China is set to roll out a new K-Visa for young science and technology professionals from October 1, even as the US imposes a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas

Archived version: archive.is/20250923131200/busi…

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.

Three charges against Duterte stem from his years-long campaign against drug users and dealers that rights groups say killed thousands

Archived version: archive.is/20250923032357/theg…

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.

Rodrigo Duterte, former Philippines president, charged with crimes against humanity at ICC

^{Guardian staff reporter (The Guardian)}

As Israel Withholds Over $3 Billion in Tax Revenues, Ramallah Is Seeking Emergency Donor Funding While Warning That Collapse of the PA Would Render Global Recognition Efforts Meaningless. Saudi and French Backing Are Viewed as Key at the Upcoming UN Donor Conference

Archived version: archive.is/20250923125113/haar…

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.

Palestinian Authority in talks with Saudi Arabia, France on economic safety net amid Israeli threats

As Israel withholds over $3 billion in tax revenues, Ramallah is seeking emergency donor funding while warning that collapse of the PA would render global recognition efforts meaningless.

^{Jack Khoury (Haaretz)}

Company to shut 19 shops and convert five to Whole Foods outlets, after concept of stores without tills fails to catch on

All Amazon Fresh stores in UK to close

^{Lauren Almeida (The Guardian)}

The Allenby Crossing is the sole entry and exit point for Palestinians from the West Bank travelling abroad by land.

Archived version: archive.is/newest/euronews.com…

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.

Israel to close border crossing between West Bank and Jordan, officials say

^{Gavin Blackburn (Euronews.com)}

Ever wondered what’s playing on TV in Tokyo, Rio, or Cairo — right now?
I built this: worldtv.onrender.com/
(Heads up: may show “Ошибка загрузки” — just click “Повторить”)

Built for curiosity. Code open. Feedback welcome.
Sometimes it’s news. Sometimes — a jungle cam 🐒

Online users have flagged the video to Nintendo and described it as ‘ICE propaganda’

Homeland Security ridiculed online over video comparing migrants to Pokémon

^{Taz Ali (The Independent)}

Spain has approved a "total" arms embargo on Israel as part of measures aimed at stopping the genocide in Gaza.

Archived version: archive.is/newest/middleeastey…

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.

Spain declares 'total' arms embargo on Israel

^{Middle East Eye}

As students push for MIT to drop projects tied to the Israeli military, the school has obscured information about the funding.

MIT Professor Cancels Israeli Military Grant After Student Pressure

^{Akela Lacy (The Intercept)}

Western governments recognize Palestine as a state, but critics say it's just a symbolic gesture.

Archived version: archive.is/newest/commondreams…

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.

Western Governments Recognize Palestinian State, But Continue to Fund Israeli Government Making It Inviable

"Instead of halting genocide and forced starvation... we are told to focus on a fantasy of statehood," said one critic of Western governments' response to Israel.

^{brad-reed (Common Dreams)}

In an interview Sunday, the top Senate Democrat hesitated to commit to voting 'no' on a Republican funding bill, even without any concessions on a policy that would lead to higher healthcare premiums for millions.

Progressives Fear Schumer Will 'Cave' Again in Budget Fight

In an interview Sunday, the top Senate Democrat hesitated to commit to voting 'no' on a Republican funding bill, even without any concessions on a policy that would lead to higher healthcare premiums for millions.

^{stephen-prager (Common Dreams)}

404 Media has filed a lawsuit against ICE for access to its contract with Paragon, a company that sells powerful spyware for breaking into phones and accessing encrypted messaging apps.

On Monday 404 Media filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demanding the agency publish its $2 million contract with Paragon, a company that makes powerful spyware that can remotely break into mobile phones without the target even clicking a link. The sale of the spyware to ICE has activists and lawmakers deeply concerned about what the agency, which continues to push the Trump administration’s mass deportation effort, may use the technology for. The contract and related documents 404 Media is suing for may provide more information on what ICE intends to do with the spyware.

