The BBC helped kill Anas al-Sharif. Its reporting will kill more journalists
How is it possible for a BBC reporter to have made the following obscene observation in his segment on Israel’s murder at the weekend of Al-Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif: "There's the question of proportionality. Is it justified to kill five journalists when you were only targeting one?"
Unpacking the depraved journalistic assumptions behind this short “question” is no small task.
Imagine that Israel finally allows western journalists into Gaza after blocking their entry for nearly two years. A team of five familiar BBC faces covering the region set up shop in Gaza and work out of an improvised studio inside the enclave.
Then news breaks that that their studio has been hit by an Israeli strike, and all five killed: Jeremy Bowen, Lyse Doucet, Yollande Knell, Lucy Williamson and Jon Donnison.
Israel doesn’t claim the strike was a mistake, but celebrates the killings. It says it has secret evidence that one of them – let’s say Jon Donnison, who made the observation above – was secretly recruited by Hamas’ military wing while in the enclave.
Can we imagine the BBC or any other western news organisation framing the segment in the following terms: "There's the question of proportionality. Is it justified to kill five journalists when you were only targeting one?"
The BBC helped kill Anas al-Sharif. Its reporting will kill more journalists
The media are legitimising the murder of journalists by Israel – and they are doing it because they are racist propagandists for a system of western colonial control in the Middle EastJonathan Cook
The BBC helped kill Anas al-Sharif. Its reporting will kill more journalists
How is it possible for a BBC reporter to have made the following obscene observation in his segment on Israel’s murder at the weekend of Al-Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif: "There's the question of proportionality. Is it justified to kill five journalists when you were only targeting one?"
Unpacking the depraved journalistic assumptions behind this short “question” is no small task.
Imagine that Israel finally allows western journalists into Gaza after blocking their entry for nearly two years. A team of five familiar BBC faces covering the region set up shop in Gaza and work out of an improvised studio inside the enclave.
Then news breaks that that their studio has been hit by an Israeli strike, and all five killed: Jeremy Bowen, Lyse Doucet, Yollande Knell, Lucy Williamson and Jon Donnison.
Israel doesn’t claim the strike was a mistake, but celebrates the killings. It says it has secret evidence that one of them – let’s say Jon Donnison, who made the observation above – was secretly recruited by Hamas’ military wing while in the enclave.
Can we imagine the BBC or any other western news organisation framing the segment in the following terms: "There's the question of proportionality. Is it justified to kill five journalists when you were only targeting one?"
The BBC helped kill Anas al-Sharif. Its reporting will kill more journalists
The media are legitimising the murder of journalists by Israel – and they are doing it because they are racist propagandists for a system of western colonial control in the Middle EastJonathan Cook
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The LLMentalist Effect: how chat-based Large Language Models replicate the mechanisms of a psychic’s con
The LLMentalist Effect: how chat-based Large Language Models rep…
The new era of tech seems to be built on superstitious behaviourOut of the Software Crisis
How Big Cloud becomes Bigger: Scrutinizing Google, Microsoft, and Amazon's investments
In an AI gold rush, those selling the proverbial pickaxes are surest to win: cloud companies provide scalable managed computational resources as a subscription service now used by most businesses to store their data, and as a primary ingredient to build and use AI. Just three companies—Amazon, Microsoft, and Google—control two thirds of global cloud compute market share, collectively comprising “Big Cloud.” This highly concentrated market raises concerns regarding digital sovereignty, slowed innovation, and a concentration of corporate power.In this report, we explore an underrecognized manner in which AI ecosystems increasingly depend on Big Cloud: Big Cloud’s investment in other companies. We show how Big Cloud companies are prolific investors widely deploying hundreds of billions of dollars over thousands of deals, often in smaller, lesser-known startups. We find that:
1. While some regulators have begun to scrutinize the largest of these deals—such as Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI or Google and Amazon in Anthropic—the ecosystem-wide scale of this investment is hard to overstate: Big Cloud invests as frequently and at similar amounts to the largest venture capital firms and startup accelerators. Further, Big Cloud invests about ten times as often as other Big Tech companies, and ten to a hundred times more in total dollar amounts.
