Here at the Canary, we've long criticised Rupert Murdoch and his grotty tabloid (the Sun) and his grotty broadsheet (the Times). We've got to admit, though; even we didn't think they'd publish a puff piece on Peter Mandelson in the middle of his Epstein-stoked mega downfall:

I deleted my post from before…

I thought it was fake

So I went to WH Smith and here it is

An unbelievable attempt to sanitise this man and normalise what's he's done. pic.twitter.com/HXTgAn8D5C

— Marina Purkiss (@MarinaPurkiss) February 7, 2026

Just when you think the British media can't sink any lower, the floor falls out from under your feet.

To quickly get you up to speed:

• Jeffrey Epstein was convicted of sex crimes with an underage prostitute.
• Mandelson maintained a friendship with him anyway.
• The British media decided this wasn't really a big deal, even when Starmer made him the ambassador to the US.
• Additional leaks showed that Mandelson really, really liked Epstein.
• Even more additional leaks showed that this fucking rat was leaking British state secrets to Epstein.

Digitally, we've had access to the Mandelson interview since the 2 November. We also had access to the pictures. And while the interview seemed ill-judged at the time, it's so much fucking worse to publish a printed copy several days later.

Just look at this cunt:

JUST IN:

TL;DR: This Apple's iPad 11 (2025) is on sale for $369.99, a 25% discount on a Grade A refurbished tablet.

Looking for a tablet that won't drain your wallet but still packs a serious punch? This refurbished iPad 11 might be your answer. — Read the rest

The post Get this refurbished iPad 11 with cellular for $370 instead of $499 appeared first on Boing Boing.

Sales of Tesla Powerwall batteries are in danger of sputtering out, even as the company launches its own line of residential solar panels.

The post Tesla Powerwall Facing Headwinds & Nasty Comments appeared first on CleanTechnica.

image by AI; not my prompt

As a compulsive writer and an incurable overthinker, I have a great love of incongruity. Some of the most important insights I have had in my life came from recognizing and addressing incongruities — things that seemingly contradict or which don't make sense in the context of something else I thought I understood. And some of my favourite writing (my own and others') plays with clever incongruities, including but not limited to ironies.

So, just as one example, I love the fact that the best sad songs make me cry, and can make me feel happier than the most cheerful anthems can, and they can pull me out of the deepest feelings of sadness.

I hit upon the title for this post because I was trying to compose a song about learning to accept things we cannot control or change — which is basically everything, at least if, like me, you accept the overwhelming (and, to human brains, utterly incongruous) scientific evidence that we have no free will.

Creative writing is, for me, the hardest to do, and (perhaps as a result) the most satisfying when it works out, or even when I just learn something important from the process.

Most songs are designed to appeal to us emotionally rather than intellectually, and hence the particular subject for my intended song was problematic — it's just too conceptual and theoretical to appeal to the listener, and even to lend itself to notes and music that convey meaning and feeling. There's a reason most songs are stories about how people feel. You want to write a song about the injustice of Trump & Co's ICE Gestapo, you tell an angry and heart-wrenching story, you don't quote from the constitution and legal precedent.

I tried writing a variety of stories about acceptance, and they came out as terribly bloodless. Not the stuff of a moving song. I looked for some hints and ideas from Suno music AI, and it kept feeding me very personal stories about lost love and heartbreak, not stoicism. And it eviscerated my cold titles, creating clumsy and soulless choruses that just made me wince.

And then I realized how important the title of a song is: not just the denotation of the words, but their rhythm, which can dictate the entire tone of a song. Suno was trying to work the title into the first or last lines of the song's chorus, and the result was awful.

And hence, the title of this post, and my intended song. Let It Be Just What It Is has a good rhythm to it, one that is both driving and accommodating, a perfect incongruity. And indeed, the music of the resultant Suno song is actually pretty good (in fact, I can't get the chorus out of my head):

Let it be just what it is
Not a promise, not a wish
We can love, we can miss
Let it be just what it is
Let it be, don't make it more
Leave your armour at the door
If we lose all of this
Let it be just what it is

Here's the song:

Let It Be Just What It Is (Suno) (Soundcloud)

OK, the lyrics are pretty bad. All I provided was a short, cold prompt. The Suno lyrics are mostly pretentious and awkward, with a few incongruous 'clever' juxtapositions of words. But the music, I think, is great.

How could I rescue the lyrics to make them as good as the music? For all kinds of legal reasons (potential for copyright violations of recorded works etc) Suno won't let you change the lyrics and keep the music. There are workarounds, but they're hard. And I'm lazy. And the song is even telling me not to change it.

I did consider an alternative title with a similar rhythm: Let It Be What It Will Be. A title that ends with a hard-to-rhyme syllable is a cardinal sin in songwriting, and lots more rhymes exist for the word be than for the word is. Why did I reject it? For purist reasons: My preferred title refers to the present moment, which is all that really matters, while this alternative refers to a future (which arguably doesn't exist) and alternate 'possibilities' (which don't exist either).

And then I realized that my preferred title is also incongruous. Since we have no free will, we can't choose to 'let it be just what it is'. We have no volition, no agency to accept or not accept. If these bodies of ours appear to accept, or refuse to accept, the way things apparently are, then all 'we' can do is rationalize that 'decision' after the fact.

But that's an incongruity I can live with. A little smile, perhaps, to the impossibility of us having the free will to act as if we don't have free will. Let it be just what it is.

But of course I couldn't do that. I tried again with my alternative title: Let It Be What It Will Be, and the further prompt that it be a song about acceptance. Here's what it came up with:

Let It Be What It Will Be (Afro-Caribbean version) (Suno) (Soundcloud)

The music is not quite as catchy as the first song, but I think the lyrics are definitely better. Coherent if not memorable. And lyrics are important:

Let it be what it will be
If you stay, if you leave
If you heal, if you bleed
Every part of you speaks
Let it be what it will be
From your roots to your wings
You're the song, you're the beat
You're already redeemed
Let it be what it will be

Overall I think it's a better song.

Now, you'd think I might learn at this point to let the song be.

Of course, I couldn't. So I told Suno to remake the song, with the same prompt, but as a soft rock song. And again I was surprised. Here's the result it produced this time:

Let It Be What It Will Be (Soft rock version) (Suno) (Soundcloud)

Solid, well-constructed music, I thought, and pretty good lyrics as well:

Let it be what it will be
I'm done rewriting gravity
If it breaks. let it break me clean
I'll rise up from the fault lines underneath
Let it be what it will be
Open hands, whatever comes to me
If it hurts, let it move me free
I'm done hiding from the life in front of me
Let it be what it will be

 New Yorker cartoon by the late Charles Barsotti

After 'writing' the songs above, I was inspired by Canadian music superstar Shania Twain's recent song Boots Don't, to try 'writing' a song in Southern Country Rock style about the idea that we foolishly think we know ourselves, and other people, when in fact "Nobody Knows Anything" (or Anyone). Trying to learn from the previous song, I came up with what I thought was a catchy title with a good rhythm: I Know You Think You Know Me (But You Don't).

With the Southern Country Rock prompt, here's what Suno made of that:

I Know You Think You Know Me (But You Don't)  (Suno) (Soundcloud)

Again, the lyrics are meh, but the vibe, I think, is great fun.

Thanks to Paul Heft for the link, above, to Tom Murphy's post on Ditching Dualism, which title is itself a masterful example of incongruity. Here are links to my six favourite AI-assisted songs:

1. After Us — a song about my feelings about civilization's collapse, and what might come after (lyrics mine, AI assisted)
2. If It Wasn't For Words — a song about how human life might have emerged on Earth if we'd never evolved language (lyrics mine, AI assisted)
3. Everything Is Fine — a tongue-in-cheek 'protest' song about our denial that everything is falling apart (lyrics mine, AI assisted)
4. Only This — a song about radical non-duality and a 'glimpse' of the absence of a separate self (lyrics entirely mine)
5. Rise and Shine — a K-Pop girl group style song on women achieving equality (unedited AI lyrics based on my prompt)
6. She Knows — Celtic-style song based on the maiden-mother-crone triple goddess myth (unedited AI lyrics based on my prompt)

If you're interested in hearing more of 'my' music, you can find it all on my Suno page (slow loading but includes lyrics), or my Soundcloud page (faster loading, no lyrics).

And just to reiterate what I've said on my previous AI-inspired posts:
1. I have a love-hate relationship with AI. When it's used properly and carefully as a tool, as an aid to learning and creativity, I believe it can be very useful, and enormous fun. But most of its large-scale applications (like replacing jobs and facilitating wars and surveillance) are ill-conceived, immoral, incompetently designed and conceived, vastly overreaching the capabilities of AI, ecologically disastrous, socially disruptive, and extremely dangerous.
2. The staggering amount that has been invested in AI has absolutely no viable business case to justify it. It represents possibly the most astounding squandering of money based purely on imagined and improbable future developments and blind faith, in history. Those who have studied this have concluded that this massive bubble will soon burst, and those who've invested in it will lose their shirts. At that time, the window to use AI as a learning and creativity tool will quickly close forever. Our playing with these essentially-free tools now is not going to aggravate its abusive uses, nor will it have any impact on the timing or extent of the coming AI crash. So my view is: use it while you can; it will soon be gone.

Reduxion

Traffic to this blog went up an order of magnitude when somebody (not sure who, or what), drove traffic to this post, which I put up 10.5 years ago. It was good and right for that time in history, which is much worse now.

Kill the lottery

I have a simple suggestion for getting rid of tanking in pro sports.

Hope he gets the hat tip

Progress is the process by which the miraculous becomes mundane. Aviation, for example. At  any moment a million people across the world are airborne and traveling safely. (Stop now and watch this bit by Louis CK. Yes, I know he's been canceled, but the bit is brilliant.) So yesterday, we flew from North Eleuthera (ELH) to Indianapolis (IND) by way of Atlanta (ATL), all on Delta (though the first flight was on Delta Connection). It all went better than well. The first flight was clear all the way, with excellent views (for me, the devout window-sitter and scene-shooter) of several Bahamian islands, coastal Florida, and Georgia from Savannah to Atlanta. The second flight wasn't the near-midnight one we were scheduled on, but one we noticed, while passing the gate in late afternoon, was boarding for Indianapolis. They gave us the last two seats on that plane, and it got us to Indy in time for dinner at Iozzo's, one of our favorite restaurants. Nice!

Then this morning, I got a survey from Delta. I tend to fill those out if I've had a very good or bad experience. But surveys still suck, because they're not human, meaning not conscious or aware of their existence. They're a pro formality that paints pictures with numbers. But I did want one human rewarded, so I filled it out. The human was Isaac, or something like that, on the second flight, Delta 3120. When the drink cart came by, I asked for a cup of ice. He said they didn't have any, and gave me a bottle of water, which was fine. But later, without being asked, he brought me a cup of ice anyway (presumably from the business class ice bin). That was nice and worth a mention.

Michael Johnson's latest Substack, "Ezra Pound and Robert Anton Wilson and Publishing and Editors," examines RAW's general disdain for the editors he worked with. There are lots of interesting comments to the post. The piece is "part one," and I am really looking forward to part two. 

I just wanted to put this out there, but that creeping sense of cognitive dissonance you get when you go to supermarket and still see full shelves, no matter how out of whack the prices have gotten? That sense of disquiet but acceptance when you see kids on phones following their parents around like zombies? How every day that the internet is still on, but it keeps putting out cycle after cycle of outrage and falsehoods trying to top the falsehoods of yesterday?

None of that is normal. All of that is hypernormalization.

We cannot envision a viable alternative to an unsustainable system, and so we quietly go about our daily lives because most of us can afford to be insulated form them. For now. But the rot creeps in.

