SPECULATION.SCAM,THE GREAT GRIFT

Trump signs executive order establishing ‘Strategic Bitcoin Reserve’

THE REAL PONZI SCHEME

By AFP
March 6, 2025


White House crypto czar David Sacks says the US government bitcoin reserve 'will not cost taxpayers a dime'

 - Copyright AFP/File

 INA FASSBENDER

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday establishing a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve,” forcefully endorsing a currency once shunned as a tool for money launderers.

The government stockpile, which backers liken to a “digital Fort Knox,” will be composed of digital currency seized in US criminal proceedings, said David Sacks, the White House’s crypto “czar,” emphasizing in a social media post that Thursday’s move made good on a Trump campaign promise.

The use of these assets “means it will not cost taxpayers a dime,” Sacks said in a post on X.

“The purpose of the Stockpile is responsible stewardship of the government’s digital assets under the Treasury Department.”

The policy also allows the secretaries of Commerce and Treasury to develop “budget-neutral strategies” for adding to the reserve, he said.

Bitcoin prices fell as much as five percent following the announcement, apparently out of disappointment the program involves no immediate bitcoin purchases.

The move comes on the eve of a White House summit Friday with major crypto figures, who were significant donors to Trump’s successful campaign to regain the presidency.

Cryptocurrency supporters organized heavily in the 2024 election in response to the skepticism of Joe Biden’s administration to digital currency, also helping to propel Republicans to victory in key Senate races.

For believers, cryptocurrencies represent a financial revolution that reduces dependence on centralized authorities while offering individuals freedom from traditional banking systems.

Trump has waded into the space personally, partnering with exchange platform World Liberty Financial and launching his own “Trump” memecoin in January as his wife Melania did the same — moves that have prompted conflict of interest accusations.

Trump critics such as Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut have characterized Trump’s cryptocurrency venture as a conduit to potential corruption on a massive scale.

“It’s as if Trump is posting his Venmo or his Cash App handle and inviting corporations and foreign governments to just send him cash in secret,” said Murphy in a video posted to X in which he called Trump’s crypto venture “a pure grift.”

‘Old fashioned scam’: Rachel Maddow warns new Trump move akin to '90s ‘Beanie Baby bubble'

Erik De La Garza
March 6, 2025 
RAW STORY




(Screenshot via MSNBC)


President Donald Trump’s new executive order creating a “strategic reserve” of cryptocurrency was subjected to a brutal round of mockery by Rachel Maddow, who told MSNBC viewers Thursday that the move is reminiscent of collectors scooping up Beanie Babies in the 1990s.



“It is a deeply, deeply old fashioned simple scam at this point, which points right to the White House,” Maddow said.

Maddow on Thursday ripped into Trump’s order, which authorized the federal government to stockpile cryptocurrency assets seized by law enforcement.

“Imagine Trump had just announced that the U.S. government was going to buy up tons of Beanie Babies,” Maddow said with a laugh. “We are going to establish a federal government reserve of billions of Beanie Babies. What do you think would happen to the value of Beanie Babies – right?

She continued to knock the president’s eyebrow-raising order as she compared the cryptocurrency fad of the 2020s, to the obsession with the plush collectibles created 30 years ago.

“It’s like when there was the Beanie Baby craze in the late 90s,” Maddow said. “People started buying these stuffed animals, right? Beanie Babies kind of inherently not worth much, but people were speculating on them, right? It was a Beanie Baby trading bubble, other than maybe some emotional value if you had one as a child, Beanie Babies didn't have much inherent value.”

The host – who Trump said hours earlier should be "forced to resign" – added though that they were still “worth buying up a bunch of them because there was speculation on the premise that as collectibles, maybe one day your Beanie Babies collection could be worth a lot of money.”

“Cryptocurrencies operate on the same idea,” Maddow continued. “They have no inherent value at all, the only value they have is if you have some reason to believe that somebody else might want to buy them from you in the future, that's it.”


She concluded that the “key to actually making money” is to convince others that “your crypto is popular and in demand, convincing people that your crypto thing is going to have value in the future.”

