#Defence Infrastructure Organisation

[fairuzfan]

“The Khan Younis Brigade of the Hamas organisation is disbanded, we will complete the mission there and continue to Rafah,” Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said in a post on the social media platform X late on Thursday. “We will continue until the end, there is no other way.”

About 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are crammed into Rafah near the border with Egypt, staying in residential buildings or sleeping in the streets without protection or basic infrastructure.

Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Rafah on Friday, said the displaced population there lacks basics, including toilets and sufficient clean water. They are also “unprepared for winter” with no blankets or suitable clothing, all of which puts them at risk of getting sick, he said.

Mahmoud said Gallant’s statement “shows a total lack of caring” for people in Rafah, who are already facing desperate conditions.

“For many, it’s increased the level of panic. They don’t have anywhere else to go to. This is the last refuge for Palestinians in Gaza. Beyond, it is only the Egyptian border,” he said.

Emad, 55, a businessman and father of six in Rafah, told the Reuters news agency that if Israeli tanks keep coming, “we will be left with two choices: stay and die or climb the walls into Egypt.”

[prokopetz]

A lot of folks are responding to the whole Reddit situation by calling for the return of decentralised forums, and I think it's important to remember that, contrary to certain popular narratives, the reason early 2000s forum culture has fallen by the wayside is not because people are Just Lazy. Certainly, ease of use is part of it, but a much larger part of it is how vulnerable self-hosted forums are.

Basically, the problem is that even the largest and most carefully managed self-hosted forums can be rendered unusable more or less indefinitely by a single sufficiently determined hostile actor. This can take the form of both attacks on the forum's social infrastructure (i.e., via sock-puppet accounts, botting, organised "raids", etc.) and attacks on its technical infrastructure (i.e., via hacking, DDoS, etc.). In either case, a self-hosted forum has no real defence, and the majority of decentralised forum communities survive only by virtue of their relative obscurity; once a self-hosted forum manages to attract the attention of That One Guy who's willing to devote his life to shitting the place up over some microscopic slight, it's effectively game over.

Right now, there are essentially only two mitigation strategies:

Gathering huge numbers of communities under a single, massively centralised technical infrastructure that's simply too large and robust for any one hostile actor to bring down; and

Hardening the community's social infrastructure either by going private and invite only (i.e., the Discord approach), or by making use of a vast centralised pool of volunteer labour to aggressively enforce community standards (i.e., the Reddit approach).

To be clear, these are not intractable problems; other solutions may well exist. However, any proposed plan for bringing decentralised public forums back needs to address them. If you're going in operating under the assumption that forums have become marginalised simply because corporations are evil and people are lazy, you're setting yourself up to learn the hard way why self-hosted forums no longer seem to be capable of growing beyond a certain point.

[lostinhistory]

Heritage News of the Week

Discoveries!

The discovery of an unusual "vampire" burial in Croatia shows the endurance of such beliefs in eastern medieval Europe, according to researchers.

Ancient British coins found in Dutch field likely to be spoils of Roman conquest

A hoard of British coins bearing the inscription of King Cunobelin and found in a Dutch field have been identified as very likely to be the spoils of war of a Roman soldier from the conquest of Britain.

A Roman sanctuary with inscriptions discovered in Cova de les Dones, one of the largest rock art sites in the Iberian Peninsula

Researchers have discovered a remarkable Roman sanctuary in the Cova de les Dones, located in Millares, Valencia, Spain.

Bronze Age footprints preserved during Vesuvius eruption are found in Italy

The footprints found near the Casarzano stream in Salerno, roughly 20 miles away from Pompeii, contained rock fragments from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Experts believe the people who left behind these prints were trying to escape the eruption.

1,200-year-old remains of dismembered pregnant woman in Ecuador hint at 'enigmatic' sacrifice to thwart El Niño

The unusual burial of a woman and fetus in prehistoric Ecuador may reflect the community's fear of her power.

A telltale toilet reveals “lost” site shown in Bayeux Tapestry

A house in England is most likely the site of a lost residence of Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England.

DNA and radiocarbon analysis provide new insights into prehistoric mammoth bone complex

Dr. Alba Rey-Iglesia and her colleagues conducted a biomolecular analysis of the mammoth bone remains at Kostenki 11-Ia, providing fascinating insights into the enigmatic mammoth bone complexes built during the Ice Age.

The oldest evidence for lead pollution comes from ancient Greece

Researchers studying sediment cores recovered from mainland Greece and the Aegean Sea have found the oldest known evidence of lead pollution in the environment dating to around 5,200 years ago.

The longest Greek papyrus from the Judean desert sheds light on a pivotal Roman court case

New research by a group of Austrian and Israeli scholars has finally deciphered a 1,900-year-old scroll describing a tense court case during the Roman occupation of Israel.

A huge chunk of prized Egyptian blue pigment Is uncovered in Nero’s palace

Recent excavations at Domus Aurea, the former imperial residence of Roman emperor Nero, have yielded remnants of a rare blue pigment that hint at the palace’s former glory.

Archaeologists uncover traces of the Abbey of St. Savino

In a new research project to uncover the Abbey’s origins, archaeologists have identified earlier phases of the site’s expansion and construction.