We are living in a ghost story, a purgatory, and the best we can do is make our own little preparations until the other shoe drops and the bright blinding light of collapse hits.

So we got to talking at my job this morning and quite frankly everyone is kind of freaked out. I am under the impression that what I currently see on my feed is fed to me by an algorithm that won't allow me to see things that they are seeing as I used my phone to decompress. I am not saying that our government isn't in line for a complete collapse but they are speaking in terms of everything that we know. As like a world order is going to throw us under (think 1984 George Orwell) So I would love to hear what y'all have to say and sources I can fall into heavily. Talk to me like I'm a child that knows nothing. I'm trying to gather information the best I can. I've always mentally prepared for a horrible future but this seems worst than what I've ever thought.

I dig a well on my property. Now I have water. But it lowers the water table below the depth of my neighbor's well.

I didn't do anything wrong. Neither did my neighbor. We both made reasonable choices. And now one of us doesn't have water.

This is how the commons dies. Not through villainy, but through everyone optimizing correctly, one reasonable decision at a time. One well becomes a subdivision, becomes industrial agriculture, becomes the Ogallala Aquifer dropping a foot a year across eight states. Nobody's wrong at any step. The aggregate is catastrophe.

Now scale it up.

We strip-mine rare earths — two thousand tons of toxic waste per ton extracted — to build AI data centers that consume more electricity than some countries and drink millions of gallons of water a day for cooling. We build them as fast as we can, because the quarterly targets demand it, because the competitors are building theirs. Each step is rational. Each step is someone's optimized business case.

And what do people actually use this machine for?

According to Harvard Business Review, the top uses of AI are therapy, life organization, and finding purpose.

We hollowed out the commons — the water, the air, the earth itself — to build an optimization engine so powerful that people mainly use it to ask why they feel so empty. The machine doesn't know. It's a next-token predictor reflecting our own confusion back to us in comforting paragraphs. But people are so starved for the conversation that they'll take it, because the chatbot has time, doesn't judge, and costs less than the therapy that the economy they live in has made unaffordable.

We destroyed the village well to build a machine that people use to ask why they're thirsty.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/06/deepfake-taking-place-on-an-industrial-scale-study-finds

"AI content for scams can be targeted at individuals and 'produced by pretty much anybody', researchers say"

The implications of this are that no one can trust anything any more, and since so few people have critical thinking skills, these scams will cause a great deal of suffering. I've been working around computer security for 25 years (I'm a tech journalist), and have seen many types of threat, but these are by far the most serious I have ever seen. (Okay, with the exception of zero-click exploits...)

The original title of this piece was "Will Dutch Mobility Work in the Philippines?" And immediately, the answer is no. There are too many nuances in how the Netherlands managed its small footprint, pedaled and motored mobility as well as a collective effort that didn't shrug off any road user. ... [continued]

The post Op-Ed: Manila Doesn't Need Dutch Micromobility — It Needs Dutch Thinking appeared first on CleanTechnica.

The US has withdrawn from the historic Paris global climate frameworks. Can any US president unilaterally the country from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change? That's the question that former US senator from Wisconsin, Russ Feingold asks. There are many problems with the decision to abandon a legal ... [continued]

The post You Can't Just Walk Out On Climate Frameworks! appeared first on CleanTechnica.

The Crew-12 astronauts will soon make their way to the ISS, joining the three remaining spacefarers on board after the previous mission was cut short due to a medical concern. NASA was originally planning a February 15 launch date for the mission, but it has moved it up to February 11. It's now targeting a liftoff of no earlier than 6:01 AM Eastern that day from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The crew members are already in quarantine, and if everything goes well on launch day, the Dragon capsule they're on will dock with the orbiting lab at approximately 10:30 AM on February 12.

If you'll recall, NASA decided to bring Crew-11 members back home on January 15, a month earlier than planned, citing a medical concern with one of the members. While the affected astronaut was stable, the ISS didn't have the equipment necessary to be able to diagnose them properly. All four members of Crew-11 flew home, leaving the whole space station in the hands of three people, namely NASA astronaut Chris Williams and two cosmonauts for the Russian side. They will be joined by Crew-12's NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency's Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

SpaceX recently had to ground its Falcon 9 rocket after an issue with its upper stage for a few days, leaving the Crew-12's flight schedule in question. But on February 6, the Federal Aviation Administration cleared it for its next flight. NASA will livestream the mission's prelaunch, launch and docking activities on NASA+, Amazon Prime and on its YouTube channel, with its launch coverage starting at 4AM Eastern time on February 11. You can also bookmark or pin this page to watch the launch below.

interview Don't trust; verify. According to AI researcher Vishal Sikka, LLMs alone are limited by computational boundaries and will start to hallucinate when they push those boundaries. One solution? Companion bots that check their work.…

Huge thanks to my February sponsor, John Rember, author of the three-book series Journal of the Plague Years, a psychic survival guide for humanity's looming date with destiny, shaped by his experiences living through the pandemic in his native Idaho. Thoughtful, wry and humane, Journal 1 is a pleasure.

"The presumed upcoming El Nino will help cement and quantify global warming acceleration, showing that 2ºC global warming is likely to be reached in the 2030s, not at midcentury.

"See [my latest substack; Prof Jim Hansen] https://mailchi.mp/caa/another-el-nino-already-what-can-we-learn-from-it

"Breaking News! Y-axis alert!

"For the first time on record, the 3-year running average for the mean rate of atmospheric CO2 growth broke 8.00 ppm per 3 years, reaching a new record high growth rate of 8.06 ppm per 3 years. "And that dip in the early 1990's was Mt. Pinatubo." [Prof Eliot Jacobson]

https://x.com/EliotJacobson/status/2019535227857826010

"Turbo-charged jet stream's effects felt in every part of Europe.

"What has the brutal cold in North America got to do with the thoroughly wet weather over much of the UK, atrocious rains in Spain and Portugal and bitter cold in northern Europe? The thread binding this weather pattern together is the jet stream."

https://www.thetimes.com/comment/register/article/turbo-charged-jet-streams-effects-felt-in-every-part-of-europe-5ngb78djm

"University of Reading meteorologists said they have recorded the longest unbroken spell of rainy days in the town since they started measuring them in 1908. [UK]

"Its Atmospheric Observatory said January was the fourth-wettest since then, with total rainfall levels way above those expected."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyr5rygg62o

"Denmark Paralyzed: Heavy snow and blizzards bring the country to a standstill.

"On Friday most of the country woke up to a snow-covered landscape as a powerful winter storm swept across Denmark. Heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions causing widespread disruption to transport, education, and daily commerce."

https://cphpost.dk/2026-02-06/life-in-denmark/denmark-paralyzed-heavy-snow-and-blizzards-bring-the-country-to-a-standstill/

"Symi Declared in State of Emergency as Water Shortages Persist [Greece].

"The decision said authorities deemed the measure necessary because Symi continues to face a serious lack of water. Local authorities and residents remain concerned, as the problem has not eased even after recent rain."

https://greekcitytimes.com/2026/02/05/symi-declared-in-state-of-emergency-as-water-shortages-persist/?amp

"Storm Leonardo devastates southern Portugal and Spain.

"Storm has ravaged southern regions of Spain and Portugal this week, leaving one man dead in Portugal and one woman missing in Spain. Calls to postpone presidential election as Storm Leonardo lashes Portugal and Spain…"

https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2026/feb/06/storm-leonardo-devastates-southern-portugal-spain-video

"Grazalema evacuated as extreme rainfall causes dangerous underground water buildup.

"Authorities in Andalusia have ordered the evacuation of the town of Grazalema to Ronda, in Cádiz province, after an unusual buildup of water underground triggered minor seismic activity and raised serious safety concerns. This urgent measure affects more than 1,600 residents."

https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2026-02-06/grazalema-evacuated-as-extreme-rainfall-causes-dangerous-underground-water-buildup/955431

"Moroccan Authorities Evacuate More than 143,000 People Due to Flooding.

"Moroccan authorities continued a massive evacuation operation for the tenth consecutive day in a number of northern provinces hit by severe flooding, with more than 143,000 people evacuated as a precaution."

https://voi.id/en/news/556937

"Drought Spreads Beyond Kenya's Arid North, Plunging Herders Into Crisis.

"Kenya has been here before, most recently in 2022 when a record ​drought decimated livestock ⁠populations and plunged pastoralists in the East African country's arid north and northeast into a hunger crisis."

https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-02-06/drought-spreads-beyond-kenyas-arid-north-plunging-herders-into-crisis

"Yemen's Vanishing Wells.

"In eastern Yemen, diesel pumps stand idle above dried-out boreholes. Their hoses are cracked from the heat, their engines silent. There is a lack of fuel, electricity, and above all, water beneath the ground."

https://www.fairplanet.org/story/yemens-vanishing-wells/

"Crazy MINIMUM Temperatures up to 18C in the highlands of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Records of February warm nights smashed also in Kazakhstan.

"This is NOTHING to what's coming: We will see tropical nights and Maxes up to 30C [86F] An absolute insanity beyond any imagination."

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2019289623319699496

"Cyclone Senyar triggered 330 landslides in South Tapanuli, survey finds [Indonesia].

"An independent survey found 330 landslides upstream of the Garoga and Siondop rivers after the rare tropical cyclone Senyar struck South Tapanuli regency in North Sumatra in late November."

https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/02/07/cyclone-senyar-triggered-330-landslides-in-south-tapanuli-survey-finds.html

"Tropical Storm Penha brings devastation to Philippines with 4 dead and 6,000 evacuated

"Tropical Storm Penha killed at least four people and displaced more than 6,000 across the southern Philippines as days of heavy rainfall triggered flooding and a landslide, authorities said on Friday."

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/tropical-storm-penha-philippines-basyang-deaths-b2915218.html

"Cyclone Mitchell intensifies as towns in north-west WA brace for winds, flooding.

"Authorities expect the cyclone to continue churning south-west and cross the western Pilbara coast late Sunday afternoon. It was expected to intensify into a category three system as it passes just north of Karratha Saturday night and track close to the Pilbara coast on Sunday."

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/07/cyclone-intensifies-as-towns-in-north-west-wa-brace-for-winds-flooding

"Climate change is accelerating antibiotic resistance across the Western Pacific.

"A recent study published in The Lancet Regional Health, Western Pacific finds that changing climatic conditions and socioeconomic vulnerabilities jointly shape antimicrobial resistance (AMR) risks in the Western Pacific region, highlighting the urgent need for establishing integrated AMR, climate surveillance networks."

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260206/Climate-change-is-accelerating-antibiotic-resistance-across-the-Western-Pacific.aspx

"Rescuers in Patagonia: the silent work that saves animals amid forest fires.

"The Argentine Patagonia is facing one of the worst environmental crises of the last decade. Since the end of December, forest fires have been advancing over thousands of hectares, affecting protected areas such as the Los Alerces National Park."

https://noticiasambientales.com/environment-en/rescuers-in-patagonia-the-silent-work-that-saves-animals-amid-forest-fires/

"Chileans race to protect plant species in the world's driest desert.

"John Bartlett reports that climate change and natural disasters are adding urgency as people around the world race to collect, store, and protect plant species, and that Chileans are rising to the challenge in the world's driest desert."

https://www.kuow.org/stories/chileans-race-to-protect-plant-species-in-the-world-s-driest-desert

"Peru: Deadly Mudslides Ravage Peru After Heavy Rain.

"Peru Mudslides: Severe flooding and deadly mudslides triggered by heavy rainfall have left communities across Peru reeling, with residents describing scenes of devastation and loss."

https://www.wionews.com/videos/peru-deadly-mudslides-ravage-peru-after-heavy-rain-1770367877054

"EXTRAORDINARY SUMMER WARMTH: "Night Minimums locally >10C/50F in Canada highlands and also in Montana and South Dakota. Dozens of records of February hottest night pulverized. (many will hold). Let+s expect widespread maxes in the lower 20Cs/70Fs."