“It's going to be collectible as Beanie Babies.”

Trump’s action comes ahead of a White House crypto summit on Friday.

Watch the clip below or at this link:

Trump to welcome crypto elite at White House


By  AFP
March 5, 2025


Crypto czar David Sacks speaks at the White House on March 3, 2025 next to President Donald Trump - Copyright AFP Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV

Thomas URBAIN

US President Donald Trump, who has multiple ties to the crypto industry, will host the sector’s top players at a White House summit on Friday, as the field enjoys renewed momentum following his election.

The US crypto community rallied behind Trump’s campaign, contributing millions of dollars towards his victory over Joe Biden, whose administration tightened regulations and expressed skepticism toward digital currencies. Now, they’re seeing their support pay dividends.

Trump has waded into the space personally as well, partnering with exchange platform World Liberty Financial and launching his own “Trump” memecoin in January as his wife Melania did the same — moves that have prompted conflict of interest accusations.

The president’s “crypto czar,” Silicon Valley investor David Sacks, will convene prominent founders, CEOs, and investors with members of a Trump working group to craft policies aimed at accelerating crypto growth and providing the legitimacy the industry has long wanted.

Guests will include twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, founders of platform Gemini, with reports that Brad Armstrong of Coinbase and Michael Saylor, the boss of major bitcoin investor MicroStrategy, will also be in attendance.

Hanging over the crypto resurgence is the fate of FTX, the once-leading crypto exchange that collapsed spectacularly when its CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was found to have defrauded clients massively. He is now serving a 25-year term in a US jail.

For believers, cryptocurrencies represent a financial revolution that reduces dependence on centralized authorities while offering individuals freedom from traditional banking systems.

Bitcoin, the world’s most traded cryptocurrency, is heralded as an alternative to gold or as a hedge against currency devaluation and political instability.



– Crypto warnings –



Critics maintain these assets function primarily as speculative investments with questionable real-world utility, warning that excessive deregulation could leave taxpayers on the hook for cleaning up market crashes.

Law enforcement agencies see digital assets as a means to launder ill-gotten money.

The proliferation of “memecoins” — cryptocurrencies based on celebrities, internet memes, or pop culture rather than technical utility — presents another challenge.

Much of the crypto industry frowns upon this practice because they fear it tarnishes the business, amid reports of quick pump-and-dump schemes that leave unwitting buyers paying for assets that end up worthless.

Despite his previous hostility toward cryptocurrencies, Trump has embraced the technology, declaring his intention to make the United States a crypto world power.

His administration has already taken significant steps to clear regulatory hurdles.

On Sunday, Trump confirmed plans for a strategic cryptocurrency reserve where the US government would deposit digital currency holdings acquired mainly from judicial seizures.

Jacob Phillips of Lombard Finance called this potential move “one of the strongest endorsements the industry has ever seen,” noting that several founders and teams have already relocated to the United States in response to the improving regulatory climate.

Trump also appointed crypto advocate Paul Atkins to head the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Under Atkins, the SEC has dropped legal proceedings against major platforms like Coinbase and Kraken that were initiated during Biden’s term.

The previous administration had implemented restrictions on banks holding cryptocurrencies (since lifted) and allowed former SEC chairman Gary Gensler to pursue aggressive enforcement despite the absence of clear legal frameworks.



– ‘Pivotal moment’ –



Addressing ethics concerns, Sacks announced on X that he has divested from his substantial crypto holdings and investments, with industry figures quickly vouching for his integrity.

Friday’s summit “marks a pivotal moment for the digital asset industry,” according to Elitsa Taskova of Nexo, a cryptocurrency financial services platform.

However, meaningful change will likely require congressional action, where crypto legislation has remained stalled despite intense lobbying efforts by investors including Trump ally Marc Andreessen, an influential venture capitalist.

Some lawmakers remain hesitant, troubled by scandals and recurring reports of market crashes, theft and scams.

The recent $1.5 billion theft from the Bybit platform underscores the risks cryptocurrencies still present.

