cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/10028972

The Trump administration is proposing to ask visitors from several dozen nations that enjoy visa-free travel to the U.S. to submit additional personal information before entering the country, including five years of their social media history, the Department of Homeland Security said in a notice this week.

Citizens of 42 countries enrolled in the visa waiver program can generally come to the U.S. for up to 90 days for tourism or business travel, without needing to apply for a visa at an American embassy or consulate, a process that can take months or even years.

The list of countries in the visa waiver program includes many European nations like the United Kingdom, Germany and France, as well as some U.S. allies around the world, including Australia, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/12938

American tech giant Meta Platforms is reportedly using an open-source artificial intelligence model developed by Alibaba Group Holding to reinvigorate its faltering AI efforts in another likely win for Chinese AI. According to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday, Facebook owner Meta was using Alibaba’s Qwen model, along with other open-source models from Google and OpenAI, as part of the training process for a new model code-named Avocado, which was expected to be released in the spring. The report...

From China - South China Morning Post via This RSS Feed.

The show of force highlights growing regional tensions as China asserts its military presence.

US nuclear-capable bombers joined Japanese fighter planes for a flight over the Sea of Japan, Tokyo said Thursday.

This comes a day after Chinese and Russian forces completed coordinated drills encircling Japan and South Korea.

"We confirmed the strong resolve of Japan and the United States not to allow any unilateral change of the status quo by force, as well as the readiness of the Self-Defense Forces and the US military," Japan's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Two US B-52 bombers joined three Japanese F-35 stealth fighters and three F-15 jets in the operation on Wednesday.

For those who want the back story on how it all came about

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43442390

[Op-ed by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a former prime minister of Denmark and former secretary general of Nato.]

Web archive link

...

The war in Ukraine, North Korea’s missile tests, and China’s growing assertiveness reveal a stark truth: the great divide of our age is not as geographic as it once was, but political and ideological. It is the fault line between open societies and autocratic ones.

For Europe, the imperative is clear: deepen partnerships with other democracies that share our values, our economic models, and our strategic outlook.

And few countries embody this alignment more than Japan.

...

Japan is not just a major economy in the Indo-Pacific — it is a democracy of principle, a strategic actor with advanced capabilities, and a steady partner in global security.

Over recent years, Tokyo has grown its defence cooperation, expanded its space and cyber capabilities, and strengthened its regional engagement.

Meanwhile, the nature of threat is shifting.

Autocratic states — Russia, North Korea, China — are cooperating increasingly.

...

I have long advocated for a 'Democratic 7' (D7): the EU, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Together, these nations account for roughly a quarter of global GDP and more than a third of global trade.

Yet what they share is deeper: a network of trust, rule-of-law, and open economy.

Within that framework, Japan stands out. Its contributions in space, defence and high-tech industries are world-class.

Europe should not view Tokyo as adjunct — it should view Japan as central to our strategy. From satellite systems to missile defence, from industrial innovation to standard-setting in critical technologies, Japan can be both partner and template.

...

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43442390

[Op-ed by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a former prime minister of Denmark and former secretary general of Nato.]

Web archive link

...

The war in Ukraine, North Korea’s missile tests, and China’s growing assertiveness reveal a stark truth: the great divide of our age is not as geographic as it once was, but political and ideological. It is the fault line between open societies and autocratic ones.

For Europe, the imperative is clear: deepen partnerships with other democracies that share our values, our economic models, and our strategic outlook.

And few countries embody this alignment more than Japan.

...

Japan is not just a major economy in the Indo-Pacific — it is a democracy of principle, a strategic actor with advanced capabilities, and a steady partner in global security.

Over recent years, Tokyo has grown its defence cooperation, expanded its space and cyber capabilities, and strengthened its regional engagement.

Meanwhile, the nature of threat is shifting.

Autocratic states — Russia, North Korea, China — are cooperating increasingly.

...

I have long advocated for a 'Democratic 7' (D7): the EU, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Together, these nations account for roughly a quarter of global GDP and more than a third of global trade.

Yet what they share is deeper: a network of trust, rule-of-law, and open economy.