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2019451525953650788

"From orcas to water shortages: nature in a changing climate.

"Orcas are attacking sailboats near Gibraltar and Portugal. They're damaging rudders, and have sunk boats. But why are they doing this? Also: islands cutting waste, shrinking snow in the Alps, and the carbon cycle."

https://www.dw.com/en/from-orcas-to-water-shortages-nature-in-a-changing-climate/video-75841224

"The water wars are coming This finite resource will define the century.

"Today, we are already in the midst of a deep and deepening crisis of water availability. Though more than 70% of the world's surface is covered by the stuff, almost all of it is seawater."

https://unherd.com/2026/02/the-water-wars-are-coming/

"Saving the ozone layer has 'polluted Earth with forever chemicals'.

"Substances brought in to replace CFCs have led to 300,000 tonnes of a potentially toxic chemical being deposited in soil and rivers worldwide, a study claims."

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/environment/article/saving-ozone-layer-polluted-earth-forever-chemicals-0m8f3ckxr

I rely on donations and tips from my readers to to keep the site running. Every little bit helps. Can you chip in even a dollar? Buy me a coffee or become a Patreon supporter. A huge thank you to those who do subscribe or donate.

You can read the previous "Climate" thread here. I'll be back tomorrow with an "Economic" thread.

The post 7th February 2026 Today's Round-Up of Climate News (rev.1) appeared first on Climate and Economy.

The folks at GitHub know that Open Source maintainers are drowning in a sea of low-effort contributions. Even before Microsoft forced the unwanted Copilot assistant on millions of repos, it was always a gamble whether a new contributor would be helpful or just some witless jerk. Now it feels a million times worse.

There are some discussions about what tools repository owners should have to help them. Disabling AI on repos is popular - but ignored by Microsoft. Being able to delete PRs is helpful - but still makes work for maintainers. Adding more AI to review new PRs and issues is undoubtedly popular with those who like seeing number-go-up - but of dubious use for everyone else.

I'd like to discuss something else - reputation scores.

During Hacktoberfest, developers are encouraged to contribute to repositories in order to win a t-shirt. Naturally, this leads to some very low-effort contributions. If a contribution is crap, maintainers can apply a "Spam" label to it.

Any user with two or more spammy PR/MRs will be disqualified.

This works surprisingly well as a disincentive! Since that option was added, I had far fewer low-effort contributions. When I did apply the spam label, I got a few people asking how they could improve their contribution so the label could be removed.

However, there is no easy way to see how many times a user has been labelled as a spammer. Looking at a user account, it isn't immediately obvious how trustworthy a user is. I can't see how many PRs they've sent, how many have been merged or closed as useless, nor how many bug reports were helpful or closed as irrelevant.

There are some badges, but I don't think they go far enough.

I think it could be useful if maintainers were able to set "contributor controls" on their repositories. An entirely optional way to tone down the amount of unhelpful contributions.

Here are some example restrictions (and some reasons why they may not help):

• Age of account. Only accounts older than X days, weeks, or years can contribute.
  • This disenfranchises new users who may have specifically signed up to report a bug or fix an issue.
• Restrict PRs to people who have been assigned to an issue.
  • May be a disincentive to those wishing to contribute simple fixes.
• Social labelling. Have other maintainers marked this user as a spammer?
  • Could be abused or used for bullying.
• Synthetic Reputation Score. Restrict contributions to people with a "score" above a certain level.
  • How easy will it be to boost your score? What if you get accidentally penalised?
• Escrow. Want to open a PR / Issue, put a quid in the jar. You'll forfeit it if you're out of line.
  • Not great for people with limited funds, or who face an unfavourable exchange rate. Rich arseholes won't care.

Obviously, all of these are gameable to some extent. It also incentivises the theft or sale of "high reputation" accounts. Malicious admins could threaten to sanction a legitimate account.

But apps like Telegram show me when someone has changed their name or photo (a good sign of a scammer). AirBnB & Uber attempt to provide a rating for users. My telephone warns me if an unknown caller has been marked as spam.

I don't know which controls, if any, GitHub will settle on. There is a risk that systems like this could prohibit certain people from contributing - but the alternative is maintainers drowning in a sea of slop.

I think all code-forges should adopt optional controls like this.

Huge thanks to my February sponsor, John Rember, author of the three-book series Journal of the Plague Years, a psychic survival guide for humanity's looming date with destiny, shaped by his experiences living through the pandemic in his native Idaho. Thoughtful, wry and humane, Journal 1 is a pleasure.

"The presumed upcoming El Nino will help cement and quantify global warming acceleration, showing that 2ºC global warming is likely to be reached in the 2030s, not at midcentury.

"See [my latest substack; Prof Jim Hansen] https://mailchi.mp/caa/another-el-nino-already-what-can-we-learn-from-it

"Breaking News! Y-axis alert!

"For the first time on record, the 3-year running average for the mean rate of atmospheric CO2 growth broke 8.00 ppm per 3 years, reaching a new record high growth rate of 8.06 ppm per 3 years. "And that dip in the early 1990's was Mt. Pinatubo." [Prof Eliot Jacobson]

https://x.com/EliotJacobson/status/2019535227857826010

"Turbo-charged jet stream's effects felt in every part of Europe.

"What has the brutal cold in North America got to do with the thoroughly wet weather over much of the UK, atrocious rains in Spain and Portugal and bitter cold in northern Europe? The thread binding this weather pattern together is the jet stream."

https://www.thetimes.com/comment/register/article/turbo-charged-jet-streams-effects-felt-in-every-part-of-europe-5ngb78djm

"University of Reading meteorologists said they have recorded the longest unbroken spell of rainy days in the town since they started measuring them in 1908. [UK]

"Its Atmospheric Observatory said January was the fourth-wettest since then, with total rainfall levels way above those expected."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyr5rygg62o

"Denmark Paralyzed: Heavy snow and blizzards bring the country to a standstill.

"On Friday most of the country woke up to a snow-covered landscape as a powerful winter storm swept across Denmark. Heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions causing widespread disruption to transport, education, and daily commerce."

https://cphpost.dk/2026-02-06/life-in-denmark/denmark-paralyzed-heavy-snow-and-blizzards-bring-the-country-to-a-standstill/

"Symi Declared in State of Emergency as Water Shortages Persist [Greece].

"The decision said authorities deemed the measure necessary because Symi continues to face a serious lack of water. Local authorities and residents remain concerned, as the problem has not eased even after recent rain."

https://greekcitytimes.com/2026/02/05/symi-declared-in-state-of-emergency-as-water-shortages-persist/?amp

"Storm Leonardo devastates southern Portugal and Spain.

"Storm has ravaged southern regions of Spain and Portugal this week, leaving one man dead in Portugal and one woman missing in Spain. Calls to postpone presidential election as Storm Leonardo lashes Portugal and Spain…"

https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2026/feb/06/storm-leonardo-devastates-southern-portugal-spain-video

"Grazalema evacuated as extreme rainfall causes dangerous underground water buildup.

"Authorities in Andalusia have ordered the evacuation of the town of Grazalema to Ronda, in Cádiz province, after an unusual buildup of water underground triggered minor seismic activity and raised serious safety concerns. This urgent measure affects more than 1,600 residents."

https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2026-02-06/grazalema-evacuated-as-extreme-rainfall-causes-dangerous-underground-water-buildup/955431

"Moroccan Authorities Evacuate More than 143,000 People Due to Flooding.

"Moroccan authorities continued a massive evacuation operation for the tenth consecutive day in a number of northern provinces hit by severe flooding, with more than 143,000 people evacuated as a precaution."

https://voi.id/en/news/556937

"Drought Spreads Beyond Kenya's Arid North, Plunging Herders Into Crisis.

"Kenya has been here before, most recently in 2022 when a record ​drought decimated livestock ⁠populations and plunged pastoralists in the East African country's arid north and northeast into a hunger crisis."

https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-02-06/drought-spreads-beyond-kenyas-arid-north-plunging-herders-into-crisis

"Yemen's Vanishing Wells.

"In eastern Yemen, diesel pumps stand idle above dried-out boreholes. Their hoses are cracked from the heat, their engines silent. There is a lack of fuel, electricity, and above all, water beneath the ground."

https://www.fairplanet.org/story/yemens-vanishing-wells/

"Crazy MINIMUM Temperatures up to 18C in the highlands of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Records of February warm nights smashed also in Kazakhstan.

"This is NOTHING to what's coming: We will see tropical nights and Maxes up to 30C [86F] An absolute insanity beyond any imagination."

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2019289623319699496

"Cyclone Senyar triggered 330 landslides in South Tapanuli, survey finds [Indonesia].

"An independent survey found 330 landslides upstream of the Garoga and Siondop rivers after the rare tropical cyclone Senyar struck South Tapanuli regency in North Sumatra in late November."

https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2026/02/07/cyclone-senyar-triggered-330-landslides-in-south-tapanuli-survey-finds.html

"Tropical Storm Penha brings devastation to Philippines with 4 dead and 6,000 evacuated

"Tropical Storm Penha killed at least four people and displaced more than 6,000 across the southern Philippines as days of heavy rainfall triggered flooding and a landslide, authorities said on Friday."

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/tropical-storm-penha-philippines-basyang-deaths-b2915218.html

"Cyclone Mitchell intensifies as towns in north-west WA brace for winds, flooding.

"Authorities expect the cyclone to continue churning south-west and cross the western Pilbara coast late Sunday afternoon. It was expected to intensify into a category three system as it passes just north of Karratha Saturday night and track close to the Pilbara coast on Sunday."

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/feb/07/cyclone-intensifies-as-towns-in-north-west-wa-brace-for-winds-flooding

"Climate change is accelerating antibiotic resistance across the Western Pacific.

"A recent study published in The Lancet Regional Health, Western Pacific finds that changing climatic conditions and socioeconomic vulnerabilities jointly shape antimicrobial resistance (AMR) risks in the Western Pacific region, highlighting the urgent need for establishing integrated AMR, climate surveillance networks."

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260206/Climate-change-is-accelerating-antibiotic-resistance-across-the-Western-Pacific.aspx

"Rescuers in Patagonia: the silent work that saves animals amid forest fires.

"The Argentine Patagonia is facing one of the worst environmental crises of the last decade. Since the end of December, forest fires have been advancing over thousands of hectares, affecting protected areas such as the Los Alerces National Park."

https://noticiasambientales.com/environment-en/rescuers-in-patagonia-the-silent-work-that-saves-animals-amid-forest-fires/

"Chileans race to protect plant species in the world's driest desert.

"John Bartlett reports that climate change and natural disasters are adding urgency as people around the world race to collect, store, and protect plant species, and that Chileans are rising to the challenge in the world's driest desert."

https://www.kuow.org/stories/chileans-race-to-protect-plant-species-in-the-world-s-driest-desert

"Peru: Deadly Mudslides Ravage Peru After Heavy Rain.

"Peru Mudslides: Severe flooding and deadly mudslides triggered by heavy rainfall have left communities across Peru reeling, with residents describing scenes of devastation and loss."

https://www.wionews.com/videos/peru-deadly-mudslides-ravage-peru-after-heavy-rain-1770367877054

"EXTRAORDINARY SUMMER WARMTH: "Night Minimums locally >10C/50F in Canada highlands and also in Montana and South Dakota. Dozens of records of February hottest night pulverized. (many will hold). Let+s expect widespread maxes in the lower 20Cs/70Fs."

https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2019451525953650788

"From orcas to water shortages: nature in a changing climate.