1.5 million-year-old hand axes and seven Paleolithic sites discovered in Iraq’s western desert

Archaeologists from the Free University of Brussels uncovered hand axes dating back 1.5 million years and discovered seven Paleolithic sites in an area of 10 by 20 km in Iraq’s Western Desert.

1,600-year-old Roman padlock with spring mechanism discovered in Germany — and it's tiny

A miniature gold lock dated to the third to fourth centuries was found by a metal detectorist in Germany.

Military personnel and veterans uncover Iron Age treasures

Archaeologists from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, working in collaboration with veterans and military personnel from Operation Nightingale, have uncovered a collection of Iron Age objects declared as national treasure by the Senior Coroner for North Wales.

One of the oldest tin-bronze artifacts in the Eurasian Steppe discovered in a unique Bronze Age cemetery in Uygur ­Autonomous Region

Chinese archaeologists have recently uncovered a large and uniquely structured cemetery dating back to 2800-2600 BC.

Here’s how ancient Amazonians became master maize farmers

Water engineers in ancient South America turned seasonally flooded Amazonian savannas into hotbeds of year-round maize farming.

Lidar survey maps Zapotec city in Mexico

Pedro Guillermo Ramón Celis of McGill University and his colleagues spotted the remains of more than 1,000 structures built by the Zapotec in southern Mexico between 500 and 600 years ago during an aerial survey employing lidar equipment.

Archaeologists find 4,500-year-old warrior burials in Saxony-Anhalt

Archaeologists have identified at least ten graves at a depth of approximately two metres, three of which were once covered by a burial mound.

Pyramidal structure discovered in Chupacigarro

Archaeologists excavating the Chupacigarro archaeological site have discovered a previously unknown pyramidal structure.

Denmark’s first Roman helmet found in weapons sacrifice

Two iron plates found in the massive Iron Age weapons sacrifice found near Hedensted, Denmark, have been revealed to be parts of a Roman helmet from the 4th century. It is the oldest iron helmet ever found in Denmark, and the only Roman helmet ever found within the country’s borders.

Roman pottery and human remains found in Exeter

Roman pottery and human remains have been unearthed during the installation of an underground substation in Exeter city centre.

Museums

The museum, named the Haveli, features five galleries showcasing different kinds of embroidery Askari has collected from some of the remotest corners of Pakistan, ranging from ceremonial cloths traditionally sent from a groom to a bride before a wedding, to dowry purses and vibrant animal adornments worn by camels.

Mona Lisa will be moved to its own exhibition space at Louvre

French president Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday that the Mona Lisa, Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece and one of the most iconic artworks in the world, would soon be moved to a new exhibition space.

Louvre’s decision to move Mona Lisa is a misguided act of snobbery

Crowds give life to the Paris museum and the painting is a silent, compelling mystery at the heart of the hubbub

This is a silly take. The room where the Mona Lisa is housed sees at least 20,000 people per day. It does not have the capacity to handle that many people. Have you seen what that room looks like on an average day?

It's like the top of Everest in there. Trying to visit has been described as "exhausting" and "a physical ordeal". It's not snobbery to update a 17th century building for the 21st century.

Smithsonian Institution will close its diversity offices

Just days after the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. said it would cancel its diversity, equity and inclusion programs, the Smithsonian Institution, a consortium that includes 21 national museums, announced its diversity office will also close. According to the New York Times, the Smithsonian will also freeze hiring for all federal positions and employees will have to return to in-person work full-time.

‘African art is not a fleeting trend’: Moroccan museum to celebrate rich creativity of continent’s artists

Reopening after renovation, the Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden will provide a permanent home for the extensive Lazraq family collection

WW2 bomber group museum appeals for repair funds

Urgent repairs are needed to conserve and repair a military museum that was created to commemorate the US servicemen who were based there during World War Two.

Museum dash sees speedy Londoner set new record

A man has sped his way across London using a kick scooter to set a Guinness World Records title for the most museums visited in 24 hours.

Crabs 'poo from their chests', museum says

An unusual museum in a Kent seaside town which aims to engage the public in the natural world has plans for expansion. Crab Museum in Margate claims to be Europe's first and only exhibition space dedicated to the world of the decapod highlighting the "weirdness" of crabs.

National museum shuts for maintenance work

Wales' leading museum has been temporarily closed due to maintenance work and safety concerns. A sign outside the National Museum in Cathays Park, Cardiff, on Sunday, said it will be closed to the public until further notice.

California Historical Society shutters, transfers collection to Stanford University

Financial stability became a challenge over the last decade as attendance declined and donations dwindled, with the problems only further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. As such, CHS’s board voted to dissolve the organization last summer.

Museums scramble to grasp impact of Trump’s DEI mandate

Widespread uncertainty pervades as institutions either roll back initiatives or try to determine whether their programs are in compliance.

17 employees helped save the Getty Villa from the fires. They're telling other museums how it was done

On Tuesday, Jan. 7, at about 7 a.m., the Getty’s Emergency Planning Specialist Les Borsay arrived at the Getty Villa in Malibu. “This was not normally a day I would have necessarily been out there." Then came the message from the Getty in Brentwood: a small brush fire up started up at the Highlands, sparked by embers of the Palisades Fire. For the next 28 hours, Borsay and 16 other staffers organized themselves to supplement fire department efforts and along the way contributed to helping keep the Getty Villa and its priceless art collections from going up in flames.