“404 Media has asked ICE to disclose agency records relating to its contract with a company known for its powerful spyware tool whose potential use in the agency’s ongoing mass-deportation campaign has prompted lawmakers, civil liberties organizations, and immigration groups to express deep concerns over potential civil rights abuses,” the lawsuit says.

404 Media first filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with ICE for documents related to its Paragon purchase in September 2024. Under the law, agencies are required to provide a response within 20 days, or provide an explanation of why they need more time. ICE acknowledged receipt of the request in September 2024, but has not since replied to any follow up inquiries. 404 Media then filed the lawsuit.

404 Media ICE Lawsuit

^{www.documentcloud.org}

404 Media

2025-09-22 16:23:51

We’re Suing ICE for Its $2 Million Spyware Contract

On Monday 404 Media filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demanding the agency publish its $2 million contract with Paragon, a company that makes powerful spyware that can remotely break into mobile phones without the target even clicking a link. The sale of the spyware to ICE has activists and lawmakers deeply concerned about what the agency, which continues to push the Trump administration’s mass deportation effort, may use the technology for. The contract and related documents 404 Media is suing for may provide more information on what ICE intends to do with the spyware.

“404 Media has asked ICE to disclose agency records relating to its contract with a company known for its powerful spyware tool whose potential use in the agency’s ongoing mass-deportation campaign has prompted lawmakers, civil liberties organizations, and immigration groups to express deep concerns over potential civil rights abuses,” the lawsuit says.

404 Media first filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with ICE for documents related to its Paragon purchase in September 2024. Under the law, agencies are required to provide a response within 20 days, or provide an explanation of why they need more time. ICE acknowledged receipt of the request in September 2024, but has not since replied to any follow up inquiries. 404 Media then filed the lawsuit.

ICE signed the contract with Paragon’s U.S. subsidiary in September 2024. Soon after, the then Biden White House put a freeze on the deal as it investigated whether it clashed with a Biden executive order restricting the government’s use of spyware, WIRED reported. At the end of August with Trump in power, ICE reactivated the contract, independent journalist Jack Poulson reported.

💡
Do you know anything else about Paragon, this contract, or any others? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at joseph.404 or send me an email at joseph@404media.co.

The contract itself is for “a fully configured proprietary solution including license, hardware, warranty, maintenance, and training,” according to a description included in a public U.S. procurement database. The funding office for the purchase is listed as a division of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is not clear if the ICE deal is for a custom-made tool or for some version of Paragon’s flagship “Graphite” software.

Graphite is capable of letting police remotely break into messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, Facebook Messenger, and Gmail according to a 2021 report from Forbes. While other government spyware tries to take over an entire device allowing all sorts of other capabilities, Paragon sets itself apart by promising to access just the messaging applications, according to Forbes.

Still, that is an exceptionally powerful capability which can skirt the protections offered by end-to-end encrypted apps, and one that is likely very attractive to law enforcement or some intelligence agencies. In March researchers from Citizen Lab, an academic group that investigates the government spyware industry, said they identified suspected Paragon deployments in Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Israel, and Singapore. Separately the New York Times reported that the DEA has used Graphite.

Citizen Labs’ researchers said they shared their analysis with Meta, which in turn discovered an active Paragon zero-click exploit for WhatsApp. It involved the attacker adding a target to a WhatApp group and sending them a PDF which automatically infected the device. This meant Paragon’s software could hack into a target phone through its WhatsApp client without any target interaction. Later WhatsApp notified more than 90 people it believed had been targeted with Paragon’s exploit.
playlist.megaphone.fm?p=TBIEA2…
Some of those targets were in Italy, including prominent Italian and other European journalists, and activists who rescue refugees at sea. Those revelations have since ballooned into a full-scale political crisis, with parliamentary inquiries and The Guardian reporting that Paragon cancelled its contract with Italy.

