General News

[Zear0]

11 minutes ago, bovril said:

Copied and pasted from a Romanian friend's social media:

 

"The ruling came after classified intelligence reports from multiple security agencies were declassified, revealing widespread manipulation of the electoral process through digital technologies and artificial intelligence. 
The far-right candidate's aggressive promotional campaign was found to have violated electoral laws by exploiting social media algorithms and failing to properly label electoral advertising materials. The Court found this created an unfair advantage and distorted voter choice. Additionally, this candidate reported zero campaign spending to electoral authorities despite evidence of significant promotional activities, raising serious concerns about illegal campaign financing.
The full ruling can be read here: https://www.ccr.ro/wp.../uploads/2024/12/HCC-32-2024.pdf
Below is a summary of the key violations cited by the Court:
1. Campaign Finance Violations
- The candidate reported 0 lei in campaign spending while conducting extensive promotional activities
- This violates transparency requirements and campaign finance laws
- The discrepancy between reported spending and actual campaign scale raised serious legal concerns
2. Digital Manipulation Issues
- Contrary to some oversimplification, it was not just „messaging on TikTok” but systematic exploitation of social media algorithms
- Failure to properly label electoral advertising materials as required by law
- Abuse of digital targeting technologies to manipulate voter behaviour
- Non-transparent use of artificial intelligence in campaign operations
3. Equal Opportunity Violations
- Created demonstrable inequality between candidates
- One candidate received preferential treatment on social media platforms
- Other candidates' online exposure was directly and proportionally reduced
- Violated constitutional principle of equal opportunity in elections

4. Transparency Failures

- Campaign materials lacked required electoral publicity markings

- Hidden sponsorship of political advertising

- Undisclosed funding sources for online campaign activities

- Non-transparent use of targeting techniques

5. Legal Framework Violations

- Multiple breaches of electoral legislation

- Violation of Law 370/2004 requirements

- Non-compliance with campaign transparency regulations

- Circumvention of electoral advertising rules

The Court said that these systematic violations of electoral law, campaign finance regulations, and constitutional principles together undermined the fairness and legality of the entire electoral process.

The fundamental nature of free and fair elections was affected by these violations, explains the Court, through several means:

- Distorting voters' ability to make informed choices

- Creating unequal conditions for candidates

- Violating basic principles of electoral transparency

- Undermining campaign finance regulations

- Compromising the integrity of the democratic process"

 

 

Wasn't that leave.eu? 

[ozleicester]

On the day a ransomware on the US health attack was first discovered....

[ajthefox]

On 06/12/2024 at 06:46, Jon the Hat said:

Are they?  I mean the US is one thing, but do you think the UK government is failing to protect people from corporate greed?  In what way?  Mostly I hear people complaining about profits being too high at supermarkets!  They are usually about 5% after tax.  There are of course examples where the market is broken - I think the US healthcare model is weird, but lots of people think it delivers the best care in the world, at least to those on the inside of it.

 

What I dislike is generalisms based on some examples in the US, which make no sense at all lterally anywhere else on the planet.

I agree with your last point but water regulation in the UK is certainly one area in the UK where we are being failed, and it's a pretty fundamental one at that.

[Zear0]

"Bashar al-Assad remains in Damascus - state news agency". 

 

How's the weather in Moscow Bash? 

[Izzy]

This guy is a genuine fvcking hero. 

Emotional Sinfield finishes 230-mile Rob Burrow run

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c623jy3p9rmo

 

 

Rugby star Kevin Sinfield said it would have taken losing a leg to stop him completing a 230-mile run in aid of people with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

Despite picking up a muscle injury in November, he started the week-long endeavour in Liverpool last Sunday in memory of his late teammate Rob Burrow, who died with the illness in June.

Crossing the finish line in Saddleworth having raised more than £1m, Sinfield said: "Since Rob got diagnosed it's taught me that it's important to take some risk - be uncomfortable and be vulnerable and, yeah, that's what we've had to do this week.

[Trav Le Bleu]

I think the initial story about Elizabeth Gossett in this article adds an interesting angle to the  assisted suicide debate...

 

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/dec/01/with-brain-preservation-nobody-has-to-die-meet-the-neuroscientist-who-believes-life-could-be-eternal

 

Sometimes a death sentence today isn't a death sentence in the long run.

 

[Jon the Hat]

13 hours ago, ajthefox said:

I agree with your last point but water regulation in the UK is certainly one area in the UK where we are being failed, and it's a pretty fundamental one at that.

That is very fair.  I also have no issue with people pointing to the US and saying "we don't want that", but with some perspective.

[Jon the Hat]

15 hours ago, ozleicester said:

On the day a ransomware on the US health attack was first discovered....

This is going to be very interesting.  I assume this date was the end of a freeze period - they are not allowed to sell stock while they know quarterly results but the market doesn't - so it is not unusual to see execs selling some of their shares on a same or similar date, especially if the share price looks good after those results.  What would be interesting is to see whether these were a large chunk of their shares or just a regular amount.  Sounds like the SEC is looking into it so I am sure it will come out.  

[Sly]

12 hours ago, Zear0 said:

"Bashar al-Assad remains in Damascus - state news agency". 

 

How's the weather in Moscow Bash? 

Apparently he’s now fled! The end of the Bashar regime. I’m assuming he’ll be in Russia somewhere. 

 

I guess only time will tell if this is freedom, or out of the frying pan, into the fire. 
 

This upturn has been quick and dramatic whilst other countries have had eyes elsewhere though. 

[ozleicester]

I dont know what the "rebels" represent... whilst Bashar needed to be gone.. I fear he replacements... does anyone know who/what we are dealing with...another Afghanistan?

[leicsmac]

I wonder why Putin decided Assad was no longer worth propping up?