House next to Auschwitz opens to public amid alarming international survey results on Holocaust

Through the efforts of the American non-profit Counter Extremism Project, in coordination with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, the Polish foreign ministry and UNESCO, the villa will become the home of the ‘Auschwitz Research Centre on Hate, Extremism and Radicalisation’.

It boggles my mind that people were actually living in this house until last year, when they were convinced to sell it. You know how you go some places and you're like, "wow, the vibes here are bad"? The vibes in that house must be rancid.

Anyway, Dan Snow got to do a tour of the house, and on the one hand, it's just a house, but on the other, it's absolutely the most cursed house ever.

Heritage at risk

Dutch police have arrested three men in connection with the robbery of ancient Romanian artefacts from a museum in the north-east of the Netherlands, after an intensive four-day hunt.

Anger in Romania over theft of national treasures in heist at Dutch museum

News of the heist had set off an “uproar” across Romania, she said, as mourning over the potential loss of the objects gave way to fury among the art world, politicians and media.

US Air Force will still teach about black pilots

The US Air Force will continue to teach about its first black pilots, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, in its basic training, following a review about what to prohibit under President Donald Trump's ban on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes in the federal government.

From Bluesky:

Australia tried to influence other countries and Unesco to keep Great Barrier Reef off in-danger list

While this story is specifically about the Great Barrier Reef, this bit:

In 2021 the Great Barrier Reef became the first site globally to be recommended for the danger list primarily because of the impacts of climate change. But after extensive lobbying from the Morrison government, the recommendation from Unesco and its advisers, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), was ignored by the world heritage committee. That decision raised concerns among world heritage experts that the committee was becoming increasingly politicised and too often was ignoring scientific and technical advice.

should be a cause for concern regarding all UNESCO and potential UNESCO sites.

Odds and ends

The team building the replica of a famous Anglo-Saxon burial ship have told of their aspirations to eventually sail it down the River Thames and across the English Channel.

Butrint: The ancient site helping Albania reclaim its identity

Once known as "the North Korea of Europe", Albania is turning to its millennia-old sites and rich cultural heritage to recast its image.

Since when is neoclassical architecture “populist”?

Donald Trump’s move to revive “traditional” architecture in federal buildings betrays his ignorance of its elitist roots.

Long-lost anti-fascist mural from 1930s restored and back on show in Mexico

A long-neglected 1930s mural in Mexico that warns about the rise of fascism has been revealed and restored – just as some historians say the world faces that threat once more.

'The truth is she did the right thing': The mystery of why Jane Austen's letters were destroyed – by her own sister

Austen is one of the greatest writers in the English language – but relatively little is known about her. And that's in part because of an act that infuriates many to this day.

Ancient forest uncovered by melting ice in the Rocky Mountains

A nearly 6,000-year-old forest is once again seeing daylight after millennia hidden under ice in the Rocky Mountains.

‘An unusual find’: 66m-year-old animal vomit discovered in Denmark

Experts say vomit, probably from a fish, is made up of sea lilies and is an important contribution to reconstructing past ecosystems

Blergh

[des8pudels8kern]

If I were to write a Star Wars fic (which I won’t, as working full-time does not leave me with enough mental energy to be properly actively fannish), it’d be an epic AU where Obi-Wan also falls down the shaft at the climax of his fight with Maul, is presumed dead, and then pops up during the Clone Wars as a mysterious agent of chaos whose initial goal is just to rattle and provoke the Jedi into shedding at least a bit of their apathy disguised as serenity and their superiority complex (so, Obi-Wan choosing to help an entire planet of children caught in a horrific war was bad and aggressive, deserving of first repudiation and then probation, but when Knights and Masters order enslaved sentients into battle it’s duty and necessary to uphold the values of the Republic and thus Order?). He’s bitter, he’s angry, and he wants to destroy the Order. Well, the Order as it is. All talk, so little regard for actual decency, and no infrastructure in place to protect the children under their care.

There’d be a semi-humorous scene where Cody (who is... compromised, okay, he knows it, but this evil fallen force user is just different from the other evil fallen force users, okay) comes across Obi-Wan, bleeding from a fresh gash on his head (”What happened to you? - Oh, nothing, dear one; I just tripped.”) one eye clenched shut where the blood is dribbling down, yada yada, they do their usual song and dance about no, you question your allegiance and join my side, and then.

What’s that?

Cody bends down and picks up the thing that’s caught his attention. It’s round, and not quite flat, and ye--- yellow. He narrows his eyes at the infuriating pain in the ass in front of him.

“Tripped, huh? Deliberately, I assume?”

The man’s gaze flits down to the coloured lens balancing on Cody’s finger now, the exact same shade as his one open eye.

“When you arrived, the light of your presence overwhelmed me and caused me to falter. It can be quite challenging when one has delved as far into the dark as I have,” the fucker tries to lie to Cody’s face, voice as serene as the calmest of Jedi Generals fresh out of meditation, and maybe Cody needs to reconsider how trustworthy anything spoken in that tone really is.

Cody throws the lens at him, and the offending item manages to land on his chest, where blood has soaked into the shirt, and sticks to the fabric, staring at him accusingly.

“What kind of nerf-brained idiot fakes being a Sith? The entire Order is after you!”

