Squid Game season three will hit Netflix on June 27
Squid Game season three will hit Netflix on June 27
You won’t have to wait too much longer to find out how the story of Squid Game wraps up. Only a month after the second season premiered, Netflix has revealed that the final episodes of its biggest non-English language series ever will arrive on June 27. That’s a remarkably short window, especially considering that there was a gap of over three years between the first and second seasons.
As was the case the last time around, the third season will pick up right where the previous one ended (no spoilers here, but season two ended on a cliffhanger). Meanwhile, Netflix has revealed that season two of Squid Game is already its third most-downloaded series of all time, behind the first season in top spot and Monster: The Jeffrey ******* Story.
Netflix announced the Squid Game season three release date as part of an expansive look at its 2025 film and TV slate. On the movie side, there’s another Knives Out ******* mystery to look forward to in the fall, as well as Guillermo del Toro’s take on Frankenstein this November. As for Netflix’s shows, the animated adaptation of ****** May Cry will debut on April 3.
The company reaffirmed that the next seasons of ****** Mirror, Wednesday, The Witcher and Stranger Things will arrive this year, but no dates have been confirmed for those as yet. To speculate for a moment, a fall premiere date for Stranger Things season five seems likely. Both that and Squid Game are among the company’s franchises and putting some distance between their final installments makes sense.
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Trump administration picks face confirmation hearings – CNN
Trump administration picks face confirmation hearings – CNN
Trump administration picks face confirmation hearings CNNSenate committees holding confirmation hearings for RFK Jr., Gabbard CBS NewsSenate to question Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nomination to lead US intelligence – updates BBC.comTracking Trump’s Cabinet Confirmations The New York Times
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Crypto PAC Fairshake has $116 million on hand for 2026 election
Crypto PAC Fairshake has $116 million on hand for 2026 election
Fairshake, the super PAC bankrolled by crypto’s biggest players, announced Thursday it has $116 million in cash on hand, a war chest aimed at the 2026 midterm election cycle.
The fundraising total, which includes $11 million in new contributions, cements Fairshake as one of the most influential political forces in the country.
“With the midterms on the horizon, we are poised to continue backing candidates committed to advancing innovation, growing jobs, and enacting thoughtful, responsible regulation,” Fairshake said in a statement.
Major backers like Coinbase, a16z, Jump Crypto, Uniswap Labs, and Ripple Labs have doubled down on their commitment to electing pro-crypto candidates and opposing those seen as hostile to the industry. Robert Leshner of Superstate has also donated, according to the PAC.
Crypto, once dismissed as a speculative frenzy, now holds real power in President Donald Trump’s Washington. Industry-backed officials are securing spots in the president’s cabinet and across federal agencies. Lawmakers aligned with digital assets are launching probes into regulators accused of stifling innovation.
With Trump’s return to the White House and a Republican-controlled Congress, the industry is moving beyond just playing defense. Crypto-friendly policymakers are setting the agenda — working to reverse SEC enforcement actions, roll back anti-crypto banking restrictions, and push through market structure legislation for digital assets.
Coinbase, the largest U.S. crypto exchange, was sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission over claims that it engaged in unregistered sales of securities. It’s among Fairshake’s top contributors, giving more than $75 million to Fairshake and its affiliated PACs in 2024 and committing another $25 million to the 2026 midterms.
Fairshake’s largest donors also include Silicon Valley venture fund Andreessen Horowitz, which had previously pledged another $23 million to the PAC in the midterms. The fund has contributed $70 million across multiple cycles. Ripple Labs, still battling the SEC in court, is another major political donor this cycle that has given around $50 million to Fairshake. A spokesperson said the company committed $25 million both this year and last year and intends to remain a strong force in D.C. for years to come.
The impact of this money extends beyond elections. With billions in market cap and tens of millions in lobbying power, the crypto industry has positioned itself alongside Wall Street, Big Tech, and the defense sector as one of the most formidable forces in Washington. The strategy is clear: Secure allies, neutralize threats, and lock in legislative wins that will define the industry’s future.
The 2024 election
For crypto executives, investors, and evangelists, the 2024 election wasn’t just about influence — it was existential. After four years of fighting to establish legitimacy while fending off regulatory crackdowns, the industry saw it as a chance to flip the script.
Crypto-related PACs and affiliated groups pulled in over $245 million for the 2024 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission data. Nearly half of all corporate dollars that flowed into the election came from the crypto industry, per nonprofit watchdog Public Citizen.
Stand With Crypto Alliance — the advocacy group launched by Coinbase last year — developed a grading system for House and Senate races, helping direct funds to the most pivotal battlegrounds.
They succeeded. According to Stand With Crypto, nearly 300 pro-crypto lawmakers comprise the House and Senate this session, giving the industry unprecedented sway over the legislative agenda.
The playbook for the push was simple: Raise massive sums from a handful of donors, flood battleground states with ads, and either boost pro-crypto candidates or bury their opponents. The campaign framed races in stark terms. Candidates were either with the industry or against it.
Crypto companies and executives moved fast, leveraging a sophisticated nationwide ad machine to deploy their cash with precision. They also took lessons from Big Tech’s missteps. Instead of spending hundreds of millions on lobbying after the election, the crypto industry invested heavily beforehand, ensuring that its biggest threats never made it to office in the first place.
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Air traffic controllers appear to try to stop collision
Air traffic controllers appear to try to stop collision
Cut-down audio of air traffic controllers appears to have recorded them trying to stop the helicopter and plane crashing.
The American Airlines flight was carrying 60 passengers and four crew when it collided in mid-air with a ****** Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington DC.
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IBM rallies nearly 14%, heads for best day ever on strong earnings
IBM rallies nearly 14%, heads for best day ever on strong earnings
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of IBM Arvind Krishna attends the 55th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 22, 2025.
Yves Herman | Reuters
IBM surged 14% Thursday on the back of a strong fourth-quarter print that showed artificial intelligence growth boosting its software business.
The move put the stock on pace for its best day on record based on data going back as far as 1972.
The company reported adjusted earnings of $3.92 per share adjusted on $17.55 billion in revenue after the bell Wednesday. Analysts polled by LSEG had expected earnings to come in at $3.75 per share and revenues to reach $17.54 billion.
