X Says it Will Resist ‘Politically Motivated' French Probe
'X remains in the dark as to the specific allegations made against the platform,' the company said in a post on its Global Government Affairs handle on Monday. 'X believes that this investigation is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech.'
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Yahoo
27 minutes ago
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'Make America Gay Again': Amsterdam pride gets political
Thousands of people gathered for Amsterdam Pride march on Saturday in a festive and political mood, stressing the need to defend LGBTQI+ rights increasingly under threat around the world. Organised by the Pride Amsterdam foundation, the march kicked off a week of festivities in the Dutch capital, which culminates next weekend in a huge parade on the city's famous canals. "We have an amazing pride, because it's on the canals, it's very unique, so it's very famous," said Ben Thomas from Amsterdam, current holder of the title Mister Bear 2024, awarded to men with luxuriant facial hair. "People are not so aware about the march, because it has turned into too much of a party and does not so much focus on why we do it," added the 44-year-old, who teaches young refugees. "We're not just here to party, but we're here to be equal citizens. We're here for our rights!" Decked out in dashing and brightly coloured clothes, the demonstrators marched through the city centre in festive mood, brandishing rainbows or banners reading "Make America Gay Again" or "Protect the Dolls" -- a reference to the rights of transgender women. "It's important to be here, to show up. With all the stuff that's going on in the world, it's getting really scary, especially in America," said Dani van Duin, a 44-year-old IT specialist who identifies as a lesbian woman. Since his return to power, US President Donald Trump has rolled back many rights enjoyed by transgender people. But the situation is also becoming less comfortable even in the Netherlands, said Van Duin. "People are just repeating hate speech from the right wing, and they don't think anymore," she told AFP. Lina van Dinther, a 21-year-old student, came to march with two friends and celebrate her transgender identity. "And also to hopefully improve the transgender situation in the Netherlands," she added, draped in a blue, pink, and white flag that represents her community. The young woman said the waiting list for a clinic offering transition surgery can be as much as six years. "It's a pressing issue that needs to be addressed," she told AFP. At the end of the march, in Amsterdam's leafy Vondelpark, Frederique Emmerig, dressed in a summery dress, looks around her in wonder. "In my city, I feel like I'm the only one. It's very lonely." Pride marches are organised in many global cities around the world, linked to the Stonewall riots which erupted in New York in June 1969, the founding mobilisation of the LGBTQI+ movement. sh/ric/gv
Forbes
29 minutes ago
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The All-New Tesla Model Coming Soon Is Not What You Think
A new Model Y driving in LA (Photo by MEGA/GC Images) So, is there a new, more affordable Tesla in the pipeline? Apparently yes, and it's not what you think. Last week, on a second-quarter Tesla earnings call, the man himself, Elon Musk let the cat out of the bag when he said, 'It's just a Model Y.' Really? What does that mean? Could it mean that it's just a stripped down Model Y? And what about the future of the federal tax credit? Let's face it: Tesla is the only American automaker capable of producing a high-end, realistic, appealing electric vehicle for less than $30,000. And if they have to bring the car back to bare bones to make it sell, then that's what they'll do, apparently. People just don't have enough money to buy Teslas now Musk expanded by saying that, 'The desire to buy our cars is very high. It's just that people don't have enough money in the bank to buy them. That's the issue. So the more affordable we can make the car th Tesla CEO Elon Musk says new car is Model Y. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP) (Photo by ODD ... More ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images) Then he revealed how potential buyers can possibly offset the purchase price of their car by 'releasing their car to the fleet and have it earn money for them,' suggesting that people may 'lend' their cars back to Tesla in a type of robotaxi relationship perhaps. Musk then went out on a limb by saying he's confident that 'I think this will happen next year in the U.S. at least.' His comments though raise more questions than provide answers. By saying 'it's just a Model Y,' does he mean a 'new' Y with upgraded parts but based on the old platform, which would help to keep costs down? What we do know is that the more affordable Model Y, as referred to by Musk, should be surfacing in Q4 this year. But that will be long after the $7,500 federal tax credit ends—which will make it even tougher for Tesla to get the price down to the sub-$30,000 level that Musk seems to be alluring to. Let's have a quick look at Tesla's current pricing. Today, the Model Y rear-wheel drive variant costs $44,990, which when you factor in the $7,500, drops the price to $37,490. But with that tax credit gone, and we expect it to disappear very soon under the Trump Administration, the price for a current model Y will hover around $44,000. So for Musk to achieve his goal of achieving a sub-$30,000, he will need to find $15,000 worth of savings in specs and features. The question is—which features to strip back? If it's going to be used as some kind of robotaxi, then it will need all of its AutoPilot features. And given that the Y has been rated as one of the safest on the road by Euro NCAP, ANCAP and IIHS, Tesla would not want to skimp on safety features in any way—which would make it difficult to reduce pricing. But Musk has pushed the boundaries of car tech in the past and redefined the genre, so we will give him some latitude and wait for further updates even if his car sales are hurting all over the planet.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Russian parliament approves a bill punishing online searches for information deemed 'extremist'
MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian parliament's upper house on Friday quickly approved a bill that punishes online searches for information officially branded 'extremist,' the latest in a series of moves by authorities to tighten control of the internet. The legislation makes what it describes as 'deliberately searching for and accessing extremist materials' online punishable by a fine of up to the equivalent of $64. The bill, which was endorsed by the lower house earlier this week, is now set to be signed into law by President Vladimir Putin. The official definition of extremist activity is extremely broad and includes opposition groups like the Anti-Corruption Foundation, created by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and the 'international LGBT movement.' It's not clear how authorities will track down violators. Officials and lawmakers said ordinary internet users won't be affected and only those who methodically seek outlawed content will be targeted. They didn't explain how authorities would differentiate between them. Russians widely use VPN services for access to banned content, but authorities have sought to tighten restrictions and close the loopholes. The state communications watchdog has increasingly used technology to analyze traffic and block specific VPN protocols. Russian authorities have ramped up their multipronged crackdown on dissent after sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, online censorship and prosecutions for social media posts and comments have soared. Multiple independent news outlets and rights groups have been shut down, labeled as 'foreign agents' or outlawed as 'undesirable.' Hundreds of activists and critics of the Kremlin have faced criminal charges. Solve the daily Crossword