The nerf-brain winces, then sighs and droops. He rubs a hand through his suddenly tired-looking face. The blood from his apparently actually self-inflicted head-wound that was meant to disguise the missing lens is smeared all over his cheek now, which looks ridiculous and is somewhat worrisome because Cody is used to bloodshed and knows that it’s usually not a good sign when people forget that they are bleeding. It does match the bone-deep exhaustion etched in the other man’s features, though, now that his mask of flirtatious nonchalance has dropped.

“In my defence, I honestly did not expect it to go this far.” He spreads his hands and pulls a somewhat forced-looking version of his usual boyish grin. “I assumed I would get in two, maybe three strikes before the Order went on alert and I got caught. When they didn’t, I decided to... provide further motivation.”

His right eye is grey-blue, as fathomlessly deep as the waters of Kamino, and Cody wonders what can drive a man to pretend to be evil incarnate to catch the attention of an organisation of essentially super-powered sentients in the middle of a war.

Another trickle of blood from the absolutely needless head wound snakes its way down the side of the man’s face, making it clear that, whatever his motivation might be it’s not a healthy sense of self-preservation.

Maybe Cody can get him to take out the other lens, too, so he can check his eyes for signs of a concussion.

And get a closer look at the colour.

...At least now he’s not compromised by a Sith anymore?

[acti-veg]

if the occupation was ended, would Hamas take over? what would the consequences of that be?

If Israel just left, leaving Palestine in chaos with no support or way to manage a peaceful transition towards democratic rule then it is likely that Hamas or some other militant group would seize power, yes. That is often used in defence of maintaining the (illegal) occupation, but Hamas only exists because of Israel, and it continues to gain recruits because of the occupation.

The Israeli government and the IOF have destroyed Palestine, if they just get up and leave there will be no jobs, no critical infrastructure, scarce food, resources or opportunities. They have all but guaranteed another century of violence in Gaza and the rule of organisations like Hamas if they don’t do anything to help repair the damage that has been caused, which they clearly have no intention of doing.

What you have in Palestine is a whole generation of disenfranchised young people who have watched their parents and friends being butchered, who have no say in the political process, no hope for their future, no way to leave, and no way to better their situation at home. This is the pool from which Hamas recruit. Israel just leaving won’t fix any of the damage they have caused, or erase the anger they have earned.

For the violence in Gaza to end and for Palestine to become a peaceful, democratic state, Israel must be bought to heel by the international community. They must be made to lift their occupation, return and the land they stole, pay significant, ongoing reparations and recognise Palestine as a sovereign state. Until then, Israel must be the subject of stringent trade embargo, they must have their funding withdrawn and their supply of weapons stopped. Israel would crumble eventually, and then the process of rebuilding could begin, with the support of the international community to ensure a democratic transition.

Palestine needs new critical infrastructure like roads, schools, and hospitals, it needs investment and foreign aid on a vast scale. Israel, and to a lesser extent the nations who failed to stop this genocide, need to foot the bill for it. Only significant pressure from the likes of the EU, the US and the UK will end the violence at this point, and even then, it will take many years of rebuilding, diplomacy and healing.

[aimeedaisies]

Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, KCVO, CB appointed as Chair to the Science Museum Group

The Prime Minister has appointed Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, KCVO, CB as Chair of the Science Museum Group, for a four-year term, commencing on 1st of January 2024.

From: Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Science Museum Group

Published: 1st December 2023

Sir Tim Laurence has pursued a portfolio career centred around Built Heritage, Major Projects, Railways and Urban Regeneration since leaving the Royal Navy in 2010. He chaired English Heritage (2015-22), with over 400 historic sites and 40 small museums. Other chairmanships included the Major Projects Association and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the latter on behalf of the Secretary of State for Defence. He was a Trustee and Deputy Chair of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

Current roles include: Patron of the Windsor Leadership Trust; Patron of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway; member of the Great Western Railway Advisory Board; and Senior Advisor to the engineering consultancy Tetratech Europe. He contributes to a number of other charities.

Tim’s 37 years of Naval service included four warship commands and a series of senior roles in the Ministry of Defence, culminating in CEO of the organisation which manages the Ministry of Defence’s property and infrastructure worldwide.

He graduated from University College Durham in 1976 with a BSc in Geography, with Geology and Climatology, and was a Hudson Fellow at St Antony’s College Oxford (1998/99).

Remuneration and Governance Code

The Chair of the Science Museum Group is not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Sir Tim Laurence has not declared any significant political activity.

[mariacallous]

I was 12 years old when the far-right English Defence League (EDL) marched through my town of Luton. Teachers at my all-boys, majority Muslim state comprehensive told us to stay indoors. We were overwhelmingly working-class, the children of taxi drivers and factory workers for whom racist violence was a regular occurrence.

Many of us aligned with people organising the counter-demonstrations against the EDL and soon found other common ground. Alongside antifascism, the activists were vocal on foreign policy issues such as Iraq and Palestine, as well as the domestic issue of austerity.

When I visited my old school recently, I found very different political alliances. Teachers expressed concern about the growing influence of rightwing figures such as Andrew Tate. The influencer is part of a wider network, known loosely as the “manosphere”, which comprises anti-woke culture warriors, get-rich “crypto bros” and Donald Trump supporters. Here were young Pakistani and Bangladeshi boys taking part in a community that includes many who openly despise them. For example, Tate has previously met Tommy Robinson “untold times”, and in a 2022 interview he claimed that the EDL co-founder was “doing his very best to protect England from Islamisation”. To the surprise of many, later that year Tate converted to Islam.