IBM reported a 1% rise in revenues overall, while its software unit grew 10% on a year-over-year basis amid growing demand for artificial intelligence and its operating system known as Red Hat Linux. CEO Arvind Krishna also said that the company posted $5 billion in bookings for its generative AI segment.
“We closed the year with double-digit revenue growth in Software for the quarter, led by further acceleration in Red Hat,” he said in a statement. “Clients globally continue to turn to IBM to transform with AI.”
Shares of IBM have gained 18% since the start of the year.
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Watch Live: Trump to speak about D.C. plane ******
Watch Live: Trump to speak about D.C. plane ******
CBS News 24/7
Live
Washington — President Trump is addressing the public Thursday morning in the aftermath of the deadly plane ****** in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. The collision of a regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter late Wednesday was the first major commercial plane ****** in the U.S. in more than a decade.
The president is slated to brief reporters in the White House press briefing room beginning at 11 a.m. ET.
The briefing comes after American Eagle Flight No. 5342, which took off from Wichita, Kansas, with 60 passengers and four crew members on board, collided Wednesday night with an Army ****** Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
Search efforts are continuing Thursday morning, but officials say no survivors are expected to be found. The efforts switched from a rescue operation to a recovery mission overnight, officials said.
Mr. Trump said in a statement Wednesday night that he had been fully briefed on the ******. “Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise,” his statement said.
He later took to Truth Social, questioning why the collision occurred under what appeared to be typical conditions
“This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented,” Mr. Trump said. “NOT GOOD!!!”
Kaia Hubbard
Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.
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Fatal shooting on Fairmount Parkway the result of an attempted robbery
Fatal shooting on Fairmount Parkway the result of an attempted robbery
The Jan. 17 fatal shooting of a 21-year-old Erie man on Fairmount Parkway was the result of a failed attempt to rob the man of cash during a drug buy, city police investigators allege in criminal complaints filed against suspects in the case.
Erie police accuse four people of being involved in the robbery and shooting that caused the death of 21-year-old Canyon McGarvey. Three of the suspects were in custody Thursday morning as police continued their search for the fourth suspect.
Khalil H. Pannell, 27, was apprehended Wednesday morning and was arraigned Wednesday night on charges including criminal ********* and felony counts of robbery, person not to possess a firearm and carrying a firearm without a license, according to court records and Erie police arrest records. Erie 5th Ward District Judge Paul Bizzarro placed Pannell in the Erie County Prison without bond following the arraignment.
Amanda Duran, 22, was taken into Erie police custody on Wednesday night and was awaiting arraignment Thursday morning on charges including two counts of criminal ********* and felony robbery, according to city police arrest records.
Their arrests follow the arrest on Tuesday afternoon of Kyleshania Pacley, 18, who is facing criminal *********, robbery and theft charges, according to Erie police arrest records. The Erie County District Attorney’s Office said the criminal complaint against Pacley is sealed.
The Erie County Coroner’s Office said McGarvey died at UPMC Hamot on the evening of Jan. 19. Investigators said he was found outside of his parked vehicle in the 1800 block of Fairmount Parkway, with a gunshot wound to his head, when officers were called to the area shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 17 to investigate reports of shots fired.
Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook ruled McGarvey’s death a *********, the second in the city so far this year, following autopsy. He was shot in the back of the head, according to investigators.
Authorities said after the shooting that McGarvey was believed to have been in his vehicle with others when he was either shot inside of it or while exiting it. No one else was around when officers arrived in the 1800 block of Fairmount Parkway, police reported.
Police impounded the vehicle and recovered shell casings and other evidence at the scene, Deputy Chief Rick Lorah said following the shooting.
Police suspect drug deal led to shooting
Detectives wrote in criminal complaint filed against Pannell that he conspired with Pacley and others to rob McGarvey, and that Pannell agreed to receive and provide proceeds from the robbery in exchange for a ride from Pacley.
According to information in the affidavit of probable cause filed with the complaint, detectives learned through interviews and other information that one of the suspects reportedly set up a meeting with McGarvey in an attempt to purchase ********** from him before pulling out a gun and attempting to rob McGarvey.
Investigators wrote in the affidavit that McGarvey was often seen on social media displaying large sums of money.
The meeting between McGarvey and the suspect was confirmed through social media communication and private messaging recovered from McGarvey’s phone, according to information in the affidavit. Two of the messages were sent a minute before a white Kia is seen in the area of the shooting and is believed by police to have driven the suspect to the area, detectives wrote.
Investigators also wrote that Pacley reportedly communicated with Pannell hours before the shooting, telling him that she was short several hundred dollars for her rent.
In an interview with police, Pacley told investigators she had given a ride on the day of the shooting to an individual detectives said matched the description of one of the suspects, according to information in the affidavit. Immediately after the shooting, Pacley drove to a gas station. Pacley and Pannell are seen getting out of the vehicle, detectives wrote.
Lorah said Thursday that the arrests were the result of a lot of hard work, from the initial officers who went to the scene and preserved evidence to the detectives who spent long hours going over surveillance video and interviewing witnesses.
“It was the accumulation of efforts between the two to bring all of these individuals to justice,” he said.
Contact Tim Hahn at *****@*****.tld. Follow him on X @ETNhahn.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie police: Attempted robbery fueled fatal shooting on Fairmount
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Who Voices Harry Hawker in Sniper Elite Resistance? All Voice Actors Revealed
Who Voices Harry Hawker in Sniper Elite Resistance? All Voice Actors Revealed
The voice cast for Sniper Elite Resistance isn’t massive, but one voice sticks out above the rest, and that’s Harry Hawker. His name has drawn attention and it’s time to reveal who has lent their talents to the 2025 Sniper Elite protagonist.
I covered a lot of juicy details in my Sniper Elite Resistance review. It was a fair assessment of a series I’m quite fond of, and one I will continue to play. I’ve predominantly been accustomed to the presence of Karl Fairburne over the years, but it’s the part-time persona of Harry Hawker who takes the lead in Sniper Elite Resistance.
His performance is headline-grabbing, and it’s time to remove the hood from the voice actor—kind of.
Who is Harry Hawker’s Voice Actor in Sniper Elite Resistance?
