The UK’s largest train operator, Govia Thameslink Railway, alongside c2c, Greater Anglia, South Western Railway, and West Midlands Trains, have already been brought into public ownership by the Government.

From December, the Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed that 25 additional daily Chiltern Railways services will be introduced to help tackle "overcrowding", delivering 10,000 extra seats during each weekday. This plan incorporates half-hourly weekday trains running along the Chiltern main line between London and Birmingham, as well as an increase in weekend journeys.

Once upon a time. There was a fox boy, his name, was Kyo.

Kyo, was a bit, unconventional. He didn't enjoyed those typically manly things on his country, and he barely hanged out with classmates. How ever, everyone, was secure about something, everyone knew him, his identity, even Kyo himself.

Once Kyo, finished High School, the so called, security, all of sudden, gone.

He, wasn't secure anymore about this idenitity... replaced by a fear, fear or living a lie. A lie this individual, subconsciously created, the survival instinct of self protection was stronger on Kyo, but even "he" wasn't aware of the power of the mind.

This person, Kyo. Suddenly, rejected everything that was manly in his society.

Unsurprisingly, the town, reacted as expected, the town folks, just neglected this individual needs.

And someday Kyo, went missing. The whole town, search for clues, somebody murdered him? Local police searching, missing signs everywhere.

Until one day. A new girl showed on the town. Her name, Kyoko.

When she was going to live? She just gather the keychain that once was in Kyo's hand, and entered into the same home as Kyo.

Everybody realized, Kyoko, wasn't new on the town, but also, she became the happiest girl on the town.

Kyoko is back at home, she just needed to heal the society damage made on her past life.

I really don't know why I did this, or why I wrote this story, I guess I want to put an emphasis about the past of trans characters. Regardless of how I perceive myself irl, I like to think in Kyoko as the silly yet brave trans girl I kinda wish I was.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/11439661

Removepaywall

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The nation's top spy chief agrees that foreign powers are active at a broader level across Australia's online space.

ASIO chief Mike Burgess identified China as the nation's top hacking threat, with its understanding of the domestic telecommunications network now so sophisticated, it could "turn them off, should they need to".

"They are working actively to understand our systems," ASIO chief Mike Burgess told the Mitchell Unlimited podcast.

"I believe in some cases they could do it today," he said.

Mr Burgess urged calm among Australians, as it was unlikely our communications systems would be turned off unless we were at war.

But he warned people should not have highly sensitive conversations in their cars or near their phones, given foreign governments' ability to listen in.

...

Cross posted from https://scribe.disroot.org/post/11438915

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/11438860

Here is the podcast about this investigation.

Archived version

On a narrow country road outside Canberra, I'm driving a BYD Shark 6, the hybrid ute loved by tradies and even a cabinet minister.

But while I'm at the wheel, I'm not the only one in control; a hacker has access to the car.

As the 2.6 tonne ute rounds a bend, he gets to work.

...

With the stroke of a key, he kills the headlights, plunging me into darkness.

The attack is not a total surprise. The Shark has spent the past two weeks with Dan Hreszczuk, a cybersecurity expert who specialises in cars.

His task was to hack the vehicle and find out what could be seen and done remotely by the Shark's Chinese manufacturer.

"It was easier than we were expecting," Hreszczuk says.

...

EVs, with all their sensors, cameras and microphones, hoover up and spit out vast amounts of data. Experts say that data poses a greater risk in the hands of Chinese EV makers because they can be compelled by the country's national security laws to co-operate with authorities.

...

Hreszczuk, the co-founder of Fortify Labs in Canberra, was stunned by the BYD Shark's lack of cybersecurity.

"The access we took advantage of didn't even have a password," he says.

"It's a little bit scary how open … the BYD Shark is to a hacker."

...

While sabotage is one worry, the concern most often cited is surveillance due to the array of cameras and microphones on an EV.