"Orcas are attacking sailboats near Gibraltar and Portugal. They're damaging rudders, and have sunk boats. But why are they doing this? Also: islands cutting waste, shrinking snow in the Alps, and the carbon cycle."

https://www.dw.com/en/from-orcas-to-water-shortages-nature-in-a-changing-climate/video-75841224

"The water wars are coming This finite resource will define the century.

"Today, we are already in the midst of a deep and deepening crisis of water availability. Though more than 70% of the world's surface is covered by the stuff, almost all of it is seawater."

https://unherd.com/2026/02/the-water-wars-are-coming/

"Saving the ozone layer has 'polluted Earth with forever chemicals'.

"Substances brought in to replace CFCs have led to 300,000 tonnes of a potentially toxic chemical being deposited in soil and rivers worldwide, a study claims."

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/environment/article/saving-ozone-layer-polluted-earth-forever-chemicals-0m8f3ckxr

I rely on donations and tips from my readers to to keep the site running. Every little bit helps. Can you chip in even a dollar? Buy me a coffee or become a Patreon supporter. A huge thank you to those who do subscribe or donate.

You can read the previous "Climate" thread here. I'll be back tomorrow with an "Economic" thread.

The post 7th February 2026 Today's Round-Up of Climate News appeared first on Climate and Economy.

Btw, it's

Despite pressing public concern, Keir Starmer is saying the 'materials' linked to the thrice-disgraced Peter Mandelson will not come quickly. And as you might expect, people are not happy:

He will try to buy time and get this kicked into the long grass with investigations and enquiries reporting years hence. And even then likely delayed until a summer recess in years time. This is what all guilty PMs do.

— Freamon's Burner (@FreamonB) February 6, 2026

On 6 February, Skwawkbox reported for the Canary that the police raided Mandelson's properties. If you're a longtime Mandelson disliker, it will warm your heart to see the following image (although we would have preferred riot cops booting down his doors):

BREAKING: police raid Mandelson's properties in Epstein hit

Police have raided two properties belonging to disgraced former Starmer adviser Peter Mandelson over his Epstein linkshttps://t.co/0xerIGeX6S

— Canary (@TheCanaryUK) February 6, 2026

God knows what the police will uncover in Mandelson's lair.

At the same time, the security services are looking into Starmer's decision to make Mandelson the ambassador to the US. As Sky News reported above:

We're hearing that Sir Keir Starmer has warned a very significant volume of material will likely need to be reviewed in relation to Lord Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to the US. But the Prime Minister said the government wanted to ensure that Parliament's instruction is met with the urgency and transparency it deserves. That's coming in a letter to the intelligence and Security Committee this evening.

So, the Prime Minister warning that a significant volume of material will have to be reviewed in relation to that appointment of Lord Mandelson as ambassador. And the government wants to ensure that Parliament's instruction is met with the urgency and transparency it deserves.

The first thing to point out is that when Starmer made Mandelson the ambassador to the US, he knew that the guy had maintained a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein after the paedophile was convicted for sex crimes.

This, by itself, should be enough for Starmer to resign.

Last September, Keir Starmer told the Commons that he had "full confidence" in Peter Mandelson. 

Well, the public has no confidence in him.

He must resign. pic.twitter.com/h5YbuhL1I3

— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) February 6, 2026

And as we've highlighted over and over again; it wasn't just Starmer who knew — everyone knew. The reason it wasn't a scandal then is because the British media is a freakshow with a selective memory:

This article came out in the FT over a year before Starmer appointed Mandelson

Starmer knew everything

Another powerful man who failed Epstein's victims because he didn't care

Starmer has to go. Now https://t.co/aSYRHCPbLk pic.twitter.com/ICn9OUWsX0

— Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) February 5, 2026

People are worrying that these Mandelson Files will be full of unjustifiable redactions:

Right from the Trump playbook. https://t.co/BMLe5Piuec

— Tammy Twotone (@TheTammyTwotone) February 7, 2026

As we've covered, this is precisely what's happening with the Epstein Files (although even then, enough got out to finish Mandelson; imagine what we'd know about him without all those black bars).

There could be good reason for security services to spend time vetting these files. The problem for Starmer is that no one trusts him, so this all just looks like a cover up.

If Starmer remains in position, he's going to suffer months of devastating new revelations which further dent his rock-bottom popularity. Labour MPs know that; the question is do they have the backbone to give Starmer the boot before he can inflict maximum damage?

Featured image via Epstein Files

By Willem Moore

As reported by the Canary, six of the Filton 24 prisoners recently walked free after being acquitted of the charges against them. Now, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has announced its intent to seek a retrial against these activists:

A CPS spokesperson said: "Prosecutors are now considering the precise basis on which that retrial would proceed, including the form of the indictment, in accordance with CPS legal guidance." pic.twitter.com/oauNsFTMct

— Crown Prosecution Service (@CPSUK) February 7, 2026

On 4 February, Skwawkbox reported for the Canary:

Six members of the Filton 24 have been acquitted by a jury in a major victory for anti-genocide protesters. After an 8-day deliberation Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Ellie (Leona) Kamio, Fatema Zainab Rajwani, Zoe Rogers, and Jordan Devlin were cleared of charges brought against them by the Starmer regime. The 'Filton 24' are a group of political prisoners held for action to inhibit the manufacture of Israeli weapons used against Palestinians.

The case of the Filton 24 activists was used as justification to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Commenters have now argued this should challenge that proscription:

Palestine coalition welcomes Filton case outcome as significant defeat for the government which used the case to justify its disgraceful proscription of Palestine Action

As we reported on 6 February, Donald Trump posted an explicitly racist video to his Truth Social account:

BREAKING: Trump just posted an incredibly racist photo of the Obama's faces photoshopped on to the body of apes.

Every day is a new rock bottom for this ugly pig. pic.twitter.com/GlMM7Cfjoe

— Dean Withers (@itsdeaann) February 6, 2026

There have been several developments since then, with the end point being that Trump admitted to being the one responsible.

After the US President posted his hate crime, several of his supporters claimed 'he didn't post that, actually'.

This is how that went (see the community note at the bottom):

FAKE NEWS ALERT! Trump Didn't post this monkey video of the obamas

Lying Democrats

It's not on his page

Fake screenshot pic.twitter.com/91zsEo4L7t

— Terrence K. Williams (@w_terrence) February 6, 2026

Trump's more cautinary boot lickers suggested it was all a big mistake:

I sincerely hope President @realDonaldTrump didn't realise this 60-second clip he reposted last night didn't end with the vile racist imagery of the Obamas as apes. He should delete it immediately. pic.twitter.com/jHZln3u98Q

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 6, 2026

Karoline Leavitt (White House press secretary) would later claim the following:

This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle & Democrats as characters from The Lion King. Please stop the fake outrage

Bullshit aside, why is the White House producing so many memes? Shouldn't they be busy undoing the havoc that Trump has wrought on the economy?

Later in the day, the American President's team actually deleted the video — suggesting the "outrage" was warranted, actually:

Donald Trump has finally deleted that racist post depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys from his Truth Social media account. But not before the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called it a meme. pic.twitter.com/aouLXMavGW

— Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) February 6, 2026

They'd also claim that actually a staffer posted the video:

First the WH @PressSec defended Trump's racist tweet and mocked "fake outrage" coming from critics. Now they're saying a staffer posted it around midnight and that the tweet has been deleted. Tell us another one! pic.twitter.com/tjU3r8fws7

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 6, 2026

Ultimately, Donald made a mockery of all his defenders by simply admitting he was the one responsible:

Reporter: The WH says a staffer sent that video. Are you going to fire the staffer?

Trump: No. I looked at it. I didn't see the whole thing. I gave it to the people, they posted it.

Reporter: Are you going to apologize?

Trump: No, I didn't make a mistake. pic.twitter.com/VH1qmEOmb2

— Acyn (@Acyn) February 7, 2026

So the meme that someone else chose for Trump and then they deleted; the president chose it himself, actually, and also he was right to do so.

Clear?

We understand Trump's loyalists don't care about the racism, but aren't they sick of being embarrassed?

Featured image via Truth Social

By Willem Moore

A growing body of research continues to show that older workers are generally more productive than younger employees.…

Apple Health brings sleep tracking, scheduling and long-term analysis into one place, with your iPhone acting as the hub and the Apple Watch doing the overnight monitoring. Once everything is set up, Apple Health can show how long you slept each night, how consistent your sleep schedule is and how much time you spend in different sleep stages. Here is how to get started, track your sleep and review your data.

Sleep tracking in Apple Health relies on two things: You need to set up Sleep in the Health app on your iPhone, and you need a compatible Apple Watch to wear to bed. While you can set sleep schedules without a watch, detailed sleep data — including sleep stages — requires an Apple Watch.

Sleep tracking is available on all watchOS 8 (or later) models and setup starts in the Health app on your iPhone. Open Health, tap Browse and then tap Sleep. If this is your first time setting it up, you will see an option to get started. Apple Health will guide you through choosing a sleep goal, setting a bedtime and wake-up time and deciding whether you want one sleep schedule for every day or different schedules for weekdays and weekends.

During setup, you can also enable sleep reminders and a wind-down period. Wind Down reduces distractions before bedtime by activating features like Focus mode and dimming notifications at a set time before sleep. These settings are optional but they help keep your schedule consistent, which improves the quality of the data Apple Health collects over time.

Once Sleep is configured, Apple Health automatically syncs those settings to your Apple Watch. You can adjust your sleep schedule later by returning to the Sleep section in Health and tapping Full Schedule and Options. Any changes you make here update on both your iPhone and Apple Watch.

To track sleep, your Apple Watch needs to be worn overnight and have enough battery to last until morning. If the battery drops below 30 percent before bedtime, your watch will prompt you to charge it first. Sleep tracking also relies on Sleep Focus which activates automatically based on your sleep schedule. Once Sleep Focus has been set, open the Settings app on your Apple Watch, tap Sleep and ensure that Track Sleep with Apple Watch is turned on. With both features enabled your watch can monitor sleep automatically without any manual start or stop each night. 

Comfort matters when wearing a watch to bed, so many people prefer a softer band for sleep. As long as the watch fits securely and stays in contact with your wrist, it can track sleep without issue.

When Sleep Focus is active, the Apple Watch uses its accelerometer and heart rate sensor to detect when you are asleep and awake. Newer models also track sleep stages, including time spent in REM, core and deep sleep. Apple Health combines this information into a single overnight record that appears in the Sleep section the next morning.

You do not need to start or stop sleep tracking manually. As long as you follow your sleep schedule or enable Sleep Focus before bed, the Apple Watch automatically does everything else. If you wake up early or go to bed later than planned, Apple Health adjusts the data based on actual movement and heart rate rather than just your scheduled times. In addition, some Apple Watch models (SE 3 or higher) support on-device Siri, enabling you to ask questions such as "how much sleep did I have last night?" for a more immediate response.   

To see your sleep data, open the Health app on your iPhone and tap Browse, then Sleep. At the top of the screen, you will see a chart showing how long you slept the previous night. Tapping this chart reveals a detailed breakdown, including time asleep, time in bed and sleep stages (if available).

Scrolling down shows trends over longer periods. You can switch between daily, weekly, monthly and six-month views to see patterns in your sleep duration and consistency. Apple Health also highlights whether you are meeting your sleep goal and how regular your schedule has been.

Under Highlights, Apple Health may surface insights such as changes in average sleep time, variations in sleep stages or your nightly sleep score. Sleep scores provide a simplified summary of how well you slept, and is based on factors such as duration, consistency and restfulness. These summaries update automatically as more data is collected over time.