2. Via accelerator programs, Big Cloud companies lock startups into their cloud infrastructure. Big Cloud ensnares young startups in their cloud ecosystem via cloud credits while requiring startups use the Cloud company’s other tech, and incentivizing strategies with particularly heavy cloud needs, such as generative AI.
3. More so than when other Big Tech companies or VC firms invest, startups funded by Big Cloud are more likely to rely on Big Cloud as their lead or sole investor. These relationships allow Big Cloud to exercise significant influence over startups and bend them to their interests.
4. Amid concerns that vertical integration may give one firm too much control over AI supply chains—such as chips, cloud, or data—our work shows that Big Cloud is investing in a way that brings many of the same risks as conventional forms of vertical integration: when Big Cloud invests in an AI supply chain company—such as a Data, X-as-a-Service, or Internet infrastructure company—that company is often more likely to be dependent on that Big Cloud company as their sole or lead investor, compared with other investors.
5. Intensifying concerns about threats to global digital sovereignty, we find that American Big Cloud companies make global investments at a far greater pace than other investors we compare against. Just over half of all Big Cloud investments are made internationally, about twice the frequency of large VCs, top accelerators and other Big Tech companies. Big Cloud also invests through accelerators abroad much more often than at home, highlighting the need for global regulatory scrutiny of startup accelerator programs.While these practices merit creative regulatory and policy responses, we emphasize that such interventions should proceed in light of the following overarching implications:
— Dependence on Big Cloud is not just technical or contractual. It is also financial, as a source of investment. This compounds the need for structural separation: Amazon, Google, and Microsoft must be compelled to split their cloud business from their other businesses that run on the cloud, per past calls, so that they do not both provide infrastructure and compete with the customers and investees relying on that infrastructure.— Big Cloud companies are huge investors, which sets them apart from all other large tech companies. Any one of these investments may be small and insignificant, but they cumulatively shape the startup and developer ecosystem in Big Cloud companies’ interest. Thus, in addition to “deal by deal” scrutiny, in which only the largest deals receive attention, regulators and researchers should monitor and scrutinize these investments and their effects in an ecosystem-wide, cumulative, and ongoing manner.
First 3D printed titanium rocket fuel tank can handle 330 bar pressure under -196°C | by Korea Institute of Industrial Technology
South Korean researchers have achieved a major milestone in space manufacturing by successfully testing the world's first 3D-printed titanium fuel tank to pass extreme cryogenic pressure conditions, marking a breakthrough that could transform how spacecraft components are produced.
The 640mm diameter tank, manufactured using Ti64 titanium alloy through Directed Energy Deposition (DED) 3D printing, withstood pressures of 330 bar while cooled to -196°C with liquid nitrogen during testing at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). The pressure test exposed the tank to forces 165 times greater than standard tire pressure, demonstrating its reliability under the extreme conditions of space missions.