Within that framework, Japan stands out. Its contributions in space, defence and high-tech industries are world-class.

Europe should not view Tokyo as adjunct — it should view Japan as central to our strategy. From satellite systems to missile defence, from industrial innovation to standard-setting in critical technologies, Japan can be both partner and template.

...

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/43442390

[Op-ed by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a former prime minister of Denmark and former secretary general of Nato.]

Web archive link

...

The war in Ukraine, North Korea’s missile tests, and China’s growing assertiveness reveal a stark truth: the great divide of our age is not as geographic as it once was, but political and ideological. It is the fault line between open societies and autocratic ones.

For Europe, the imperative is clear: deepen partnerships with other democracies that share our values, our economic models, and our strategic outlook.

And few countries embody this alignment more than Japan.

...

Japan is not just a major economy in the Indo-Pacific — it is a democracy of principle, a strategic actor with advanced capabilities, and a steady partner in global security.

Over recent years, Tokyo has grown its defence cooperation, expanded its space and cyber capabilities, and strengthened its regional engagement.

Meanwhile, the nature of threat is shifting.

Autocratic states — Russia, North Korea, China — are cooperating increasingly.

...

I have long advocated for a 'Democratic 7' (D7): the EU, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Together, these nations account for roughly a quarter of global GDP and more than a third of global trade.

Yet what they share is deeper: a network of trust, rule-of-law, and open economy.

Within that framework, Japan stands out. Its contributions in space, defence and high-tech industries are world-class.

Europe should not view Tokyo as adjunct — it should view Japan as central to our strategy. From satellite systems to missile defence, from industrial innovation to standard-setting in critical technologies, Japan can be both partner and template.

...

[Op-ed by Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a former prime minister of Denmark and former secretary general of Nato.]

Web archive link

...

The war in Ukraine, North Korea’s missile tests, and China’s growing assertiveness reveal a stark truth: the great divide of our age is not as geographic as it once was, but political and ideological. It is the fault line between open societies and autocratic ones.

For Europe, the imperative is clear: deepen partnerships with other democracies that share our values, our economic models, and our strategic outlook.

And few countries embody this alignment more than Japan.

...

Japan is not just a major economy in the Indo-Pacific — it is a democracy of principle, a strategic actor with advanced capabilities, and a steady partner in global security.

Over recent years, Tokyo has grown its defence cooperation, expanded its space and cyber capabilities, and strengthened its regional engagement.

Meanwhile, the nature of threat is shifting.

Autocratic states — Russia, North Korea, China — are cooperating increasingly.

...

I have long advocated for a 'Democratic 7' (D7): the EU, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Together, these nations account for roughly a quarter of global GDP and more than a third of global trade.

Yet what they share is deeper: a network of trust, rule-of-law, and open economy.

Within that framework, Japan stands out. Its contributions in space, defence and high-tech industries are world-class.

Europe should not view Tokyo as adjunct — it should view Japan as central to our strategy. From satellite systems to missile defence, from industrial innovation to standard-setting in critical technologies, Japan can be both partner and template.

...

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/6057808

Archived link

[HALO is an NGO operating in Ukraine. Women are clearing the land after Russians mined it.]

...

Until 2017, demining was on Ukraine’s list of 450 occupations prohibited for women. Today, women make up 30 per cent of HALO’s 1,500 Ukrainian staff.

...

[HALO is also] training Ukraine’s women to make their country’s land safe again. Canada has played a part in this work. In early 2024, the Trudeau government — which had a feminist foreign-aid strategy — provided HALO with a $5-million grant to support its female demining efforts. Today, the future of such grants look uncertain.

...

For years, even before all-out war began, Russia has been littering Ukraine’s fields, roads and forests with mines, booby-traps and trip-wire explosives.

These efforts have turned Ukraine into one of the world’s most contaminated countries, some reports say. It is estimated that as much as a quarter of Ukraine’s territory — equivalent to the Canadian Maritimes in size — is mined.

The effect is devastating. As of May, explosive ordnance had killed nearly 500 people and injured another 1,000.

The contaminated lands mean farmers cannot plant crops, families cannot rebuild their homes and children cannot play safely outside. It also threatens global food security, undermining Ukraine’s agricultural output and role as Europe’s so-called “breadbasket.”