If your Apple Watch supports sleep stages, Apple Health displays how much time you spent in REM, core and deep sleep. These stages give context to your overall sleep quality, though Apple emphasizes trends over individual nights. Occasional short nights or unusual stage distributions are normal.

Over time, Apple Health makes it easier to spot patterns. Consistently short sleep durations, irregular bedtimes or frequent awakenings become clearer when viewing weekly or monthly summaries. This makes the Sleep section useful not just for nightly check-ins but for understanding longer-term habits.

Apple Health allows you to add or edit sleep data if needed manually. In the Sleep section, tap Add Data to log sleep that was not recorded automatically. This can be useful if you forget to wear your watch or take a nap without it.

You can also manage which devices contribute sleep data by scrolling to the bottom of the Sleep screen and tapping Data Sources and Access. This is helpful if you use third-party sleep apps or multiple devices.

Once set up, sleep tracking in Apple Health runs quietly in the background. With a consistent schedule and a charged Apple Watch, your sleep data builds into a clear picture of your nightly rest, all stored securely within Apple's health platform.

We're starting to hit our stride in 2026. Now that February is here, our reviews team is flush with new devices to test, which means you've got a lot to catch up on if you haven't been following along. Read on for a roundup of the most compelling new gear we've tested recently from gaming, PCs, cameras and more.

If you still have a fondness for the Xbox Kinect, the Nex Playground might be right up your alley. Senior reporter Devindra Hardawar recently put the tiny box through its paces and found an active gaming experience that's fun for the whole family. "While I have some concerns about the company's subscription model, Nex has accomplished a rare feat: It developed a simple box that makes it easy for your entire family to jump into genuinely innovative games and experiences," he wrote.

Devindra also tested MSI's latest laptop, the powerful Prestige 14 Flip AI+. While the machine got high marks for its performance, display and connectivity, he noted that the overall experience is hindered by subpar keyboard and truly awful trackpad. "As one of the earliest Panther Lake laptops on the market, the $1,299 Prestige 14 Flip AI+ is a solid machine, if you're willing to overlook its touchpad flaws," he explained. "More than anything though, the Prestige 14 makes me excited to see what other PC makers offer with Intel's new chips."

Fresh off of its Best of CES selection, I conducted a full review of the OpenFit Pro earbuds from Shokz. I continue to be impressed by the earbuds' ability to reduce ambient noise while keeping your ears open. And the overall sound quality is excellent for a product that sits outside of your ears.

Contributing reporter Steve Dent has been busy testing cameras to start the year. This week he added the Sony A7 V to the list, noting the excellent photo quality and accurate autofocus. "The A7 V is an incredible camera for photography, with speeds, autofocus accuracy and image quality ahead of rivals, including the Canon R6 III, Panasonic S1 II and Nikon Z6 III," he said. "However, Sony isn't keeping up with those models for video."

Our first Editors' Choice device of 2026 is Apple's updated AirTag. All of the upgrades lead to a better overall item tracker, according to UK bureau chief Mat Smith. "There's no doubt the second-gen AirTags are improved, and thankfully, upgrading to the new capabilities doesn't come at too steep a cost," he concluded.

Neo-nazi Trump supporter Jake Lang has been hilariously arrested in St Paul, Minnesota, after publishing footage of himself equally hilariously destroying an anti-ICE ice sculpture.

Lang, a 'Jan 6er' thug who served four years in prison before Trump pardoned him, then told his followers he'd see them on 7 February outside the Minnesota state capital, where he destroyed the sculpture.

No, he probably won't, since he'll likely still be in jail — or if he's lucky, on bail — after being arrested for criminal damage. Especially since local cops won't exactly be short of evidence, with him filming everything and publishing it.

And in true far-right fashion, he made a right pillock of himself. Lang nearly emasculated himself with his first kick, then almost fell over — and was quite puffed out by the time he had finished shortening 'Prosecute ICE' to 'Pro ICE'. Bright lad, that:

Lang has previously posted an image of himself performing a nazi salute outside a synagogue. Perhaps not the sharpest tool in the box, then.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

Well, well, well, it looks like Reform UK have been accused of dodgy tricks in the Gorton & Denton by-election:

A number of residents have received this correspondence. The @ElectoralCommUK are aware and it is our understanding that they are discussing this matter with the police. https://t.co/PaciUNuac4

— Turn Left Media (@TurnLeftMediaUK) February 6, 2026

Don't Reform UK sell themselves as a party of law and order?

Hopefully they don't intend to follow the Donald Trump model of 'law and order', which is to break every law in order to extract maximum profit for himself. Although if they do, we shouldn't really be surprised given Farage's relationship with the US president.

The letter above may be a little blurry and small for you, but here's what it says:

Dear Neighbour,

Forgive me for writing to you, but with the Gorton and Denton by-election on Thursday, 26th February, I feel I have no choice.

My name is Patricia. I am a local pensioner, 74 years old. I worked hard, paid my taxes, brought up my family here, and always believed that if you did the right thing, this country would look after you.

Lately, that belief has been shaken. Every month I worry about my energy bills. Prices in the shops keep rising. My pension does not stretch far enough.

I previously voted Labour because Keir Starmer told us things would change for the better. They haven't. The truth is that Britain no longer feels like the country I grew up in. Simple things like doctor's appointments or the buses don't work. The system feels broken, and no-one in charge seems able to fix it.

Keir Starmer's Labour government doesn't care about Gorton and Denton. Their tax rises have cost pensioners like me an extra £160 that we cannot afford. I remember how our last Labour MP - a government minister - wished that a local pensioner who asked about her bin collection would drop dead!

In the Gorton and Denton by-election, I understand why some neighbours who have had enough of Keir Starmer are thinking of voting Green. But I do not believe the Greens have answers to our problems. They have extreme policies like legalising drugs and letting men use women's changing rooms. What good would that do people like us?

For me, this by-election comes down to a simple choice: more broken promises from Keir Starmer, or real change. That is why I will be voting for Reform UK's candidate, Matthew Goodwin, who grew up in Manchester. Our area deserves someone who will stand up for local people.

I do not want Keir Starmer to be our Prime Minister anymore. Voting for Reform is the best way to kick him out. After a lifetime of voting loyally, I feel I have no choice but to vote for Reform UK on Thursday, 26th February. Please think about doing the same.

Yours sincerely,

A concerned neighbour,
Patricia Clegg

Firstly, if you're on a pension, we've got bad news for you about Reform UK:

55% of the welfare bill is spent on pensions.
The majority of sick and disabled people receive around £9k to £11k a year.
Reform UK wants to cut £25 Billion from welfare.
To get this much means they would have to make massive cuts from sickness benefits and pensions. https://t.co/8NpJ1S6Wlt

— Dr_Rebecca (@Dr_Bekka_UK) January 21, 2026

Secondly, as this video shows, when someone rang the number on the envelope, there was no 'Patricia Clegg' there:

Have you seen this? https://t.co/p0BiRtQQa3

— James Foster (@JamesEFoster) February 6, 2026

The printers who answered confirmed that they produced the letter for Reform UK, and that it was "official literature" for the party. Strange, given that the letter didn't mention 'Reform UK' anywhere. And this is why the situation has become a matter for the police:

Reform UK will face a police investigation in Gorton and Denton after admitting that it sent out letters from a "concerned neighbour" which did not state that they had been distributed and funded by the party.https://t.co/ZoYvV4bp0J

— Anne Greensmith

In 2026, high returns on real estate investments are linked to emerging growth hotspots. While prices in the US and Western Europe show moderate increases, dynamic markets such as Greece, the UAE, Vietnam, and Turkey are delivering double-digit yields.

In this article, we explore why investing in developing economies often produces 8-15% annual growth compared to 3-4% in mature markets and highlight key destinations where you can acquire not just property, but a high-yield asset.

Investing in fast-growing markets is attractive because property prices are still relatively low but increase rapidly. Unlike mature economies, where market parameters are already established, these countries are often in active development: populations are growing, infrastructure is expanding, and housing demand outpaces supply. This creates a foundation for higher overall investment returns.

Key advantages:

• High growth rates: Active construction, city development, and an initially low price base enable rapid property value appreciation alongside economic growth.
• Accessibility: Lower prices allow investors to enter the market with smaller capital and acquire assets in promising locations that can increase significantly in value.
• Attractive rental yields: Growing demand for housing, fueled by tourism, migration, and labor market growth, supports high rental rates.
• Comprehensive infrastructure development: Roads, transport hubs, and commercial and social projects boost area attractiveness and stimulate long-term demand.

Greek real estate shows consistent growth: in 2025, prices increased 8-9%, with urban areas rising ~6% in Q1 2025. Foreign capital remains a key driver: over 9,000 Golden Visa Greece applications were submitted in 2024 (10% more than in 2023). In popular tourist zones, foreign buyers account for up to 70% of transactions.

The Greek residency-by-investment program, with a minimum threshold of €250,000 for renovated properties, adds incentive. Applications take about 4 months; residency is granted for 5 years with renewal rights for the family, without a requirement to reside permanently.

• Rental yield: 4.5-8% annually; small apartments in central Athens yield 6-8%, while short-term rentals on Mykonos and Santorini can exceed 10%.
• Price growth: 6-10% annually in key areas.
• Promising locations: Athens, Thessaloniki, and major islands - Crete, Rhodes, Corfu.

Cyprus is one of the region's most dynamic markets. In 2025, transaction volume reached a record €5.71 billion, and prices rose 6.51%. Growth is concentrated in Limassol, Larnaca, and Nicosia, supported by stable tourism (over 4 million visitors) and residency-by-investment programs.

• Rental yield: 5.4-7%; Limassol reaches 7%.
• Demand: high for properties up to €250,000 and luxury villas over €1.5 million.
• Promising locations: Limassol (highest yield), Larnaca (fast sales growth), Nicosia (stable demand), Paphos (tourist market).

The Maltese market benefits from tourism and economic growth (+6%). In 2025, sales increased 14% and prices 6.8%. Apartments and penthouses in Special Designated Areas (SDAs) are particularly sought after by foreigners, with no restrictions on foreign ownership.

• Rental yield: average 4%; in premium areas (St Julian's, Sliema) 5-10%, with some projects up to 15%.
• Price growth: Valletta 6-8% annually.
• Promising locations: SDAs, coastal districts, areas near universities.

After a stagnation period, the Japanese market is recovering. Yen depreciation stimulated tourism (+18%) and foreign investment inflows. Prices in major cities increase 5-7% annually, with premium properties appreciating 12-20%.

• Rental yield: 3-6% per year.
• Price range: $400,000-$650,000 for quality properties.
• Promising locations: central Tokyo (Shibuya, Minato), Kyoto (Higashiyama), Osaka (Kita).

The market is expanding due to a tech boom and foreign investment. Tourism grows 20-22%; Seoul prices rise 4-6% annually, and luxury apartments can gain up to 30% in five years.

• Rental yield: 2-7%; short-term rentals in tourist areas yield 4-7%.
• Price range: from $350,000 for apartments in premium areas.
• Promising locations: Gangnam and Mapo in Seoul, areas near university campuses.

The market grows 7-9% annually due to urbanisation, infrastructure projects, and increased tourism (up to 18 million visitors). Foreign investors actively buy projects starting at $150,000.

• Rental yield: 3-12% annually; coastal villas and tourist apartments 8-12%.
• Resale profits: may exceed 20%.
• Promising locations: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Danang, Nha Trang.

Dubai remains a growth hotspot: in 2025, prices rose 15-18%. Investors are attracted by zero rental taxes and access to the "Golden Visa" for investments from $204,000.

• Rental yield: 7-11% annually for apartments.
• Price growth: areas like Palm Jumeirah exceed 13% per quarter.
• Promising locations: Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Village Circle.

