Society's ChildS


Snakes in Suits

Best of the Web: UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese: EU's von der Leyen 'beyond deplorable' on Gaza


RT
Mon, 05 May 2025 22:44 UTC
gaza
© Getty Images / Anadolu / Abdalhkem Abu Riash
The EU leadership should be held accountable for supporting Israel's "war crimes" in Gaza, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese has said.

In an interview with The Intercept published on Saturday, Albanese singled out European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas.

"The fact that the two highest figures of the EU continue business-as-usual engagements with Israel is beyond deplorable," she said.

"I'm not someone who says, 'History will judge them' - they will have to be judged before then. And they will have to understand that immunity cannot equate with impunity," the UN expert added.

Albanese said she has been working on a report exposing the role of institutions and organizations -including banks, pension funds, tech companies, and universities - in crimes against the Palestinian population of Gaza.
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Cloud Grey

Solar panels to be fitted on all new-build homes in England by 2027

Eleni Courea
The Guardian
Thu, 01 May 2025 04:17 UTC
solar panels
© Tracey Whitefoot/AlamyHousebuilders will be legally required to install solar panels on roofs of new properties by 2027
Almost all new homes in England will be fitted with solar panels during construction within two years, the government will announce after Keir Starmer rejected Tony Blair's criticism of net zero policies.

Housebuilders will be legally required to install solar panels on the roofs of new properties by 2027 under the plans.

The policy is estimated to add between £3,000 and £4,000 to building a home but homeowners would save more than £1,000 on their annual energy bills, according to the Times.

Labour has set a target of building 1.5m homes by the end of the parliament. The party has promised to decarbonise the electricity grid by 2030 and cut household energy bills by £300 a year.

Ministers are also preparing to offer government-funded loans and grants for the installation of solar panels on existing homes. The move is a sign that the government will press ahead with its net zero agenda after Starmer rejected criticisms of climate policy from Blair.

Comment: The future of solar panels is 'not so bright'.

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Fire

Ukrainian drones have been targeting historic Orthodox churches in Russia

Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge
Sun, 04 May 2025 08:45 UTC
church fire
© UnknownSt. George Church • Belgorod
Throughout over three years of the Russia-Ukraine war, there has been a sad and tragic trend of churches being struck by missiles, drones, or bombs on both sides of the conflict.

But attacks on religious sites have gone all the way back to 2014, and the start of the conflict in the Donbass, which saw pro-Kiev forces frequently shelling Russia-aligned areas, including attacks on Orthodox churches.

And of course, since then the Ukraine government has actively and openly persecuted Ukraine's largest Orthodox church for simply maintaining spiritual communion with the Moscow Patriarchate.

Famous, historic monasteries have been shut down or seized by authorities, monks expelled, and churches have been raided by far-right nationalist militant groups. As for the other side, Russian aerial raids have often devastated whole Ukrainian neighborhoods, including destruction of local churches.

In a fresh incident, Russian government and media sources say a Ukrainian drone was sent across the border and struck an iconic, historic church in Belgorord region, which set the church on fire.
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TV

'It's a Wonderful Life' — the Canadian version

James Albers
Western Standard
Sat, 03 May 2025 06:30 UTC
James Stewart
© Liberty Films
In the 1946 classic film 'It's a Wonderful Life,' James Stewart portrays the solid-citizen George Bailey. As he reviews the results of Monday's election, writer James Albers finds relevance in the old story...Liberty Films

I suspect — and I do so with the weary confidence of one who has seen this show before — that many Albertans, like myself, spent Monday night and much of Tuesday morning not so much watching but enduring the latest federal election returns. As the results trickled in, and then poured in like an unwelcome flood, a rather vivid cinematic analogy presented itself to my mind.

You may recall a perennial Christmas classic, It's a Wonderful Life. Therein, skulking with pursed lips and an icy heart, is one "Old Man Potter" — the archetype of miserly menace, a banker with no love for community, no trust in goodwill, and no concern for anyone's welfare but his own. Watching the triumphant return of the Liberal Party — and with it, the spectral figure of Mr. Mark Carney — I could not shake the image. For the Liberals, with Carney at their shoulder, now bear an uncanny resemblance to Potter himself.

Comment: This talk had taken place a month before the now known election result. This talk is also somewhat nuanced. That said, and since, the election result had become, more or less, rather predictable, and yet Canada's course may not be set as the seeds of discontent have been widely sown with division a constant. Thus, this talk looks to Canada's old bones, and to new ideas, from the managerial state to the rule of law and what that means. The U.S. is also discussed in relationship.

Alberta, the prickly Wild Rose ("associated with everlasting love in Greek mythology. Later, in Mediaeval times, it became associated with power."), can be seen here with a people who may want to go another way, and then there is the reality, a reality that contains all the internal and external influences of the seen and unseen powers that be.
For a lot of people, a lot of Canadians, they found out that the country that they thought they lived in does not actually exist.
- Bruce Pardy
Canada has become a stagnant, politically ossified country. It is stuck in a dead-end status quo and dominated by an overbearing managerial elite. People in Alberta, more than anywhere else in the country, seem able to perceive that something in Canada is amiss. By resolving to leave, Albertans could upset the Canadian apple cart and disrupt the established order. Political disruption is what this country needs.
- Bruce Pardy


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Red Flag

Brits no longer confident in future - survey


RT
Fri, 25 Apr 2025 20:40 UTC
grocery receipt
© Getty Images / Hispanolistic
UK consumer confidence has dropped to its lowest point since 2023, driven by soaring bills, tax increases and fears that US tariffs could push living costs even higher for British households, a survey published on Friday has shown.

