US army secretary briefs ambassadors at ‘nightmare meeting’ in Kyiv on Friday after talks with Ukrainian leader

US officials have told Nato allies they expect to push president Volodymyr Zelenskyy into agreeing to a peace deal in the coming days, under the threat that if Kyiv does not sign, it will face a much worse deal in future.

The US army secretary, Dan Driscoll, briefed ambassadors from Nato nations at a meeting in Kyiv late on Friday, after talks with Zelenskyy and taking a phone call from the White House. “No deal is perfect, but it must be done sooner rather than later,” he told them, according to one person who was present.

The mood in the room was sombre, with several European ambassadors questioning the content of the deal and the way in which the US had conducted the negotiations with Russia without keeping allies informed.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rolled back a previous ruling that required U.S. telecom carriers to implement stricter cybersecurity measures following the massive hack from the Chinese threat group known as Salt Typhoon.

Won't someone think of the metadata? 🥺 Why is nobody taking us seriously

In the months that followed, no one came forward to represent Anna’s Archive in court. OCLC did name an archivist from the Seattle area as the potential operator, but they denied any involvement with the site and were eventually dropped from the case.

:^)

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/46047488

Archived

• Since 1978, China has transformed from a poor, relatively equal society to a leading global economy with levels of inequality surpassing much of Europe and resembling the U.S.
• The state-owned (vs. privately-owned) share of China’s wealth fell from 70% to about 30%, compared to 0% in the U.S. (adjusted for debt).
• The share of China’s national income earned by the top 10% of the population has increased from 27% in 1978 to 41% in 2015, nearing the U.S.’s 45% and surpassing France's 32%.
• Similarly, the wealth share of the top 10% of the population reached 67%, close to the U.S.’s 72% and higher than France’s 50%.

[...]

Income and wealth inequality in China approaching or exceeding levels in the U.S. and Europe. China’s inequality levels used to be lower than Europe’s in the late 1970s, close to the most egalitarian Nordic countries. Now, however, it is approaching U.S. levels. The bottom 50% earns about 15% of total income in China versus 12% in the U.S. and 22% in France. However, China’s top 10% wealth share (67% in 2015) is getting close to that of the U.S. (72%) and is much higher than in a country like France (50%).

[...]

While comparisons are difficult, the available evidence indicates that income growth trends in China during this period [between 1978 and 2015] may have been more egalitarian than those of the U.S., but less so than Europe’s. However, the current lack of transparency about income and wealth data in China, especially regarding offshore assets, puts serious limits on researchers’ collective ability to monitor inequality dynamics and design adequate policy responses.

[...]

I haven't received any support for 5 days 😔 Please make my heart happy and help us! https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-mohameds-family-to-reach-safety-outside-gaza

I would like suggestions for:

• technology (currently have Are Technica, GSMArena, It's FOSS, MacRumors, and Android Authority)
• space/physics/science (currently have Space.com, New Scientist, Quanta Magazine. Phys.org, and The Orbital Index)
• camera news (currently have PetaPixel)

Ideally I want to avoid adding more news feeds, I've already got enough of those. I also don't want to add video feeds (e.g. YouTube), text-based is preferred.

I would also love suggestions for xkcd-style comics!

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5735486

This is an opinionated piece by Andrew Latham, professor of international relations at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minn., a senior fellow at the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy and a non-resident fellow at Defense Priorities in Washington.

Addition to insert the official statement by the Canadian government: Security and defence partnership between the European Union and Canada

Archived link

...

Canada and the European Union have signed a new Security and Defence Partnership focused on cyber defense, maritime security, hybrid threats and industrial resilience. It may sound like bureaucratic routine, but in fact it represents the next step in the evolution of Canada’s grand strategy: a consolidation of its northern vocation as an Arctic and North Atlantic power.

For years, Ottawa’s strategic posture has been scattered — globalist rhetoric masking an absence of focus. That era is ending. With this agreement, Canada is beginning to align its diplomatic and defense priorities with the geography that truly defines its security: the northern approaches.

...

The partnership builds on decades of cooperation but carries new strategic weight in a world of revived spheres of influence. As Russia militarizes the High North and China pushes Arctic shipping and data routes, Canada and Europe are binding together their defenses of the North Atlantic and Arctic seas.

The focus on cyber resilience and hybrid threats echoes the growing anxiety about undersea cables, satellite networks and energy infrastructure — the connective tissue of modern power that is increasingly vulnerable to disruption.

...