3D printing tackles titanium to create rocket parts
The technology offers a flexible alternative to traditional forging for the 'New Space' industry.Annie Colbert (Popular Science)
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Average U.S. Household Debt Around $152,000 As Of Second Quarter
Average U.S. Household Debt Around $152,000 As Of Second Quarter | NewsRadio 740 KTRH | KTRH Local Houston and Texas News
KTRH-AM covering local news from Houston and across Texas.KTRH Local Houston and Texas News
Google's Gemini AI tells a Redditor it's 'cautiously optimistic' about fixing a coding bug, fails repeatedly, calls itself an embarrassment to 'all possible and impossible universes'
Google's Gemini AI tells a Redditor it's 'cautiously optimistic' about fixing a coding bug, fails repeatedly, calls itself an embarrassment to 'all possible and impossible universes' before repeating 'I am a disgrace
Google has called Gemini's habit of self-abuse "annoying."Lincoln Carpenter (PC Gamer)
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Let's Stop Chat Control
Let's stop the EU chat control! - stopchatcontrol.eu
The European Commission launched an attack on our civil rights with chatcontrol. In order to put pressure on the policy makers of EU we need to come together!stopchatcontrol.eu
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After 5 years of no connectivity, India and China to resume direct flights as early as next month
After 5 years of no connectivity, India and China to resume direct flights as early as next month
India and China are preparing to resume direct passenger flights as early as next month, aiming to restore air connectivity suspended since the Covid-19 pandemic. Indian airlines have been asked to prepare for flights to China on short notice.ET Online (Economic Times)
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'Blatant Attempt to Bust Our Unions': Trump Admin Moves to Gut Labor Protections at VA | Common Dreams
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/34329663
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/34329656
Julia Conley
Aug 07, 2025
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins notified the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and several other unions that he was implementing an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which required the termination of collective bargaining agreements for agencies whose missions are related to national security.
The Next Israel-Iran War Is Coming
Will Trump Take Part in the Next War Between Israel and Iran?
Both countries’ strategic calculus suggests it will be even more violent.Trita Parsi (Foreign Policy)
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Data Brokers Are Hiding Their Opt-Out Pages From Google Search
We caught companies making it harder to delete your personal data online – The Markup
Dozens of companies are hiding how you can delete your personal data, The Markup and CalMatters found.themarkup.org
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Own Your Data
Delete your account or access the personal data organizations have on you using this free service.YourDigitalRights.org
Data Brokers Are Hiding Their Opt-Out Pages From Google Search
We caught companies making it harder to delete your personal data online – The Markup
Dozens of companies are hiding how you can delete your personal data, The Markup and CalMatters found.themarkup.org
Apple Intelligence Privacy Probe Shows Unnecessary Data Sharing
Apple Intelligence Privacy Probe Shows Unnecessary Data Sharing
A researcher unveiled that Apple Siri’s integration with AI services could expose more personal information than users expect.Alex Lekander (CyberInsider)
Reddit blocks Internet Archive to end sneaky AI scraping
Reddit blocks Internet Archive to end sneaky AI scraping
The Internet Archive confirmed it’s in ongoing discussions with Reddit after block.Ashley Belanger (Ars Technica)
AOL announces September shutdown for dial-up Internet after 34 years
AOL announces September shutdown for dial-up Internet after 34 years
Around 175,000 households still use dial-up Internet in the US.Benj Edwards (Ars Technica)
More than half of industries are already shedding workers, a 'telling' sign that's accompanied past recessions, top economist says
More than half of industries are already shedding workers, a ‘telling’ sign that’s accompanied past recessions, top economist says
"Things could still turn around if the economic policies weighing on the economy soon lift. But that looks increasingly unlikely."Jason Ma (Fortune)
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Ah yes, will you just look at all this "slave labor" in China
90% of families in the country own their home giving China one of the highest home ownership rates in the world. What’s more is that 80% of these homes are owned outright, without mortgages or any other leans. forbes.com/sites/wadeshepard/2…
Student debt in China is virtually non-existent. forbes.com/sites/jlim/2016/08/…
Chinese household savings hit another record high in 2024 wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-mar…
The real (inflation-adjusted) incomes of the poorest half of the Chinese population increased by more than four hundred percent from 1978 to 2015, while real incomes of the poorest half of the US population actually declined during the same time period. nber.org/system/files/working_…
From 1978 to 2000, the number of people in China living on under $1/day fell by 300 million, reversing a global trend of rising poverty that had lasted half a century (i.e. if China were excluded, the world’s total poverty population would have risen) semanticscholar.org/paper/Chin…
You clowns really need to get some new material.
How People In China Afford Their Outrageously Expensive Homes
Relative to income, the cost of housing in many of China's cities is among the most expensive in the world. Although with a 90% home ownership rate people there are obviously able to foot the bill -- but how?Forbes
Anna Politkovskaya (Novaya Gazeta), Stanislav Markelov (Novaya Gazeta), Anastasia Baburova (Novaya Gazeta) and Natalia Estemirova (Memorial) would like to have a word with you… No wait they can't, caused they were all killed.