Paragon has positioned itself as a more ethical player in the scandal and abuse-ridden government spyware industry. Tools from other vendors stretching back years, from Hacking Team, to FinFisher, to NSO Group, have all been used at some point to spy on journalists or activists. Like the notorious NSO Group, which also tried to enter the U.S. market, Paragon is based in Israel.

Selling to ICE, an agency that has flaunted due process, accountability, and transparency, may complicate that stance for Paragon. ICE has arrested people who were following the steps necessary for legal immigration; waited outside courtrooms to immediately detain people after their immigration cases were dismissed to rush them out of the country; “de-documented” people who had valid work permits in order to deport them; and continues to pick up people around the country while masking their faces and declining to provide their names.

After ICE reactivated its Paragon contract, Senator Ron Wyden said in a statement to Bloomberg “ICE is already shredding due process and ruining lives in its rush to lock up kids, cooks and firefighters who pose no threat to anyone.”

“I’m extremely concerned about how ICE will use Paragon’s spyware to further trample on the rights of Americans and anyone who Donald Trump labels as an enemy,” he added.

The best way to support 404 Media and fund our ability to sue the Trump administration to release public records is to become a paying subscriber. If you'd like to make a larger, tax deductible donation, please contact us at donate@404media.co.

Membership

404 Media is a new independent media company founded by technology journalists Jason Koebler, Emanuel Maiberg, Samantha Cole, and Joseph Cox.

^{Outpost Staff (404 Media)}

In what may be a first in American legal history, a sitting president just had his lawsuit struck down by a federal judge before the defendants even had a chance to respond.

Case file: storage.courtlistener.com/reca…

Judge Strikes Trump’s Rambling Lawsuit Before NY Times Even Had To Respond

In what may be a first in American legal history, a sitting president just had his lawsuit struck down by a federal judge before the defendants even had a chance to respond. Judge Steven Merryday d…

^Techdirt

The battle over Texas' Senate Bill 10 continues, with families in the state filing a federal lawsuit to block the display of a the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.

Case file: au.org/wp-content/uploads/2025…

Texas Families Sue to Stop Display of Ten Commandments in Public Schools

"As multiple courts have reaffirmed, the First Amendment safeguards the rights of individuals to choose whether and how they engage with religion, and that protection extends to every classroom," said one lawyer.

^{jessica-corbett (Common Dreams)}

White House officials claim the deal will be a win for the app's US users and American citizens.

TikTok algorithm to be retrained on US user data under Trump deal

^{Liv McMahon (BBC News)}

The UN Independent International Commission of Ukraine on Monday reported to the UN Human Rights Council that Russian armed forces have targeted civilians using short-range drones along the Dnipro River.

Archived version: archive.is/newest/jurist.org/n…

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.

UN commission finds Russia targets Ukrainian civilians using short-range drones

The UN Independent International Commission of Ukraine on Monday reported to the UN Human Rights Council that Russian armed forces have targeted civilians using short-range drones along the Dnipro Riv...

^{Christine Yang | U. Ottawa Faculty of Law, CA (- JURIST - News)}

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday called on Ethiopian authorities to take action to address a wave of improper detentions, stating that security forces have arbitrarily arrested several journalists and media professionals since August.

Archived version: archive.is/newest/jurist.org/n…

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.

Ethiopian officials continue to arrest journalists and media professionals

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday called on Ethiopian authorities to take action to address a wave of improper detentions, stating that security forces have arbitrarily arrested several journalists a...

^{Gabrielle Pasternak | U. Pittsburgh School of Law, US (- JURIST - News)}

Praise and partisanship become strange bedfellows.

Charlie Kirk's memorial was Christian nationalism's biggest moment

^{Mother Jones}

In an emergency order Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed President Trump to fire Rebecca Slaughter, the last remaining Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission. The court's action is technically temporary, since the justices said they will hear arguments in the case in December, but every indication is that the conservative court majority will use the case to reverse a major Supreme Court precedent that dates back almost a century.