The industrial side of the partnership deserves more attention than it has received. The joint declaration calls for stronger supply-chain integration, cybersecurity cooperation and joint production in key sectors such as munitions and aerospace. This is not just about trade; it is about strategic endurance.

The U.S. is straining to supply both Ukraine and its Indo-Pacific posture. Europe is rearming but remains dependent on fragmented supply lines. Canada’s integration with Europe’s industrial base offers a way to build redundancy into the alliance — to strengthen the defense-industrial fabric that keeps deterrence credible in a protracted contest of attrition.

...

Canada’s partnership with the EU is an act of adaptation, not defection — a recognition that the Arctic and the North Atlantic are now central theaters of global power, and that securing them is both Canada’s duty and opportunity.

Seen through this lens, Ottawa’s strategic posture begins to look more coherent. The same logic that drove its focus on undersea cable protection, Arctic over-the-horizon radar and modernized continental defense now extends outward into transatlantic collaboration. Canada is not turning away from the United States but is reinforcing the northern shield that protects both continents.

...

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5735486

This is an opinionated piece by Andrew Latham, professor of international relations at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minn., a senior fellow at the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy and a non-resident fellow at Defense Priorities in Washington.

Addition to insert the official statement by the Canadian government: Security and defence partnership between the European Union and Canada

Archived link

...

Canada and the European Union have signed a new Security and Defence Partnership focused on cyber defense, maritime security, hybrid threats and industrial resilience. It may sound like bureaucratic routine, but in fact it represents the next step in the evolution of Canada’s grand strategy: a consolidation of its northern vocation as an Arctic and North Atlantic power.

For years, Ottawa’s strategic posture has been scattered — globalist rhetoric masking an absence of focus. That era is ending. With this agreement, Canada is beginning to align its diplomatic and defense priorities with the geography that truly defines its security: the northern approaches.

...

The partnership builds on decades of cooperation but carries new strategic weight in a world of revived spheres of influence. As Russia militarizes the High North and China pushes Arctic shipping and data routes, Canada and Europe are binding together their defenses of the North Atlantic and Arctic seas.

The focus on cyber resilience and hybrid threats echoes the growing anxiety about undersea cables, satellite networks and energy infrastructure — the connective tissue of modern power that is increasingly vulnerable to disruption.

...

The industrial side of the partnership deserves more attention than it has received. The joint declaration calls for stronger supply-chain integration, cybersecurity cooperation and joint production in key sectors such as munitions and aerospace. This is not just about trade; it is about strategic endurance.

The U.S. is straining to supply both Ukraine and its Indo-Pacific posture. Europe is rearming but remains dependent on fragmented supply lines. Canada’s integration with Europe’s industrial base offers a way to build redundancy into the alliance — to strengthen the defense-industrial fabric that keeps deterrence credible in a protracted contest of attrition.

...

Canada’s partnership with the EU is an act of adaptation, not defection — a recognition that the Arctic and the North Atlantic are now central theaters of global power, and that securing them is both Canada’s duty and opportunity.

Seen through this lens, Ottawa’s strategic posture begins to look more coherent. The same logic that drove its focus on undersea cable protection, Arctic over-the-horizon radar and modernized continental defense now extends outward into transatlantic collaboration. Canada is not turning away from the United States but is reinforcing the northern shield that protects both continents.

...

Cross posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/39931039

How to opt out Opting out requires you to change settings in two places, so I’ve tried to make it as easy to follow as possible. Feel free to let me know in the comments if I missed anything.

To fully opt out, you must turn off Gmail’s “Smart features” in two separate locations in your settings. Don’t miss one, or AI training may continue.

Step 1: Turn off Smart Features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet settings Open Gmail on your desktop or mobile app. Click the gear icon → See all settings (desktop) or Menu → Settings (mobile). Find the section called Smart Features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet. You’ll need to scroll down quite a bit. Smart features settings Uncheck this option. Scroll down and hit Save changes if on desktop. Step 2: Turn off Google Workspace Smart Features Still in Settings, locate Google Workspace smart features. Click on Manage Workspace smart feature settings. You’ll see two options: Smart features in Google Workspace and Smart features in other Google products. Smart feature settings Toggle both off. Save again in this screen. Step 3: Verify if both are off Make sure both toggles remain off. Refresh your Gmail app or sign out and back in to confirm changes. Why two places? Google separates “Workspace” smart features (email, chat, meet) from smart features used across other Google apps. To fully opt out of feeding your data into AI training, both must be disabled.

