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Different cultures draw closer through encounters, turning strangers into friends. Garments build Connection; Crafts stir Sensation; Customs form Gathering; Music fuels Integration. Four encounters compose CSGI’s cultural journey. On World Friendship Day (Sep 9), culture unlocks mutual understanding.May our differences draw us closer in understanding, and bind us together...

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CSGI

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203,558 views • 5 days ago •via X (Twitter)

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✨Daily Verse for Good Friday John 3:16 (NIV) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. This verse captures the heart of Good Friday: God’s incredible love shown through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, bringing salvation and hope to all who believe. ✨Daily Inspiration for Good Friday Today is Good Friday — a solemn yet profoundly hopeful day. On this third day of April, we pause to remember and give thanks for Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice. Though it brought suffering and death, it purchased our salvation, forgiveness, and eternal hope. As we reflect on the cross, let it cleanse our hearts and renew our spirits. May we walk today (and every day) in humility and love, just as Christ did. Let His sacrifice strengthen our faith, guide our steps, and remind us that even in darkness, God’s redemptive plan shines through. Thank you, Lord, for turning the pain of the cross into the greatest gift the world has ever known. Because of today, Sunday is coming — resurrection and new life await! ✨Daily Prayer for Good Friday Heavenly Father, Today is Good Friday. I thank You for this third day of April and for the precious gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for His sacrifice on the cross that brought salvation, forgiveness, and hope to a broken world. As I reflect on Your love today, please cleanse my heart, renew my spirit, and draw me closer to You. Help me walk in humility and love, following the example of Jesus. Bless my family, protect our home, and surround us with Your peace and presence. Strengthen my faith, guide my life, and fill me with gratitude for all You have done. May the power of the cross transform me from the inside out. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
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✨Daily Verse for Good Friday John 3:16 (NIV) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. This verse captures the heart of Good Friday: God’s incredible love shown through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, bringing salvation and hope to all who believe. ✨Daily Inspiration for Good Friday Today is Good Friday — a solemn yet profoundly hopeful day. On this third day of April, we pause to remember and give thanks for Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice. Though it brought suffering and death, it purchased our salvation, forgiveness, and eternal hope. As we reflect on the cross, let it cleanse our hearts and renew our spirits. May we walk today (and every day) in humility and love, just as Christ did. Let His sacrifice strengthen our faith, guide our steps, and remind us that even in darkness, God’s redemptive plan shines through. Thank you, Lord, for turning the pain of the cross into the greatest gift the world has ever known. Because of today, Sunday is coming — resurrection and new life await! ✨Daily Prayer for Good Friday Heavenly Father, Today is Good Friday. I thank You for this third day of April and for the precious gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for His sacrifice on the cross that brought salvation, forgiveness, and hope to a broken world. As I reflect on Your love today, please cleanse my heart, renew my spirit, and draw me closer to You. Help me walk in humility and love, following the example of Jesus. Bless my family, protect our home, and surround us with Your peace and presence. Strengthen my faith, guide my life, and fill me with gratitude for all You have done. May the power of the cross transform me from the inside out. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.

NancyH

10,386 views • 5 months ago

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9 In this verse, God speaks directly to Joshua, who is about to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. This command is not just for Joshua; it's for all of us on our faith journey. God's call for strength and courage is a reminder that we are not alone. Our fears and doubts often overshadow our trust in God. Yet, He promises His presence wherever life takes us. The instruction to "be strong and courageous" is about more than physical power. It calls us to spiritual resilience. This resilience comes from knowing that God walks beside us. In moments of uncertainty, we can find comfort in His constant presence. This presence empowers us to face challenges with faith instead of fear. In today's world, fear and discouragement are common. We fear the unknown, the future, and failure. Yet, Joshua 1:9 invites us to shift our focus from what terrifies us to the God who guides us. Trusting in God's presence can transform our fear into faith. Reflect on areas in your life where fear might be holding you back. Are there decisions or paths you are hesitant to take because of uncertainty? Take a moment to pray and ask God for the courage to move forward, trusting in His promise to be with you. For further reflection, consider this: What steps can you take today to strengthen your trust in God's presence in your life? How can you encourage others around you to be strong and courageous in their spiritual growth? Let this verse inspire you to take bold steps in your journey of faith, knowing God is with you every step of the way. Let us pray: Heavenly Father, I come before You with a heart eager to embrace the teachings of Jesus. As l journey through understanding and applying His words, grant me wisdom and clarity. Help me to see the relevance of His teachings in my life today, and to live them out with love and compassion. May I grow closer to You through prayer and connection, serving others with a heart full of love, and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide my path. Lord, strengthen my faith to overcome any doubts and fears, and empower me to share Your love with others. As I reflect on my spiritual growth, help me to set new goals that honor You and deepen my relationship with Christ. In the name of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.
0:47