Nevertheless, Dante Disparte of Circle, which issues the dollar-pegged USDC stablecoin, sees growing bipartisan support for crypto legislation.

He attributed this emerging consensus to proposals that include strong transparency and anti-money laundering requirements alongside consumer and market protections.

Intel slows $28 bn chip factory project in Ohio


By AFP
February 28, 2025


Intel says new chip making plants in Ohio are not slated to begin production until 2030, five years later than originally planned - Copyright AFP I-Hwa CHENG

Struggling US chip maker Intel on Friday pushed out the timeline for completing two new fabrication plants in Ohio, saying it is taking a prudent approach to the $28 billion project.

Chip production originally slated to begin in 2025 at Intel’s first new “fab” in decades is now expected to start in 2030, Intel said in a statement.

“It’s important that we align the start of production of our fabs with the needs of our business and broader market demand,” Intel Foundry Manufacturing general manager Naga Chandrasekaran said in a message to employees shared by the company.

“We will continue construction at a slower pace, while maintaining the flexibility to accelerate work and the start of operations if customer demand warrants.”

For the full year 2024, Intel recorded a net loss of $18.8 billion as the US chip giant continues to struggle to stake its place in the artificial intelligence revolution.

Intel is one of Silicon Valley’s most iconic companies, but its fortunes have been eclipsed by Asian powerhouses TSMC and Samsung, which dominate the made-to-order semiconductor business.

The company was also caught by surprise with the emergence of Nvidia, a graphics chip maker, as the world’s preeminent AI chip provider.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger was forced out in December after the board lost confidence in his plans to turn the company around.

His abrupt departure came just months after the company vowed to cut more than 15,000 jobs in a draconian cost reduction plan and paused or delayed construction on several chipmaking facilities.

Former US president Joe Biden’s administration last year finalized a $7.9 billion award to Intel as part of an effort to bring semiconductor production to US shores.

But in Europe, Intel late last year said it was delaying its plans to build two mega chip-making factories in Germany and Poland as the company faces lower demand than anticipated.

Intel also said at the time that it would pull back on its projects in Malaysia.

Synthetic human DNA study raises major ethical questions


By Dr. Tim Sandle
DIGITAL JOURNAL
March 1, 2025


Google's new AI tool can read DNA like a language, and see immediately if a word substitution will change the meaning of that sentence, the company says. — © AFP HO

Scientists based at The University of Manchester have conducted an ethical analysis of the medical use of artificial human DNA. The medical use of synthetic DNA challenges traditional associations between genes and identity.

The study explores how this emerging technology impacts identity, privacy and reproduction, each raising key questions for society.

Synthetic DNA

Artificial human DNA, or synthetic DNA is created by assembling the chemical components of genes in a controlled process. Synthetic DNA can be designed and synthesized from naturally occurring nucleotides to be inserted into living cells for various biological applications. The technique could revolutionise medicine and biology; however, the creation and subsequent use also presents medical ethical challenges.

As to how synthetic DNA can benefit society, DNA synthesis could ease some of the supply problems we currently have with natural drugs, including those used in the treatment of malaria, cancer, and HIV. Moreover, synthetic biology could go beyond the limits of natural chemistry to create new or modified molecular components in the design of new proteins.

Ethical code

Scientists have previously synthesised bacterial genomes and portions of human chromosomes; future advancements could make it possible to generate entire human genomes in a laboratory. Only small genomes such as those of bacteria and yeast have been synthesized so far, but the creation of full human genomes in the lab is plausible.

How can an ethical code be developed?

Synthetic biology is not without its risks. Like nearly all technologies, it can be used for good or for ill, and those ills can be intentional or accidental.

The new study highlights key concerns about privacy, identity and genetic relationships. For instance, if human DNA can be artificially replicated, who owns or controls it? Could it be used without consent?

The research also explores how this technology might redefine biological parenthood and reproduction, challenging traditional understandings of genetics and inheritance.

Beyond medicine and science, the research has real-world implications for everyday people. If synthetic DNA is widely adopted, this may lead to groundbreaking medical treatments and innovations, such as designing genes to combat hereditary diseases.