It’s easy to understand the appeal of these influencers, who pose as self-help gurus, speaking directly to insecure young men of all races seeking to live better lives. The growing mental health crisis among young people and the longstanding stigma attached to any discussion of it in the Muslim community leads many vulnerable young men to seek solace in the words of influencers whose videos reference depression, anxiety and how to find motivation to move forward in life.

These young men quickly become enamoured of influencer lifestyles and seek to emulate them. Tate, in fact, grew up on the deprived Marsh Farm estate in Luton, and flaunts his money and flashy cars to impressionable young people. Crypto bros, made hyper-accessible through YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, actively encourage followers to invest in stocks and shares. A year-nine student approached me after I had given a talk at my former school and asked: “How do I become a millionaire without going to school?”

These young people are entering into an economy that is unequal, a society that is atomised and workplaces that are insecure. The idea that you can rise with your class rather than out of it has all but vanished. In Luton, nearly half of children are growing up in poverty. When ethnicity is factored in, figures show that in the UK, 67% of Bangladeshi children and 58% of Pakistani children are living in poverty. Like many areas of Britain, our town has been affected by deindustrialisation, cuts to public services and the resulting loss of social infrastructure. The decline in these spaces – youth clubs, libraries and community centres – has meant a decline in social interaction, too; the void has been filled by social media platforms.

During the Jeremy Corbyn years, many young people had a sense of hope that the state could improve their lives. I remember the long queues of young people outside the polling stations in Luton in 2017, and how many registered to vote at the stalls we used to run at the local sixth-form college. Many of us canvassed for the Labour party in Luton and in neighbouring Bedford. We were promised rent controls, the abolition of tuition fees, free travel, free wifi and an increase in the minimum wage.

Now, in the absence of such a project, many are increasingly turning to individual solutions peddled by online influencers. Why dismantle the system when you can become one of its beneficiaries? Why favour higher taxes that might one day come at your expense?

The pipeline for men of colour subscribing to rightwing influencers online to voting for rightwing parties at the ballot box was made clear during the US election. A record 46% of Hispanic voters opted for Trump �� a 14-point increase from 2020. Trump also saw modest gains among Black men. Minority communities have suffered from the effects of globalisation, deindustrialisation and decline.

For far too long in the UK, progressives have taken for granted the votes of Black and Asian communities – but recent electoral events and reports show that this is ill-informed. Take Brexit: it is often depicted as the revolt of the white working class, but diverse towns and cities such as Luton, Bradford and Birmingham also voted to leave the European Union. A new report by UK in a Changing Europe shows British Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean and non-white Muslim and Christian voters are particularly likely to hold socially conservative views on issues such as crime and foreign aid in comparison with those from other ethnic or religious groups. Meanwhile, British Indian and Chinese voters are more likely to hold rightwing economic views. Both the former and current Conservative leaders, Rishi Sunak and Kemi Badenoch, are representative of this wider shift. Many ethnic minority voters already hold rightwing views, and we may see this point of view grow in younger generations as the online culture they consume is dominated by the right.

On the Marsh Farm estate where Tate grew up, there is an alternative model of self-help being pioneered by local residents. Marsh Farm Outreach prides itself on collectivism and face-to-face social interaction. Its bottom-up community-organising approach transformed a derelict 17th-century farmhouse into a community hub. The building is now home to a DJing academy for local children excluded from school, Luton’s first Black radio station and a restaurant and bar. Here, on the estate, few young men believe there are any heroes in Westminster coming to save them, but they have found support in a local community.

Bringing young people into their physical communities, and out of their online ones, may be one way to counter the rise of the right. As these young people reach voting age, time is running out for the Labour party.

[good-old-gossip]

Evilness of Israeli Regime in Gaza

A group of far-right Israeli lawmakers has stirred outrage with a call for the military to escalate its already devastating campaign in Gaza. Eight members of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee have demanded that Defence Minister Israel Katz order the destruction of all water, food and power supplies in northern Gaza, a move which would result in the starvation of thousands of Palestinians.

Their proposals include treating any man, woman and child remaining in the area without a white flag as a legitimate target to be killed.

The lawmakers, including figures from the ruling Likud party and its coalition allies Religious Zionism, Jewish Power and Shas, argued in a letter that the Israeli army had failed to achieve its objectives of dismantling Hamas’ governance and military operations.

They accused the military of not carrying out the forced expulsion of Palestinians “properly” from the besieged northern Gaza, where an estimated 70,000 Palestinians remain hungry and without shelter while Israel continues its onslaught.

The lawmakers insisted that the Israeli army should impose a total blockade, destroy essential infrastructure and carry out what they described as a “complete cleansing” of the region. They also suggested that such draconian tactics be applied across other parts of Gaza.

"This must be done not only in the northern Gaza Strip, but also in every other region," the letter said.

The group lambasted Israeli army officials for not providing clear explanations during committee sessions as to why such measures had not yet been adopted or what the army’s strategy entails. Israel faces charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and human rights organisations have published a vast body of evidence detailing ethnic cleansing and war crimes committed by its army.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is also pursuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with Israel's war on Gaza.

The MPs' demands echo the "Generals' Plan", a proposal widely condemned for labelling all remaining civilians in northern Gaza as military targets while cutting off food, medicine and other supplies.