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9 In this verse, God speaks directly to Joshua, who is about to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. This command is not just for Joshua; it's for all of us on our faith journey. God's call for strength and courage is a reminder that we are not alone. Our fears and doubts often overshadow our trust in God. Yet, He promises His presence wherever life takes us. The instruction to "be strong and courageous" is about more than physical power. It calls us to spiritual resilience. This resilience comes from knowing that God walks beside us. In moments of uncertainty, we can find comfort in His constant presence. This presence empowers us to face challenges with faith instead of fear. In today's world, fear and discouragement are common. We fear the unknown, the future, and failure. Yet, Joshua 1:9 invites us to shift our focus from what terrifies us to the God who guides us. Trusting in God's presence can transform our fear into faith. Reflect on areas in your life where fear might be holding you back. Are there decisions or paths you are hesitant to take because of uncertainty? Take a moment to pray and ask God for the courage to move forward, trusting in His promise to be with you. For further reflection, consider this: What steps can you take today to strengthen your trust in God's presence in your life? How can you encourage others around you to be strong and courageous in their spiritual growth? Let this verse inspire you to take bold steps in your journey of faith, knowing God is with you every step of the way. Let us pray: Heavenly Father, I come before You with a heart eager to embrace the teachings of Jesus. As l journey through understanding and applying His words, grant me wisdom and clarity. Help me to see the relevance of His teachings in my life today, and to live them out with love and compassion. May I grow closer to You through prayer and connection, serving others with a heart full of love, and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide my path. Lord, strengthen my faith to overcome any doubts and fears, and empower me to share Your love with others. As I reflect on my spiritual growth, help me to set new goals that honor You and deepen my relationship with Christ. In the name of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.

Paul Fleuret

17,618 views • 7 months ago

"The matter tonight is deep, we can't pray it in tongues." Apostle Arome paused his congregation from praying in tongues because he wanted them to pray with understanding. even instructed ushers to gently lead out those continuing in tongues. He understood the two dimensions of prayer — tongues and understanding — and their distinct purposes. In his words, “No one prays the prayer of repentance in tongues on a crusade ground.” That night, he emphasized understanding because the focus was commitment to God, something that must be consciously expressed, not spiritually uttered. Any Pentecostal grounded in Scripture knows this. So why am I sharing it? Because many critics have misrepresented the practice of speaking in tongues and those who engage in it. Among Pentecostals, the standard is to combine both forms of prayer, "I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding" (1 Corinthians 14:15). Tongues edify the spirit. As Paul urged Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God, praying in tongues is one way we do that practically. Those who practice it can testify, it builds you up. That’s why we pray long in tongues: because it strengthens us. And if it strengthens, God is behind it. Only He can build us up. So, when we pray in tongues, we pray God's will in mysteries, and He, who understands all, blesses our spirits through it. Both the ability to pray in tongues and the benefit from it are sovereign gifts from God. Why, then, do we criticize believers for using what God has given to grow in Him? When Pentecostal leaders encourage extended praying in tongues, it's to receive spiritual grace through the Spirit, graces in Christ, for the service of the Church. Many Pentecostal ministers in Nigeria trace their call to extended times in tongues. Their ministries now bless thousands. So they encourage us to do the same: keep the fire burning, grow in grace, and align with God's will. Importantly, most Pentecostals today don’t share the Corinthian problem. Our context is different. Few think they’re generating power by themselves when praying in tongues. In fact, it’s the opposite, they are waiting on God. We seek encounters. We listen. We yield. And almost always, praying in tongues is combined with praying in understanding, just as Paul taught. The goal is to have a genuine witness — that we truly met Him. To the Pentecostal Christian reading this: continue in tongues. You know how your eyes open, how your ears hear, how power flows through you when you do. Keep going. And keep going long. It will one day be clear that you met Him. God will help us all. Amen
1:55

"The matter tonight is deep, we can't pray it in tongues." Apostle Arome paused his congregation from praying in tongues because he wanted them to pray with understanding. even instructed ushers to gently lead out those continuing in tongues. He understood the two dimensions of prayer — tongues and understanding — and their distinct purposes. In his words, “No one prays the prayer of repentance in tongues on a crusade ground.” That night, he emphasized understanding because the focus was commitment to God, something that must be consciously expressed, not spiritually uttered. Any Pentecostal grounded in Scripture knows this. So why am I sharing it? Because many critics have misrepresented the practice of speaking in tongues and those who engage in it. Among Pentecostals, the standard is to combine both forms of prayer, "I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding" (1 Corinthians 14:15). Tongues edify the spirit. As Paul urged Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God, praying in tongues is one way we do that practically. Those who practice it can testify, it builds you up. That’s why we pray long in tongues: because it strengthens us. And if it strengthens, God is behind it. Only He can build us up. So, when we pray in tongues, we pray God's will in mysteries, and He, who understands all, blesses our spirits through it. Both the ability to pray in tongues and the benefit from it are sovereign gifts from God. Why, then, do we criticize believers for using what God has given to grow in Him? When Pentecostal leaders encourage extended praying in tongues, it's to receive spiritual grace through the Spirit, graces in Christ, for the service of the Church. Many Pentecostal ministers in Nigeria trace their call to extended times in tongues. Their ministries now bless thousands. So they encourage us to do the same: keep the fire burning, grow in grace, and align with God's will. Importantly, most Pentecostals today don’t share the Corinthian problem. Our context is different. Few think they’re generating power by themselves when praying in tongues. In fact, it’s the opposite, they are waiting on God. We seek encounters. We listen. We yield. And almost always, praying in tongues is combined with praying in understanding, just as Paul taught. The goal is to have a genuine witness — that we truly met Him. To the Pentecostal Christian reading this: continue in tongues. You know how your eyes open, how your ears hear, how power flows through you when you do. Keep going. And keep going long. It will one day be clear that you met Him. God will help us all. Amen