Key questions

However, adoption also raises concerns about genetic privacy, ownership, and potential misuse. For example: Could individuals’ genetic information be recreated without their permission? How might this affect legal rights or personal identity?

The researchers emphasise the need for governments, policymakers and scientists to collaborate on ethical guidelines to ensure responsible development and use of artificial DNA.

Clearly, there is a need for reflection on the ethical implications of these developing technologies before they are on us.

The research appears in the Journal of Medical Ethics, succinctly titled “The ethics of synthetic DNA”.

DISA reveals major data breach impacting over 3 million people


By  Dr. Tim Sandle
DIGITAL JOURNAL
February 28, 2025


Australia's cyber intelligence agency sounded a rare warning Tuesday about the rising threat of state-backed Chinese hackers - Copyright AFP/File I-Hwa CHENG

Following the recent US Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) breach, the Chief of Digital Identity at Jumio has explained to Digital Journal about the implications this breach has for organisations operating with secure data.

The company, which provides drug and alcohol testing and background checks (to more than 55,000 enterprises and a third of Fortune 500 companies), said it discovered on April 22, 2024, that it was the victim of cyberattack that gave “an authorised third party” access to individuals’ personal information from Feb. 9, 2024, to April 22, 2024, the company said in a notice on its website.

This information has only now come into the public domain. DISA has subsequently filed reports with the Maine and Massachusetts attorney general offices.

This breach impacted more than 3.3 million people. A threat actor hacked into and accessed individuals’ Social Security numbers, financial account information, including credit card numbers, and government-issued identification documents.

In relation to this Philipp Pointner (Jumio) says: “The recent breach at DISA Global Solutions shares an unsettling truth: conventional security controls are no longer sufficient to safeguard sensitive personal information.”

The size and type of attack suggests developing sophistication, as Pointner infers: “As attackers grow increasingly sophisticated — using methods such as deepfakes, AI-created identities, and social engineering — organizations that deal with large volumes of personal information, ranging from Social Security numbers to financial information, need to use stronger and more dynamic security controls.”

Companies need to improve their detection methods, Pointner recommends. He comments: “It’s not only about stopping breaches but also about having the appropriate tools in place to identify anomalies in real time and act on them. Continuous monitoring, complete audit trails and strong identity verification procedures are no longer optional — they’re a necessity for protecting data and preserving trust.”

It is also necessary to bolster security. Pointner is of the view that “As the threat landscape continues to grow more complicated, perimeter defences alone are exposing organizations to risk. Strong security now calls for a layered approach comprising multi-factor authentication, biometric authentication, liveness detection and robust data encryption.”

This will drive security benefits: “Such measures not only prevent unauthorized entry but also mitigate the effects of breaches when they do happen. Sectors such as employee background screening, healthcare and banking — where large-scale data collection is the norm — need to emphasize adaptive risk management solutions that are capable of keeping pace with emerging cyber threats.”

Making people aware is also important, especially for the avoidance of reputational damage. Pointner advises: “Transparency in the event of a breach and clear communication with the affected individuals are also essential for customer trust and regulatory compliance.”

Vietnam drags feet over ‘urgent’ pollution problem


By AFP
February 28, 2025


A woman covers her face as she rides a motorbike past a burning garbage dump on the side of the road in Hanoi - Copyright AFP Eyad BABA

Toxic smoke billows from a burning mound of plastic bags and leaves on Le Thi Huyen’s farm in Hanoi, a city battling an alarming air pollution surge that the communist government appears in no hurry to fix.

In the last three months the Vietnamese capital has regularly topped a list of the world’s most polluted major cities, leaving its nine million residents struggling to breathe and even to see through a thick blanket of smog.

Despite a string of ambitious plans to address the crisis, few measures have been enforced and there is little monitoring of whether targets are actually achieved, analysts say.

Officially, the burning of rice straw and waste was banned in 2022 across the country — but that is news to Huyen.

“I’ve never heard of the ban,” Huyen told AFP. “If we don’t burn, what should we do with it?” she said, glancing at her smouldering heap of waste.