Harry Hawker, the man who sniped. Image by Insider Gaming
The available information tells us it’s likely Klemens Koehring reprising his role as Harry Hawker for Sniper Elite Resistance.
I say “likely,” because I have scoured the internet and gone to the furthest reaches of the Earth to find conclusive proof it’s Klemens Koehring. There’s nothing definitive, but all signs point to the talented voice actor—a multi-lingual extraordinaire who’s given his talents to various video games, TV, and movies.
Crucially, Klemens Koehring voiced Harry Hawker in Sniper Elite 4—confirmed by the game’s IMDB page. I can certify Klemens is a voice actor in Sniper Elite Resistance (more on this soon) and Harry Hawker would make the most sense.
I’ve said the performance has garnered attention, and that’s because of the character’s distinctness and uncanny resemblance to Jason Statham. It’s been a topic of discussion for Resistance, but any press is better than none!
If it turns out Klemens Koehring isn’t the voice actor for Harry Hawker and is simply part of the project, we’ll be sure to update this guide and correct it.
All Voice Actors in Sniper Elite Resistance
Voice actors in Sniper Elite Resistance. Image by Insider Gaming
The voice actor pool is a small one for Sniper Elite Resistance, and it includes Klemens Koehring, along with other talents such as Atilla Akinci and James Goode.
Atilla Akinci has voiced characters in Greedfall 2, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty. Whereas James Goode has provided voiceover work for Diablo 4, Final Fantasy 14, and also Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty.
There’s a wealth of talent in Sniper Elite Resistance, and it deserves to be recognized. As you can see, only names are listed, not their roles, making it slightly more difficult to declare Klemens’ role.
What are your thoughts about Harry Hawker’s voice and performance in Sniper Elite Resistance? Did it detract or add to the game for you?
Our Sniper Elite Resistance content doesn’t end here either. Be sure to check out our Mission 1 and Mission 2 Workbench guides, as well as a walkthrough for all Propaganda Posters and how to find clues for the Superweapon in Sonderzüge Sabotage.
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Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-29 Mission to Test Lunar Gravity Simulation
Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-29 Mission to Test Lunar Gravity Simulation
Blue Origin’s uncrewed New Shepard rocket is expected to launch its NS-29 mission on January 31, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. EST from Launch Site One in West Texas. The mission aims to test 30 experiments, primarily for NASA, which are designed to advance technologies for lunar exploration. The flight will include a unique manoeuvre that mimics lunar gravity, providing researchers with valuable data. This launch represents Blue Origin’s first suborbital mission of the year, with a focus on innovations for the Artemis programme.
According to Blue Origin’s mission overview
As reported by space.com, experiments on the NS-29 mission include 17 developed by NASA to address challenges associated with lunar exploration. The Electrostatic Dust Lofting experiment from NASA Kennedy Space Center will study the behaviour of lunar dust under ultraviolet light. Purdue University’s FEMTA project will test a water-based microthruster for small satellites, while Honeybee Robotics’ H-Bee experiment will examine how bubbles behave in thick liquids on the moon. Another study, LUCI, from NASA Glenn Research Center, will investigate material flammability under lunar gravity conditions.
Simulating Lunar Gravity During Flight
To simulate the moon’s gravity, the New Shepard capsule will employ its reaction control thrusters to spin at approximately 11 revolutions per minute. This will generate conditions similar to the moon’s one-sixth gravity for two minutes during the flight. These tests are expected to accelerate the development of equipment for planetary exploration and commercial missions.
Postcards and Public Engagement
Blue Origin’s Club for the Future initiative will also send thousands of postcards from students into space, aiming to inspire interest in STEM fields.
The NS-29 flight is expected to last around 11 minutes, with the capsule and booster landing separately at the West Texas site. If conditions delay the launch, backup dates until January 31 have been allocated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
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December pending home sales drop as mortgage rates surge
December pending home sales drop as mortgage rates surge
Signed contracts on existing homes dropped a sharp 5.5% in December from the previous month and fell 5% from the prior year, according to the National Association of Realtors.
The drop followed four straight months of gains and is the index was at its lowest level since August.
These so-called pending sales are an indicator of future closings and are the most current indicator of activity in the market. Buyers out shopping in December were facing a big jump in mortgage interest rates, which may have dampened demand.
The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage went from a low of 6.68% on Dec. 6 to a high of 7.14% on Dec. 19. Realtors had been saying that buyers were getting used to a “new normal” of higher interest rates, but the 7% mark appears to be an emotional barrier for buyers.
Sales of newly built homes, which are also based on signed contracts, saw gains in December, according to the U.S. Census, but homebuilders have been aggressively buying down mortgage rates to get customers in the door.
Pending sales fell in all regions, with the West and Northeast seeing the biggest monthly drops with decreases of 8.1% and 10.3%, respectively. Those regions are where home prices are highest.
“Contract activity fell more sharply in the high-priced regions of the Northeast and West, where elevated mortgage rates have appreciably cut affordability,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the Realtors. “Job gains tend to have greater impact in more affordable regions. It is unclear if heavier-than-usual winter precipitation impacted the timing of purchases.”
Prices are still stubbornly high and rising across the nation. Annual gains accelerated in the late fall and early winter, according to the latest read from the S&P Case Shiller national home price index.
Homebuying demand does not appear to be bouncing back at all in January. Mortgage applications to purchase a home last week were 7% lower than they were the same week one year ago, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Homes are also selling at the slowest rate in five years, according to a new report from Redfin. As of the four weeks ending Jan. 26, the typical home listing that went under contract sat on the market for 54 days before the seller accepted an offer, the longest span since March 2020 and a week longer than this time last year.
The weakness comes as the supply of homes for ***** is finally rising significantly. The number of newly listed homes jumped just over 37% in January compared with December, according to Realtor.com.
“The shift in seller activity could mark a turning point in the high mortgage rate-induced standoff between buyers and sellers,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. “The uptick is likely due to some residual benefit from fall’s lower mortgage rates, which could fade.”
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Tomb Raider Spin-Off Game Is Coming To Mobile 15 Years After Console Debut
Tomb Raider Spin-Off Game Is Coming To Mobile 15 Years After Console Debut
Tomb Raider fans have been eagerly awaiting a new game in the series since 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider. But since it’s anyone’s guess when Lara Croft’s next adventure will arrive, players may have to be satisfied by the return of one of her spin-off games. Feral Interactive has announced that Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is coming to iOS and Android platforms on February 27.