Lekan Olayinka

125,114 views • 1 year ago

A year ago, a simple question changed everything: "Who wants to join a GDM that's JL-centered?" It was just a simple question. A simple invitation that brought together people who shared the same goal. And from that moment, Stargazers/Team Uwakz was born. We never thought that one question would bring together people from different walks of life. Some of us were students, some were working professionals, some were mothers, titas, even lolas. We had different stories, different responsibilities, and different lives outside the fandom. Yet we were all united by one person and one common purpose: our admiration, support, and love for JL. If we're being honest, none of us expected this friendship to last this long. We've been through our fair share of challenges. We had to "evacuate" multiple times because of spies infiltrating the group. There were moments when our bond was tested. There were misunderstandings, small disagreements, and times when some members chose to leave. We lost people along the way. But despite everything, there was never bad blood. No bitterness. No resentment. Because at the end of the day, we always chose understanding, kindness, and the shared reason that brought us together in the first place. Do you remember our first gift project? Back then, we were all too shy to even ask for contributions. Some of us even went caroling just to raise a little extra money so we could give a small gift to the person who had already given us so much happiness. Do you remember our first album purchases? The first time we supported not just as individuals, but as a group. Our first meet-up filled with awkward smiles, endless laughter, and karaoke sessions. Our first concert with JL and AHOF. The freebies we prepared, the contributions we pooled together, the excitement we shared, and the memories we created. Our first year-end countdown. Our first birthday project. And of course, our legendary teassmess sessions that started with "bente bente, juseyo" and somehow evolved into "pepte pepte, juseyo." Looking back, we've shared so many firsts together. But beyond the albums, projects, merchandise, concerts, and celebrations, the greatest gift we gained wasn't anything we could hold in our hands. It was each other. Because through JL, we found people who became our safe space. People who stayed awake with us for updates. People who celebrated our small victories, listened to our frustrations, laughed at our jokes, shared our excitement, and comforted us during difficult days. Some of us haven't even met in person, yet we've become such an important part of one another's lives. One thing is certain: JL has a rare gift of bringing people together. He didn't just give us someone to admire. He gave us a reason to find one another. And perhaps that's the most beautiful thing about all of this. A year later, what started as a simple group chat is no longer just a fandom space. It became a home. A place where friendships were built. Where strangers became friends. Where friends became family. And while we don't know what the future holds, one thing will always remain the same: the memories we've created, the laughter we've shared, the tears we've shed, and the bond we've built together because of one person who unknowingly brought our paths together. To every member of Stargazers/Team Uwakz, thank you. Thank you for every late-night conversation, every contribution, every project, every inside joke, every moment of support, and every memory that made this year unforgettable. No matter where life takes us from here, I hope we never forget that once upon a time, a simple question led us to find people who would become family. Happy 1st Anniversary, Stargazers/Team Uwakz. Here's to more memories, more laughter, more dreams, more JL, and many more years of flying together (magkokorya na ba?). And when the day comes that our paths eventually go in different directions, may we always look back on this chapter with grateful hearts, knowing that for one beautiful year and beyond, we found a home in each other. #AHOF #아홉 #Ahof_JL #제이엘
0:51

A year ago, a simple question changed everything: "Who wants to join a GDM that's JL-centered?" It was just a simple question. A simple invitation that brought together people who shared the same goal. And from that moment, Stargazers/Team Uwakz was born. We never thought that one question would bring together people from different walks of life. Some of us were students, some were working professionals, some were mothers, titas, even lolas. We had different stories, different responsibilities, and different lives outside the fandom. Yet we were all united by one person and one common purpose: our admiration, support, and love for JL. If we're being honest, none of us expected this friendship to last this long. We've been through our fair share of challenges. We had to "evacuate" multiple times because of spies infiltrating the group. There were moments when our bond was tested. There were misunderstandings, small disagreements, and times when some members chose to leave. We lost people along the way. But despite everything, there was never bad blood. No bitterness. No resentment. Because at the end of the day, we always chose understanding, kindness, and the shared reason that brought us together in the first place. Do you remember our first gift project? Back then, we were all too shy to even ask for contributions. Some of us even went caroling just to raise a little extra money so we could give a small gift to the person who had already given us so much happiness. Do you remember our first album purchases? The first time we supported not just as individuals, but as a group. Our first meet-up filled with awkward smiles, endless laughter, and karaoke sessions. Our first concert with JL and AHOF. The freebies we prepared, the contributions we pooled together, the excitement we shared, and the memories we created. Our first year-end countdown. Our first birthday project. And of course, our legendary teassmess sessions that started with "bente bente, juseyo" and somehow evolved into "pepte pepte, juseyo." Looking back, we've shared so many firsts together. But beyond the albums, projects, merchandise, concerts, and celebrations, the greatest gift we gained wasn't anything we could hold in our hands. It was each other. Because through JL, we found people who became our safe space. People who stayed awake with us for updates. People who celebrated our small victories, listened to our frustrations, laughed at our jokes, shared our excitement, and comforted us during difficult days. Some of us haven't even met in person, yet we've become such an important part of one another's lives. One thing is certain: JL has a rare gift of bringing people together. He didn't just give us someone to admire. He gave us a reason to find one another. And perhaps that's the most beautiful thing about all of this. A year later, what started as a simple group chat is no longer just a fandom space. It became a home. A place where friendships were built. Where strangers became friends. Where friends became family. And while we don't know what the future holds, one thing will always remain the same: the memories we've created, the laughter we've shared, the tears we've shed, and the bond we've built together because of one person who unknowingly brought our paths together. To every member of Stargazers/Team Uwakz, thank you. Thank you for every late-night conversation, every contribution, every project, every inside joke, every moment of support, and every memory that made this year unforgettable. No matter where life takes us from here, I hope we never forget that once upon a time, a simple question led us to find people who would become family. Happy 1st Anniversary, Stargazers/Team Uwakz. Here's to more memories, more laughter, more dreams, more JL, and many more years of flying together (magkokorya na ba?). And when the day comes that our paths eventually go in different directions, may we always look back on this chapter with grateful hearts, knowing that for one beautiful year and beyond, we found a home in each other. #AHOF #아홉 #Ahof_JL #제이엘

