MD AMINULL Islam 123

A million calls an hour’: Israel relying on Microsoft cloud for expansive surveillance of Palestinians

Revealed: The Israeli military undertook an ambitious project to store a giant trove of Palestinians’ phone calls on Microsoft’s servers in Europe

One afternoon in late 2021, Microsoft’s chief executive, Satya Nadella, met with the commander of Israel’s military surveillance agency, Unit 8200. On the spy chief’s agenda: moving vast amounts of top secret intelligence material into the US company’s cloud.

Meeting at Microsoft’s headquarters near Seattle, a former chicken farm turned hi-tech campus, the spymaster, Yossi Sariel, won Nadella’s support for a plan that would grant Unit 8200 access to a customised and segregated area within Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform.

#news #post

Texas governor seeks court order to fire top Democrat who fled in row over voting map.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has said he is taking legal action to remove from office dozens of Democrats who have fled the state to block a plan to redraw electoral boundaries.
He filed a lawsuit with the Texas Supreme Court seeking to fire Democratic legislator, Gene Wu, whom he called the "ringleader" of a plot to "hijack" state government.

While the filing focuses on Wu, Abbott said in a statement that the departure of more than 50 Democrats would "constitute abandonment of their office, justifying their removal".

The redrawn congressional map would create five more Republican-leaning seats in the US House of Representatives in Washington DC, where Republicans hold a slim majority.

Gerrymandering – redrawing electoral boundaries to favour a political party – has been a practice of both Democrats and Republicans nationwide over the years.

But typically, states undergo redistricting every 10 years, when voting maps are redrawn to account for population changes noted in the US census. Texas last re-drew its congressional lines in 2021, just after the 2020 census, and wouldn't typically change those lines again until the next population count in five years.

"Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans, and there must be consequences," the governor said in a statement.

At least two-thirds of the 150-member state legislative body in Texas must be present to proceed with the vote. The quorum became unreachable after the Democratic lawmakers fled the state at the weekend.

#news_update #US #news

How Trump's secondary tariffs on Russia could hit the global economy

used trade for a lot of things, but it's great for settling wars", President Trump has said

Despite being the world's most sanctioned country, Russia has continued to use its vast energy wealth to bankroll its war in Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump is hoping to change that. He has announced that sweeping new secondary tariffs will impact any country still trading with Russia if a ceasefire with Ukraine is not agreed by Friday 8 August.

Secondary tariffs would see goods from any country that trades with Russia face a 100% tax when they are imported into the US.

Oil and gas are Russia's biggest exports, and Moscow's biggest customers include China, India and Turkey.

#US #news_update

Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba (second from right) attended the ceremony in Hiroshima, along with representatives from around the world

A silent prayer was held in Japan on Wednesday morning as it marked 80 years since the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima.
Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba attended the ceremony on Wednesday, along with officials from around the world and the city's mayor Kazumi Matsui.
Matsui warned of a global "accelerating trend toward military build-up... [and] the idea that nuclear weapons are essential for national defence", saying this was a "flagrant disregard [of] the lessons the international community should have learned from the tragedies of history".
World War Two ended with Japan's surrender after the dropping of the bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The bombs killed more than 200,000 people - some from the immediate blast and others from radiation sickness and burns.
The legacy of the weapons continues to haunt survivors today.
"My father was badly burned and blinded by the blast. His skin was hanging from his body - he couldn't even hold my hand," Hiroshima survivor Shingo Naito told the BBC. He was six years old when the bomb struck his city, killing his father and two younger siblings.

Mr Naito has been sharing his story with a group of students in Hiroshima, who are turning his memories of the tragedy into art.

#Japan #Wold #news

20 killed after trucks overturn on crowd in Gaza, Hamas-run civil defence says

Twenty people have died and dozens have been injured after four trucks overturned in central Gaza on Tuesday, the Hamas-run civil defence agency says

Crowds reportedly moved towards the trucks, climbing on top, causing the drivers to lose control on the uneven roads

Meanwhile, a top UN official has warned of "catastrophic consequences" if Israel expands its military operations in Gaza

It follows reports that PM Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for a total reoccupation of the territory - here's what that would involve

The country's army chief and other military leaders reportedly oppose the strategy, and some families of hostages fear it could further endanger their loved ones

The Israeli government does not allow international news organisations, including the BBC, into Gaza to report freely
#news #US

More than 100 missing after flash floods in India

More than 100 people are missing and at least one has died after a cloudburst triggered devastating flash floods in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

Rescue operations are under way in Uttarkashi district after a massive wave of water surged down the mountains into Dharali village on Tuesday, submerging roads and buildings in its path.