Israel has incrementally implemented the plan despite condemnations from human rights organisations.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels, the UN has reported.

The northern health system has completely collapsed, with the Indonesian Hospital, the last partially functioning facility, struggling without water or electricity. Residents are being forced to flee south under appalling conditions, with reports of the Israeli army preventing them from taking personal belongings or warm clothing despite freezing temperatures.

Six infants and an adult have reportedly succumbed to hypothermia in the past week, highlighting the dire conditions faced by Gaza’s population.

Meanwhile, humanitarian organisations have decried Israel’s tactics as collective punishment, with UN officials warning that the situation is causing unprecedented suffering for Gaza’s civilian population.

✍️: MEE/Elis Gjevori

Writer Avi Ashkenazi of Israeli Maariv newspaper wrote in an article that “the entire northern Gaza Strip looks like an island of ruins,” in what he defines as “IDF’s amazing tactical successes”.

The article, originally written in Hebrew, details how the IDF has deprived the people in Jabalia, northern Gaza of the underground infrastructures to cause the “terrorists to move above.”

In the article, Ashkenazi continues to say that the “entire northern Gaza is like an island of ruins. The destruction, without exaggeration, is greater than what the Americans left in Hiroshima or Vietnam”.

Ashkenazi further quotes an army officer who fought in Jabalia, who said that “when the residents return to what was once their homes, they will understand what price they paid because of Hamas.”

A 2024 analysis of hundreds of video clips released by the Israeli military has uncovered evidence that Israeli air strikes on Gaza over the past year have been far from precise, leading to “devastating levels of civilian harm”.In October 2024, British war monitor Airwars reviewed hours of footage of Israeli strikes on the enclave, geolocating them and matching them to incidents where Palestinians had publicly reported that civilians had been harmed.

In various airstrikes conducted in the besieged strip since Israel’s war on Gaza has begun, the Israeli army said that it was targeting a Hamas tunnel, but failed to provide evidence to support these claims.

[blackpilledkremlintsarina5294]

November 22, 2018

The President of Russia reviewed the latest research achievements in medicine, such as a 3D scanning system for processing data submitted by medical facilities for diagnostic and treatment purposes. Vladimir Putin visited a laboratory that works on bio formulations for medicine and industry, where he was updated on the genome research projects underway at the technopark. He also saw a new platform for de-miner boots that absorbs the shock wave.

The ERA Military Innovation Technopark was established pursuant to Presidential Executive Order of June 25, 2018, to speed up the creation and implementation of breakthrough defence technologies, to create the infrastructure for the interaction of research, education and producing organisations and to support talented young people through programmes designed for young researchers in the army.

The laboratory cluster already has 37 companies, including branches of such major concerns as Kalashnikov and Sukhoi, as well as start-up research teams. They have joined forces to implement 48 innovative projects in robotics, energy sufficiency, bioengineering, data systems, and other fields. Service personnel from four research companies are working on these projects.

[head-post]

Romanian NGOs call on Commission to probe TikTok amid presidential election

Several Romanian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) called on the European Commission and ANCOM to investigate how major online platforms complied with the Digital Services Act (DSA) during the first round of Romania’s presidential election.

The Association for Technology and the Internet (ApTI) and 15 other NGOs sent an open letter on Wednesday. They called on the Commission and ANCOM, the regulatory body that also oversees the implementation of the DSA at the national level, to investigate measures taken by major online platforms to mitigate risks associated with the electoral process.

Moreover, the National Broadcasting Council (CNA) requested the European Commission to formally investigate TikTok on Tuesday. The CNA suggested that TikTok violated standards by authorising political advertisements for independent candidate Călin Georgescu.

Valentin Jucan, vice president of CNA, stated that TikTok failed to ensure transparency of algorithms and mitigate systemic risks as required by the DSA. CNA also called on TikTok to publish a detailed assessment of the democratic risks associated with its activities in Romania. According to the Expert Forum report, Georgescu’s voter support increased from 2% to 22% during the campaign period, mainly due to TikTok’s campaigns.

TikTok’s impact on elections

These campaigns reportedly included coordinated accounts promoting content without proper labelling, artificially amplifying messages through algorithms and hashtags that garnered millions of views. Such activity raised concerns about the manipulation of public opinion and the lack of transparency in TikTok’s handling of political content.

President Klaus Iohannis called a meeting of the Supreme National Defence Council for Thursday to discuss “potential national security risks posed by actions of state and non-state cyber actors on IT&C infrastructures supporting the electoral process.” However, the presidential administration earlier said it had not received any information from state agencies about election meddling or external interference.

Dan Nica, leader of Romania’s S&D delegation, accused unnamed individuals of “brutally interfering” in the presidential election and called for immediate action. However, Green Party MEP Nicolae Ștefănuță recognised the platform’s popularity among Romania’s nine million users, admitting that “no politician can afford not to be where the people are.”

The unexpected success of Călin Georgescu, who garnered no more than 7% of the vote but came in first place without much visible campaigning, raised wider concerns.

Read more HERE

[beardedmrbean]

Helsingin Sanomat reports on a study published on Tuesday that suggests one in five men in Finland believe women might deserve violence perpetrated against them.

Among men under 35, the proportion rose to one in four who at least partially agreed with the statement "a woman can deserve violence because of certain ways of dressing, her behaviour, or her appearance".