𝖘𝖙🌟𝖗𝖌𝖆𝖟𝖊𝖗𝖘 🦝🦅

11,196 views • 12 days ago

Fan Video For #TAEMIN in Chile 🇨🇱 [English]: "Hello, Taemin from this part of the world we open our hearts to send you this message. Showing you the deep love and admiration we have for you. Every step you take, every melody you share and every time we see your smile the bond between us grows stronger despite the distance. Chile it's a country that it's far away from Korea, it's on the other side of the world. Here when the sun shines there (in Korea) the sun sets. The distance, cultural and linguistic differences seem to distance us but none of that has stopped us or prevented us from deciding to always be by your side. The time difference (12hs), more than an impediment, it's a way to strive for your dreams while you rest. Your fans in Chile have passion, commitment, and unconditional love towards you. We support all your decisions and every step you take. We feel very proud to follow the artist and the person that you are, and it fills us with happiness to be able to celebrate your achievements, your birthdays, and your anniversaries. No matter the place or the day we always feel accompanied by you. Do you remember how many times you have visited Chile? Your visits to Chile have left indelible marks, in 2014 with SHINee, in 2018 with Music Bank, and in 2019 with SMOTWON. With this we are filled with emotion/pride and energy, so thank you for connecting so deeply with us through things like singing and speaking in Spanish putting a lot of effort and love into it. Your authenticity and dedication make you a unique artist. You fill our hearts with every song, every choreography, and every word you share (with us) because what you offer can't be compared. Chilean fans want to express our gratitude and love which extends over more than 4,000 km of our country; one of the largest in the world. Chile, it's far from Korea, on the other side of the world, but it's at that distance that feelings can be purer, stronger, and generous. Also, we are joined by Taemates and Shawols from Bolivia, Argentina, Peru, and more countries from South America, because this feeling crosses/surpasses all borders. This continent it's your house and Chile is your home. Thousands of Taemates and Shawols gathered from different parts of the country because you are the one who unites us. From this city, which rises between mountains, you can have the certainty in your heart that on this side of the world, there is a lot of passionate, understanding, and unconditional love for you. I love you, from Chile [...]. Thank you for being the inspiration that unites us. [...]" P.S. It's not the full translation since there were a lot of screams and I couldn't hear what the video said, but they were really beautiful words for Taemin.
4:04

Fan Video For #TAEMIN in Chile 🇨🇱 [English]: "Hello, Taemin from this part of the world we open our hearts to send you this message. Showing you the deep love and admiration we have for you. Every step you take, every melody you share and every time we see your smile the bond between us grows stronger despite the distance. Chile it's a country that it's far away from Korea, it's on the other side of the world. Here when the sun shines there (in Korea) the sun sets. The distance, cultural and linguistic differences seem to distance us but none of that has stopped us or prevented us from deciding to always be by your side. The time difference (12hs), more than an impediment, it's a way to strive for your dreams while you rest. Your fans in Chile have passion, commitment, and unconditional love towards you. We support all your decisions and every step you take. We feel very proud to follow the artist and the person that you are, and it fills us with happiness to be able to celebrate your achievements, your birthdays, and your anniversaries. No matter the place or the day we always feel accompanied by you. Do you remember how many times you have visited Chile? Your visits to Chile have left indelible marks, in 2014 with SHINee, in 2018 with Music Bank, and in 2019 with SMOTWON. With this we are filled with emotion/pride and energy, so thank you for connecting so deeply with us through things like singing and speaking in Spanish putting a lot of effort and love into it. Your authenticity and dedication make you a unique artist. You fill our hearts with every song, every choreography, and every word you share (with us) because what you offer can't be compared. Chilean fans want to express our gratitude and love which extends over more than 4,000 km of our country; one of the largest in the world. Chile, it's far from Korea, on the other side of the world, but it's at that distance that feelings can be purer, stronger, and generous. Also, we are joined by Taemates and Shawols from Bolivia, Argentina, Peru, and more countries from South America, because this feeling crosses/surpasses all borders. This continent it's your house and Chile is your home. Thousands of Taemates and Shawols gathered from different parts of the country because you are the one who unites us. From this city, which rises between mountains, you can have the certainty in your heart that on this side of the world, there is a lot of passionate, understanding, and unconditional love for you. I love you, from Chile [...]. Thank you for being the inspiration that unites us. [...]" P.S. It's not the full translation since there were a lot of screams and I couldn't hear what the video said, but they were really beautiful words for Taemin.