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light was originally released on Xbox Live and PSN in 2010, and it dropped the Tomb Raider branding and the series’ traditional gameplay model. Instead, it adapted a fixed-camera viewpoint and embraced co-op gameplay as Lara teamed up with an ancient Mayan warrior called Totec to defeat the evil spirit known as Xolotl. Feral Interactive previously ported The Guardian of Light and its 2014 sequel, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, to Nintendo Switch as part of The Lara Croft Collection in 2023.
Outside of the gaming realm, there is a live-action Tomb Raider series in development at Prime Video that may star Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner as Lara Croft. Amazon is also set to publish the next Tomb Raider game, which will not be connected to the live-action series. Additionally, Netflix renewed the animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft for a second season.
Console gamers may want to pass the time between sequels with Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered, which features modern ports of Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Tomb Raider: Chronicles, and Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness. That collection will hit Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on February 14.
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Salwan Momika, Who Burned a Quran in Sweden, Is Killed – The New York Times
Salwan Momika, Who Burned a Quran in Sweden, Is Killed – The New York Times
Salwan Momika, Who Burned a Quran in Sweden, Is Killed The New York TimesSalwan Momika, Iraqi man who burned Quran in Sweden, killed in shooting Al Jazeera EnglishMan who staged Quran burning protests in Sweden shot dead, authorities say CNNSwedish PM says shooting of anti-Islam campaigner may be linked to foreign power Reuters
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Europa League final day: Who is through and what’s at stake?
Europa League final day: Who is through and what’s at stake?
Lazio have cemented their place in the knockouts as the Italians have 19 points from seven games, six more points than Galatasaray in ninth with just one game remaining.
As well as the three British teams, Anderlecht, Athletic Bilbao, AZ Alkmaar, *****/Glimt, Eintracht Frankfurt, FCSB, Galatasaray, Lyon, Olympiakos, Union SG and Viktoria Plzen are guaranteed at least a place in the play-off round.
Dynamo Kyiv, Nice, Qarabag, Ludogorets, Malmo, Slavia Prague and RFS are all mathematically unable to finish in the top 24.
There will be just one game with nothing to play for on the final day – Slavia Prague versus Malmo.
Select to see the Europa League table
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Port Wyndham Crocs get bus to travel to games in massive step forward for the remote Kimberley club
Port Wyndham Crocs get bus to travel to games in massive step forward for the remote Kimberley club
A $75,000 allocation of funding from the Labor Government for a bus for the Port Wyndham Football Club is a godsend for the remote Kimberley town according to club president Tim Trust.
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Director of Nat'l Intelligence Nominee Tulsi Gabbard Testifies at Confirmation Hearing – C-SPAN
Director of Nat'l Intelligence Nominee Tulsi Gabbard Testifies at Confirmation Hearing – C-SPAN
Director of Nat’l Intelligence Nominee Tulsi Gabbard Testifies at Confirmation Hearing C-SPAN Tulsi Gabbard Could Face Tough Questioning From Both Parties: Confirmation Hearing Live Updates The New York TimesLive updates: Tulsi Gabbard faces Senate confirmation hearing for intelligence chief The Washington PostTulsi Gabbard’s views on Russia, Syria, Trump and government surveillance — in her own words The Associated Press
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Women’s Ashes 2025: ‘Warne-esque’ Alana King shines at MCG
Women’s Ashes 2025: ‘Warne-esque’ Alana King shines at MCG
King’s contribution ensured that England’s challenge of avoiding a 16-0 drubbing is already looking unlikely.
She was offered valuable support by the rest of a formidable attack that has regularly left England bewildered over the past three weeks.
Seamer Kim Garth finished with 2-13 from 10 overs, Darcie Brown took two wickets with her pace and off-spinner Ash Gardner offered plenty of control with her 1-30.
England have got to think creatively if they are to take the remaining nine *********** wickets as quickly as possible, with all-rounder Tahlia McGrath’s place at number eight an ominous reminder of their strength in depth.
Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone is likely to play a key role considering the turn that King produced, as England may rue the omission of Charlie Dean’s off-spin in favour of the extra seamer in Ryana Macdonald-Gay.
But while Ecclestone is the world’s best bowler and could hold the key to hopes of an England fightback, the series as a whole belongs to King for now.
“I’d probably have Sophie Ecclestone as the best all-format spinner because of her ability to bowl at every stage of an innings,” Finn added.
“In a T20 game, she’s bowling the 18th or 20th over. But Alana King, at the moment, is the most dangerous for taking wickets.”
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Gerrard leaves Saudi club Al-Ettifaq after dismal run
Gerrard leaves Saudi club Al-Ettifaq after dismal run
Steven Gerrard has left his post as Saudi club Al-Ettifaq’s manager by mutual consent after a run of two wins and eight losses in 14 league games left them languishing in 12th place in the standings.
The former Liverpool and England star joined the Saudi side in July 2023 on two-year deal, which was later extended by another two years.
Al-Ettifaq came sixth under Gerrard last season, having finished in seventh spot before his appointment.
“Gerrard has honoured the club and for that he will never be forgotten. This decision, which we have mutually respected, is in the best interest of both Steven and the club as we move forward,” club president Samer Al Mishal said on Thursday.
Al-Ettifaq began the season with three straight wins but then hit a two-month winless slump and two victories in the past two months were not enough to turn things around, with Gerrard saying last week he takes the blame for the drop in form.
“I want to express my gratitude to the club, the players, the fans, and everyone involved for the opportunity and the support during my time here,” Gerrard said in a statement on Thursday.
“Overall, I have learned a lot, and it’s been a positive experience personally and for my family as well. But football is unpredictable, and sometimes things don’t go the way we want.”
The 44-year-old guided Rangers to their first Scottish Premiership title in 10 years in 2021 before moving to Aston Villa, where he was sacked after they won two of their first 12 Premier League games in the 2022–23 season.
England and Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson joined Al-Ettifaq after Gerrard’s appointment but terminated his contract after six months to sign for Ajax Amsterdam.
