cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43914993

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Pina Picierno is Italian, but Ukraine is everywhere in her vice president's office at the European Parliament in Brussels. Awards resting on the window ledge recognize her fight "for freedom and democracy in Ukraine," like the one she received in 2022 from the Istituto Affari Internazionali, an Italian think tank. There are books and novels devoted to Russia and its unfortunate neighbor, invaded by Kremlin troops in February 2022 and struggling ever since not to be carved up and subjugated. There is also a curious painting, a gift from Ukrainian army veterans, depicting their country's yellow and blue trident, into which real bullets have been embedded.

But what visitors do not notice at first glance is the small red button beneath the meeting table: a "panic button" meant to alert the Parliament security teams in case of danger or intrusion. The surveillance camera at the entrance, filming comings and goings, is just as discreet. Whenever she leaves the building, the MEP is always accompanied by a police escort. "I can't just wake up and go for a walk or suddenly decide to see a film," she said on Friday, December 12. "But there are people who risk far more than I do. Ukrainians, in their trenches, are under bombardment to defend their freedom."

...

For months, Picierno has lost count of the death threats she has received in the mail and in her email inbox. She has been the target of intimidation near her home in Belgium – incidents she does not want to discuss in detail so as not to interfere with the ongoing investigation. In January, pro-Russian activists distributed leaflets in Bologna, Italy, comparing her to Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler's propaganda minister. Does she see Russia's hand behind these acts? "Yes," she replied simply, her face tense.

One episode in particular has fueled Moscow's anger in recent months. In early March, Vladimir Soloviev, a star host on the Russian state television channel Rossiya 1, was invited to appear on a television program in Italy on the channel Rai 3. Picierno publicly protested against this red-carpet treatment for "one of the Kremlin's main propagandists," who has been under European Union sanctions since 2022. "Italian public broadcasting cannot in any way serve as a megaphone for Russian disinformation," she warned on X.

Her efforts paid off: Soloviev's invitation was revoked. Furious, he lashed out with insults on his show on Rossiya 1. "Her mouth stinks of tyranny," he said – in Italian – referring to the MEP, whom he called a "dirty beast, a disgrace to the human race." Internet trolls then harassed her. The barrage was so relentless that she quickly stopped paying attention. But the escalation reached such a level that in June, the Italian government decided to place her under police protection.

...

The Italian is not the only European lawmaker facing pressure from Moscow since the war in Ukraine began nearly four years ago. "There are several of us being targeted by death threats – I myself regularly receive them on social media or by email," said French MEP Nathalie Loiseau (Renew Europe). She recounted how her hotel room was ransacked earlier this year while she was leading a mission observing the legislative elections in Kosovo. For the former minister for European affairs, a strong critic of Putin's regime, there is no doubt about Russia's involvement. "It was an act of intimidation," she said.

...

Her colleagues at the European Parliament have noticed that the native of the Naples region has lost weight in recent months. Out of fear of being poisoned, she now only eats food she prepares herself. "I'm human; fear is a normal feeling," she said. "But I also have a duty to be courageous. It's the price to pay if you want to try to change things." She quickly understood the seriousness of her commitment when she entered politics at the age of 16 to denounce the Mafia's hold on her country. Journalist Roberto Saviano, known for his work on the Camorra and who also lives under police protection, is a friend of hers.

...

"We need a Europe that is more courageous, stronger and more ambitious," said the MEP. A Europe that takes risks, so as not to run the risk of disappearing.

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43914993

Archive link

Pina Picierno is Italian, but Ukraine is everywhere in her vice president's office at the European Parliament in Brussels. Awards resting on the window ledge recognize her fight "for freedom and democracy in Ukraine," like the one she received in 2022 from the Istituto Affari Internazionali, an Italian think tank. There are books and novels devoted to Russia and its unfortunate neighbor, invaded by Kremlin troops in February 2022 and struggling ever since not to be carved up and subjugated. There is also a curious painting, a gift from Ukrainian army veterans, depicting their country's yellow and blue trident, into which real bullets have been embedded.

But what visitors do not notice at first glance is the small red button beneath the meeting table: a "panic button" meant to alert the Parliament security teams in case of danger or intrusion. The surveillance camera at the entrance, filming comings and goings, is just as discreet. Whenever she leaves the building, the MEP is always accompanied by a police escort. "I can't just wake up and go for a walk or suddenly decide to see a film," she said on Friday, December 12. "But there are people who risk far more than I do. Ukrainians, in their trenches, are under bombardment to defend their freedom."

...

For months, Picierno has lost count of the death threats she has received in the mail and in her email inbox. She has been the target of intimidation near her home in Belgium – incidents she does not want to discuss in detail so as not to interfere with the ongoing investigation. In January, pro-Russian activists distributed leaflets in Bologna, Italy, comparing her to Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler's propaganda minister. Does she see Russia's hand behind these acts? "Yes," she replied simply, her face tense.