About 190 people have been rescued so far in the affected region, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said.

A cloudburst is an extreme, sudden downpour of rain over a small area in a short period of time, often leading to flash floods.

Damaged roads and heavy rain have hampered rescue teams trying to reach Dharali. Dhami flew in by helicopter on Wednesday and met some of the affected families.

Weeks of heavy rain have pounded Uttarakhand, with Uttarkashi - home to Dharali village - among the worst hit by flooding.

The floods struck on Tuesday around 13:30 India time (08:00 GMT), causing the Kheerganga river to swell dramatically and send tonnes of muddy water crashing down the hills.

Dharali is a summer tourist spot 2km from Harsil, home to a major Indian army base and an Indo-Tibetan Border Police camp. At least 10 soldiers stationed at the army base are also missing, officials said.

Rescue efforts are slow due to heavy sludge and debris, but officials have deployed helicopters to aid operations.

#India #news_update

China’s cyber-abuse scandal: is the government unwilling to crack down on exploitation of women online?

Secretly filmed images of women are spreading online, yet the authorities seem more focused on censorship than punishing the perpetrators, critics say.

When Ming* found a hidden camera in her bedroom, she prayed for a reasonable explanation, wondering whether her boyfriend had placed it there to record memories of their “happy life” together. But hope quickly turned to horror. Ming’s boyfriend had been secretly taking sexually exploitative photos of not just Ming and her female friends, but also of other women in other locations, then using AI technology to generate pornographic images of them.

After Ming confronted him, he “begged for mercy” but became angry when she refused to forgive him, Ming reportedly told Chinese news outlet Jimu News.
Ming is just one of many women in China who have been covertly photographed or filmed – both in private and public spaces, including toilets – by voyeurs who have then circulated or sold the images online without consent. The sexually explicit pictures – often taken using pinhole cameras hidden in ordinary objects – are then shared online in massive groups.
The scandal has left China reeling and raised questions about the government’s ability – and willingness – to crack down on such behaviour.
One such group on Telegram, an encrypted messaging app, is named “MaskPark tree hole forum” and reportedly had more than 100,000 mostly male members.
“The MaskPark incident exposes the extreme vulnerability of Chinese women in digital spaces,” Li Maizi, a prominent Chinese feminist now based in New York, told the Guardian.
“What’s even more insidious and shocking is the prevalence of perpetrators known to the victims: partners, boyfriends, even fathers committing sexual violence against underage girls.”
#news #chaina

Ukraine war briefing: Call for Nato action after Russian drone intrudes on Lithuania

Russia talking down Medvedev’s influence after nuclear threats; oligarch’s superyacht goes on sale with proceeds to Ukraine. What we know on day 1,260

Lithuania has called for Nato help to boost its air defences after Russian military drones repeatedly violated its airspace. “Last Monday, a Russian military drone violated Lithuanian airspace,” said Kęstutis Budrys, the foreign minister in Vilnius. “This marks the second such incident in less than a month. Similar airspace violations have also been reported recently by other allies.”

Budrys added that he and the defence minister, Dovilė Šakalienė, had asked the Nato secretary general for “immediate measures to enhance air defence capabilities in Lithuania and accelerate the full implementation of the rotational air defence model. Air defence is vital to allied security. Securing Nato’s eastern flank must remain a top priority for the alliance.”

Amid the nuclear row between Donald Trump and Dmitry Medvedev, the Kremlin has moved to play down the latter’s role in Russian decision-making, the 

Institute for the Study of War has said. The thinktank said Medvedev was subsequently being portrayed as having a “different assessment” from Putin on nuclear issues. An ISW assessment said: “The Kremlin regularly uses Medvedev to introduce nuclear threats into the Russian and international information spaces.” Medvedev, a high-ranked official who was once prime minister of Russia, as well as a proxy for Putin in the presidency, accused Trump of taking “a step towards war” by tightening an ultimatum for Russia to seek peace. Trump in response said he had moved two nuclear submarines into position “just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that”....
#news #US #post

Moldovan regional leader sentenced to seven years in prison over Russian funding

A court in Moldova has sentenced the pro-Russia regional leader Yevgenia Gutsul to seven years in prison for funnelling Russian money to finance a political party, in a landmark case that will further fuel tensions with Moscow.

