Vladimir Putin authorises the guarding of fuel sites by reservists, internet blackouts and tighter sentencing for acts of sabotage

Russia has passed sweeping laws to bolster its defences at home against Ukrainian drone strikes and sabotage operations, reflecting the Kremlin’s expectation of a protracted war with Ukraine.

Almost four years into Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine – a full-scale invasion he expected to last only weeks – Moscow is being targeted almost daily by Ukrainian drones striking energy facilities, while Ukrainian operatives have assassinated a number of high-profile Russian military figures deep inside the country.

These deep-strike Ukrainian attacks have forced Moscow to confront vulnerabilities it once assumed lay far from the battlefield.

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This could also potentially mean that Steam itself comes to Android (at least in the EU) to allow cross-buy and cross-progression.

Small island states and major economies are urging a fair fossil-fuel phase-out as climate negotiations enter a critical juncture. Climate-friendly trade and improved climate finance are among the main flashpoints.

Ministers from around the world crowded the podium at the UN climate conference in Belem, Brazil, united in calling for a rapid and equitable phase-out of the fossil fuels largely responsible for driving climate change.

Flanked by representatives from countries including Germany, Colombia, the UK and Kenya, Tina Stege, the Marshall Islands' climate envoy, evoked the spirit of Mutirao — a Portuguese word of Indigenous origin meaning 'collective effort' — in calling for a "roadmap" to transition away from oil, coal and gas.

Colombia is leading the charge of around 80 countries backing the inclusion of such a roadmap in a final COP agreement this year, according to negotiators. It advances a commitment first made at COP28 in Dubai, but with greenhouse gas emissions at a record high and warming accelerating, some fear the talks between nearly 200 nations lack urgency.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/39011502

Um.... What the f....

They don't taste that good.

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition is now available on Nintendo Switch 2 & Nintendo Switch.

Experience the cinematic action-adventure that forced Lara Croft to grow from an inexperienced young woman into a hardened survivor. Lara must endure high-octane combat, customize her weapons and gear, and overcome grueling environments to survive her first adventure and uncover the island’s deadly secret.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide is out now on Nintendo Switch 2.

A clash between the Flying Dutchman and King Neptune has unleashed ghostly mayhem all over Bikini Bottom! Switch seamlessly between SpongeBob and Patrick and combine their unique skills to battle epic bosses. Save Bikini Bottom in the duo's ghostliest adventure yet, fully voiced by the original show cast.

The new Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion Expansion Pack: Into the Abyss is out now on Nintendo Switch 2.

Head "Into the Abyss" and explore the Survey Zone: Locus Initi, a dangerous new location surrounding the Genesis Tree. There you'll find threatening Femto-powered enemies, a new Axiom base to challenge, and earn powerful rewards that will help you take on this all-new storyline.

After years of pushback from the Federal Trade Commission over Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, Meta has defeated the FTC’s monopoly claims.

In a Tuesday ruling, US District Judge James Boasberg said the FTC failed to show that Meta has a monopoly in a market dubbed “personal social networking.” In that narrowly defined market, the FTC unsuccessfully argued, Meta supposedly faces only two rivals, Snapchat and MeWe, which struggle to compete due to its alleged monopoly.

But the days of grouping apps into “separate markets of social networking and social media” are over, Boasberg wrote. He cited the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, who “posited that no man can ever step into the same river twice,” while telling the FTC they missed their chance to block Meta’s purchase.

Essentially, Boasberg agreed with Meta that social media—as it was known in Facebook’s early days—is dead. And that means that Meta now competes with a broader set of rival apps, which includes two hugely popular platforms: TikTok and YouTube.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote to state and territory leaders in September saying they must slash growth in hospital spending if they want a public hospital funding commitment implemented.

New York City councilmember Chi Ossé appeared to confirm he would challenge House Democratic leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries for his seat representing New York's 8th congressional district in an X post on Monday.

Ossé responded to another post calling him out for saying last month that he was not going to run. This comes after Ossé's name appeared on FEC filings launching a bid for NY-08 earlier Monday.

"How can Brooklyn voters take you at your word when just last month you said this? 'It would take a very dire situation in order for me to even consider spending the rest of my 20s in DC. Just to be clear, I'm not running for Congress,'" a post said.

Ossé responded: "Seems like we're in a dire situation."

"The Democratic Party's leadership is not only failing to effectively fight back against Donald Trump, they have also failed to deliver a vision that we can all believe in," Ossé, who recently joined the Democratic Socialists of America, said in a statement to Axios.

"These failures are some of the many reasons why I am currently exploring a potential run for New York's 8th Congressional District," he told the outlet.

cross-posted from: https://discuss.tchncs.de/post/49194514

Due to the UK's Online Safety Act implemented earlier this year, accessing my Bluesky DM's now means I need to allow a third-party service to scan my face, ID, or bank card. Understandably, that gives me the willies. So I can either simply never look at my messages again, whip out the likeness of Norman Reedus, OR I can log on via a VPN. However, the days of this vastly preferable third option may be numbered.

US states Wisconsin and Michigan have already proposed VPN crackdown bills aiming to close off this workaround—and the UK may be looking to follow suit. Online privacy nonprofit the Electronic Frontier Foundation recently criticised this strategy, taking aim at Wisconsin's bill in particular, saying that blocking the use of VPNs is "going to be a disaster for everyone."