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The best 2025 Super Bowl TV deals we could find
The best 2025 Super Bowl TV deals we could find
The countdown to Super Bowl LIX is underway, which means it’s a decent time to grab a new TV at a discount. If you were hoping to upgrade your living room before the Chiefs and Eagles do battle (again), we’ve picked through Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers to find a few Super Bowl 2025 TV deals that are actually worth considering.
To be clear, many of the deals we’ve found stem from TVs naturally falling in price around this time of year more than sales specifically tied to the Super Bowl. In general, most TVs follow a similar pricing timeline: arrive in the spring, drop a little over the summer, receive a larger price cut around the holidays, then gradually become cheaper until being discontinued the next year. This pattern is happening again now, and with manufacturers like Samsung and LG unveiling their 2025 lineups during CES earlier this month, last year’s models will probably fall even further in the coming months.
That said, if you’re itching to make a change right now, a handful of well-reviewed TVs from LG, Sony, Samsung, TCL and Hisense are back down to the prices we saw around ****** Friday. In some cases, they’re even cheaper. While we at Engadget do not formally review TVs, we’ve scoured reviews from other sites we trust and picked through price histories to ensure the discounts are genuine deals.
LG B4 OLED TV (48″) for $600 at Best Buy ($200 off MSRP): This ties the lowest price we’ve seen for the 48-inch LG B4, which is the entry-level model in LG’s 2024 OLED lineup. While it’s not as bright or color-rich as some higher-end alternatives, it still offers the essential perks of any good OLED TV: superb contrast with deep ****** tones, clear motion, wide viewing angles and the like. It’s also a nice value for gaming, as it has four HDMI 2.1 ports that support refresh rates up to 120Hz. It’s just better off in a darker room, and this particular model is relatively small.
Hisense U7N QLED TV (65″) for $698 at Amazon ($300 off): Several reviewers we trust say that the U7N delivers better brightness, contrast and HDR performance than most TVs in its price range. It’s built with most of the features expected from pricier LED sets, including quantum-dot color, mini-LED backlighting and a 144Hz refresh rate. It also runs on the handy Google TV platform. Its viewing angles are poor, so it’s not great for watching shows with a large group, and you may need to tinker with settings to get an optimal image. But the 65-inch model should be a strong value at this price, which is only about $20 more than the all-time low we saw briefly around Cyber Monday. Also at Walmart and Best Buy.
The Samsung Frame TV. (Amy Skorheim)
Samsung The Frame 2024 QLED TV (55″) for $868 at Woot ($630 off): This deal from Amazon subsidiary Woot has been live for a few weeks, but it ties the best price to date for the 55-inch version of Samsung’s stylish Frame TV outside of a one-off eBay coupon deal. You’d buy this set for its design above all else: It can’t match the contrast and color volume of other TVs in its price range, as it lacks local dimming altogether, but it’s convincingly built like a framed piece of wall art that can blend in with your home decor. Its matte panel helps it fend off glare in a bright room, and you can display actual artwork onscreen when you’re not watching something. It’s worth noting that Samsung unveiled a new and improved “Frame Pro” TV at CES, but we’d expect that to cost more whenever it arrives.
TCL Q651G QLED TV (65″) for $370 at Amazon ($180 off): The Q651G is a fairly basic LED TV that might appeal to gamers on a budget, as it can play at a fast 120Hz refresh rate — albeit only when you drop the resolution from 4K to 1440p or 1080p. It’s another one without local dimming, so its contrast is limited. Most reviewers suggest that the Hisense U6N (which isn’t majorly discounted) provides a brighter and much more dynamic image for not much more. However, while the U6N can also play in 1440p/120Hz, the TCL model has a wider variable refresh rate (VRR) range in that mode. In simpler terms, that means it’ll have an easier time allowing your PS5 or Xbox games to run smoothly. This discount marks a new low for the 65-inch model. Also at Best Buy.
The Samsung S90D. (Samsung)
Hisense U8N QLED TV (65″) for $900 at Amazon ($600 off): The U8N’s picture quality is a broad step-up from the U7N above, with better contrast, more vibrant colors and supremely high peak brightness. It still has most of the same drawbacks — mediocre viewing angles, minor blooming in a dark room, just decent upscaling of lower-res content — but it should be a worthy upgrade if you have more cash to burn. This is another discount we saw for much of November and December, but it ties the all-time low for the 65-inch variant. Also at Best Buy.
Samsung S90D QD-OLED TV (55″) for $1,198 at Amazon ($600 off): The S90D stands out for its QD-OLED panel, which mixes the benefits of an OLED display with quantum dots to boost color performance. Most reviews say that it can put out a wider gamut of more vibrant colors and brighter HDR highlights than more traditional OLED TVs like the LG C4. It also has four HDMI 2.1 ports that can play up to 144Hz. It doesn’t support Dolby Vision HDR, however, and Samsung’s Tizen interface can be clunky. The company has also made the aggravating step of using both QD-OLED and more standard WOLED panels within the same product line, but this 55-inch version comes with the superior display in North America. (The 65- and 75-inch models do as well.) This deal is the second-best price we’ve ever seen and about $150 off this variant’s average street price in recent months. Also at Samsung and Best Buy.
The Sony Bravia 7. (Sony)
Sony Bravia 7 QLED TV (55″) for $1,198 at Amazon ($100 off): The Bravia 7 isn’t as strong of a value as the Hisense U8N, but some reviews suggest that it’s a decent alternative if you’re willing to trade some contrast and peak brightness for a more accurate picture out of the box. Like the Hisense TV, its image washes out when viewed from an angle and it only has two HDMI 2.1 ports for gaming. In general, most people will be happier with a good OLED TV around this price. But if you want a brighter LED TV that looks great right away, this one might be worth a look. This is a new low for the 55-inch model. Also at B&H and Best Buy.
Roku Ultra (2024) for $79 at Amazon ($21 off): Roku’s Ultra set-top box is overkill for most, but it might be worthwhile if you prefer the simplicity of Roku’s interface and need built-in Ethernet and USB ports. It supports just about all the major apps and HDR formats, plus it lets iPhone owners cast video from their phone via AirPlay. Unlike the cheaper Roku Streaming Stick 4K, it also comes with a rechargeable remote that has backlit buttons, built-in voice controls and a lost remote finder. We call it the best Roku player in our guide to the best streaming devices. This deal was available for much of the holiday season, but it ties the latest model’s all-time low. Also at Roku, Walmart and Best Buy.