The stench of smoke and burning plastic is a constant feature of life in many Hanoi districts.

The country’s poor air quality — which kills at least 70,000 people a year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)– is also linked to its coal power plants, the rising number of factories, high usage of petrol motorbikes and constant construction.

Vietnam is a manufacturing powerhouse with a soaring economy and energy needs to match, but its growth has come at a cost, particularly in its buzzing capital whose geography compounds its air quality woes.

However, unlike in other prominent Asian cities battling pollution, such as Delhi or Bangkok, life in Hanoi goes on as normal no matter how bad the air.

Authorities do not close schools. There is no work-from-home scheme.

The government — which has close links to powerful economic interests, analysts say — has also imprisoned independent journalists and environmentalists who have pushed for faster solutions.



– Call for action –



Hanoi has frequently sat at the top of IQAir’s ranking of the world’s most polluted major cities and was rated among the top 10 polluted capitals by the Swiss monitoring company in 2023.

Breathing the toxic air has catastrophic health consequences, with the WHO warning strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases can be triggered by prolonged exposure.

The World Bank estimates that air pollution — which returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 — costs Vietnam more than $13 billion every year, equivalent to almost three percent of the country’s GDP last year.

“The situation is urgent,” said Muthukumara Mani, World Bank lead environmental economist, based in Hanoi.

Even state media, after years of near silence on air quality, has become noticeably vocal in Vietnam, a one-party state.

VietnamNet, the official news site of the ministry of information and communications, published a rare call for action in January, warning air pollution was “a crisis demanding immediate attention”.

Authorities declined to talk to AFP but Mani said there was recognition of the problem “at the highest level in the country”, citing a trip to China made by senior Hanoi officials to learn how Beijing fixed its once-awful air.

While Hanoi has floated the idea of low-emission zones and devised an action plan that aims for “moderate” or better air quality on 75 percent of days annually, it is not clear whether either will be enforced.

“The issue sometimes with Vietnam is that people pay much more attention to targets than what’s actually being delivered,” said Bob Baulch, professor of economics at RMIT University Vietnam.



– Repression –



Tran Thi Chi had years of breathing difficulties before she made the difficult decision to uproot from the city centre house where she lived for more than a decade.

“The air in Hanoi had become so thick that I felt like I didn’t have oxygen to breathe,” said the 54-year-old, one of the first of her friends to buy an air purifier.

But millions of others have no choice but to live with the noxious air, prompting environmental activists to push for faster change — until authorities launched a crackdown.

Nguy Thi Khanh, founder of GreenID, one of Vietnam’s most prominent environmental organisations, was a rare voice challenging Hanoi’s plans to increase coal power to fuel economic development, before she was jailed in 2022.

Four other environmentalists were also imprisoned between 2022 and 2023.

“This repression has had a chilling effect that has made it virtually impossible for people to advocate for the government to address the problem of air pollution,” said Ben Swanton of The 88 Project, which advocates for freedom of expression in Vietnam.

Vietnam has pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, which should help improve air quality, but government statistics show coal imports were up 25 percent last year compared to 2023.

Chi is fearful for the city she has always loved.

“We need urgent, realistic measures from authorities,” she said.

“We have no time to wait around.”

Sydney Mardi Gras celebrates inclusion in sea of glitter and feathers


By AFP
March 1, 2025


Sydney's annual Mardi Gras parade is a highlight of the city's social calendar. © AFP David GRAY

Thousands of scantily clad revellers danced through Sydney on Saturday for the 47th annual Mardi Gras parade, transforming the Australian city into a vibrant sea of colour and costumes.

More than 10,000 people — many of them painted in glitter makeup — and 180 floats rolled down a packed Oxford Street, lighting up the vibrant heart of Sydney’s LGBTQ scene.

Mardi Gras is a highlight of the city’s social calendar, with this year’s theme “free to be” celebrating freedom, authenticity, and the right to live openly and proudly, organisers said.