Prosecutors said Gutsul systematically funnelled undeclared funds into Moldova between 2019 and 2022 to finance the now-banned pro-Moscow Șor (Shor) party, founded by Ilan Shor, a pro-Russia businessman living in exile who was convicted of fraud in Moldova.
#news #US #post

British teenager boards wrong flight at Menorca airport and ends up in Italy

Boy, 15, became separated from his family, who were due to fly back to London Stansted, at island’s Mahon airport

A British teenager separated from his family at a busy Spanish airport on Monday boarded a flight to Italy instead of his return flight to London.

The 15-year-old was supposed to fly with Tui from Menorca to Stansted but disappeared in the island’s Mahon airport.

The boy’s parents raised the alarm and when police reviewed CCTV footage from the airport’s departures area they discovered that the boy had managed to board a flight to Milan Malpensa without a ticket.

#news #US

Rescuers in Norway resume search for journalist missing in wilderness

Rescuers in Norway have resumed the search for an award-winning environmental journalist who has gone missing in bad weather during a solo hike in the remote Folgefonna national park, home to one of the country’s biggest glaciers.

Alec Luhn, a US-born reporter who has worked for the New York Times and the Atlantic and was a regular Russia correspondent for the Guardian from 2013 to 2017, was reported missing on Monday after he failed to catch a flight from Bergen.

#news #US

#news Bangladesh,
She should answer for what she did’: trial of ex-Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina begins.

At least 1,400 people died protesting against the rule of the deposed prime minister, who now faces multiple charges.

Rakib Hossain was just 11 years old when, standing innocently on the streets of Dhaka in July last year, he was killed by a bullet to the head – fired allegedly by the police.

Hossain was one of more than 1,400 men, women and children killed in Bangladesh’s so-called July revolution, when hundreds of thousands across the country rose up in protest against the country’s leader, Sheikh Hasina.

Her attempts to crush the mass movement included deploying heavily armed police, who – with shoot to kill orders – fired live ammunition at civilians on the streets. Ultimately, the crackdown was unsuccessful and Hasina was forced to flee Bangladesh in a helicopter on 5 August last year, as angry protesters marched towards her residence and the military refused to forcefully stop them.
#NEW #Bangladash_New

Why is Trump moving nuclear submarines after spat with Medvedev?

Trump’s announcement follows a war of words with former Russian president over social media.

Russia''s President Vladimir Putin (L) and US President Donald Trump talking during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, 2017 [Mikhail KlimentyevTASS via Getty Images]

Donald Trump has ordered the repositioning of two United States nuclear submarines to “appropriate regions” relative to Russia, as the US president grows frustrated over stalling peace talks aimed at bringing an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

On Friday, Trump exchanged heated words with Dmitry Medvedev, Moscow’s military leader and former president.
#TrumpTariffs #Trupm #US #news #Wold

Photos: Palestinians in Gaza trawl through rubbish dumps in search of food

Israel’s defence minister claims Hamas members ‘surrender’ in Beit Hanoon

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz has shared a video that he claims captures Hamas members surrendering to Israeli forces in Beit Hanoon in northern Gaza.

In the footage, apparently shot from the air, three people emerge from a rubble-strewn area, kneel and raise their arms in the air. A separate photo shared alongside the video on X shows a group of three unarmed men wearing only undergarments.#Palestine #NewsUpdated

Putin offers no hint of concessions as he says he wants ‘stable’ peace in Ukraine.

Russian president’s remarks come as Kyiv rescuers find more than a dozen dead in apartment block after strikes.
Vladimir Putin has said he wants a “lasting and stable peace” in Ukraine but given no indication that he is willing to make any concessions to achieve it, after a week in which Russian missiles and drones again caused death and destruction across Ukraine.

We need a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries,” said Putin, speaking to journalists on Friday, a week before a new deadline imposed by Donald Trump for hostilities to cease.#news_update #Rasia

Trump administration. Trump fires labor statistics chief hours after data showed jobs growth slowed.

US president accused of ‘firing the messenger’ as he makes claims without evidence about Erika McEntarfer

Donald Trump fired the federal government official in charge of labor statistics, hours after data revealed jobs growth stalled this summer, prompting accusations that he is “firing the messenger”.
The US president claimed that Erika McEntarfer, commissioner of labor statistics, had “faked” employment figures in the run-up to last year’s election, in an effort to boost Kamala Harris’s chances of victory.

Trump later claimed: “Today’s Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad”.

He produced no evidence for these allegations, and insisted that the US economy was, in fact, “BOOMING” on his watch.

But Friday’s employment figures told a very different story, and raised questions about the state of the labor market since Trump’s return to office.