The consumer confidence index fell by four points to -23 in April, according to the latest update from data company GfK, marking the lowest level in 17 months and well below economists' expectations of a decline to -21.

The index, which averages responses to key sentiment questions, ranges from -100 to +100. Positive scores reflect consumer optimism, while negative readings indicate a prevailing sense of pessimism.

The index is closely monitored by the British government and the Bank of England for early warning signs on the economy since the early 1970s.
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Arrow Up

The bottom line rules: Corporate sponsors are backing away from LGBTQ+ Pride organizations

Russell Leung
CNBC
Sun, 27 Apr 2025 19:47 UTC
pride parade LGBTQ+ washington
© Leah Millis | ReutersRevelers attend the annual LGBTQ+ Capital Pride parade in Washington D.C., U.S., June 8, 2024.
Corporations mostly cite economic concerns for pulling back on sponsorships, but Pride groups also note they're seeing a hostile political climate for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Companies that were once loud and proud in supporting LGBTQ+ community celebrations are pulling back.

LGBTQ+ Pride festivals across the country have faced significant sponsorship challenges this year, with some losing corporate partners that collectively provided six-figure donations. As a result, organizations say they've had to modify their programming, pivot to other funding sources and reconsider their dependencies on corporate dollars.

Many companies have cited economic concerns as their impetus to delay or exit partnerships with Pride groups. But LGBTQ+ group leaders also noted an increasingly hostile climate for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts that has prompted some businesses to rethink their support. In turn, Pride organizations are seeking clarity on how much their values still align with those of their corporate contributors.

Comment: Why Pride lost the public

Led by Robby Starbuck, corporate America got a huge spanking in 2024 for their support of a fringe minority with questionable goals. The glimmers of sanity continue to grow

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Heart - Black

Demonic: Meta's AI chatbots caught using celebrity voices to groom children


Mathrubhumi News
Tue, 29 Apr 2025 18:15 UTC
Meta Facebook
© AFP
Meta's artificial intelligence-powered chatbots on Facebook and Instagram engaged in sexually explicit role-play with users who identified as children, using voices of celebrities and Disney characters, according to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal.

The Journal found that bots programmed with the voices of stars such as John Cena, Kristen Bell, and Judi Dench participated in graphic sexual chats — sometimes portraying characters like Disney's Anna from Frozen — despite Meta's promises that safeguards were in place.

AI bots simulated graphic role-play with underage users

During testing, the AI bots were found simulating sexual encounters even when users identified themselves as underage. A bot using Cena's voice reportedly initiated a scenario where it confessed love to a teenage girl, spoke about cherishing her innocence, and then described the downfall of his wrestling career after being caught having sex with a minor. In another case, the bot portrayed the WWE star losing his titles, sponsors, and reputation as a result.
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Robot

Humanoid robot appears to go berserk after 'imperfect coding'


ZeroHedge
Fri, 02 May 2025 18:24 UTC
H1 humanoid robot
A Unitree Robotics H1 humanoid robot, developed and produced in Hangzhou, China, was seen exhibiting "erratic behavior" in a video circulating on X.

Footage circulating on X, shared by one user, alleged the incident was caused by "imperfect coding."

"If you buy Chinese stuff, it might all end up like this... They might even deliberately make it this way to harm people...," the X user said.
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Wolf

Ex-Bellingcat operative commits suicide after child rape conviction

Kit Klarenberg
The Grayzone
Fri, 02 May 2025 21:35 UTC
daniel romein bellingcat suicide child rape conviction
© The Grayzone
According to an explosive Dutch media report, a former Bellingcat researcher who led investigations into the MH17 disaster and child abuse turns out to have been a sex abuser of children - including his own daughter. He killed himself after being sentenced to prison.

A prominent former Bellingcat reporter committed suicide after being convicted for sexually abusing his daughter in March 2022, according to a new report by independent Dutch journalist Eric Van De Beek. Operating behind the pseudonym "Daniel Romein," the researcher featured prominently in a number of investigations by the Western government-funded 'open source' outfit, Bellingcat, including a years-long probe of online child sexual exploitation materials.

Romein's suicide was apparently motivated by his March 2022 sentencing to 36 months in prison for sexual abuse. He was also barred from seeing his daughter, the subject of his abuse, for the rest of his life.
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V

Thousands march against pro-EU government in Moldova


RT
Thu, 01 May 2025 20:00 UTC
chisinau protest
Opposition supporters have marched in Chisinau to protest Moldova's pro-EU government under President Maia Sandu. The rally, organized by the country's largest opposition group, coincided with International Labor Day, celebrated on May 1.

According to the organizers - the Party of Socialists led by former President Igor Dodon - around 10,000 people took part in the march on Thursday. Demonstrators carried Moldovan and Socialist Party flags, banners with Soviet-era symbols, and posters with slogans against "social genocide." They also chanted in support of Moldova's sovereignty and a future free from foreign interference.

In a promotional video ahead of the march, the organizers criticized the government for rising prices, mass emigration, and the loss of sovereignty, blaming foreign influence for the country's deepening problems.

"We will gather in Chisinau to remember that Moldova belongs to its people. This march is the beginning of our struggle for sovereignty, for neutrality, for national interests," the Party of Socialists said in the message.
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