The roar of dozens of motorbikes carrying women and rainbow flags, or “Dykes on Bikes”, kicked off the parade, followed by the First Nations Community Float and the 78ers — a group of activists who marched in Sydney’s first Mardi Gras event in 1978.

Dylan Hoskins, who was with the First Nations float, said the evening was more than just an event, it was about bringing people together during a time of division.

“Mardi Gras is about inclusion. It’s about celebrating identity, expressing identity, and like, celebrating human nature,” he told AFP before the march.

Kyle Schneider, who was on the Sydney Opera House float, said he was “really excited” to attend his first Mardi Gras.

“It’s just a great time for everyone to come together and celebrate and allow everyone to be who they are. It’s such a beautiful experience,” he said.

Sydney’s Mardi Gras originally grew out of a 1978 gay rights protest that ended with dozens of arrests. — © AFP

Huge crowds packed the streets to watch this year’s celebrations.

Although the event has firmly embraced its boisterous party atmosphere, Sydney’s Mardi Gras originally grew out of a 1978 gay rights protest that ended with dozens of arrests.

The parade is still used as a vehicle for protest, with floats this year pushing for LGBTQ rights.

7-Eleven owner seeks to fend off takeover with buyback, US IPO


By AFP
March 6, 2025


Seven & i operates some 85,000 convenience stores worldwide

 - Copyright AFP GREG BAKER

Tomohiro OSAKI

The Japanese owner of 7-Eleven announced on Thursday a raft of new measures to fend off a takeover by a Canadian rival, including a huge share buyback and an IPO of its US unit.

The announcements are the latest twist in a saga that began last year, when Seven & i rebuffed a takeover offer worth nearly $40 billion from Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard (ACT).

“We’re convinced that now is the time to take our initiatives to the next level, and our leadership will further pursue the improvement of shareholder value and implement transformative policies,” outgoing company president Ryuichi Isaka said in a statement.

“We have decided to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) of our SEI shares that operate the North American convenience store business, 7-Eleven, on one of the major US stock exchanges by the second half of 2026,” Seven & i said.

It said it plans to buy back two trillion yen ($13.2 billion) of its own shares, using funds generated by that IPO and other restructuring measures.

The company also plans to sell its non-convenience-store business — comprising supermarkets, restaurants and other assets — to US private investment firm Bain Capital for $5.4 billion.

Seven & i, which operates some 85,000 convenience stores worldwide, also named Stephen Dacus as its first foreign chief executive to replace Isaka.

Reports of the raft of measures, that appeared before the retailer’s announcement, caused its shares to surge as much as 10 percent in afternoon trade.

They later trimmed those gains and were trading up 6.5 percent before the market closed.



– Behemoth –



ACT’s takeover would be the biggest foreign buyout of a Japanese firm, merging the 7-Eleven, Circle K and other franchises to create a global convenience store behemoth.

Japan’s Yomiuri daily reported this week that a special committee scrutinising ACT’s raised offer of reportedly around $47 billion had decided formally to reject that too.

Isaka told a news conference on Thursday that an ACT takeover would pose “serious US antitrust challenges”, and that there had been “no meaningful progress” towards resolving them.

“Hence the proposal has no assurance that it would be in the best interest of group shareholders and other stakeholders,” Isaka said through an interpreter.

He added however: “We will continue to examine and consider all strategic options, including the proposal from ACT, in order to realize the unlocking of our share value for our shareholders.”



– Rice balls –



7-Eleven, the world’s biggest convenience store brand, began in the United States but has been wholly owned by Seven & i since 2005.

Its stores are a beloved institution in Japan, selling everything from concert tickets to pet food and fresh rice balls, although sales have been flagging.

ACT, which began with one store in Quebec in 1980, runs nearly 17,000 convenience store outlets worldwide, including Circle K.

Dacus told the news conference that his father was a 7-Eleven franchisee in the United States and that he worked weekend night shifts as a teenager.

“I had no way of knowing that nearly 50 years later, I would be selected to run the global parent company of my father’s small store,” Dacus said in Japanese.