One episode in particular has fueled Moscow's anger in recent months. In early March, Vladimir Soloviev, a star host on the Russian state television channel Rossiya 1, was invited to appear on a television program in Italy on the channel Rai 3. Picierno publicly protested against this red-carpet treatment for "one of the Kremlin's main propagandists," who has been under European Union sanctions since 2022. "Italian public broadcasting cannot in any way serve as a megaphone for Russian disinformation," she warned on X.

Her efforts paid off: Soloviev's invitation was revoked. Furious, he lashed out with insults on his show on Rossiya 1. "Her mouth stinks of tyranny," he said – in Italian – referring to the MEP, whom he called a "dirty beast, a disgrace to the human race." Internet trolls then harassed her. The barrage was so relentless that she quickly stopped paying attention. But the escalation reached such a level that in June, the Italian government decided to place her under police protection.

...

The Italian is not the only European lawmaker facing pressure from Moscow since the war in Ukraine began nearly four years ago. "There are several of us being targeted by death threats – I myself regularly receive them on social media or by email," said French MEP Nathalie Loiseau (Renew Europe). She recounted how her hotel room was ransacked earlier this year while she was leading a mission observing the legislative elections in Kosovo. For the former minister for European affairs, a strong critic of Putin's regime, there is no doubt about Russia's involvement. "It was an act of intimidation," she said.

...

Her colleagues at the European Parliament have noticed that the native of the Naples region has lost weight in recent months. Out of fear of being poisoned, she now only eats food she prepares herself. "I'm human; fear is a normal feeling," she said. "But I also have a duty to be courageous. It's the price to pay if you want to try to change things." She quickly understood the seriousness of her commitment when she entered politics at the age of 16 to denounce the Mafia's hold on her country. Journalist Roberto Saviano, known for his work on the Camorra and who also lives under police protection, is a friend of hers.

...

"We need a Europe that is more courageous, stronger and more ambitious," said the MEP. A Europe that takes risks, so as not to run the risk of disappearing.

Although the Danish law aims to integrate society, the EU's top court found that it could amount to ethnic discrimination.

Law and JusticeDenmark Denmark's 'ghetto law' faces scrutiny after EU court ruling Although the Danish law aims to integrate society, the EU's top court found that it could amount to ethnic discrimination.

Tenants on the Mjolnerparken estate in Copenhagen challenged the legality of development plans based on Danish social housing law The European Court of Justice (ECJ) on Thursday found that Denmark's so-called "ghetto law" could be discriminatory, but said that the country's own courts need to decide if it goes too far.

The law, passed in 2018, allows the government to reduce public housing in neighborhoods where most residents are from "non-Western" backgrounds.

Denmark's government says the law was meant to help people integrate better by breaking up "parallel societies."

What does Denmark's 'ghetto' law say? Danish law categorizes neighborhoods based on unemployment, crime, education, income, and immigrant population. Areas where more than half the residents are "non-Western" and have at least two social problems are called "transformation areas." A government list defines which countries are considered "Western," including all EU member states. Public housing groups must cut social housing by 40% in "transformation areas" by 2030. They do this by selling, tearing down, converting, or ending leases on the homes. The policy has sparked criticism from rights groups, affected residents, and the United Nations. What did the ECJ find? Residents of Copenhagen's Mjolnerparken estate challenged the measure in 2020, arguing it unfairly targets ethnic minorities. Danish courts then sought guidance from the European Court of Justice.

The ECJ said Danish courts must decide if the criteria specified in the law on public housing are based on people's ethnic origin and thereby place them at a disadvantage. The ECJ emphasized that under EU law, neither nationality nor country of birth alone is sufficient to determine ethnic origin. Rather, this is assessed on the basis of several factors.

A lawyer for the Mjolnerparken residents facing eviction, Eddie Khawaja, noted that the ruling showed the criterion of 50% "non-Western" residents may seem "neutral on paper, but does not prevent residents from being subjected to direct or indirect discrimination."

The Danish Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing said the case would now return to Denmark's Eastern High Court and that the ministry would read the European court's verdict carefully.

Germany's foreign intelligence service is to be given far more scope for taking decisive action in threatening situations under plans of the office of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, according to media reports on Thursday. The proposals would allow sabotage operations to weaken hostile forces, according to public broadcasters WDR and NDR as well as the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, citing a new draft law on the country's Federal Intelligence Service BND.

A BND spokesman said that out of respect for the work of the government and the legislature, he would not comment on the amendment of the law or on any interim results.

According to the reports, the BND will no longer be limited to espionage, gathering and evaluating information, but will in future also carry out operational actions to protect the country. This would require a "special intelligence situation."

Such a threat level would have to be determined by the National Security Council comprised of key ministers, with approval from two-thirds of the members of the control panel of the Bundestag lower chamber of parliament.

The involvement of this secret committee - which monitors the work of the BND as well as the domestic intelligence service and military counter-intelligence - in such decisions would be new for the country.

Observers believe the proposed greater parliamentary involvement may be intended to reassure members of the legislature who are sceptical about expanding the BND's powers.