[The Doctor]

On 05/12/2024 at 14:08, leicsmac said:

The bullet casings from the shooting of the health exec had "Defend, Deny, Depose" inscribed on them. From what I have read, that's from a book illustrating healthcare corps tactics to deny affordable treatment to their clients. ("Defend the company, deny payouts, depose clients", for instance.)

 

Reasonable assumption that it was someone with an axe to grind against the US healthcare "system", then.

turns out the shooters backpack was full of monopoly money: https://news.sky.com/story/brian-thompson-shooting-monopoly-money-found-in-new-york-health-ceo-gunmans-backpack-in-central-park-13269331

 

this is the sort of shit that batman writers would reject for not being subtle enough when doing the joker.

[leicsmac]

7 minutes ago, The Doctor said:

turns out the shooters backpack was full of monopoly money: https://news.sky.com/story/brian-thompson-shooting-monopoly-money-found-in-new-york-health-ceo-gunmans-backpack-in-central-park-13269331

 

this is the sort of shit that batman writers would reject for not being subtle enough when doing the joker.

... or they would go for it as an early part of a Riddler storyline where he does his usual misdirection.

 

But in all seriousness, if the motive wasn't abundantly clear before it certainly is now.

 

NB. If they do catch him, it'll be interesting to try to find 12 jurors in all of NY state that haven't already prejudged the case.

[The Doctor]

4 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

... or they would go for it as an early part of a Riddler storyline where he does his usual misdirection.

 

But in all seriousness, if the motive wasn't abundantly clear before it certainly is now.

 

NB. If they do catch him, it'll be interesting to try to find 12 jurors in all of NY state that haven't already prejudged the case.

given the sheer amount of glee that's being shown across social media ("thoughts and co-pays, sympathy is out of network and not covered etc") America is going to get one hell of a lesson in jury nullification (where a jury returns a not guilty verdict for a guilty person because they believe the law was unjust) if they catch this guy.

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, The Doctor said:

given the sheer amount of glee that's being shown across social media ("thoughts and co-pays, sympathy is out of network and not covered etc") America is going to get one hell of a lesson in jury nullification (where a jury returns a not guilty verdict for a guilty person because they believe the law was unjust) if they catch this guy.

Yeah, something else I was getting at there. There's not going to be many fence-sitters; you'll have those determined to nullify for the reasons you say, and then those determined to convict. And it only takes one to hang a jury.

[blabyboy]

5 hours ago, Sly said:

Apparently he’s now fled! The end of the Bashar regime. I’m assuming he’ll be in Russia somewhere. 

 

I guess only time will tell if this is freedom, or out of the frying pan, into the fire. 
 

This upturn has been quick and dramatic whilst other countries have had eyes elsewhere though. 

Beeb is inferring Asshat is in the UAE now.

 

Doubt he'd go to Russia if they have chosen not to support him.

[blabyboy]

1 hour ago, leicsmac said:

I wonder why Putin decided Assad was no longer worth propping up?

Maybe Putin can no longer afford to? Putin is already in hock to China and is borrowing NK troops for his own local problems. 

 

We *may* be seeing a very small impact of sanctions and over-reach at home starting to come into play.

[leicsmac]

4 minutes ago, blabyboy said:

Maybe Putin can no longer afford to? Putin is already in hock to China and is borrowing NK troops for his own local problems. 

 

We *may* be seeing a very small impact of sanctions and over-reach at home starting to come into play.

That's entirely plausible.

[Jon the Hat]

1 hour ago, leicsmac said:

I wonder why Putin decided Assad was no longer worth propping up?

Without hezbollah fighters on the ground airstrikes and missiles aren’t enough.

[Lionator]

31 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

That's entirely plausible.

They can probably get guarantees from the new lot anyway. Assad was no longer useful. 

[st albans fox]

sometimes I wonder if we’re in some kind of dystopian world loosely based on the story line for that James Bond movie (tomorrow never dies) where the media mogul makes stuff happen so his news channels can make loads of money ….    Was there always such a huge amount of global news ongoing twenty/thirty years ago ???

Edited 8 December 2024 by st albans fox

[EnderbyFox]

Just reading about the guy who’s leading the rebel group in Syria and bloody hell that’s some CV. The blokes terror group history is like Zlatan’s football career, he’s featured for all the top clubs ain’t he 

 

 

[bovril]

I went to Aleppo in 2010, about 9 months before the civil war started. Absolutely beautiful place, great people, incredible history and culture. It's been incredibly difficult watching the destruction and bloodshed in the country for a whole 14 years but at least now there is a little hope with the end of of Assadism. 

[st albans fox]

11 minutes ago, bovril said:

I went to Aleppo in 2010, about 9 months before the civil war started. Absolutely beautiful place, great people, incredible history and culture. It's been incredibly difficult watching the destruction and bloodshed in the country for a whole 14 years but at least now there is a little hope with the end of of Assadism. 

so many unknowns 

could end up like libya

could end up like Afghanistan 

could end up like Iran 

could end up like Iraq 

could end up as a proper Islamic democracy - how brilliant would that be! 

however, we are like to see outside influences vying to get their hands on its  natural gas reserves and infighting with the many groups trying to get their hands on power.   they need a leader who can be trusted by all those different interest groups.  sadly, I’d say that it’s much more likely to go the way of Libya and Iraq than a democracy the world can look to as an example. 
 

 

 

[leicsmac]

3 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

Without hezbollah fighters on the ground airstrikes and missiles aren’t enough.

And it may well be he can't spare the actual manpower and resources that would be necessary due to Ukraine.

 

3 hours ago, Lionator said:

They can probably get guarantees from the new lot anyway. Assad was no longer useful. 

I'm sure they'll be trying to reach some kind of deal, yes,