SHINee Fan Base

15,940 views • 1 year ago

Address by the Ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan H.E. Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb on the occasion of 5th Anniversary of Victory Day: بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم، It is my great pleasure to warmly welcome you all to this dignified gathering, held to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the end of the occupation of Afghanistan and the restoration of the country’s independence. On behalf of the Government and people of Afghanistan, as well as the Embassy of Afghanistan in Pakistan, I sincerely thank each and every one of you for accepting our invitation and honouring this important national occasion with your presence. Five years ago, on 15 August, the Afghan people opened a new chapter in their contemporary history. After more than four decades of war, foreign intervention, and immense suffering, Afghanistan once again took into its own hands the authority to determine its own future. Distinguished Guests, This day is not merely the anniversary of a political transformation; it also marks the beginning of a new chapter. We have left behind the chapter of war and embarked upon a new path—one in which Afghanistan, under unified leadership and within an Islamic system, is confidently moving toward the implementation of Islamic Sharia, strengthening its independent decision-making, consolidating lasting stability, pursuing reconstruction and economic growth, and expanding relations with the international community on the basis of mutual respect. We are confident that this new chapter and the strengthened peace in Afghanistan are not only in the interest of the Afghan people, but also serve the shared interests and needs of the region and the wider world. A peaceful and stable Afghanistan creates significant opportunities for regional connectivity, economic cooperation, and collective security, and can play a constructive role in strengthening peace and prosperity across the region. Our region is among the most promising parts of the world in terms of its potential for growth, connectivity, and economic cooperation. If we manage our shared geographic advantages wisely, Afghanistan can play its historic role as a natural bridge between Central and South Asia, opening new opportunities for trade, transit, investment, and energy cooperation. We firmly believe that the stability of Afghanistan is inseparable from the stability of the region, and the prosperity of the region is closely linked to the prosperity of Afghanistan. Ladies and Gentlemen, In Afghanistan’s foreign policy vision, our neighbours hold the first and most important place. Geography has made us neighbours, but our shared history, common faith and culture, centuries-old trade relations, and the family and social ties connecting millions of people have created bonds between us that cannot be easily separated. These deep ties call for mutual respect, shared interests, and a shared commitment to our common future. For this reason, we do not view our neighbours merely as countries of the region; rather, we consider them natural partners in our shared future prosperity. Based on this vision, Afghanistan seeks relations with all its neighbours, particularly Pakistan, founded on mutual respect, equality of sovereignty, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, and the pursuit of shared interests. We believe that an atmosphere of trust cannot be created through pressure or force. It can only be built through understanding, sustained dialogue, and sincere cooperation. These are principles that are fully consistent with the guidance of Islamic Sharia, the directives of His Excellency the Amir-ul-Momineen, the accepted principles of international relations, and the enduring values of good neighbourly relations. Distinguished Guests, History has shown us that occasional differences between neighbouring countries are natural. However, such differences should not become a reason for greater distance. Rather, during times of disagreement, the path of dialogue, mutual respect, and political wisdom should be pursued. We believe that every challenge, when addressed with sincerity and goodwill, can become a new opportunity to build trust and expand cooperation. This perspective forms the foundation of Afghanistan’s relations with its neighbours and guides our approach to regional affairs. In our view, lasting and sustainable security can only be achieved when there is a shared commitment to mutual trust, sincere cooperation, practical coordination, and respect for each other’s legitimate concerns. The stronger the trust between us, the stronger the foundations of peace, stability, and prosperity throughout our region will become. Afghanistan does not pursue a policy of confrontation, nor does it allow its territory to be used against the security and stability of any other country. In the same spirit, we hope and remain confident that Afghanistan’s legitimate security concerns will be understood and respected, and that no country will allow its territory to be used against Afghanistan. We stand ready to further strengthen practical and constructive cooperation with our neighbours on the basis of these principles. Our vision is clear: an Afghanistan that is not a field for geopolitical competition, but a bridge for regional connectivity, trade, transit, dialogue, and cooperation. Distinguished Guests, Finally, on this historic occasion marking the anniversary of the Victory, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for your distinguished presence and participation. For us, your presence is a reflection of respect, friendship, and mutual goodwill. We pray that Almighty Allah guides our country, our region, and the entire world toward success, peace, stability, and prosperity. Ameen. والله ولي التوفيق. والسلام علیکم ورحمة الله وبرکاته
10:42

Address by the Ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan H.E. Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb on the occasion of 5th Anniversary of Victory Day: بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم، It is my great pleasure to warmly welcome you all to this dignified gathering, held to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the end of the occupation of Afghanistan and the restoration of the country’s independence. On behalf of the Government and people of Afghanistan, as well as the Embassy of Afghanistan in Pakistan, I sincerely thank each and every one of you for accepting our invitation and honouring this important national occasion with your presence. Five years ago, on 15 August, the Afghan people opened a new chapter in their contemporary history. After more than four decades of war, foreign intervention, and immense suffering, Afghanistan once again took into its own hands the authority to determine its own future. Distinguished Guests, This day is not merely the anniversary of a political transformation; it also marks the beginning of a new chapter. We have left behind the chapter of war and embarked upon a new path—one in which Afghanistan, under unified leadership and within an Islamic system, is confidently moving toward the implementation of Islamic Sharia, strengthening its independent decision-making, consolidating lasting stability, pursuing reconstruction and economic growth, and expanding relations with the international community on the basis of mutual respect. We are confident that this new chapter and the strengthened peace in Afghanistan are not only in the interest of the Afghan people, but also serve the shared interests and needs of the region and the wider world. A peaceful and stable Afghanistan creates significant opportunities for regional connectivity, economic cooperation, and collective security, and can play a constructive role in strengthening peace and prosperity across the region. Our region is among the most promising parts of the world in terms of its potential for growth, connectivity, and economic cooperation. If we manage our shared geographic advantages wisely, Afghanistan can play its historic role as a natural bridge between Central and South Asia, opening new opportunities for trade, transit, investment, and energy cooperation. We firmly believe that the stability of Afghanistan is inseparable from the stability of the region, and the prosperity of the region is closely linked to the prosperity of Afghanistan. Ladies and Gentlemen, In Afghanistan’s foreign policy vision, our neighbours hold the first and most important place. Geography has made us neighbours, but our shared history, common faith and culture, centuries-old trade relations, and the family and social ties connecting millions of people have created bonds between us that cannot be easily separated. These deep ties call for mutual respect, shared interests, and a shared commitment to our common future. For this reason, we do not view our neighbours merely as countries of the region; rather, we consider them natural partners in our shared future prosperity. Based on this vision, Afghanistan seeks relations with all its neighbours, particularly Pakistan, founded on mutual respect, equality of sovereignty, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, and the pursuit of shared interests. We believe that an atmosphere of trust cannot be created through pressure or force. It can only be built through understanding, sustained dialogue, and sincere cooperation. These are principles that are fully consistent with the guidance of Islamic Sharia, the directives of His Excellency the Amir-ul-Momineen, the accepted principles of international relations, and the enduring values of good neighbourly relations. Distinguished Guests, History has shown us that occasional differences between neighbouring countries are natural. However, such differences should not become a reason for greater distance. Rather, during times of disagreement, the path of dialogue, mutual respect, and political wisdom should be pursued. We believe that every challenge, when addressed with sincerity and goodwill, can become a new opportunity to build trust and expand cooperation. This perspective forms the foundation of Afghanistan’s relations with its neighbours and guides our approach to regional affairs. In our view, lasting and sustainable security can only be achieved when there is a shared commitment to mutual trust, sincere cooperation, practical coordination, and respect for each other’s legitimate concerns. The stronger the trust between us, the stronger the foundations of peace, stability, and prosperity throughout our region will become. Afghanistan does not pursue a policy of confrontation, nor does it allow its territory to be used against the security and stability of any other country. In the same spirit, we hope and remain confident that Afghanistan’s legitimate security concerns will be understood and respected, and that no country will allow its territory to be used against Afghanistan. We stand ready to further strengthen practical and constructive cooperation with our neighbours on the basis of these principles. Our vision is clear: an Afghanistan that is not a field for geopolitical competition, but a bridge for regional connectivity, trade, transit, dialogue, and cooperation. Distinguished Guests, Finally, on this historic occasion marking the anniversary of the Victory, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for your distinguished presence and participation. For us, your presence is a reflection of respect, friendship, and mutual goodwill. We pray that Almighty Allah guides our country, our region, and the entire world toward success, peace, stability, and prosperity. Ameen. والله ولي التوفيق. والسلام علیکم ورحمة الله وبرکاته