The study did not define the term violence in the questions put to men, so respondents could be referring to emotional, psychological, physical or economic violence.

"The situation is serious," said Silla Kakkola, who chairs both Finland's Violence Observatory and Nytkis, the coalition of women's organisations in Finland.

"Not all men idealise violence, but far too many do."

The survey did find that some 78 percent of the all-male respondents thought men should intervene more often when they hear insulting or objectifying talk about women.

Some 60 percent thought that gender equality had already been achieved in Finland.

Researchers received 1,058 responses to an online survey from men aged 18-79. The margin of error was 3.2 percentage points in either direction.

Nato spending

Aamulehti carries an opinion piece looking at the implications of the incoming Trump presidency on Finland's defence spending.

The president-elect has repeatedly demanded that Nato countries spend more money on defence, criticising those that don't currently meet the alliance's target of spending at least two percent of GDP on their militaries.

Finland is currently above the two percent threshold, but that figure could drop after 2027.

AL looks at recent statements by Finnish politicians, most of whom seem to agree that a new target of 2.5 percent is likely to be agreed soon.

There is some discord on how it might be funded, with SDP MP Tytti Tuppurainen suggesting new joint EU debt might fund the outgoings and European states potentially agreeing a new "social contract" to firm up consent for defence spending.

Reaction was not positive from the traditionally debt-averse parties, with Finns Party legislator Mika Bergbom calling such talk "irresponsible".

The paper seems fairly clear, though, that defence spending is going to rise once Trump enters the White House — in Finland and elsewhere.

Lapland tarmac

Iltalehti follows up on recent comments by a senior official at the Ministry of Defence about the poor state of Finland's road network in the north.

Janne Kuusela had said that highway 21, from Tornio to Kilpisjärvi in western Lapland, was narrow and risked causing supply bottlenecks in an emergency.

In the worst case scenario, he said, troops defending Finland would arrive via the Norwegian and Swedish borders instead.

On Tuesday IL asks a defence expert to outline a scenario in which an attack might materialise in the north. Jaakko Puuperä, editor of the Nordic Defence Review, said that the most likely scenario involved invaders crossing the border at Raja-Jooseppi with 10,000-20,000 soldiers.

They would move quickly from Salla to Kemijärvi, but would then quickly face supply issues as they tried to push west.

Puuperä says that an oft-repeated maxim that poor roads benefit the defenders is not altogether true, as defending forces also need infrastructure.

He concedes, however, that roads in poor condition are generally better for the defenders than the attackers.

IL suggests that fixing and perhaps widening the north-south link in western Lapland is an important measure to ensure any possible invasion could be stopped in the east, close to the border, rather than progressing west towards Norway and the Atlantic.

[feckcops]

Parents hold playgroup at arms company office in protest at Gaza genocide

“Dozens of parents and children staged a noisy playgroup at the London office of arms manufacturer BAE Systems on Friday to highlight its complicity in Israel’s killing of thousands of Palestinian children.

“Pushing prams and toting a parachute banner, Parents for Palestine flooded into the lobby of the glittering Blue Fin building, which houses BAE’s Digital Intelligence division. The group released 100 black balloons in memory of children killed in Gaza, called out BAE with chants and songs, and urged the building managers to evict ‘murderers’ who work alongside them. 

“‘Our government allows BAE to export arms knowing full well they’ll be used to perpetrate a genocide,’ said Rees Nicolas, one of the organisers, there with four-month-old Sylvia. ‘As parents, we couldn’t stand by and let this happen.’

“Outside, the group taped photos of murdered Palestinian children to the building’s pillars and played ‘sleeping bunnies’ with a five-metre parachute, painted with the words ‘BAE, stop arming Israel’.

“BAE Systems, Europe’s largest arms company, supplies the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) with key components of fighter jets, munitions, armoured vehicles and missile launching kits. Activists say BAE has made as much as £300m selling weapons components to Israel since 2016.

“Many of those parts are for the F-35, the Lockheed Martin-designed plane that is Israel’s most advanced fighter jet. The IDF is deploying F-35s in its airstrikes on Gaza, which have killed at least 14,500 people and devastated infrastructure in the Strip, and uses the jets to support invading troops.”

[gbavian]

Today, the Minister of Finance announced that the government would be moving towards a more militarised economy by nationalising all of the alloy producing companies in Grand Bavia under a new company, Alloys of Bavia.

This company will be owned by the Ministry of Defence and will go to the defensive measures of protecting the democratic system of Grand Bavia.

With the Galactic Community getting more and more disapproving of the Bavian Government the government has decided to appeal for membership one last time before declaring it an organisation against the State.

In other news the Ministry of Finance has also announced the Bavian Bank of Investment which will be partially funded by the government and partially funded by private individuals. The purpose of the Bank is to give nations the opportunities to develop with realitively cheap loans on infrastructure and military projects.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes all of those who are wanting investment to apply immediately and get their nation back on track.

[orassian]

Amidst widespread celebrations of our All-Saints Day, the Matron Council had organised a duelling competition on one of our coliseums honouring the patron saints of Kherhr and Darhrŋa, the twin-protectors. All were surprised to see the Matriarch herself attend the sports. During the event, Her Excellency addressed the people publicly, stating that additional funds shall be redirected to the Department of Defence and Homeland Security. This would include an internal R&D division who are responsible for improving defence capabilities of our deep space turrets.

