narration où la victime devient le bourreau. Nikita Bier accuse la commission d’avoir utilisé un « exploit » (une faille) dans l’outil de composition publicitaire de X. Selon lui, l’UE s’est connectée à un compte publicitaire dormant pour poster un lien déguisé en vidéo afin d’augmenter artificiellement sa portée.
En d’autres termes, X reproche à ses utilisateurs d’utiliser son interface telle qu’elle a été codée par ses ingénieurs. Si le compositeur de posts permet de créer des liens qui ressemblent à des vidéos, ce n’est pas un piratage de haut vol. C’est simplement la preuve que l’interface utilisateur du réseau social est une usine à gaz mal conçue.
L’hôpital qui se moque de la charité numérique
L’hypocrisie atteint ici des sommets stratosphériques. Rappelons le contexte, X vient d’être condamné pour tromperie. Pourquoi ? Parce que son système de coches bleues, autrefois gage d’authenticité, est devenu un simple reçu de paiement. L’UE a jugé que cela trompait les utilisateurs en leur faisant croire à la légitimité de comptes qui ne sont pas vérifiés. Et quelle est la défense de la plateforme ? Accuser l’UE à son tour de tromperie parce qu’un bouton de lecture vidéo fonctionne bizarrement sur mobile.
C’est exact, sur la version bureau, le bouton « play » du post de la commission lance la vidéo. Sur mobile, il semble rediriger vers le communiqué de presse annonçant l’amende. X appelle cela une manipulation malveillante. Le reste du monde appelle cela un bug d’interface sur une plateforme en déclin technique. Ce comportement erratique des vidéos est d’ailleurs monnaie courante sur X. Mais quand il s’agit de l’UE, soudainement, c’est un complot machiavélique.
Musk – La diplomatie du « Bullshit »
Pendant que ses lieutenants s’activaient à inventer des excuses techniques, le grand patron, Elon Musk, a brillé par son éloquence habituelle. Sa réponse à l’amende historique et aux critiques détaillées de l’Union Européenne ? Un tweet lapidaire: « Bullshit ». Suivi d’une question rhétorique tout aussi nuancée: « Combien de temps avant que l’UE ne disparaisse ? #AbolishTheEU ». C’est la réaction d’un homme qui n’a plus d’arguments. Face à un cadre législatif rigoureux comme le DSA, les mèmes et les insultes ne suffisent pas. L’UE demande des comptes sur la transparence, la protection des données et la véracité de l’information. Le milliardaire répond par des slogans populistes et des représailles techniques inefficaces.
twitter.com/elonmusk/status/19…
La réalité va frapper fort
Cette petite guéguerre sur l’interdiction du compte publicitaire ne changera strictement rien à la réalité financière et juridique qui attend X. L’entreprise a 60 jours pour répondre aux préoccupations concernant les coches bleues et 90 jours pour régler ses problèmes de transparence publicitaire. Si elle échoue, les pénalités pourraient s’aggraver. La plateforme peut bien bannir tous les comptes administratifs qu’elle souhaite, cela n’effacera pas l’ardoise. Prétendre que la commission a piraté l’algorithme en utilisant les outils officiels est une défense qui fera rire n’importe quel tribunal.
En fin de compte, cet épisode illustre parfaitement l’état actuel de X, une plateforme techniquement défaillante, dirigée par l’impulsivité, qui préfère accuser ses régulateurs de tricherie plutôt que de réparer son propre code ou de respecter la loi. L’UE a demandé de la clarté et de l’honnêteté. En réponse, elle a eu droit à une crise de colère. Si c’était ça leur stratégie de défense pour prouver qu’ils sont une entreprise sérieuse et non trompeuse, c’est un échec spectaculaire. Mais au moins, c’est divertissant.
Bruxelles frappe fort - X écope d'une amende historique de 120 millions d'euros pour ses pratiques trompeuses
L'UE inflige une amende de 120 millions d'euros à X d'Elon Musk, saluant une victoire pour la régulation numérique et la transparence.GIGAWATTS
geneva_convenience
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