TV deals that are no longer available
LG C3 OLED TV (65″) for $1,197 at Amazon ($303 off): The LG C3 was released in 2023, but it’s not a huge downgrade from last year’s LG C4, so it’s still worth considering when it’s available for less. The C4 should be slightly better in terms of brightness and color volume, plus it supports refresh rates up to 144Hz rather than 120Hz, though the latter is only really useful for PC gaming. Neither model can quite match the QD-OLED panel on the Samsung S90D, but the C3 will still look excellent if you’re not comparing the two side-by-side and just want to save some cash on a larger premium display. This discount ties the lowest price we’ve tracked outside of a handful of in-store-only and eBay coupon deals.
Sony A95L OLED TV (65″) for $2,498 at eBay via BuyDig ($500 off): The A95L is wildly expensive even with this discount, but many reviewers agree that it’s the best TV on the market if money is no object. It’s another QD-OLED TV like the Samsung S90D, but it’s more color-accurate out of the box and should be better at preserving details in shows that aren’t presented in 4K. It also supports Dolby Vision, unlike Samsung’s TVs, and its Google TV software is generally easier to navigate than Tizen. The only serious drawback is that it’s limited to two HDMI 2.1 ports, which may be annoying for those who own a soundbar and multiple game consoles. This discount from ties the lowest price to date for the 65-inch model; just use the code SAVEBIG20 at checkout. It comes from eBay via BuyDig, which Sony lists as an authorized seller.
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A speculative long position in Alibaba using options if its new AI model is turning point
A speculative long position in Alibaba using options if its new AI model is turning point
January 29 marked the Lunar New Year, China’s most important traditional holiday. The government-recognized holiday is a week long, although celebrations typically occur through the Lantern Festival, which falls on February 23 this year. It marks the beginning of the lunar calendar and is deeply rooted in ******** culture, history, and social life. Lunar New Year has been celebrated for over 4,000 years and is based on the traditional lunisolar calendar. Actions during the New Year are believed to set the tone for the year, and 2025 is the year of the snake. There are 12 zodiac animals in ******** astrology, and people born in the year of the snake are considered intelligent, strategic, and cunning deep thinkers. This is an interesting backdrop for the bombshells released by ******** AI company DeepSeek, which released its most recent R1 AI model slightly over a week ago, and Alibaba’s Qwen 2.5-Max this week. DeepSeek’s model’s performance impressed relative to the most well-known models from OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Alibaba (BABA) claims their model “outperforms…almost across the board GPT-4o, DeepSeek-V3 and Llama-3.1-405B”. The most stunning revelation — still to be examined — was that these results were achieved at development costs orders of magnitude smaller than the best-known U.S. models. Naturally, this threw the AI trade into a tailspin. On Monday, Nvidia’s market cap loss was the largest in history for a single company. Related trades like high-flying companies like Vistra Corp also plummeted as traders speculated that newer, more efficient AI models would reduce demand for the most expensive GPU and the electrical power needed to run them. Maybe. Maybe not. One thing is sure, though: many of the companies involved have seen a sharp spike in short-dated options premia, and the term structures are now in backwardation — meaning options with near-term expirations have “implied volatilities” higher than longer-dated ones. The trade Alibaba — this company’s valuation has been confounding. Forecast to grow revenues by more than 6% in the current fiscal year ending March 31 and greater than 8% next year, Alibaba is trading at just 11.5 times forward earnings, less than half as expensive as the S & P despite top and bottom line growth equal to or greater than that of the benchmark. And that’s after the 8.5% pop in the share price this year. BABA 1Y mountain Alibaba, 1 year ******** companies trade at material discounts, all else equal, to their Western counterparts as investors fret about challenging ******** demographics and a potentially capricious government. Still, this could be the catalyst that finally turns this stock around. I like it as a speculative long. The company reports earnings at the end of next week. I prefer purchasing longer-dated calls that capture next week’s earnings and the subsequent one, which is currently estimated to take place in mid-May. The trade : Sell BABA March 21 $85 put Buy BABA June 20 $100 call Sell BABA March 21 $110 call The stock has typically moved slightly over 10% on average, higher or lower, in the month following earnings, so to take advantage of the “vol crush” that we anticipate both as a function of earnings and the dust settling somewhat as investors absorb the AI model developments. DISCLOSURES: (None) All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL’S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Click here for the full disclaimer.
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Vance suggests some reporters covering the Trump White House are biased
Vance suggests some reporters covering the Trump White House are biased
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance is suggesting that some reporters covering the Trump White House are biased — perhaps even Democratic “propagandists” — and the new administration will keep a close eye on those asking questions at press briefings.
“I actually think that we are looking very seriously about which reporters show up, because if you’re a reporter, even if you’re biased toward the left, absolutely we want to answer your questions,” Vance told Sean Hannity of Fox News in an interview that aired Wednesday.
“If you’re a propagandist for the Democratic Party, then we’re going to treat you like a propogandist for the Democratic Party,” the Republican vice president said, without elaborating.
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Vance also praised White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who made her debut in the briefing room this week.
Leavitt announced that two seats to the side of her podium, usually held for White House staffers, would be used by “new media” journalists, rather than reporters from traditional outlets who already have seats in the briefing room.
“Karoline had a lot of new media folks, a lot of young people who represent, I think, the vanguard of news media in this country. … These are actually some of the people who are driving news in 2025 in America,” Vance said.
Leavitt said the Trump team plans to restore the press credentials of more than 400 individuals that she contended had their credentials “wrongly revoked” by the Biden administration.
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Toram Online’s Hatsune Miku collaboration is now live, bringing exclusive outfits and more
Toram Online’s Hatsune Miku collaboration is now live, bringing exclusive outfits and more
Toram Online’s collaboration with Hatsune Miku and the vocaloid cast is now live
You can look forward to crossover-exclusive rewards and other limited-time events
Outfits will grant you bonus Magical points at the end of event battles
When it comes to virtual idols few come close to the fabulous blue-haired Japanese songstress Hatsune Miku. Alongside the rest of the Vocaloid cast, she’s veritable internet royalty, and now fans of Asobimo Inc’s Toram Online can enjoy new crossover content as the previously-teased collab finally goes live today!