A special intelligence situation would reportedly be defined as one where a threat to Germany or its allies is identified, for example through another country's preparations for war or increased hybrid attacks.

In this scenario, the agency would also be allowed to actively retaliate against cyberattacks and redirect data streams or shut down IT infrastructure from which attacks are launched.

The BND will reportedly also be permitted to evaluate data using artificial intelligence and to use facial recognition software.

Agency personnel will be allowed to enter homes to install espionage technology and to secretly manipulate and sabotage equipment, such as weapon parts, to render them harmless.

The amendment to the BND Act is still in its early stages, according to the media outlets.

One aim of the planned reform is to enable the agency to act more quickly and decisively against significant increases in hybrid threats, particularly from Russia.

Along the International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) - the route carrying everything from automotive components to electronics and chemical products between western China and Southeast Asia - container volumes have surged nearly tenfold since 2019.

In the first nine months of 2025 alone, 31 cross-border financing projects were completed for enterprises in Chongqing and western China through Singapore, bringing the cumulative total to US$21.8 billion.

Air connectivity between Singapore and Chongqing has also surpassed pre-pandemic levels, with 24 weekly flights now operating between both cities as compared to having no direct connecting services a decade ago.

https://archive.is/EobFz

Pressure continues to mount to curtail asylum arrivals, with over a dozen EU members states hoping to maintain a momentum to limit rights.

The speed of those agreements suggests intense political pressure, amid wider efforts to also deport unwanted and rejected migrants to possible holding pens in foreign states.

The letter, dated 16 December, demands that the EU commission come up with specialised funding schemes for so-called 'innovation solutions' to migration.

Such aspects typically seek to offshore responsibilities to countries like Uganda, where the Dutch are hoping to set up a deportation facility for nationalities from the region.

We all know the classics, Mine Craft, Rust, Stardew Valley, etc. What are some one's you see people less aware of are self hostable?

https://archive.is/L2wmn

EU leaders decided to use joint borrowing instead of Russian frozen assets to support Ukraine, in a big win for Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever, who had long opposed the idea of a reparations loan amid fears of retaliation from Russia.

cross-posted from : https://lemmy.zip/post/55281941

EU ministers have agreed to launch negotiations on an agreement that would grant US border agencies direct access to personal data stored in EU member state databases, and give EU agencies similar access to US data. The US is demanding access to the databases of all states that are part of its Visa Waiver Programme, for “immigration screening and vetting activities.” This is part of a broader plan to massively increase the amount of sensitive data gathered on travellers.

Reclaiming Migration - Joint Statement

cross-posted from : https://lemmy.zip/post/55281391

The world-first policy would ban imports into the EU of cocoa, palm oil and other commodities linked to forest destruction, requiring foreign exporters of these commodities to provide due diligence statements proving their products did not contribute to forest destruction.

Brazil, Indonesia and the U.S., which said complying with the rules would be costly and hurt their exports to Europe.

The world-first policy would ban imports into the EU of cocoa, palm oil and other commodities linked to forest destruction, requiring foreign exporters of these commodities to provide due diligence statements proving their products did not contribute to forest destruction.

Brazil, Indonesia and the U.S., which said complying with the rules would be costly and hurt their exports to Europe.

cross-posted from : https://piefed.zip/c/privacy/p/799548/digital-house-arrest-how-the-eu-wants-to-disempower-families

cross-posted from : https://discuss.tchncs.de/post/50884929

cross-posted from : https://lemmy.bestiver.se/post/805938

Comments

Documentation for nanogram available here for awhile

Edit: ~~Dont be a ungrateful~~ Be nice pls. I put a lot of time, effort, and my own money into making this. I'm choosing to freely share it :)

Yes I get help from LLM's. Review the code if you think it's unsafe, or just move on and don't use it. Happy to answer any technical questions.

Edit 2: Expanded source code for termux version here.

Edit 3: Expanded source for pi version here

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/40520980

Lubna Masarwa
18 December 2025 14:28 GMT

Earlier this year, a United Nations inquiry accused Israel of using sexualised torture and rape as "a method of war... to destabilize, dominate, oppress and destroy the Palestinian people".

The Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem has described the Israeli prison system as a "network of torture camps" within which prisoners were subjected to "repeated use of sexual violence" including "gang sexual violence and assault committed by a group of prison guards or soldiers".

Last year, Israel's Channel 12 published a leaked video which appeared to show Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee.

In response to questions from MEE, the Israeli Prison Service said it "categorically rejected" the allegations of abuse described by the prisoners.

Yet again, I'm buying gifts for people and need gift ideas. This crowd really came through last year and I'd love to try it again!

I don’t want to make rules, but I think we need a couple:

1. Let’s at least cap them at $50ish. Telling people you want a DJI Drone, a Steam Deck or PS5 simply isn’t realistic. I’m not looking for ideas in that price range (even though I’d probably love all these, myself).
2. Avoid intimate stuff. I’m not talking sex toys (though avoid those too - I’m not buying my sister-in-law a dildo), but more things that are really personal like jewellery, watches and stuff that you need to know the person’s tastes to get right.