Note Your account might not show these settings enabled by default yet (mine didn’t). Google appears to be rolling this out gradually. But if you care about privacy and control, double-check your settings today.

cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/6820770

cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/6820359

Hello sweet comrades… I hope you’re all doing okay out there. On my side… things are completely not okay. It’s been a really heavy week and I don’t even know how to carry all of it by myself anymore.

It has been five days now ever since three of my girls Pretty, Olivia and Charity got arrested …They went out to fetch water after our caretaker disconnected ours. They left without telling me, the same way we used to before the attack. I expected them to return in a few hours… but they didn’t come back at all.

I searched everywhere, three nights with no sleep, walking till my legs hurt, asking anyone who might’ve seen them. Nothing. My whole chest was tight with fear.

When I finally went to the police to report them missing, one officer said he knew where they were. My heart dropped. After he spoke to another officer, they directed me to Gudele Police Station… and that’s where I found my girls. They were arrested and charged with “idling and disorderly conduct”

Today I went back to speak to the officer in charge. He told me that because South Sudan is considered a war zone, anyone who isn’t a citizen must carry documents at all times. I even ran home to get our papers but he still said it was too late since they’re already in jail.

Right now the only way to get them out is to raise 275 USD for each of them. If we can’t, they’ll go to court and then to prison… and that thought is eating me alive. I’ve been visiting them and they keep asking for food and clean water and I’ve had nothing to give since all the support we got went to clearing the rent. Right now donations have slowed down so much.

If anyone here can help …even just a little or by sharing …it would mean more than I can explain. The support link is in my profile if you’re able to help or pass it on. Every bit genuinely counts right now.

Thank you to everyone who reads this, who cares, who takes a moment to hold us in your thoughts. I’m trying my best to stay strong but I can’t lie… this is one of the hardest moments of my life.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5734117

Archived version

...

In contrast to Russian intelligence, which now carries immediate political stigma due to the war in Ukraine, Chinese operatives face fewer social barriers inside European institutions. Until recently, cooperation with China in academia and technology was widely encouraged. “That has changed,” [Director of the Center for International Studies and Development at Jagiellonian University Marcin] Grabowski said, “but the access channels remain open, especially in research and development.”

He pointed to recent British cases in which fake headhunters approached parliamentary staff with lucrative job offers, a tactic MI5 has flagged. He also described encounters at academic events where “students” later appeared to be acting on behalf of Chinese authorities.

According to Grabowski, China’s espionage strategy is a “long game,” using diplomatic cover, business activity, and academic collaboration to map European decision-making and technological capacity. With espionage now “a natural element of international politics,” he said, Europe must recognize that China’s intelligence presence is neither marginal nor new and is still expanding.

...

Key points:

• A huge solar power plant is under construction on Komanje Brdo in Stolac, in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), billed as a major investment in renewable energy. As announced, the construction of this area should become the largest photovoltaic facility in BiH.
• In June 2025, a Chinese worker died at the construction site. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNK), the deceased worker was killed while standing next to a forklift, after a pallet with a load fell on him.
• An inspection by authorities then found a total of 141 citizens of the People’s Republic of China who were employed at a construction site of which 71 were without previously approved temporary residence in BiH and without work permits. The dead worker was one of the illegal laborers.
• Despite the fact that the competent authorities have determined that a significant number of workers employed on this construction site were employed illegally, the construction site continues to operate and employs foreign nationals.
• A special problem is the fact that behind the project being built near Stolac by Ailin Technology and Industry, a company registered in BiH, but which cooperates with the Chinese company Norinco. That company is running the project in Komanja Brdo and is on the blacklist of the United States of America.
• Like other Chinese projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also in other countries of the Western Balkans, this case is also a common business practice of Chinese companies in the region. The main characteristics are the lack of transparency of the project, but also the violation of domestic legislation.
• Unfortunately, it took the death of a Chinese worker for the public to become more interested in this construction site and to identify numerous omissions and violations of Bosnian legislation.

Here is an article about the death of the Chinese worker: Authorities find 71 Chinese nationals working Illegally at Komanje Brdo solar project - (5 October 2025)

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.today/post/42209343

When Russians look back at 2025, they might remember it as the year when the government took even tighter control of the internet.

Credit cards that won’t buy a ticket on public transport. ATMs that don’t connect to a network. Messaging apps that are down. Cellphones that don’t receive texts or data after a trip abroad. Mothers of diabetic children even complain with alarm that they can’t monitor their kids’ blood glucose levels during outages.