Magical Mirai 2024 is now live, featuring Hatsune Miku and other members of the Vocaloid cast such as Kagamine Rin in starring roles. Fans can nab limited edition costumes of Miku and other virtual singers as part of an exclusive collaboration gacha, as well as enjoy an original music video created for the collab, and more!
And these outfits don’t just look good either, as each of them will grant your bonus Magical points at the end of the event battle, commensurate with their rarity. This collaboration sees the debut of new outfits, as well as returns from previous popular crossovers featuring the Vocaloid cast. But hurry, because this collaboration only lasts until March 27th!
Miku miku miku
While Hatsune Miku has been the aforementioned internet royalty, and a milestone in virtual singers, for a while it seems as if she’s had a renaissance over the past year or so. From her debut in Fortnite to collaborations such as the one with Toram Online, it seems as if people still can’t get enough of the Vocaloid idol.
The Magical Mirai name itself, which I admit caught me out, also refers to a real-world mix of exhibition and live performance where fans can enjoy 3D CG versions of the popular vocalid cast in concert. The more you know!
Meanwhile, if you’re looking to jump into Toram Online off the back of this announcement don’t go in without taking a quick gander at our list of promo codes for a quick boost!
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This 2TB SSD fits in the palm of your hand – and it’s currently cheaper than it was during ****** Friday
This 2TB SSD fits in the palm of your hand – and it’s currently cheaper than it was during ****** Friday
The holiday season may be over, there are still tons of tech deals to take advantage of, including offers on some of the best SSDs. Normally, ones with large amounts of storage space cost quite a lot, but thanks to post-holiday discounts you can snag some nice savings.
One of the best SSD deals is on the Crucial X6 2TB Portable SSD, which is now on ***** now for only $99.99 (was $145.99) t Amazon. This SSD features up to 800MB/s speeds, is compatible with gaming consoles as well as PC and Macs, has a USB 3.2 USB-C port, and is shockproof to drops from 6.5 feet.
The best part of this deal is that it takes the price below $100, which is cheaper than even the ****** Friday price. But this offer won’t last forever, so take advantage of this deal while it lasts.
Today’s best Crucial X6 Portable SSD deal
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More of today’s best deals in the US
Amazon: TVs, smart home & air fryers from $12.99
Apple: AirPods, iPads, MacBooks from $89.99
Best Buy: $1,000 off 4K TVs, laptops & headphones
Cheap TVs: smart TVs at Best Buy from $69.99
Dell: best-selling Inspiron & XPS laptops from $279.99
Dreamcloud: mattress deals from $349 + free shipping
Holiday: decor, lights, Christmas trees & PJs from $10.99
Home Depot: 40% off tools, appliances & furniture
Lowe’s: holiday decor, appliances & tools from $17.31
Nectar: up to 50% off all mattresses
Nordstrom: 46% off boots, coats, jeans & jewelry
Samsung: $1,500+ off TVs, phones, watches & appliances
Target: save on furniture, tech & clothing
Walmart: cheap TVs, robot vacs, furniture & appliances
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How China’s DeepSeek could benefit India
How China’s DeepSeek could benefit India
This report is from this week’s CNBC’s “Inside India” newsletter which brings you timely, insightful news and market commentary on the emerging powerhouse and the big businesses behind its meteoric rise. Like what you see? You can subscribe here.
The big story
This week, on my CNBC-issued three-year-old laptop, I ran a powerful artificial intelligence model known as DeepSeek-R1.
The new model, developed by the ******** AI lab DeepSeek and released last week, sparked a massive fall in U.S. technology stocks. The highly competitive and potentially shockingly cost-effective AI model led investors to question the billions of dollars currently being spent by large technology companies.
While my brief foray into DeepSeek-R1 served only to satisfy my curiosity, millions of other people around the world are likely to have done the same with more productive goals in mind.
DeepSeek running on Ganesh’s laptop
Among those experimenting with DeepSeek are likely to be Indian technology companies, which for the first time will be able to offer clients a powerful reasoning AI model, trained and hosted in-house, without relying on Big Tech firms.
China’s DeepSeek released its model free for commercial use and also made public the technology know-how to build such a model from scratch. The company said it spent a mere $6 million in AI chip costs to develop the model.
Although some have raised questions about the exact figure, it compares to the hundreds of millions — and sometimes billions of dollars — spent by American technology firms.
The development could mark the start of AI model development within India, as previous methods for training large language models have required thousands of energy-intensive and expensive AI chips.
It could also mark a major turning point for Indian technology companies such as Infosys, which have previously had to rely on AI models created by U.S.-based tech firms, such as Meta’s Llama.
Keshav Murugesh, chief executive of business process management firm WNS, said DeepSeek’s AI model is a “pivotal advancement” for Indian technology companies.
He suggested the low cost of development will enable new AI models to be trained in India’s regional languages and enable use cases previously deemed uneconomical. The vast majority of sophisticated large language models today, such as OpenAI’s o1 and Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 3.5, can output text only in a handful of languages.
“By leveraging the innovations behind DeepSeek, these companies can significantly lower costs and accelerate their time to market,” Murugesh told CNBC. WNS, which is listed on the NYSE, revealed in its third-quarter call earlier this month, that it will soon be enabling generative AI use cases at a U.S. insurance firm, a top 10 client for the company.
Industry surveys have shown that data privacy and the high cost of implementing large language models are among the reasons why enterprises have resisted AI adoption. DeepSeek-R1’s benefits, if confirmed, would swiftly eliminate two of the top 10 concerns and could begin to address a multitude of others.
The Indian government has also embarked on subsidizing access to AI chips, known as graphics processing units, to enable academics and start-ups in the country to begin developing AI models.
Indian IT services companies could also benefit from DeekSeek in more indirect ways. Analysts expect large enterprise clients of IT companies to redirect budgets away from AI expenditure to other IT-related spending.
“DeepSeek is positive for Indian IT services, in our view,” said UBS equity analysts led by Shaleen Kumar in a note to clients. “While it is still too early to fully assess the impact, faster AI development that involves lower costs should help free up IT budgets, resulting in increased IT spend in other areas.”