AFG Embassy Pakistan

131,271 views • 27 days ago

To: Incredible VeeFriends Community Today, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude and admiration for each and every one of you. When I embarked on this journey, little did I know that I would find a family of like-minded individuals who would inspire and uplift me in ways I could never have imagined. You are the beating heart that keeps our VeeFriends community alive and thriving. In this digital realm (web3 ) we call home, we have transcended boundaries and connected on a level that is beyond physical proximity. We come from different backgrounds, cultures, and walks of life, yet we share a common passion for VeeFriends and the values it represents. Together, we have created an ecosystem of support, encouragement, and unwavering belief in one another. Every day, I witness the incredible achievements and milestones that each of you reach. From launching innovative projects, pursuing creative endeavors, and making a positive impact in your respective industries, you constantly remind me of the power of determination and resilience. Your unwavering dedication to your craft is nothing short of inspiring. But it's not just about the accomplishments and successes. It's about the collective spirit that binds us. It's the way we come together to cheer each other on, to lift each other up when we stumble, and to celebrate each other's victories. In a world that can often feel cold and disconnected, our VeeFriends community has become a sanctuary of warmth, understanding, and genuine connection. You are not just a community to me; you are a source of strength and motivation. You push me to dream bigger, to chase my passions relentlessly, and to embrace the unknown with open arms. The enthusiasm and support that permeates our interactions fuel my fire and remind me that anything is possible when we believe in ourselves and each other. In this world of VeeFriends, we are not just holders of tokens or participants in an ecosystem. We are a force for change, a collective of dreamers and doers who are shaping the future. Together, we are creating a legacy that extends far beyond the digital realm, leaving an indelible mark on the world and inspiring generations to come. So, to my remarkable VeeFriends community, thank you. Thank you for being the catalysts of change, for igniting the flames of passion within me, and for reminding me that the impossible is merely a challenge waiting to be conquered. Our journey is far from over, and I am grateful to be walking this path alongside each and every one of you. Let us continue to dream big, support one another, and celebrate the extraordinary. Together, we are unstoppable. With heartfelt appreciation and unyielding belief DOLCE 💜🖤💚❤️💙🧡🤎💛🤍 Apologies as it took me a very long time to Process and Digest VeeCon, even longer to put my full feelings & thoughts into fruition. I LOVE YOU ALL 🥹
1:19

To: Incredible VeeFriends Community Today, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude and admiration for each and every one of you. When I embarked on this journey, little did I know that I would find a family of like-minded individuals who would inspire and uplift me in ways I could never have imagined. You are the beating heart that keeps our VeeFriends community alive and thriving. In this digital realm (web3 ) we call home, we have transcended boundaries and connected on a level that is beyond physical proximity. We come from different backgrounds, cultures, and walks of life, yet we share a common passion for VeeFriends and the values it represents. Together, we have created an ecosystem of support, encouragement, and unwavering belief in one another. Every day, I witness the incredible achievements and milestones that each of you reach. From launching innovative projects, pursuing creative endeavors, and making a positive impact in your respective industries, you constantly remind me of the power of determination and resilience. Your unwavering dedication to your craft is nothing short of inspiring. But it's not just about the accomplishments and successes. It's about the collective spirit that binds us. It's the way we come together to cheer each other on, to lift each other up when we stumble, and to celebrate each other's victories. In a world that can often feel cold and disconnected, our VeeFriends community has become a sanctuary of warmth, understanding, and genuine connection. You are not just a community to me; you are a source of strength and motivation. You push me to dream bigger, to chase my passions relentlessly, and to embrace the unknown with open arms. The enthusiasm and support that permeates our interactions fuel my fire and remind me that anything is possible when we believe in ourselves and each other. In this world of VeeFriends, we are not just holders of tokens or participants in an ecosystem. We are a force for change, a collective of dreamers and doers who are shaping the future. Together, we are creating a legacy that extends far beyond the digital realm, leaving an indelible mark on the world and inspiring generations to come. So, to my remarkable VeeFriends community, thank you. Thank you for being the catalysts of change, for igniting the flames of passion within me, and for reminding me that the impossible is merely a challenge waiting to be conquered. Our journey is far from over, and I am grateful to be walking this path alongside each and every one of you. Let us continue to dream big, support one another, and celebrate the extraordinary. Together, we are unstoppable. With heartfelt appreciation and unyielding belief DOLCE 💜🖤💚❤️💙🧡🤎💛🤍 Apologies as it took me a very long time to Process and Digest VeeCon, even longer to put my full feelings & thoughts into fruition. I LOVE YOU ALL 🥹