Last year, the UK military banned Chinese EVs, even those made with Chinese components, from parking within 3 kilometres of some of its most sensitive locations.

China itself has previously banned foreign EVs from military sites and political enclaves, aware of their surveillance potential.

...

In Australia, there's no blanket ban on Chinese marques by Defence, but ASIO has warned ministers and public servants not to have sensitive conversations in their cars or connect work devices.

...

When I pull into a service station and leave my phone unlocked in the car, Hreszczuk seizes his opportunity.

He's done a simple audio edit, stitching together me saying "Hey Siri" and his voice asking a few questions to get the personal details he needs.

...

Using the car's speaker system, Hreszczuk plays the voice command from his computer into the car.

"Hey, Siri, what is my home address?" the edited audio asks.

Siri replies, without questioning why I don't know where I live.

Hreszczuk repeats this process and quickly extracts my date of birth and age.

Within minutes, he's obtained the internet banking password.

...

Alastair MacGibbon, Australia's former national cyber security adviser, says there needs to be greater protections for the data collected by all connected cars, and clearer rules about what data can be sent overseas.

MacGibbon says a cabinet minister should not be able to own a Chinese EV.

"China has always shown its strong desire to steal things, to surveil," he says.

"No-one should be in any doubt that [Chinese EVs] are used in the same manner.

...

Cream spot tiger moth

Which is why it's a shame to see you fight each other as if that isn't the case.

I would wholeheartedly recommend reading How To Win Friends And Influence People (or at least this summary). Especially if you're trying to convince people to vote in the midterms.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/52176448

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/149864882

rabbit says hello

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/149864882

Norway and Canada have announced that they will strengthen cooperation on defense, especially in the Arctic.

Source in Norwegian. Parts of the article is machine translated below.

– Canada is a close partner for Norway and an important ally in NATO. We share many fundamental values ​​and have common interests in the Arctic. In turbulent times, Norway needs more legs to stand on.
In turbulent times, Norway needs more legs to stand on.

Now we are strengthening cooperation with Canada, says Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap).

On Sunday, he met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa.

Jonas Gahr Støre and Mark Carney have agreed to strengthen cooperation between Norway and Canada.

Arctic and defense

– This is one of the cooperations that is perhaps developing the most in our immediate vicinity, said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre during a meeting with the Norwegian press in Ottawa last night.

It is about, among other things, the Arctic and defense.

– Canada’s choice of German-Norwegian submarines is a very clear anchoring of Canada in industrial cooperation with Norway for many years to come, said Støre.

Identical submarines

Norway, Germany and Canada will get identical submarines.

– This will strengthen our and NATO’s ability to monitor the sea areas in the north. It is very important for the security of both Canada and Norway.

Støre mentioned cooperation between the coast guards, in polar research and cooperation to map critically important minerals. The countries will also cooperate more closely in space and artificial intelligence, according to Støre.

– Within NATO, Norway and Canada are two of seven countries that have set the framework for how we should have an Arctic dimension in NATO, said Støre.

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/11440114

The UK should "team up" with a proposed economic alliance between Canada and Europe, Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne has said.

"This is all about the substance, to build an alliance of the future," he told the BBC. "The world has changed. America has changed. So we need to change."

Champagne also gave a frank assessment of the Canada-US trade war after a deal collapsed last month, saying the country had "stood up for our industries, our workers, our country" by imposing tariffs.

...

His comments come after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed "opening the door" to an associate EU membership for Canada, an unprecedented move for the bloc.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to address the EU in Strasbourg, shortly after von der Leyen's proposal was made, was "to build the alliance of the future", Champagne said.

...

Champagne told the BBC that the UK and Canada had shared values.

"We need to look at partnership in a different way and the great thing is that when you look at Canada - and I would say the United Kingdom - we share the same values. We are very aligned in our vision of the world. Why don't we team up?" he said.

"We are independent and sovereign, but we are stronger together."

...

Archived