cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/49729865

However you look at it age verification is a major change to the internet and our freedoms.

We’ve seen all kinds of legislation pushed through in the past, often even against major resistance.

What makes me suspicious this time is the speed at which some of the slowest bureaucracies in the world are adopting it and how it’s happening in 20+ countries in parallel.

It’s like they’re all in a group chat, fast-tracking this before resistance can even form.

A new investigation has uncovered how the United Arab Emirates (UAE) supports a secret network of military training camps for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that enables them to continue their deadly war in Sudan.

“This war, which is often categorized in international media as a civil war, is really a proxy war,” says award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker Julia Steers. “We’re talking about a really extensive network of logistics and training and financial backing from the UAE.”

The investigation is a collaboration between Lighthouse Reports, Evident and Sudan War Monitor.

Meanwhile, as the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warns another humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding the North Kordofan state capital of El Obeid, where the RSF and the Sudanese army are fighting for control, “there’s no question that the RSF would not be able to have gotten as far as they have, to have claimed nearly as much territory as they have, without the really robust support of the UAE,” says Steers.

Journalists love to get Korea wrong. Some are paid to share explosive takes that feed into the subsconscoius orientalist views of the wider world; others just do it for the social media clout.

There is a weird sensation that comes from watching someone deliver a sociological autopsy of a nation in a 14-minute YouTube video essay.

Korea is currently occupying this weird hyper-visible cultural sweet spot where it is simultaneously a global entertainment superpower and, at the same time, a distant canvas for Western anxieties.

Historically, this Western “dystopian” template was first aimed at Japan. Back in the late 80s and 90s, when the American imagination was absolutely terrified of Tokyo buying up Manhattan, Japan was the original blade-runner-esque, soul-crushing corporate hive-mind.

DW News reports that Ukraine’s Defense Ministry admits to approximately 200,000 soldiers currently absent without leave (AWOL), alongside roughly 2 million displaced Ukrainians. Defense Minister Fedorov acknowledged a “€300 billion funding shortfall” and “systemic breakdown in military structures.” Soldiers cite exhaustion, unclear service terms, and forced conscription tactics. Serhii Hnezdilov, a 19-year-old drone operator whose 3-year contract was extended indefinitely after the 2022 invasion, publicly stated: “Every Ukrainian should contribute to defense, but soldiers deserve to know clearly their term of service.” The core issues: units disbanded without warning; troops reassigned to high-casualty brigades with minimal training; commanders neglect soldier welfare; forced street recruitment damages morale. Oleg, an engineer, described his reassignment as “a death sentence,” saying most transferred soldiers lacked basic combat training. Over 1 million Ukrainian soldiers remain active, but the system is unsustainable. DW notes no clear end-date visibility for the conflict, fueling continued desertion. Military leadership acknowledges poor trust among troops but reforms lag behind the crisis.

This video recaps Week 11 of the Iranian choking of the Strait of Hormuz and the US blockade of Iranian ports and shipping. The episode includes the latest data on transits and breakdown of the major week events including the increased passage of ships from China, Japan, India and Pakistan through the Strait, the seizure of a Chinese armory ship, and the latest report from the IEA on global oil.

00:00 Introduction 00:59 State as of Week 11 06:47 Major Stories for Week 11 34:37 Week 11 Wrap-Up

Contact What’s Going on With Shipping via: Patreon: www.patreon.com/wgowshipping Twitter: @mercoglianos
Bluesky: @mercoglianos.bsky.social Facebook: @wgowshipping
Email: mercoglianosal@gmail.com

Marine Traffic www.marinetraffic.com

gCaptain www.gcaptain.com

Iran Oil Flows Most Likely Cut by Spill, TankerTrackers Says www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-15/iran-oi…

JMIC Advisories www.ukmto.org/partner-products/jmic-products/jmic-…

IEA Oil Market Report May 2026 iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/2b89a47b-34a2-40e…

In this episode of What’s Going on With Shipping?, Sal Mercogliano analyzes the intensifying naval standoff in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. The video breaks down three major developments: the withdrawal of U.S. Navy destroyers USS Truxtun and USS Mason from the Gulf due to potential supply limitations, the Iranian seizure of the Chinese-managed tanker Ocean Koi and attacks on other commercial vessels like the JV Innovation, and the United States’ retaliatory strikes using F-18 Super Hornets to disable Iranian tankers violating the ongoing blockade. Sal provides a detailed look at satellite imagery and strike footage to explain the tactical shifts in the region and what they mean for the global shipping industry.

May 3, 2026 In this episode of What’s Going on with Shipping, Sal Mercogliano recaps a chaotic ninth week of the ongoing conflict and the dual blockades affecting global maritime trade. We break down the competing forces in the Middle East, the resurgence of piracy off Somalia, and the growing tensions in the Mediterranean.

Contact What’s Going on With Shipping via: Patreon: www.patreon.com/wgowshipping Twitter: @mercoglianos
Bluesky: @mercoglianos.bsky.social Facebook: @wgowshipping
Email: mercoglianosal@gmail.com

teacher suspended for commenting on the fake assassination attempt on the orange dingleberry