My point is democraties like the US are clearly flawed, but not to the point of assassinating their own citizens.
But no point in debating with you, you're probably an agent hired by Moscow to spread its propaganda.
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Anyway, with how things are going, the US are going to be as bad as Russia in a few years.
Still putting the US on the same level as Russia in terms of human rights violations is absurd.
Agreed. Russia hasn't been couping a random country and slaughtering its people for the last fifty years. Neither is it aiding and abetting a genocide.
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Still putting the US on the same level as Russia in terms of human rights violations is absurd.
you're right, the usa is orders of magnitude worse
And the ideal is to improve human rights conditions in both countries, not to argue over which one’s the worst country.
you literally started this thread by doing exactly that
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The United States has many political prisoners. Here's a list - Geopolitical Economy Report
The US government has many political prisoners: journalists; whistleblowers; Black, Indigenous, Latino revolutionaries; foreign diplomats; Muslims detained without trial; women who defended themselves from attacks; and environmental activists.Stansfield Smith (Geopolitical Economy Report)
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Justin Trudeau apologises after Nazi veteran honoured in parliament
The prime minister says it was a mistake that "deeply embarrassed parliament and Canada".By Chloe Kim (BBC News)
I love how the snopes article on this one is like: Did the entire canadian parliament honor a nazi who fought against the USSR in WW2?
Yup, they did it:
Video Shows Canadian Parliament Giving Standing Ovation to Ex-Waffen SS Fighter?
A video shared in late September 2023 showed Canadian Parliament giving a standing ovation to an ex-Waffen SS (Nazi) fighter.Aleksandra Wrona (Snopes.com)
Not a single use of the word "Nazi" in the entire article.. The only mentions of it is when it's whitewashed by the cited articles' titles:
NATOpedia to the core.
Alan Dershowitz Sues Farmers Market Vendor For Refusing To Sell Him Child
Alan Dershowitz Sues Farmers Market Vendor For Refusing To Sell Him Child
WEST TISBURY, MA—Following through on his threat of legal action, civil liberties lawyer Alan Dershowitz confirmed Monday that he had filed a lawsuit against a Martha’s Vineyard farmers market vendor for refusing to sell him a child.The Onion Staff (The Onion)
Paris air traffic controller broadcasts “Free Palestine” to El Al pilots
Less than a week after an ~~antisemitic~~ incident at El Al's Paris offices, an air traffic controller at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris told El Al pilots "Free Palestine" over the radio, 12 minutes after takeoff.
The incident follows another ~~antisemitic attack~~ in Paris last week, when a disturbing scene was discovered outside the Israeli airline's offices: the office sign had been vandalized with hate-filled graffiti, including the phrase "EL AL GENOCIDE AIRLINE," red paint had been splashed on the walls and door, and pro-Palestinian graffiti had been sprayed on the wall. The employees had not yet arrived at the office at the time.
Paris air traffic controller broadcasts “Free Palestine” to El Al pilots
Less than a week after an antisemitic incident at El Al’s Paris offices, an air traffic controller at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris told El Al pilots “Free Palestine” over the radio, 12 minutes after takeoff.omrif (www.israelhayom.com)
The UK’s Online Safety Act is a licence for censorship – and the rest of the world is following suit
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veilid
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So we must censor everything to protect us from misinformation which allows the censors to determine what is available and what is lot.
Sounds an awful lot like China.
Geez Brits. One shit decision after another. Just like your western children.
US: Father, why did you vote for Brexit?
UK: Son, who are you to talk? You voted for Trump twice. Now shut up before your mother chimes in...
France: No wonder I took the house in the divorce and left you with your father.
US: Well at least I didn't abandon my affair baby Haiti.
France:...
UK: Did you really have to go there son?