Portugal remains one of Europe's most active markets: in 2025, prices grew 15-17% amid chronic supply shortages. Demand is strong in Lisbon, Porto, Algarve, and Madeira.

• Rental yield: 4-7% annually; Lisbon 5-7%, Porto up to 6.7%.
• Most sought-after properties: 1-3 bedroom apartments for long-term rental in major cities and tourist areas.

The market is in a correction phase: nominal price growth is 30-40% annually, but real value is affected by inflation. A key driver for foreigners remains the citizenship-by-investment program via real estate purchase.

• Rental yield: average 7.5-8% nationwide; Istanbul 6-6.5%, Antalya 5-7.5%.
• Strategy: apartments in central Istanbul and resort properties in Antalya.

Property prices are rising rapidly: in 2025, growth reached 21%. Coastal locations (Budva, Kotor) see prices of €3,000-3,800/m²; premium complexes reach €12,000/m². Up to two-thirds of buyers are foreigners.

• Rental yield: 6-10% in coastal areas; 4.5-7% on average nationwide.
• Promising locations: Porto Montenegro, Budva Riviera, Bar.

• Legal regulations: foreign ownership rules vary widely, from freehold (UAE, Cyprus) to restricted zones (Turkey). Understand minimum holding periods, taxes, and reporting requirements.
• Currency risk: investing in developing economies carries local currency fluctuations, affecting real dollar returns.
• Liquidity: time to sell an asset ranges from weeks (Dubai) to months (seasonal markets like Montenegro).
• Fundamental drivers: sustainable growth depends on tourism, migration, and major infrastructure projects.
• Net yield: gross yields of 8-10% should be adjusted for taxes, maintenance, and vacancies. Actual net returns often range 2-5%.

• Set clear goals: capital growth, rental income, or residency status.
• Analyse metrics: price growth, yield, entry cost, infrastructure development.
• Study legal environment: thoroughly check rules for non-residents, program requirements, and developer reliability.
• Plan your budget: include all costs—purchase, renovation, taxes, and management.
• Engage local experts: they minimise risks and ensure proper transaction handling.
• Manage the asset: monitor the market, update rental terms, and maintain the property to enhance value and liquidity.
  

By Nathan Spears

Mergers and acquisitions will shrink number of operators from more than 100 to five or six, says Be.EV co-founder

British electric charger companies are asking rivals to buy them as they run out of cash amid rising costs and intense competition, according to industry bosses.

A wave of mergers and acquisitions is likely to shrink the number of charge point operators from as many as 150 to a market dominated by five or six players, said Asif Ghafoor, a co-founder of Be.EV, a charging company backed by Octopus Energy.

NFU warn it could take years to restore Brexit losses despite efforts to smooth negotiations on farming and other elements of UK-EU reset

Exports of British farm products to the EU have dropped almost 40% in the five years since Brexit, highlighting the trade barriers caused by the UK's divorce from the EU in 2020.

Analysis of HMRC data by the National Farmers' Union shows the decline in sales of everything from British beef to cheddar cheese has dropped by 37.4% in the five years since 2019, the last full year before Brexit.

Experts say dangerous sleep apnoea affects an estimated 8 million in the UK alone, and everything from evolution to obesity or even the climate crisis could be to blame

When Matt Hillier was in his 20s, he went camping with a friend who was a nurse. In the morning she told him she had been shocked by the snoring coming from his tent. "She basically said, 'For a 25-year-old non-smoker who's quite skinny, you snore pretty loudly,'" says Hiller, now 32.

Perhaps because of the pervasive image of a "typical" sleep apnoea patient - older, and overweight - Hillier didn't seek help. It wasn't until he was 30 that he finally went to a doctor after waking up from a particularly big night of snoring with a racing heartbeat. Despite being young, active and a healthy weight, further investigation - including a night recording his snoring - revealed that he had moderate sleep apnoea. His was classed as supine, the most common form of the condition, meaning it happens when he sleeps on his back, and is likely caused by his throat muscles.

Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. As always, we've got a bunch of neat games to tell you about. Perhaps I'll tear myself away from playing as Chappell Roan in Fortnite or Jetpack Cat in Overwatch long enough to check more of them out.

Thanks to the folks at Aftermath, I learned about a short, text-based game from Woe Industries from a while back called You Have Billions Invested In Generative AI. Surprisingly enough, you take on the role of a venture capitalist who has plowed gobs of money into genAI technology and might be starting to have doubts about that investment. Other characters warn you about the dangers of the tech and real-life headlines showing the impact of genAI hallucinations pop up. It's tagged as a horror game, for what it's worth. 

It's both satirical and all too real, and it's pretty funny. Plus, any game that allows me to yell at Noam Chomsky is A-OK in my book. You can play You Have Billions Invested In Generative AI for free on Itch.io.

Tackle for Loss had a very timely arrival this week, just ahead of a certain other big, real-life game. This is a football-themed take on action-heavy, top-down games like Hotline Miami. Developer Indifferent Penguin took some inspiration from the Taken film series as well — you take on the role of a CTE-afflicted former football player who sets out to rescue his kidnapped daughter.

The combat sounds pretty interesting here. You need to clear out all of the bad guys on each floor of a multistory building before you can progress, but you only have four offensive actions at your disposal each time (this draws from the four-down format of football). You'll need to plan things out before you go on the attack, not least because your character and the enemies all die in a single hit.

Tackle for Loss is out now on Steam. It'll usually run you $11, but it's 15 percent off until February 12. 

Trust Me, I Nailed It is an intriguing turn-based strategy game from Team Afternoon and publisher Jungle Game Lab. A useless warrior hires you as a video editor to make them look like a true hero capable of slaying any beast. 

Enemy attacks and other actions appear on the edit timeline as pre-recorded footage, and the idea is to plot out the warrior's movements around those. You have post-processing visual effects tricks at your disposal, so you can let the warrior teleport and convert low-power strikes into critical hits.

It's a fun idea, and a reminder (as if we should need one in the current climate) not to always take videos at face value. Trust Me, I Nailed It is on Steam now and it's free-to-play.

Tomb of the Bloodletter is a spin on the roguelike deckbuilder genre that I haven't really seen before. Your deck consists of magic powers that are applied to letters of the alphabet. Spelling out words using these Magicks can result in powerful combinations, particularly if you use the same letter multiple times. That's right, this is a typing game — a roguelike deckbuilder that the likes of Wordle players might be interested in.

It's really about coming up with words that put the right letters in a specific order. For instance, certain letters are more effective if you place them at the end of a word. So, this should get your brain ticking.  

Tomb of the Bloodletter — from Ethan's Secretions and indie.io — debuted during the Steam Typing Fest. It'll typically cost $8, but there's a 20 percent discount until February 19.

Shadowstone is an upcoming turn-based tactical co-op roguelike for up to four players from developer Secret Door and Dreamhaven (Blizzard co-founder and ex-CEO Mike Morhaime's company). It's set in the same universe as Secret Door's Sunderfolk. 

The action plays out on a hexagonal board with randomized rooms and enemies. Positioning will be key, and finding synergies between the abilities of the playable characters will put you in good stead.

Shadowstone will hit Steam in early access later this year for $15. It's also coming to the Epic Games Store.

Meanwhile, a major update for Sunderfolk is set to go live on March 10. It will introduce a new tank-style character and two fresh sets of missions. Secret Door will also add two much-requested features to PC versions: online multiplayer and — so you don't have to use your phone to play the game anymore — mouse and keyboard controls.

I really loved Planet of Lana and the sequel is among my most-anticipated games of this year. There's now a release date for the upcoming puzzle platformer. Wishfully and Thunderful Publishing are bringing it to Steam, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch on March 5. It'll also be on Game Pass on day one.

A Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf demo will hit Steam, Xbox and PlayStation on February 11. It will arrive on Switch a bit later.

Is Sticker/Ball the first Ball x Pit-like? I'm not entirely sure. Still, it is now firmly on my radar. Instead of firing balls at a horde of constantly-advancing enemies, here you'll shoot them at dice to earn points. You'll unlock stickers that can be applied to said dice and they'll interact with each other too. For instance, spiders can create webs and these can catch flies that are attracted to poop stickers. 

The trailer describes another interaction, "frog jumped and triggered cigarette pack." Frogs can also hijack spaceships, apparently, and there's a bouncing DVD (well, "VID") logo. There are more than 100 types of stickers and dozens of different enemies.

I don't really understand what's going on in the trailer, but it's somehow making my brain happy, so this is going on my wishlist. Solo dev Bilge is behind Sticker/Ball, which is coming to Steam soon through the help of publisher Future Friends Games. A demo is available now, so that's my weekend sorted.

Skate City has long been one of the best games on Apple Arcade. Its creator, Daniel Zeller, (Zellah Games) has revealed a new project. Skate Style is billed as a "next-gen skateboarding game with high-end graphics." You'll be able to take to the virtual streets of Barcelona and Prague to show off your best moves. 

What could help Skate Style really stand out from the pack is the animation editor, which enables you to create completely new tricks. The game is slated to have an "advanced" character creation tool as well as mod support, so there'll be a high level of customization available. 

A Skate Style demo is available on Steam now. The full game should land on PC later this year. Here's hoping the soundtrack can match up to those from the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series.

Crimson Capes is billed as a 2D Soulslike action RPG with four playable characters, elemental magic, more than 25 bosses, swordfighting, lots of secrets, co-op, optional hunts with randomized dungeons and invasions from other players. That all sounds neat enough, but most exciting to me here is the pixel-art, rotoscoped animation work. It looks modern and retro at the same time, and I'd love to see this sort of style in more games. I also dig that you get a PDF instruction manual and game guide as well as a printable world map when you buy the game.

You (and I) won't have to wait long to play Crimson Capes, which is from Poor Locke. It's coming to Steam on February 12 for $15, though you'll get 10 percent off if you pick it up within the first nine days. Console versions are in the pipeline too.

Ian Preece shares another year in books, records, film, life and community.

I think, as I get older, I'm just on a simple path in life now: to strip out all the crap, all the artifice. I managed to catch at the NFT this year, on a super-beautiful 35mm colour print, a screening of what's possibly my favourite film of all time: Claire Denis' 35 Shots of Rum (or 35 Rhums in the French). First released in 2008, it's a kind of simple tale of a train driver in Paris (played by Alex Descas, a Denis staple) and his daughter (Mati Diop), who's about to spread her wings. There's lingering ennui, melancholy, unrequited longings, the passing of time, and the simple matter of getting by, day to day, on the rainy twilight streets of a Parisian banlieue; a mise en scène superficially gloomy but full of hope, and soundtracked (like all Denis' films) with commensurate aplomb by the Tindersticks, which also includes what has to be the greatest (and most fraught) use of 'Nightshift' by the Commodores ever captured on celluloid. It's the fans of understatement's most understated film. I've been searching for that bottled essence on the silver screen ever since, but it's proved elusive (Paterson, Perfect Days, Past Lives, Shadows in Paradise, Winter in Sokcho - close; What Do We See When We Look at the Sky? ‒ also close, but too whimsical; The Holdovers - sharp lines and superb acting, held back by dollops of Hollywood cheese; The Mastermind ‒ disappointingly flat, all super-cool cars and cinematography, though an unengaging lead untypical of Kelly Reichardt movies renders it not quite the measure of its brilliant Rob Mazurek soundtrack; La Cocina - great, more than a tad theatrical though; Denis' own Trouble in Mind - similar palette, superb matching soundtrack, but too psychotic). I probably need to work my way back to Yasujirō Ozu's Late Spring. 