“As you all know, recently we have lost some momentum. We have to humbly face the fact that we have lost some market share,” he added through an interpreter.

Lithuanian women lead Europe in leadership growth


By Dr. Tim Sandle
March 5, 2025

DIGITAL JOURNAL


Engineer Nouf Wazir is pictured in front of a waste management facility under construction in the Gulf emirate of Sharjah - Copyright AFP/File Kazuhiro NOGI

For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 81 women received the same promotion in 2024. At this rate, it will take nearly 50 years to achieve gender parity for all women in the workplace.

To provide transparency for the fifth year – ahead of International Women’s Day (8th March 2025) the digital PR agency Reboot Online analysed the year-on-year change in leadership and employment growth, alongside the Global Gender Gap report and maternity leave rate for each European country.

The results have been shared with Digital Journal and the results do not make good reading for the UK. Women in the UK are only the 10th most likely to be successful when analysing year-on-year growth (a score of 7.72 out of 10). Instead, Lithuania places first.

Data came from several sources including the European Institute for Gender Equality, the Global Gender Gap Report 2024, and via the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

In terms of the top three nations:Lithuania

Lithuania is the best country in Europe for women to work in 2025. With a total gender equality score of 8.54 out of 10, the country moved up from seventh place in last year’s rankings.

Lithuania has reported the highest growth in women in leadership positions over the past five years – the fourth highest overall. In 2024, Lithuania reported the highest number of female CEOs of any European country. Although their total number of non-CEOs is average for Europe, the recent increase in representation boosts them up the rankings.

Lithuania’s maternity leave sits comfortably in the top 10 in Europe, with just over 52 weeks of pay at full rate. The percentage of women in employment is also high, resulting in a score of 8.1 out of 10 – however, the growth of women in employment over the past five years is lower than average.Norway

With the Nordic countries dominating the top 10, Norway is ranked the second-best country for women to work in 2025. Its high ranking can be attributed to a large percentage of female executives and board members in its largest listed companies – resulting in a normalised score of 7.78 out of 10 and placing Norway third overall in Europe.

Norway also ranks third overall in the Global Gender Gap Index (8.75/10), evaluating various indicators including Work and Economic Participation, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment, serving as a comprehensive measure of gender equality.Netherlands

Moving up from fourth place last year, the Netherlands placed third with a total gender equality score of 8.54 out of 10. A huge percentage of women are in work according to the European Institute for Gender Equality, with a normalised score of 9.47 out of 10 – the second highest in all of Europe, behind only Iceland. Despite ranking average in the Global Gender Gap Index, their stats for women in the workforce are stronger than most other countries.

Cyprus is the country with the least economic opportunities for women

Cyprus is in last place for European nations, with a score of 6.21 out of 10. Its low score can be attributed to the lack of women in leadership positions (1.36/10) and their below-average full-pay maternity leave (15 weeks).

Second to last is Luxembourg with 6.59 out of 10 – seeing struggles in the five-year growth of women in work and the number of women in leadership. Following is Belgium (6.75), Malta (6.79) and Italy (6.85).

The overall results suggest that there has been some progress with gender equality in the workplace – especially across the past five years, as shown by the growth scores for Lithuania, Norway and the Netherlands.

Yet there are still hurdles in order to tackle the wage gap, lack of leadership representation, government incentives and work-life balance when it comes to gender representation and proportionality.

Christie’s first AI art auction sees hits… and plenty of misses


By AFP
March 5, 2025


A person looks at AI artwork created by Pindar Van Arman's Emerging Faces at a preview for 'Augmented Intelligence' at Christie's on February 20, 2025 in New York City - Copyright AFP ANGELA WEISS

Christie’s first auction of art made by artificial intelligence (AI) ended Wednesday with mixed results, providing scant clues as to the future of the new and controversial medium.

Fourteen of the 34 lots put on the block during the 14-day online auction either received no qualifying bids or were sold for less than the minimum Christie’s had estimated.

One did go for more than expected — an animation by well-known digital artist Refik Anadol titled “Machine Hallucinations – ISS Dreams – A” which fetched the highest price at $277,200.