In 2023, Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy set a goal of clearing 80 per cent of Ukraine’s contaminated lands within 10 years.

This is where HALO comes in.

...

For nearly four decades, HALO has been clearing landmines, cluster munitions and other explosives from some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones.

Its work began in Afghanistan but today spans 30 countries. The non-profit employs more than 11,000 people and generates roughly US$200 million in revenue.

Its expansion into Ukraine has been supported by international donors, including Canada.

Samuel Fricker, a Canadian projects officer with HALO who is based in Langley, B.C., says he is glad to see Canadian dollars being put toward HALO.

“As someone who pays taxes in Canada, I’m … happy with where the money goes,” he tells me in a HALO team video call days later.

“The reason I work in this field is because of how tangible the impact is. You are seeing landmines being removed. You’re seeing genuine lives saved,” he says.

Canada’s $5-million contribution accounts for a small fraction of HALO’s $60-million annual Ukraine budget.

...

Daria Hapirova, a gender expert at HALO, says training women to demine is crucial because hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian men have joined the military.

“Unfortunately, there is no time for us to act in a gender-neutral way,” she says on the call. “[W]ithout women right now, Ukrainian mine action wouldn’t function.”

Hapirova says there are halo effects to promoting gender equality in a niche sector like demining.

“We started to change our uniform sets, for example, to make it more inclusive, and not only suitable for female bodies, but also to be more practical and more inclusive for different shapes of man’s bodies,” she says.

Fricker says HALO is also more effective at its work when women are included.

Households headed by women — often widows or those whose husbands are fighting — are more willing to share information with female surveyors, he says.

“The interactions are much, much improved by having that diversity,” he says.

Canada’s $5-million grant ended in August, and HALO currently has no ongoing Canadian funding for Ukraine. “We are in discussions with [Global Affairs Canada] about potential future options for follow-on funding,” Shustova says.

But the political winds have shifted. On Nov. 23, Prime Minister Mark Carney said at a press conference in Johannesburg that Canada no longer has a feminist foreign policy.

He added, however, that gender equality will remain an “aspect” of Canada’s broader international agenda.

...

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/6057808

Archived link

[HALO is an NGO operating in Ukraine. Women are clearing the land after Russians mined it.]

...

Until 2017, demining was on Ukraine’s list of 450 occupations prohibited for women. Today, women make up 30 per cent of HALO’s 1,500 Ukrainian staff.

...

[HALO is also] training Ukraine’s women to make their country’s land safe again. Canada has played a part in this work. In early 2024, the Trudeau government — which had a feminist foreign-aid strategy — provided HALO with a $5-million grant to support its female demining efforts. Today, the future of such grants look uncertain.

...

For years, even before all-out war began, Russia has been littering Ukraine’s fields, roads and forests with mines, booby-traps and trip-wire explosives.

These efforts have turned Ukraine into one of the world’s most contaminated countries, some reports say. It is estimated that as much as a quarter of Ukraine’s territory — equivalent to the Canadian Maritimes in size — is mined.

The effect is devastating. As of May, explosive ordnance had killed nearly 500 people and injured another 1,000.

The contaminated lands mean farmers cannot plant crops, families cannot rebuild their homes and children cannot play safely outside. It also threatens global food security, undermining Ukraine’s agricultural output and role as Europe’s so-called “breadbasket.”

In 2023, Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy set a goal of clearing 80 per cent of Ukraine’s contaminated lands within 10 years.

This is where HALO comes in.

...

For nearly four decades, HALO has been clearing landmines, cluster munitions and other explosives from some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones.

Its work began in Afghanistan but today spans 30 countries. The non-profit employs more than 11,000 people and generates roughly US$200 million in revenue.

Its expansion into Ukraine has been supported by international donors, including Canada.

Samuel Fricker, a Canadian projects officer with HALO who is based in Langley, B.C., says he is glad to see Canadian dollars being put toward HALO.

“As someone who pays taxes in Canada, I’m … happy with where the money goes,” he tells me in a HALO team video call days later.