Is it me, or is everything over-produced, over-hyped, suspect, lurching to the false, or just downright fake these days? On one level there's obvious questions like: isn't Venezuelan oil Venezuelan? Or shouldn't a manager familiar with life on the touchline be allowed to run a football club (rather than someone who was once a winger, or founded a talent agency from the back bedroom of their mum's house before making a killing on the futures markets)? On a more micro level, we live in an over-mediated world: 6 Music DJs and trailers carry on like they are all our best mates accompanying us on our own personal 'journeys in sound' ('shout out to Maya and Felix baking cranberry muffins with their dad in Swanley, Kent'; with, of course, the honourable exception of Gideon Coe, who actually is someone listeners would queue round the block to have a pint with); the Guardian want us to 'share our experience'; and 'this is our BBC', for 'each of us'. Why is there a 'severe weather warning' and news bulletin on the weather page of my phone from the Sun proclaiming 'snow in London' when out of the window the sun dazzles in a clear blue sky and there's just a very slight firmness under foot from a light frost? Why this desperate faux inclusivity when this feels like a time when people are more divided than ever? The answer, I guess, is the same as it ever was: the smokescreens, filters, buffers and diversionary tactics of 'late' (it's always 'late'?) capitalism. Fifteen years late to the party, I read John Lanchester's Whoops! just before Christmas, explaining the financial crash of 2008 to finance-illiterate idiots like me: he was on the money re. the monetization of every last walk of everyday life; and I think I buy his overreaching thesis that now communism is dead and buried in the east, capitalism no longer has to pretend to be benevolent in terms of the greater good in the west (no more education, welfare, infrastructural spending for the mass 'we'), the untethered banking madness leading up to 2008 (super high-interest subprime loans earning bankers a fortune ahead of them reaping a further payout/bailout/fortune from taxpayers) signaling just the start of a new rapacious world order curated for the entitled few. 

Fuck that. Highlights of 2025 have included Wassie One at new reggae night 'People's Choice' in the Plough & Harrow in Leytonstone (it was a lady called Sandra's birthday - she cut up a large chocolate cake and handed rounded slices in polystyrene bowls to everyone, friends and strangers alike); joining the Polytechnic of Wales WhatsApp group for the BA Communication Studies alumni, intake of 1985, then meeting folk I hadn't seen for 37 years on a lovely weekend at Gareth's house in Dorset, everyone chipping in, cooking, washing up, walking on the beach, playing table tennis and catching up with more chilled, older versions of ourselves after four decades of life; then, as a direct spin-off of that, dancing to A. Skillz's 'California Soul' in a fog of lazers and dry ice in a basement in Dalston at Helene's 60th birthday party that has now passed into legend; listening to speakers talking about the inclusivity of their community on a keep-Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon (let's stick to real names)-and-his-thugs-out-of-Whitechapel march (plus a fine dahl, roti and tea afterwards in a café by the tube station with my mate Wayne); checking out the rooftops, swimming spots and environs of Marseille; DJing with Doug of the Sir Douglas Sound Hi-Fi, loading Doug's periscopic speaker and decks in and out of the van and into various south-east London pubs, then spinning tunes from the likes of Al Campbell, the Morewells, More Relation, The Invaders and Phyllis Dillon. Doug has been heavily involved in a local musicians' open mic night, set up and ran a poetry and spoken-word night, facilitated our services as a support act to The Brockalites, and soundtracked plenty of pubs' Friday and Saturday evenings in SE23: exemplary use of a wide-angled lens; selfless community service of the highest order.

*

'I love a circular conversation,' as the late, great, sadly missed John Broad/Johnny Green used to say at the end of a phone call. Just to circle back to French railways, Mattia Filice's Driver (nyrb) is a life-affirming book, a free-verse novel based on Filice's two decades as driver on French railways, much of it in the Paris region. I'd be bullshitting if I said I got every reference or allusion to Rimbaud, Congolese French rappers, suburban railway stations, inner diesel and electric workings or Apollinaire poems, but I love all the smoking in the cab, the quotidian dramas, the endless tussle with management, the Socratic asides and existential crises that arise staring at miles and miles of steel rails unfurling before you on misty mornings and dark nights, the slowly accruing sense of solidarity and friendship among the drivers in Filice's intake. Jacques Houis' translation is beautifully musical: at various points Filice compares the tempo of the train running over the crossties to Tommy Flanagan's piano on John Coltrane's 'Giant Steps', alludes to the pantograph and the train itself as like the bow of a cello scraping against the strings of the catenary wires, and writes superbly with a cabin-eye view. Here he is on a morning commuter train, deciding whether to pull out from the platform on time: 'I think I'm God, master of the doors . . . To those who run, who pant in protest at their sad fate, I reopen the doors. Some mortals are aware and give thanks through the camera, others ignore me and put their faith in providence . . . To those who drag their feet I'm pitiless. In my kingdom, one's place has to be earned.' Right on; chapeau.  

*

Mixtape 2025 

1 Rafael Toral, 'Take the A Train'. I've got slightly obsessed with this D-side, bonus vinyl track, which takes a while to bloom into life, but when it does, does so magnificently: a glorious stretched-out blare of the main riff of the Billy Strayhorn/Duke Ellington classic of yore. The rest of the experimental Portuguese guitarist's album Traveling Light is similarly made up of elongated, languorous jazz chords ‒ especially beautiful are the versions Billie Holiday's 'Body and Soul' and the Chet Baker/John Coltrane/Don Raye standard 'You Don't Know What Love is'. 'Lovingly valve saturated strums, bent by Toral's whammy' is the fine description on Boomkat. Album of the year. 

2 أحمد [Ahmed] 'Isma'a [Listen]'. In truth I've listened to Ahmed Abdul-Malik's 'Summertime' from his sublime 1963 LP The Eastern Moods of Ahmed Abdul-Malik far more than I have the modern day أحمد [Ahmed]'s furious deconstructions of the Brooklyn bebop bassist and oud player on their own Wood Blues or Giant Beauty. But this year I finally caught أحمد [Ahmed] live at Café Oto. That gig smoked. Antonin Gerbal's pulsing, skittering skins; Seymour Wright's horn sparking into the darkness; Pat Thomas's clangorous piano blues; Joel Grip's pounding bass . . . what could have been a relentless hammering was an ecstatic journey that gently descended to smouldering embers. 

3 Nicole Hale, 'All My Friends', 'Give it Time', 'Sleeping Dogs' (from the Curly Tapes cassette Some Kind of Longing). This tape has been stuck in my deck all year. It's a languorous but poised, beautifully smoky thing. Opening track 'All My Friends' unfurls and fills out slowly like the morning light. Some of these melodies might feel hazily familiar from 1970s FM radio, filtered through a Mazzy Star-like (even a more somnolent Big Star-like) gauze. There's early Jolie Holland in there too, but Hale's take is all her own - she's listed as playing 'keys, guitars, vocals and skateboard'. I got so obsessed with the track 'Give it Time' its lustre has dimmed slightly. New favourite these days is 'Sleeping Dogs', complete with spare, sleepy piano and, if listening on headphones, what sounds like a crackling distant storm, audio vérité not a million miles away from Sonic Youth's 'Providence, Rhode Island'. 

4 Joe McPhee, 'Cosmic Love'. Talking of 1970s vibes, I bought this on 7-inch a few years back, but it's cropped up again as the closing track on a fine Corbett vs Dempsey compilation LP linked to a Sun Ra exhibition in the label's gallery in Chicago. Man, is this a beauty. I was DJing at a local writers' open-mic night in south-east London earlier this year and I tried to mix it in with 'Short Pieces' from McPhee's latest poetry/free noise opus on Smalltown Supersound (with Mats Gustafsson) and got the levels and timing all wrong: the rutly, strangulated raspy skronk in the middle of 'Cosmic Love' fused with the vacuum-cleaner feedback on the poetry LP. The speaker stack squalled, the pub cat shot out the door and a few poets grimaced. Just as beautifully coruscating is Straight Up, Without Wings: the Musical Flight of Joe McPhee (also published by Corbett vs Dempsey). There's a fantastic moment when a young McPhee, driving home from his late shift at the ball bearings factory outside Poughkeepsie where he worked for years, first hears John Coltrane's 'Chasin' the Train' on the car radio at 2 in the morning: 'I went beserk. I pulled up in front of my house, the windows of the car were open and the radio was blaring. The sound was extreme. I couldn't contain myself. I went crazy . . . screaming and going on. My father heard the sound of the radio and me screaming, and thought I was insane. I was, but that's another story.' I just listened to 'Cosmic Love' again, and after all these plays hadn't realized right at the end, just as McPhee's space organ fades, you can just make out ocean waves crashing against the shore. 

5 Zoh Amba, 'Fruit Gathering'/'Ma'. Haunting, mournful moments of quiet Ayleresque beauty from Zoh Amba's excellent new Sun LP.

6 Mike Polizze, 'It Goes Without Saying'. From Polizze's dreamy Around Sound LP this track lodged in my head for much of the summer; kind of acoustic J. Mascis with mellotron and vibraphone fuzz. 

7 Phyllis Dillon, 'You're Like Heaven to Me'. Just an exquisite 2 mins 04 seconds from 1972, reissued as a Duke Reid 7-inch. 

8 The Invaders, 'Give Jah the Glory'. Beautiful upfull reggae vibes from archive LP of the year, Floating Around the Sun, which should be in every home, and also includes Invaders' gems 'Conquering Lion' and 'Heaven & Earth'.

9 Al Campbell 'Babylon'. In the sleevenotes to the 2000 Pressure Sounds Phil Pratt Thing compilation, Harry Hawke noted, 'When Phil first took Al Campbell to the recording studio many observers apparently laughed at him saying that Al "couldn't sing"! Phil felt differently.' I knew there was a reason I love Al Campbell's singing. Give me his slightly flat, unique grain any day over the more honeyed tones of Ken Boothe, Alton Ellis and Delroy Wilson, et al. 'Babylon' is a Peckings' masterwork of smouldering intent: 'Babylon them a criminal/Babylon them an animal/Babylon them a conman/Babylon them a ginal'. 

10 Yassokiiba, 'Dub 5'. Beautifully spacey, chilled-out digidub 7-inch from Tokyo; a heavenly muted steppa. 

11 Mark Ernestus' Ndagga Rhythm Force, 'Lamp Fall'/'Dieuw Bakhul'. Rhythm & Sound's Berlin dubscapes rinsed through a Dakar filter. Hushed, spectral hypnotic vocal from Mbene Diatta Seck floats through Ernestus' slowly intensifying beats.

12 Mother Tongue, 'Djangaloma Dara'. Mola Sylla's windblown Senegalese blues refracted through jazzy Puerto Rican drummer Frank Rosaly and Dutch electric clavichord courtesy of Oscar Jan Hoogland. Slightly desolate but deeply funky too.

13 Melody & Bybit, 'Kwakaenda Imbwa'. Total heater from glorious comp Roots Rocking Zimbabwe: The Modern Sound of Harare Townships, 1975‒1980, written by Oliver Mtukudzi's sister Bybit, and featuring Oliver - a kind of lodestar for Samy Ben Redjeb's Analog Africa project - on lead vocals.

14 Pharoah Sanders, 'Ocean Song'. I spent too long stoned as a pigeon in my chalet at Pontins, Camber Sands (and in the heated swimming pool ‒ first time I'd been in one of those), and have only a dim memory of catching A Tribe Called Quest late at night on what I think was the first ever Jazz FM weekender, in November 1990. In my defence I was only 23, but to compound my dismay I've belatedly come to realise, after years of lamenting never catching Pharoah Sanders live, that he was on the bill at the holiday camp too. Fuck. Still catching up with his records - this beauty is from the Bill Laswell-produced LP Message from Home of a few years later, but Sanders' gorgeous saxophone melodies make me think of 1980s Crown Heights/Brooklyn/Manhattan, a world this émigré from the East Midlands had no idea about (just received images from the TV).