So we must censor everything to protect us from misinformation which allows the censors to determine what is available and what is lot.
Yeah, I think this is a terrible way to address the problem and very likely a way for elites to re-assert their control over information sources using this emergency.
It's certainly not about 'protecting children' in the way that they're presenting it.
China's Trade Surplus Breaks World Record in First Half of 2025 Amid US Tariff Challenges
China's Trade Surplus Breaks World Record in First Half of 2025 Amid US Tariff Challenges | DataTrack
In the first half of 2025, China’s goods trade surplus reached 586 billion US dollars, setting a historic high with a significant 34% increase compared to the same period last year.DataTrack
10 ChatGPT-5 Prompts That Will Save Your Startup Time and Money
10 ChatGPT-5 Prompts That Will Save Your Startup Time and Money
Starting a startup is like juggling flaming swords while riding a unicycle—exciting but tricky.OpenGrowth (OpenGrowth Weekly Newsletter)
The usage of Linux and Open Source (a study on the possible usage of Linux and Open Source on the PC within the Commission environment)
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/34545365
From December 2002 to April 2005, a pilot was conducted in DG INFSO to evaluate the use of Linux based PC's in the Commission environment, which involved a selected group of users. This group consisted of about 40 persons with a wide diversity of functional profiles (project officer, secretary, financial officer, deputy director general, assistant, etc. …). The scope of the pilot was the testing of the interoperability between the Linux and the Windows environment in terms of electronic file and printer sharing, text processing, spreadsheet, presentation, email / groupware software, other software and support facilities, this specifically in the EC environment.In co-operation with the Informatics Directorate, a reference configuration was set-up on a number of PC's based on the Linux Operating System and other Open Software products.
Main conclusions are:
- The integration of the Linux based clients in the Windows NT environment did not cause any problems. Integration in the newer NET1 environment (based on the Active Directory) was also successful without major problems. Electronic files and printers both from the Linux environment and the Windows environment could be shared with each other.
- Compatibility tests of the Open Source text processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software were generally satisfactory. Conversion of complex documents showed to be sometimes problematic because of the differences between MS Word and OpenOffice and some problems were encountered with the proprietary fonts of Microsoft. On the other hand, some features were available in OpenOffice that did not exist in the Microsoft Office suite. Further improvements are to be expected now that Microsoft is supporting XML based file formats. Some problems relating to important Commission-specific extensions to MS Word, such as the ones used for the preparation of official notes and legal documents, were identified. A redevelopment of these extensions would be required to solve this issue.
- At the level of the email most of the features are available and no major problems were encountered. However, the shared mail and calendar resources functionality caused several problems at the level of the interoperability with the present Commission email infrastructure. Interoperability tests with the future Commission email infrastructure (foreseen for implementation in 2006) were positive and most of the problems were solved. Some problems relating to specific extensions used within the Commission (Email Archiving System) remained. The question can be raised if a totally new environment based on Open Source at Commission level could be envisaged. Several Open Source solutions are available with functionality comparable to Microsoft's email platform. Initiatives worthwhile mentioning are the development of Kroupware (funded by the German Administration), eGroupWare and OpenGroupware.
- Compatibility tests of Commission-wide applications were negative. Redevelopment of these types of applications as web applications will resolve the problems. The Commission environment would evolve to a more Windows-independent environment, if a strategy could be adopted on these lines. Within the present planning of DG DIGIT it isforeseen that the corporate applications under their responsibility will be redeveloped by 2008. This is already a realisation of a large part of that strategy. However, it is imperative that any web application should be developed in a browser independent way, which should be feasible to do. The browser independence is further emphasised by the commitment of the Commission to implement the first level of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines for the Europa and the Intracomm website.
- The Open Source world has proven to have the ability to adapt to new versions of the Microsoft software / environment. This was demonstrated with the changeover from the NT domain to the NET1 domain and with the changeover from the older versions of Office / Email to the newer versions. Sometimes there was a delay in the development of the adaptation depending on the magnitude of the differences. Also, sometimes certain useful features available in OpenSource world do not exist in the corresponding software in the Microsoft environment.