“We need accurate Jobs Numbers,” he wrote on Truth Social. “I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY. She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified.”

McEntarfer was contacted for comment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) confirmed in a brief statement that she had been dismissed. William Wiatrowski, the agency’s deputy commissioner, will serve as acting commissioner.

Trump’s abrupt announcement came as administration officials scrambled to explain a lackluster employment report. Not only did jobs growth fail to meet expectations in July, but previous estimates for May and June were revised significantly lower....

##US #NewsUpdated

Brazil judge hits back at ‘cowardly and treasonous’ plot behind US sanctions.
US put sanctions on Judge Alexandre de Moraes as an apparent move by Trump to help his ally Jair Bolsonaro.

The supreme court judge presiding over the trial of Brazil’s ex-president, Jair Bolsonaro, has said a “cowardly and treacherous” plot is afoot to pave the way for another attack on the South American country’s democracy.

Judge Alexandre de Moraes was put under sanctions by the US on Wednesday, as part of an apparent push by Donald Trump to help his ally Bolsonaro escape punishment for allegedly masterminding an attempted coup after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Trump also slapped a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports in response to what he called the “witch-hunt” against the far-right former president.
On Friday, Moraes, a shaven-headed Muay Thai practitioner known by the nickname Xandão (‘Big Al’), came out swinging. He told the court that Trump’s tariffs and the “spurious” sanctions targeting him and other supreme court justices recently stripped of their US visas, were part of an “illegal and immoral” ruse to obstruct justice that was being engineered by a group of Brazilian “traitors” who had lobbied foreign authorities to carry out “hostile acts” against the country’s economy.

Moraes said the campaign’s objectives were identical to those of the 8 January 2023 riots in the capital, Brasília, when hardcore Bolsonaro supporters stormed the supreme court, congress and presidential palace in an attempt to reverse his election defeat. Those rioters, Moraes said, had hoped to generate social chaos that would provoke a military intervention and make way for a coup.....
#Wold #NewsUpdated

Gaza
We are dying slowly, save us’: starvation takes hold in Gaza after a week of appalling milestones.

Parents watch children waste away as deliberate aid restrictions from Israel mean hunger is becoming a killer, as experts confirm famine is currently playing out

the people of Gaza did not need this week’s official confirmation from UN-backed hunger experts that the “worst-case scenario of famine” was unfolding there. For months they have watched as their children waste away.

“All my children have lost nearly half of their body weight,” said Jamil Mughari, a 38-year-old from Maghazi in central Gaza. “My daughter, who is five years old, now weighs only 11kg. My son Mohammad has become just skin and bones. All my children are like this.

“I myself used to weigh 85kg, and now I’m down to 55.”

He was struggling to sustain the strength required to find food for his family. “Sometimes, while walking in the street, I feel dizzy and that I’m about to collapse, but I force myself to stay upright. I also sometimes experience shivering,” he said.

Over the course of the week, Gaza passed two appalling milestones. The official Palestinian death toll passed 60,000, although the real figure, including those buried under the rubble from Israeli airstrikes, is likely to be far higher.
#Gaza #Palestine #news #post

Twelve years house arrest for Colombian ex-leader Álvaro Uribe

Colombian former President Álvaro Uribe has been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest for witness tampering and a fraud charge.

The 73-year-old is the first former president in the country's history to be convicted of a crime. He has also been barred from public office and fined $578,000 (£435,000).

Uribe, who maintains his innocence, told a judge in Bogotá he would appeal against his conviction. He said the case was meant to "destroy a voice for the democratic opposition".

He was president from 2002-2010 and remains popular in Colombia, despite being accused of working with right-wing paramilitaries to destroy leftist rebel groups. A claim he denies.

#Wold #news #posthalving

US envoy visits controversial Gaza aid point as human rights group accuses Israel of 'bloodbaths' at sites.

Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has visited Gaza to inspect aid distribution sites backed by the US and Israel.

He was joined by ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who shared images from an aid point run by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)

It comes as Human Rights Watch accuses Israeli forces and US-backed contractors of putting in place a "flawed" aid distribution system that turns sites into "regular bloodbaths"

Israel has accused Hamas of instigating the chaos near the aid sites, saying its troops have only fired warning shots and that they do not intentionally shoot civilians.

According to the UN human rights office, at least 1,373 Palestinians have been killed while trying to get food aid since the GHF began operating in late May - the GHF rejects these figures,

The Israeli government does not allow international news organisations, including the BBC, into Gaza to report freely,

#Palestine #news