“The reason I work in this field is because of how tangible the impact is. You are seeing landmines being removed. You’re seeing genuine lives saved,” he says.

Canada’s $5-million contribution accounts for a small fraction of HALO’s $60-million annual Ukraine budget.

...

Daria Hapirova, a gender expert at HALO, says training women to demine is crucial because hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian men have joined the military.

“Unfortunately, there is no time for us to act in a gender-neutral way,” she says on the call. “[W]ithout women right now, Ukrainian mine action wouldn’t function.”

Hapirova says there are halo effects to promoting gender equality in a niche sector like demining.

“We started to change our uniform sets, for example, to make it more inclusive, and not only suitable for female bodies, but also to be more practical and more inclusive for different shapes of man’s bodies,” she says.

Fricker says HALO is also more effective at its work when women are included.

Households headed by women — often widows or those whose husbands are fighting — are more willing to share information with female surveyors, he says.

“The interactions are much, much improved by having that diversity,” he says.

Canada’s $5-million grant ended in August, and HALO currently has no ongoing Canadian funding for Ukraine. “We are in discussions with [Global Affairs Canada] about potential future options for follow-on funding,” Shustova says.

But the political winds have shifted. On Nov. 23, Prime Minister Mark Carney said at a press conference in Johannesburg that Canada no longer has a feminist foreign policy.

He added, however, that gender equality will remain an “aspect” of Canada’s broader international agenda.

...

Hi all!

Just a quick update on Scatola Magica - a self hosted file transfer and management system I built - it's almost out of beta and I'd love to have people test it out and raise issues on github in case something is incredibly off.

Repo: https://github.com/fccview/scatola-magica

Quick youtube demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvn0KHxzesE

enable subtitles in the demo for some commentary

Some quick highlights on the features I wanted that made me build this:

• Drag/drop anywhere to upload files/folders (yes even unzipped folders)
• Copy a file and paste it straight on the UI to upload it
• Copy some text and paste it straight in the UI to create a .txt file with the pasted text
• Click on the recursive button to see all files within all folders, multi select them all and download as zip (regardless from if they are in the same folder or not)
• Full on, easy to use encrypt/decrypt of files using the keys generated from the app OR any random public key I may want to use
• Encrypted file transfer
• (for my own taste) Slick UI.

The latest update features full on PGP encryption, transfer encryption (I don't want to call it e2e because files do end up decrypted on the server unless you purposely upload them via the "upload encrypted file", but it's effectively e2e, they get encrypted on your browser - requires https/localhost - are transferred encrypted and get decrypted once safe on your server).

I also have added some fun theming options for people who, like me, grew up in the late 90s, bit of nostalgia never hurts. This is fully featured in the demo video

Some of you may know me for my two other apps I have published here jotty and cronmaster, been a developer for half my life and all I do in my spare time is code and create open source apps. Been into self hosting for quite a while and I have very specific tastes and want very niche features, so I always end up building my own applications, it's a good way to keep up with latest tech and keep the love for my job alive.

Let me know if you like it! Super proud of this one, I am really enjoying using it in my homelab.

Will Twitter finally return?

Deported from the United States and then immediately dispatched to the front lines by Russia. Such was the fate of several Russian nationals who, after being detained and put on a plane in Arizona on Monday, December 8, eventually landed in Moscow on Tuesday, December 9, after a stopover in Cairo.

According to the independent Russian media outlet Mediazona, 64 Russian passengers were on board. The authorities have provided no information about their current status. However, several of them received military draft notices as soon as they arrived, the first step toward likely deployment to the front in Ukraine. The information was confirmed by the group Russian America for Democracy in Russia (RADR), an advocacy group established in the US by opponents to the Kremlin.

The only official statement from Moscow came after the plane landed: The Office of the Prosecutor General announced the arrest of Zair Saimullin, age 69, who was charged with fraud and whose extradition from the US had been requested by Russia. According to RADR, he was likely on board the flight from Cairo.

After reading about this on hacker news, I get why they do it. Its to make people upload identification documents, to get them prepped to authenticate for using the internet. Now the world makes sense again. I was wondering why they would do something positive. But now I get it.