But an “Emerging Faces” creation by American artist Pindar Van Arman, touted as another highlight of the auction, saw no qualifying bids.

A work by the late American artist Charles Csuri, considered a pioneer of “computer art,” went for $50,400, slightly below the bottom of a price range announced by the auction house.

Auction sales tallied $728,784 in total, according to Christie’s.

For Nicole Sales Giles, Christie’s director of digital art, the auction’s results confirm that collectors recognize the influence and importance of the artists whose creations were featured.

“There could have been a better selection of works that are more representative of new media and AI,” said Steven Sacks, founder of New York gallery bitforms, which has been exhibiting digital art since 2001.

“The bigger conversation is — should they be at auction yet?”

Sacks felt more time was still needed to educate people about the medium and for artists to gain credibility and exposure.

A separate group of artists had launched a petition urging Christie’s to cancel the sale.

The 6,490 or so signatories argued that some pieces had been created with the help of AI models “known to have made unauthorized use of works protected by intellectual property law.”

For them, auctioning AI-created art lets money be made from “massive theft of works by human artists.”

In 2023, several artists sued generative AI start-ups, including popular platforms Midjourney and Stability AI, contending the software models were “trained” with human-made works to which they had no rights.

Christie’s and rival Sotheby’s have featured AI-created works at auctions in the past, but this was Christie’s first event devoted to works conceived with the new technology.

In 2018, an algorithm-generated painting by French collective Obvious fetched $432,500, including fees and commissions, stunning the art world.

And in 2022, an animated work by Refik Anadol was acquired, also at Christie’s, for $1.38 million.

WOMAN, LIFE, FREEDOM

Iranian singer ready ‘to pay price for freedom’ after 74 lashes


By AFP
March 5, 2025


The death of Mahsa Amini sparked protests in and outside of Iran - Copyright GETTY IMAGES/AFP/File Anna Moneymaker

Stuart Williams

A prominent Iranian pop singer who made a song urging women to remove their headscarves said Wednesday that he was willing to pay “a price for freedom” after being flogged 74 times by the authorities as part of his sentence.

Mehdi Yarrahi, arrested in 2023, was released last year after being convicted for his song in support of the “Woman. Life. Freedom” protests that erupted in 2022 and rocked Iran’s clerical leadership.

“Today, the final part of the verdict issued by the Revolutionary Court — 74 lashes — was fully and completely implemented at branch 4 of the office for enforcement of judgements of the Tehran moral security prosecutor,” his lawyer Zahra Minouei wrote on X.

“The case was closed,” she added.

In a defiant subsequent post, Yarrahi added: “The person who is not willing to pay a price for freedom, is not worthy of freedom.”

Yarrahi was arrested in August 2023 for releasing what the authorities termed an “illegal song”, namely the track “Roosarito” (“Your Headscarf” in Persian) and voiced support for women’s right to remove the garment that must be worn in public in the Islamic republic.

The implementation of his sentence sparked uproar among supporters.

Taraneh Alidoosti, an actor who was arrested during the protest movement after she posed without the headscarf, said on Instagram in response to the flogging: “Shame on backwardness, shame on torture, shame on violence, shame on anti-human laws, and shame and disgrace on our helplessness.”

Nobel peace prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, on temporary release from a prison sentence, said in a statement the flogging was “retaliation” for Yarrahi’s support of women in Iran.

“The lashes on Mehdi’s body are a whip against the proud and resilient women of Iran and the thriving, powerful spirit of the “Woman. Life. Freedom.” movement, she said.

Iran’s sharia law provides for flogging sentences that are frequently handed out by judges, though far from always implemented.

Yarrahi’s 2022 song “Soroode Zan” (Woman’s Anthem) also became a protest anthem, especially at universities.

The death in custody on September 16, 2022 of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress rules for women, sparked months of protests that included calls for an end to Iran’s Islamic regime.

The protests have now largely been quashed despite occasional outbursts after a crackdown that saw thousands detained, according to the United Nations, and hundreds shot dead by security forces, according to activists.