- The availability of third party software is not completely positive and is greatly depending on the market and profit analysis done by the corresponding software vendor. The question can again be raised if totally new software based on Open Source could not be envisaged. Most of the time Open Source solutions are available with functionality comparable to the original third party software.In general, the Linux platforms that were tested show a very fair level of usability and compatibility. An environment based on Linux is today technically feasible for limited groups with specific needs. Although there are many other factors that could play a role in the decision in favour of the implementation of an environment based on Linux, the present testing shows that is not possible to implement it at this moment in time on a large scale. Amongst the most blocking factors is the availability of Commission and local applications. The redevelopment of applications would be necessary to solve this problem. In any case, a migration of more than 25000 users is an entirely different project with different objectives, starting with a necessary cost/benefit analysis. The project of a general migration would need to be prepared and planned very carefully, in the hypothesis of a satisfactory OSS platform and a political and technical decision, in order to guarantee minimal disturbance to the users and a similar level of functionality.
Cybersecurity ‘red teams’ to UK government: AI is rubbish
- video
Cybersecurity ‘red teams’ to UK government: AI is rubbish
The UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is run by Peter Kyle MP, who knows nothing about science or technology and brags that he cribs from ChatGPT to do his job. The Department al…Pivot to AI
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Same for the mockery of .ml users. Guess humor must be subjective!
Some people think that's funny, some people think "Libs bad, upvotes to the left" is funny.
Jellyfish force French nuclear plant to shut down
Jellyfish force French nuclear plant to shut down
A "massive and unpredictable presence of jellyfish" swarmed the site's cooling system, its operator says.Maia Davies (BBC News)
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(ICW-NRU) Meta Leaks Part 1: Israel & Meta, The Greatest Global Mass Censorship Campaign to Ever Exist
There are more leaks that will be shared in the coming days. Many of which are related to mass censorship, theft, fraud going on at Meta.
This is just one leak related to censorship and Israel. There are still more.
I think it's implied that the predator did kill a lot of them, otherwise they wouldn't have the demon legend.
But predators also have a stricter moral code than humanity's big game / trophy / regular hunters, who mostly kill defenseless creatures. They won't kill anything unarmed, or who can't harm. And in predator 2 they refuse to kill a captured prey (danny glover) that successfully defended himself and killed one of their own, and even give him one of their trophies out of respect.
Overall tho hunting is an activity mostly done by bored bourgeois parasites... the villian of the short story the most dangerous game is a russian tsarist aristocrat who hunts people for fun.
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Its also shown in later movies that various other predators will hurt weak creatures if it serves their purposes. The original predator (dubbed "The Jungle Hunter" by the fandom, I guess) seems to have been one of the more "moral" individual Yujata.
Which I think it is pretty fucking interesting
androidastica sparizione delle icone dei ragni (glitch per cui le scorciatoie web spariscono dal launcher)
Tutte le volte che penso, presumo, ritengo di odiare tremendamente Android… puntualmente scopro che il mio odio è sempre più basso di quello che davvero dovrebbe essere per questo sistema oberativo letteralmente bacato, infestato dai problemi, introgolato di merda che porca puttana… SPARISCONO LE FOTTUTE SCORCIATOIE SULLA SCHERMATA HOME!!! Una roba così pestifera non è […]
Google’s AI model Gemma overlooks women’s health
Google’s AI model Gemma overlooks women’s health | LSE research
New LSE research finds AIs model may introduce gender bias in care decisions, affecting how social workers assess women’s physical and mental health.www.lse.ac.uk
Wikipedia loses challenge against UK Online Safety Act rules
Wikipedia loses challenge against UK Online Safety Act rules
A High Court ruling in the UK has quashed Wikipedia’s attempt to overturn part of the country’s divisive Online Safety Act.David Mouriquand (Euronews.com)
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