Dolceboi103

37,527 views • 3 years ago

Former UK🇬🇧 Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood: “Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation is a reflection of where politics has gone, how fickle it is, how fickle the nation is in wanting results so quickly. Social media fuels this, of course, but there's an impatience that if you're in there just two years and you don't get good results, then people start to question whether you should stay in office. And of course I can't complain about this because I came from a government where we had a churn of Prime Ministers. We got through four or five. And I think I say this with some sadness that this is currently where Britain is. Other Western European countries are not throwing out their leaders, their premiers, halfway through office. Times are tough now and we've entered a new era of insecurity. The global order itself has started to fragment. We've got Russia and China working closer together. America disengaging. Where is our world going? And economically, of course, this is a very testing time. Whether it's Iran and what's going on there, whether it's Covid that hit us too, whether it was the financial crisis before that. There's been a series of testing events which means that economically, these are difficult times. Now if the nation itself, the people, then get frustrated, clearly they're going to express that in the popularity of whoever is Prime Minister at the time. What is different is that MPs themselves then look at the poll ratings and say, "I think we could probably do better with somebody else." And that is very, very unusual. That's a different phase that we've gone into from a British perspective. I don't think from the international perspective you're going to see much change with Andy Burnham coming in compared with Keir Starmer. Domestically, probably, yes. But certainly from a foreign policy perspective, I don't think you're going to see much change at all.” —Tobias Ellwood, former UK Defence Minister and Author of ‘Ten Steps to Prevent World War 3’, joins us for Monday’s Going Underground Don’t miss it, follow us on X and follow our Rumble channel, link below in the replies👇
2:46

Former UK🇬🇧 Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood: “Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation is a reflection of where politics has gone, how fickle it is, how fickle the nation is in wanting results so quickly. Social media fuels this, of course, but there's an impatience that if you're in there just two years and you don't get good results, then people start to question whether you should stay in office. And of course I can't complain about this because I came from a government where we had a churn of Prime Ministers. We got through four or five. And I think I say this with some sadness that this is currently where Britain is. Other Western European countries are not throwing out their leaders, their premiers, halfway through office. Times are tough now and we've entered a new era of insecurity. The global order itself has started to fragment. We've got Russia and China working closer together. America disengaging. Where is our world going? And economically, of course, this is a very testing time. Whether it's Iran and what's going on there, whether it's Covid that hit us too, whether it was the financial crisis before that. There's been a series of testing events which means that economically, these are difficult times. Now if the nation itself, the people, then get frustrated, clearly they're going to express that in the popularity of whoever is Prime Minister at the time. What is different is that MPs themselves then look at the poll ratings and say, "I think we could probably do better with somebody else." And that is very, very unusual. That's a different phase that we've gone into from a British perspective. I don't think from the international perspective you're going to see much change with Andy Burnham coming in compared with Keir Starmer. Domestically, probably, yes. But certainly from a foreign policy perspective, I don't think you're going to see much change at all.” —Tobias Ellwood, former UK Defence Minister and Author of ‘Ten Steps to Prevent World War 3’, joins us for Monday’s Going Underground Don’t miss it, follow us on X and follow our Rumble channel, link below in the replies👇

Going Underground

30,945 views • 2 months ago

Pope Leo has given the world a Catechesis of Peace tonight. He invoked "A Kingdom in which there is no sword, no drone, no vengeance, no trivialization of evil, no unjust profit, but only dignity, understanding and forgiveness. It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive." "War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens," he said, with his words immediately going viral across the planet. Pope Leo gave a definition of the state of the world today: "The balance within the human family has been severely destabilized. Even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death. A world of brothers and sisters with one heavenly Father vanishes, as in a nightmare, giving way to a reality populated by enemies. We are met by threats, rather than the invitation to listen and to come together. Brothers and sisters, those who pray are aware of their own limitations; they do not kill or threaten with death. Instead, death enslaves those who have turned their backs on the living God, turning themselves and their own power into a mute, blind and deaf idol (cf. Ps 115:4–8), to which they sacrifice every value, demanding that the whole world bend its knee." Highlighting "there are certainly binding responsibilities that fall to the leaders of nations," Pope Leo said "To them we cry out: Stop! It is time for peace! Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, not at the table where rearmament is planned and deadly actions are decided!" "Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life," he said. Every Catholic today was called by the pope to be a builder of peace. "We are an immense multitude that rejects war not only in word, but also in deed. Prayer calls us to leave behind whatever violence remains in our hearts and minds. Let us turn to a Kingdom of peace that is built up day by day — in our homes, schools, neighborhoods, and civil and religious communities. A Kingdom that counters polemics and resignation through friendship and a culture of encounter. Let us believe once again in love, moderation and good politics. We must form ourselves and get personally involved, each following our own calling. Everyone has a place in the mosaic of peace!" In first lines of his address, Pope Leo defined what is a prayer for peace - the part below is provided in the video. "War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens. My dearest friends, all it takes is a little faith, a mere “crumb” of faith, in order to face this dramatic hour in history together — as humanity and alongside humanity. Prayer is not a refuge in which to hide from our responsibilities, nor an anesthetic to numb the pain provoked by so much injustice. Rather, it is the most selfless, universal and transformative response to death: we are a people who are already risen! Within each of us, within every human being, the interior Teacher teaches peace, urges us toward encounter and inspires us to make supplication. Let us rise from the rubble! Nothing can confine us to a predetermined fate, not even in this world where there never seem to be enough graves, for people continue to crucify one another and eliminate life, with no regard to justice and mercy." Many in 2003 were also scandalized by Pope John Paul II opposing the Iraq war. Pope Leo specifically brought up the Polish Pope's argumentation, making it his own. "In the context of the 2003 Iraq war crisis, Saint John Paul II, a tireless advocate for peace, said with deep emotion: “I belong to that generation that lived through World War II and, thanks be to God, survived it. I have the duty to say to all young people, to those who are younger than I, who have not had this experience: “No more war” as Paul VI said during his first visit to the United Nations. We must do everything possible. We know well that peace is not possible at any price. But we all know how great is this responsibility” (Angelus, 16 March 2003). I make his appeal my own this evening, relevant as it is today." Video: Vatican Media Full speech here:
2:51