The Lebanese state accused Israel of undermining the US-brokered disarmament plan with its fresh aggression.

Archived version: archive.is/newest/peoplesdispa…

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.

Most services ask for your email address and/or recovery key to recover your account. LinkedIn, on the other hand, goes full surveillance mode. It wants my actual government ID to give access to my account.

If this was critical banking service, I would have understood. But it is freakin LinkedIn, the most I have got out of that place is actual lunatics.

At the Labour Party conference this Sunday, Defend Our Juries protesters opposing the proscription of Palestine Action will risk arrest

Labour conference: Palestine Action ban protests planned

^{The Canary}

Luigi Mangione fans singled out in White House memo

BREAKING: Trump Declares War on Left With "Domestic Terrorist" Designation

^{Ken Klippenstein}

ICE has unleashed a war on “illegal” immigrants, claiming some wild successes.

ICE Can’t Stop Lying About Its Accomplishments

^{Dan Boguslaw (Ken Klippenstein)}

Today Mozilla is excited to announce Raffi Krikorian — technologist, innovator and community builder — as our first-ever portfolio wide Chief Technolog

Mozilla Welcomes Raffi Krikorian as Chief Technology Officer

Today Mozilla is excited to announce Raffi Krikorian as our first-ever portfolio wide Chief Technology Officer. 

^{Mozilla (The Mozilla Blog)}

The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is “the EU’s law to make the markets in the digital sector fairer and more contestable”.

F-Droid strongly aligns with many of the ideals of the DMA regarding ensuring user choice and privacy.

Google Developer Verification Policy and the DMA | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository

The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is “the EU’s law to make the markets in thedigital sector fairer and morecontestable”.F-Droid strongly aligns with many of the ...

^f-droid.org

Automotive manufacturing giant Stellantis has confirmed that attackers stole some of its North American customers' data after gaining access to a third-party service provider's platform.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/automaker-giant-stellantis-confirms-data-breach-after-salesforce-hack/

Mozilla has announced a new feature that enables Firefox extension developers to roll back to previously approved versions, allowing them to quickly address critical bugs and issues.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/software/mozilla-now-lets-firefox-add-on-devs-roll-back-bad-updates/

The Interludes have introduced a doublet of duo bosses, but which couple will come out on top? Will the blood bond of Zelina and Zolin prove to be thick enough, or will Elswyth and Wulfric dance their way to victory? Find out in today's Boss VS Boss!

Video: Path of Exile 2: Boss VS Boss - Zelina & Zolin VS Elswyth & Wulfric

Let us know who you'd like to see battle it out next!

https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraine-accepts-imf-forecast-bigger-65-billion-financing-gap-bloomberg-news-2025-09-22/

https://apnews.com/article/argentina-economy-crisis-javier-milei-president-peronist-crisis-8a8ac450fa5f7942f61ab092fdd4ed15

The network pulled the show after the Federal Communications Commission chair threatened regulatory action after the host's comments about Charlie Kirk's death.

Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show will return to ABC’s airwaves on Tuesday, nearly a week after it was suspended amid criticism of the host’s remarks about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

But many households across the U.S. still may not see the show. Sinclair, a company that operates more than 35 ABC affiliates across the U.S., said that it would replace Kimmel with news programming.

“Beginning Tuesday night, Sinclair will be preempting 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' across our ABC affiliate stations and replacing it with news programming. Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return,” Sinclair said in a statement.

Jimmy Kimmel's show returning on Tuesday, ABC announces

^{Tim Stelloh (NBC News)}

https://www.nbcrightnow.com/national/canada-wildlife-decline-most-severe-in-decades-wwf/article_f32c42df-8ed7-5579-ab47-09c07fc6b01f.html

I used to prefer to go to old.programming.dev/ but this frontend is not working anymore (for a few months I believe). As I get a bad gateway response, hopefully, this is something that could be fixed.

But maybe I was the only user of this frontend, in which case, I think this might not be worth to revive it.