It might not all be good news, however. Analysts at India-based broker Anand Rathi say domestic firms with “heavy exposure” to cloud computing giants like Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Oracle “may face short term headwinds” as nimbler companies outcompete them by pivoting to DeepSeek’s low-cost AI models.
Bank of America’s analysts also cautioned that a lower barrier to entry for service providers increases competition in the sector, although these risks are at “very preliminary stages” at the moment.
And so — in this globalized and connected world — a breakthrough in China has the potential to benefit rival India. However, DeepSeek’s R1 has the potential to turn into a double-edged sword much sooner than many expect.
AT&T, a large U.S. telecom operator with more than 150 million subscribers, slashed the number of customer support calls it receives by 30% in a single year, thanks to AI. The company has also made efficiency gains in software development.
“We’re spending less right now to develop new code internally and getting more,” said John Stankey, AT&T’s chief executive in a call with analysts. “And it’s through the application of AI and technology and what we’re able to do with generative AI.”
While expensive to implement using U.S.-developed AI models, it’s cheaper compared to high U.S. wages.
Given the growing concerns around unemployment, the Indian government will be hoping cheaper AI models don’t end up displacing low-cost jobs.
— CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed reporting. In case you were wondering, DeepSeek-R1 did not.
Need to know
Cutting deficit or raise spending? India’s finance minister faces a tough choice in crafting the annual budget, which is set to be unveiled on Feb. 1. CNBC’s Lim Hui Jie and Anniek Bao report on the challenges for Nirmala Sitharaman as the budget comes against the backdrop of a growth slowdown in the world’s fifth-largest economy, weak domestic demand, a depreciating rupee and rising global uncertainties.
Foreign investors are fleeing India’s stock market. Yet analysts say it’s a “healthy correction.” India’s benchmark stock indexes the Nifty 50 and Sensex are hovering at more than seven-month lows, firmly in correction territory since their September high. Some point to lofty valuations, others say profit booking as reasons behind the slide.
India is a “compounding machine.” Investor interest in India waned at the end of 2024 because of a pullback in Indian equities during that *******. One portfolio manager, however, remains bullish on the country. The dip in the market is a buying opportunity, he says, and names three Indian stocks to buy for 2025. [For subscribers only]
What happened in the markets?
Indian stocks are showing some signs of recovery after its prolong tumble. The Nifty 50 index has risen by 0.7% so far this year. Yet the benchmark is lower by 1.7% this year.
The benchmark 10-year Indian government bond yield has tumbled this week to 6.67% alongside global peers.
Stock Chart IconStock chart icon
On CNBC TV this week, Neelkanth Mishra, chief economist of Axis Bank, said the Indian rupee had been “unduly” stable over the past few two years due to the Reserve Bank of India’s policy. Mishra suggested the rupee has lasted longer than necessary and has resulted in a weakening of the currency to all-time lows against U.S. dollar.
Meanwhile, emerging markets serving as ‘bridges’ to trade with China will be hit ‘pretty hard’ by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to portfolio manager Fergus Argyle of EFG New Capital. Argyle also explains why his emerging markets fund is not invested in either China and Vietnam. He says he prefers markets such as Mexico and India, as a form of his China plus one strategy.
What’s happening next week?
Aside from India’s budget, inflation readings for the U.S., euro zone and Tokyo are in focus next week, while Big Tech reports earnings. Dr Agarwal’s Health Care, an eye hospital, lists on Wednesday.
January 31: U.S. personal consumption expenditures index for December, Tokyo consumer price index for January, Exxon Mobil earnings
February 1: India budget
February 3: Euro zone consumer price index flash for January, India HSBC Manufacturing PMI final for January, U.S. ISM Manufacturing PMI for January, China Caixin manufacturing PMI for January, Bank of Japan summary of opinions
February 4: Alphabet earnings
February 5: Dr Agarwal’s Health Care IPO, India HSBC Services PMI final for January, U.S. ISM Services PMI for January, China Caixin Services PMI for January
February 6: Bank of England interest rate decision, Amazon earnings
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Facebook admits that the Linux topic crackdown was ‘in error’ and has been fixed
Facebook admits that the Linux topic crackdown was ‘in error’ and has been fixed
Facebook’s heavy-handed censorship of Linux groups and topics was “in error,” the social media juggernaut has admitted. Responding to reports earlier this week, sparked by the curious censorship of the eminently wholesome DistroWatch, Facebook contacted PCMag to say that it had made a mistake and that the underlying issue had been rectified.
“This enforcement was in error and has since been addressed. Discussions of Linux are allowed on our services,” said a Meta rep to PCMag. That is the full extent of the statement reproduced by the source. Still, it helps us to dismiss various conspiracy theories about the Silicon Valley establishment feeling threatened by the open source movement. Like most big companies, Meta seems slow to respond and react to gaffes that adversely affect users.
We tested and confirmed the DistroWatch on FaceBook block earlier this week. (Image credit: Future)
Copenhagen-hosted DistroWatch says it has appealed against the Community Standards-triggered ban shortly after it noticed it was in effect (January 19). PCMag received the Facebook admission of error on January 28. The latest statement from DIstroWatch, which now prefers posting on Mastodon, indicates that Facebook has lifted the DistroWatch links ban.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
In the above post, DistroWatch notes that it is aware of the supposed lifting of its ban but that the account still seems to be locked. We just checked DistroWatch’s Facebook page (so you don’t have to). A post yesterday was ‘403 Forbidden’ by Facebook (10 likes), but one about a new BSD release published earlier today seems successful (2 likes).
So, it looks like we have a satisfactory outcome from the situation, though it wouldn’t have hurt Facebook to apologize to DistroWatch, among others, publicly. Meanwhile, the reason for the ‘Facebook Linux ban’ remains a mystery. If we had to put forward a theory behind the ban, it would probably highlight how Facebook is transitioning its fact-checking to an X-like Community Notes model.
Transitions often have teething problems, and Facebook posts a lot of data to its platforms every minute of the day. It is ironic, however, that shifting away from professional fact-checker-driven ‘censorship’ should result in innocuous discussions of open-source operating systems being so strictly censored on this social media platform.
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