Such news were accepted positively by an overwhelming margin among the populace, with a minor, but vocal group of critics expressing their disapproval for this decision. According to them, general infrastructure projects in rural areas are being severely neglected. The Matron Council has issued special grants to remote villages to rectify such conditions.

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[satyamevdevelopers]

The Legal Guide to Purchasing a Luxury Apartment in Ahmedabad

Buying a luxury apartment in Ahmedabad is a significant financial and lifestyle decision. Whether you are acquiring a luxurious flat in Ahmedabad for personal use or as an investment, understanding the legalities involved ensures a smooth transaction and protects your interests. This comprehensive legal guide will walk you through the essential legal considerations when purchasing a high-end property in Ahmedabad, particularly from reputable developers like Satyamev Developers.

Why Invest in Luxury Apartments in Ahmedabad?

Emerging as one of India’s fastest-growing cities, Ahmedabad is a top real estate location. Many elements contribute to the growing demand for opulent homes in Ahmedabad, including:

Modern Infrastructure: The city features world-class facilities, metro connections, and beautifully designed highways.

Premium amenities: This includes swimming pools, gyms, clubs, and landscaped gardens abounding in luxury residences.

Investment Potential: Prime location properties provide outstanding rental rates and appreciation.

Reputed Developers: Builders with a reputation for quality, openness, and dependability include Satyamev Developers.

Considering these benefits, buying luxury homes in Ahmedabad presents a profitable possibility. To stay clear of difficulties, though, one must carefully negotiate the legal terrain.

Legal Checklist Before Buying a Luxury Apartment

1. Verify the Developer’s Credentials

Before finalizing a purchase, ensure that the developer is credible. To do this:

Check if the project is registered under the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA).

Review the developer’s track record, completed projects, and customer feedback.

Ensure compliance with Gujarat’s real estate laws.

Reputed builders like Satyamev Developers offer legally sound projects, providing peace of mind to buyers.

2. Confirm Property Title & Ownership

Ensuring clear property ownership is essential to avoid future disputes. Verify:

That the title deed is in the seller’s or developer’s name.

That there are no legal disputes, encumbrances, or pending litigations on the property.

That the land records are updated in the municipal records.

Hiring a legal expert to conduct a title search will confirm the authenticity of the ownership documents.

3. Check RERA Compliance

All residential projects have to be registered under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016. This guarantees openness about project schedules and specifics.

Defence against delays in projects.

Legal responsibility of developers.

To confirm REA compliance of a project:

See the official RERA Gujarat page.

Look for the project name and check its registering information.

Find out whether the project of Satyamev Developers is listed and compliant.

4. Guarantee of Appropriate Approvals and Clearances

An Ahmedabad legally sound luxury flat needs to have:

Approved by the local municipal corporation, building plans.

Environmental Clearances: Guaranteeing environmentally friendly building methods.

Certifying the project follows legal and safety guidelines, commencement and occupancy certificates

See the developer for these records before deciding on the purchase.

5.Check Loan & Mortgage Situation.

Should the property be under development, find out whether the developer has mortgaged it to financial organisations. Steps to follow:

Ask the developer obtain a bank No Objection Certificate (NOC).

Get banks to verify whether the property has any liens or current loans.

This guarantees that your money stays legally and safely guarded.

6. Exensively go over the sales agreement.

Between you and the developer, the legally-binding Sales Agreement is It has to include: Taxes, upkeep, and registration fees taken overall.

The anticipated possession chronology and payment plan.

Penalty clauses in should project delays arise?

Refund policies cover unanticipated events.

Knowing and reading the agreement’s fine print will help to avoid future legal conflicts.

7. Registration & Stamp Duty

The property must be registered in your name if you are to formally change ownership. The procedure includes paying the relevant stamp duty, usually 5–6% of Gujarat’s property value.

Noting the sale deed at the office of the sub-registrar.

Getting a legally enforced title document under your name.

Ignoring this stage could cause legal issues; hence, property registration is quite important during the buying procedure.

8. Know Extra Costs and Maintenance Requirements

Luxury residences include regular maintenance expenses for facilities and services. Guarantee clarity on annual or monthly maintenance costs.

Fees for parking spots, loungers, and other amenities.

Future maintenance cost increase.

Knowing these expenses helps one prevent financial surprises following purchasing.

Why would one choose Satyamev Developers?

Selecting a reputable developer like Satyamev Developers guarantees luxury flat in Ahmedabad:

Projects are completely RERA-compliant and adhere to all legal rules.

Ethical business methods and open legal paperwork.

Superior building with contemporary conveniences and timely possession.

Prime sites with high potential for profitable investments.

With a strong reputation in the real estate market, Satyamev Developers provides luxury homes that meet legal and lifestyle expectations.

Purchasing luxurious flats in Ahmedabad requires careful legal scrutiny to ensure a seamless and secure investment. By following this legal guide, you can protect your financial interests and make an informed decision. Always prioritise developers like Satyamev Developers, who offer transparency, legal compliance, and premium quality.

For expert guidance and premium luxury apartments in Ahmedabad, contact Satyamev Developers today and explore your dream home!

Read More:- The Legal Guide to Purchasing a Luxury Apartment in Ahmedabad.