15 The Uniques, 'My Conversation'. Totally ace, lolloping late-1960s rocksteady, spun (I think) by Miss T in the Servant Jazz Quarters' basement at a recent Ram Jam night, and a fixture on our kitchen turntable over the festive period and ever since. 

16 Jake Xerxes Fussell and James Elkington, 'Contemplating the Moon', 'Glow in the Dark' and 'County Z', from Music for Rebuilding, the elegiac, beautifully composed soundtrack to forthcoming Josh O'Connor film Rebuilding. This is serene, poignant Willy Vlautin/The Delines The Night Always Comes, William Tyler's First Cow and Bruce Langhorne's The Hired Hand territory. 'Things We Lost' concludes with a glorious muted brass finale (from Anna Jacobsen) that makes me well up every time (like Johann Johannson's The Miners' Hymns fifteen years on).  

Billionaire Jeff Bezos'S Washington Post on Wednesday cut one-third of its staff, including around 300 members of the newsroom, a journalistic bloodbath that marks a shift from the "Democracy Dies in Darkness" era back into darkness.

Defenders of the executive team's decisions have cited declining subscriptions and revenue as the reasons why the company needs to tighten its belt. But for Bezos, who could leverage his net worth, which is somewhere in the neighborhood of $250 billion, to run the paper at a loss for generations to come, these cuts to a trusted news organization are an ideological, rather than commercial, choice — and the Amazon founder is more responsible than anyone for the change in the Washington Post's fortunes. 

After promising Post employees that he'd take a hands-off approach to the newsroom and let journalists do their jobs when he bought the Post in 2013, Bezos dramatically changed course in late October 2024 when he killed the paper's planned endorsement of Kamala Harris for president over Donald Trump. That made Bezos, and the Washington Post itself, enemies of the liberal audience the newsroom had been cultivating for a decade and beyond. More than 200,000 people canceled their subscriptions in the wake of Bezos's intervention, a massive loss of revenue for an already struggling business. 

Reporters at the paper could see what was coming and appealed to readers not to punish the newsroom. "Please don't cancel your subscriptions," wrote Amanda Morris, a disability reporter who resigned from the paper last May, in a prescient post. "It won't impact Bezos — it hurts journalists and makes another round of layoffs more likely."

Morris was right. Unsubscribing has had no effect on Bezos's appeasing of Trump, and he has continued to go out of his way to flatter the 47th president. Amazon donated $1 million to Trump's 2025 presidential inaugural committee, and Bezos attended the ceremony, one of a murderer's row of tech billionaires who stood near the president on the dais in the Capitol rotunda, flanked by other Silicon Valley titans like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sundar Pichai. 

There's always more than enough money to go around, except if you're a working journalist.

One month later, in February 2025, Bezos restructured the opinion section along explicitly ideological grounds, writing in a memo to staff: "We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets." 

It's paying off. On Monday, two days before the layoffs, the billionaire welcomed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to his Blue Origin spaceport in Florida for a mutual backslapping affair — highlighting yet another Bezos business that's benefiting from public money in the form of a Space Force contract worth more than $2 billion, which was announced last April. Hegseth posted on X that the company was "building The Arsenal of Freedom."

Bezos replied that it was a "huge honor" to have Trump's war chief to visit. "The whole team here was energized by your visit, and we're excited to be doing our part to bring high-tech manufacturing back to America. Thank you!" he said.

Related Apple Workers Are Livid That Tim Cook Saw "Melania" Movie Hours After CBP Killed Pretti

There's always more than enough money to go around, except if you're a working journalist. Amazon's "Melania" debuted on January 30, just days before the layoffs; the documentary reportedly paid the first lady around $28 million of its $40 million budget, leading former executive Ted Hope, who helped start Amazon's film division, to wonder: "How can it not be equated with currying favor or an outright bribe?"

The Washington Post isn't the only newsroom to see the right-wing politics of its owner lead to backlash and a loss of revenue followed closely by cuts. At the Los Angeles Times, a similar dynamic played out after billionaire owner Patrick Soon-Shiong declined to allow the paper to endorse Kamala Harris on October 22, 2024, just three days before Bezos did the same. 

Subscriptions dropped by the thousands, though not to the extent they did at the Post; in October 2025, as ownership sought a $500 million investment, they reported $50 million in losses attributed primarily to the time period after the non-endorsement. The LA Times has been hit with extensive layoffs in the newsroom, another example of employees paying the price for ownership playing at right-wing politics. 

Related Bari Weiss Is Doing Exactly What She Was Installed at CBS to Do

This rightward turn, with job cuts framed as a necessary evil to tighten up a floundering business, was also on display at CBS News, where Trump ally David Ellison appointed conservative ideologue Bari Weiss to run the show after his media company Skydance bought the network last fall. One of the first orders of business was cutting staff, which came a month after the purchase.

In each case, the driving forces appear to be the political priorities of billionaires and their desire to avoid Trump's wrath and curry his favor — while massively benefiting their bottom line with media mergers and lucrative government contracts. Soon-Shiong's multibillion-dollar fortune is built on the health care industry, particularly on drugs he's developed like Anktiva, which rely on FDA approval. Ellison is shamelessly ingratiating himself to Trump for more media merger approval, a strategy that's working for the whole family: Patriarch Larry just led a bid to take over American operations of TikTok with the president's blessing.

Bezos in particular has an interest in keeping Trump happy. The president won't hesitate to punish enemies or the disloyal by yanking federal contracts, and AWS, Amazon's web services division, relies on the government for billions of its annual revenue. The relationship between the White House and Amazon has already sparked outrage, especially over AWS's contracting with ICE for more than $140 million, but money in the bank speaks louder than protests against one of the world's largest and most ubiquitous companies. 

A rigorous, adversarial news media is not in the best interest of the ultra-wealthy.

Amazon continues to rake in hundreds of millions annually — at least — in federal dollars through its cloud contracts, not only for ICE, but also in agencies and departments across the government. While there's no solid number for the average annual value all these contracts amount to, it's enough that AWS was able to promise $1 billion in savings to the federal government in 2025 through a cloud updating and consolidation deal through the end of 2028. 

Those staggering profits add insult to injury for Bezos' now-former employees at the Post, who could have kept their jobs in perpetuity if the billionaire valued the Fourth Estate as much as he's claimed. Former editor David Maraniss told the New Yorker that Bezos "bought the Post thinking that it would give him some gravitas and grace that he couldn't get just from billions of dollars, and then the world changed. Now I don't think … he gives a flying fuck."

The newsroom lost, effectively, its entire sports section on Wednesday, its photo desk, as well as most of its arts coverage. Promises to "restructure" the Metro desk with major cuts will leave Washington, one of the most important cities in the world, with a greatly diminished ability to report on the capital.

International coverage also sustained major losses. Despite immense public interest in covering conflicts in the regions, the Post's Cairo bureau chief tweeted that she was laid off, along with "the entire roster" of Middle East editors and correspondents, and the Ukraine bureau was also reportedly axed. In one particularly stark example, reporter Lizzie Johnson was reporting from the front lines of the Ukraine war in Kyiv — with no dependable heat, power, or running water — when she was laid off. "I have no words," Johnson posted to X. "I'm devastated."

This is a crushing blow for the journalists who have lost their jobs. It's also a real loss for the public at large. But despite his lofty blustering, the good of the public doesn't matter to Bezos, nor to his ally in the White House. A rigorous, adversarial news media is not in the best interest of the ultra-wealthy and could perhaps even act as a check, however small, on their unending ambitions. Bezos has already reaped the material awards of this administration and will continue to — a few hundred livelihoods be damned.

Billionaires are only benevolent until they're not, and they certainly can't be trusted to "save" the news when their self-interest is at stake. The Washington Post layoffs only reinforces the need for a media that isn't controlled by the capricious whims of the superrich, but one that serves the good of the public. Otherwise, we're on our own.

The post The Bloodbath at Washington Post Is All Jeff Bezos's Fault appeared first on The Intercept.

The bosses at a Maine shipyard are offering overtime to workers there if they attend a speech by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, according to workers at the facility.

Hegseth is reportedly set to tour Bath Iron Works on Monday and give a speech on the recently announced "Trump" class battleship, according to the Bangor Daily News.

When the bosses reached out to workers for volunteers to attend the speech, however, few hands went up, according to one worker, who spoke with The Intercept on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. The speech is slated for Monday afternoon, shortly before a shift change, which means that workers who attend would need to stay past their normal work hours — and anyone who shows up would be required to stay until the event is over.

"They issued a polling sheet this morning to see who would attend and, at least from my crew, there were no takers," said the worker, "and not even a mention of overtime."

Related Trump and Hegseth Gathered U.S. Military Leaders for an "Embarrassing" Rant

Hegseth has made his speeches a high priority during his tenure as secretary of the War Department, including one address in which he railed against "fat" generals. He later ordered the entire U.S. military to watch the speech.

Devin Ragnar, a spokesperson for International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 6, which represents workers at the yard, confirmed that anyone attending the speech past shift change would receive overtime pay, but declined to discuss in detail how the arrangement was reached.

After the initial lack of enthusiasm on Friday morning, a later survey went out around noon that explicitly said workers would receive overtime if they stayed past the end of their shift, according to the worker.

"This company doesn't pay out for anything they don't explicitly have to."

"I don't know if that was always going to be the case — a change to bribe folks to get a larger attendance ­— or if union leadership grieved it by saying they can't mandate us stay past our shift and not pay us," said the worker, whose hunch was that management was looking to entice people to attend. "This company doesn't pay out for anything they don't explicitly have to."

Another worker who spoke with The Intercept expressed dread about the impending headache of Hegseth's visit, echoing how unusual the offer of overtime pay was.

"I'm sure it'll both interrupt the workday — which is very ironic since we're always being hounded about productivity and efficiency — and create a lot of discourse that I don't want to have to listen to all day," said second worker, who also requested anonymity for fear of retaliation. "I was also a little angry because, again, there are lots of other things that we get denied paid time off for — snowstorms, events during work hours that aren't work-related, etc. But they're offering OT for this?"

Representatives of Bath Iron Works did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and a Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment.

"We haven't announced any trip for the Secretary and have nothing to add at this time," said Joel Valdez, the spokesperson.

Located in Bath, Maine, at the mouth of the Kennebec River, the shipyard is one of the largest employers in the state and has long been one of the most reliable sources for steady, well-paying union jobs in the Midcoast region. A subsidiary of the defense giant General Dynamics, BIW plays a key role in building and maintaining U.S. Navy ships and has been the recipient of billions of dollars in government contracts.

Charles Krugh, the president of Bath Iron Works, has signaled to President Donald Trump that his facility is ready to take part in the construction of the "Trump" battleships.

"America's warfighters deserve the most advanced, lethal and survivable combat ships we can deliver to protect our country and our families," Krugh said in December, echoing Hegseth's fondness for the term "warfighter."

When news emerged this week that Hegseth was coming to the yard, however, reactions among the staff were muted, the BIW worker told The Intercept. They said many colleagues greeted news of Hegseth's visit with feelings ranging from "apathy to disgust,"

"I hate Pete Hegseth to my core," the first worker said. "He has no business discussing warships, or anything involved with what we do here. I find it insulting that he is given any authority or respect."

The worker acknowledged that not everyone at BIW would share the same view of Hegseth.

"We have plenty of die-hard Trump supporters, and I don't know how much of that fanaticism spreads to Hegseth," the worker said. "I think if anything he's an afterthought by most people."

The post Shipyard Bosses Forced to Pay Overtime to Get People to Stay for Pete Hegseth Speech appeared first on The Intercept.

The Ducati Independent outfit have completed the signing of the #34 and excitedly await the start of racing action in 2026