Archived version

...

[Russia’s Yantar “research vessel", after] its numerous appearances near the United States, Britain and western Europe [...] adopted a newly provocative stance this week, angering UK's Ministry of Defence by training lasers on RAF aircraft as it patrolled in the North Sea.

Yantar's task is thought to be surveillance of underwater fibre optic and other communication cables — both civilian and military — as well as gas pipelines, and the brazen confidence with which it goes about its work has got western politicians feeling on edge.

...

Analysts say the British government needs to ramp up its response as President Putin develops new craft and technology for marine sabotage in case the new Cold War turns hot.

Sidharth Kaushal, a senior researcher in sea power at the Royal United Services Institute, a think tank, believes the Yantar’s behaviour this week could signal future escalation. “I don’t think this is an acute crisis but it does show the general direction of travel in terms of how the Russians are approaching Europe and their special services are becoming more risk acceptant,” he added.

That places the Yantar in a wider pattern of conduct in the past two years exemplified by Moscow being accused of starting fires at European ammunition dumps, crippling the communications of German and Polish railway networks and sending incendiary devices to DHL logistics hubs in Britain and Germany.

...

Kaushal said that “much more needs to be done to secure [critical western undersea infrastructure] and there needs to be greater ability to constrain the activity of assets like the Yantar”.

Such measures could mirror some of Russia’s own “ways of making a vessel uncomfortable without necessarily crossing into open warfare”, such as radar jamming or the deployment of a directed energy weapon, he added.

Another tactic would be to strengthen legislation to crack down on Russia’s use of a shadow fleet of ostensibly commercial vessels for proxy sabotage.

There have been a series of incidents in which vessels with provable or suspected Russian links were accused of causing deliberate destruction. The Eagle S tanker allegedly damaged five undersea cables by dragging its anchor between Finland and Estonia in December last year, while the Newnew Polar Bear and the Yi Peng Three, Chinese ships, were involved in similar incidents in the Baltic.

...

Experts believe that the Yantar is engaged in mapping sub-sea infrastructure rather than damaging it, but that Russia already has sabotage capabilities way beyond any other country and the boundaries are being tested.

The Yantar is only one element of a wider Russian effort to probe and exploit weaknesses. Its azimuth thrusters — propellers in steerable pods — mean it can maintain its position for long periods as it conducts intelligence-gathering.

...

Lee Willett, an independent naval analyst, said Russia has less need for undersea cables than the US and Britain because of its large land mass and contiguous allies.

Willett agreed that Britain needed a robust response to Moscow’s efforts. “You have to have a very visible presence at sea and a very connected surveillance network both below the surface, on the surface and in the air,” he said. “The crucial points in these underwater networks have to be defended.” The ship has its own surveillance equipment and sensors but it can also deploy two-man Rus and Consul submersibles which can dive to about 6,000m (20,000ft).

...

Halfway through he describes this as malicious compliance with the "right to repair" law. Apple and others are making a mockery of the law.

Sophisticated and deadly “brain weapons” that can attack or alter human consciousness, perception, memory or behaviour are no longer the stuff of science fiction, two British academics argue.

Michael Crowley and Malcolm Dando, of Bradford University, are about to publish a book that they believe should be a wake-up call to the world.

They are this weekend travelling to The Hague for a key meeting of states, arguing that the human mind is a new frontier in warfare and there needs to be urgent global action to prevent the weaponisation of neuroscience.

“It does sound like science fiction,” said Crowley. “The danger is that it becomes science fact.”

The book, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, explores how advances in neuroscience, pharmacology and artificial intelligence are coming together to create a new threat.

Hi guys, I've been working on a self-hostable web analytics platform since the start of this year after being frustrated with Google Analytics and Plausible.

I've packed a bunch of cool web analytics features into Rybbit, but I've tried very hard to keep the interface simple to use,

https://github.com/rybbit-io/rybbit

Check it out!

Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene, an influential figure among the far right and longtime ally of Donald Trump who recently had a dramatic falling out with the United States president, has said she is quitting her seat in Congress.

Previously an icon of Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, Greene had a very public falling out with Trump, with the president announcing earlier this month that he was withdrawing all support for the congresswoman he described as “‘Wacky’ Marjorie”.

Greene has cited as a cause for her rift with Trump her outspoken advocacy for releasing the government’s files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump had dismissed the Epstein issue as a “Democrat hoax” and has struggled with uproar in his MAGA base over his U-turn on a pre-election promise to release government files on the case.