Pope Leo has given the world a Catechesis of Peace tonight. He invoked "A Kingdom in which there is no sword, no drone, no vengeance, no trivialization of evil, no unjust profit, but only dignity, understanding and forgiveness. It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive." "War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens," he said, with his words immediately going viral across the planet. Pope Leo gave a definition of the state of the world today: "The balance within the human family has been severely destabilized. Even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death. A world of brothers and sisters with one heavenly Father vanishes, as in a nightmare, giving way to a reality populated by enemies. We are met by threats, rather than the invitation to listen and to come together. Brothers and sisters, those who pray are aware of their own limitations; they do not kill or threaten with death. Instead, death enslaves those who have turned their backs on the living God, turning themselves and their own power into a mute, blind and deaf idol (cf. Ps 115:4–8), to which they sacrifice every value, demanding that the whole world bend its knee." Highlighting "there are certainly binding responsibilities that fall to the leaders of nations," Pope Leo said "To them we cry out: Stop! It is time for peace! Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, not at the table where rearmament is planned and deadly actions are decided!" "Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life," he said. Every Catholic today was called by the pope to be a builder of peace. "We are an immense multitude that rejects war not only in word, but also in deed. Prayer calls us to leave behind whatever violence remains in our hearts and minds. Let us turn to a Kingdom of peace that is built up day by day — in our homes, schools, neighborhoods, and civil and religious communities. A Kingdom that counters polemics and resignation through friendship and a culture of encounter. Let us believe once again in love, moderation and good politics. We must form ourselves and get personally involved, each following our own calling. Everyone has a place in the mosaic of peace!" In first lines of his address, Pope Leo defined what is a prayer for peace - the part below is provided in the video. "War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens. My dearest friends, all it takes is a little faith, a mere “crumb” of faith, in order to face this dramatic hour in history together — as humanity and alongside humanity. Prayer is not a refuge in which to hide from our responsibilities, nor an anesthetic to numb the pain provoked by so much injustice. Rather, it is the most selfless, universal and transformative response to death: we are a people who are already risen! Within each of us, within every human being, the interior Teacher teaches peace, urges us toward encounter and inspires us to make supplication. Let us rise from the rubble! Nothing can confine us to a predetermined fate, not even in this world where there never seem to be enough graves, for people continue to crucify one another and eliminate life, with no regard to justice and mercy." Many in 2003 were also scandalized by Pope John Paul II opposing the Iraq war. Pope Leo specifically brought up the Polish Pope's argumentation, making it his own. "In the context of the 2003 Iraq war crisis, Saint John Paul II, a tireless advocate for peace, said with deep emotion: “I belong to that generation that lived through World War II and, thanks be to God, survived it. I have the duty to say to all young people, to those who are younger than I, who have not had this experience: “No more war” as Paul VI said during his first visit to the United Nations. We must do everything possible. We know well that peace is not possible at any price. But we all know how great is this responsibility” (Angelus, 16 March 2003). I make his appeal my own this evening, relevant as it is today." Video: Vatican Media Full speech here:

Paulina Guzik

53,843 views • 5 months ago

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆, 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 Today, we celebrate not just a fandom, not just a ship, but a family that has stood together through every high and low, every happy moment and every uncertain day. Who would have thought that what started as a simple one-week subscription joke would turn into something this beautiful? One year later, here we are—stronger, closer, and still choosing to stay. This journey has never been easy. We have experienced days filled with excitement and happiness, but we have also endured long periods of silence. There were moments when we held on without any assurance of what was coming next. After MMK, we faced uncertainty, wondering if Kai and Kyle would have projects together again, wondering if there would be another event, another appearance, another reason to celebrate. Yet despite all those questions, we stayed. We stayed through the quiet days. We stayed through the waiting. We stayed through the moments when all we had was hope. And that is something I will always be proud of. I am proud of every Wishart who chose understanding over frustration, patience over doubt, and love over disappointment. I am proud of those who continued supporting Kai and Kyle individually while still believing in KaiKyle. I am proud of those who remained positive even when things were unclear. Most importantly, I am proud of those who never gave up on the happiness this family has brought them. Because somewhere along the way, this fandom became so much more than KaiKyle. It became friendships. It became comfort. It became a safe space. It became a home. Many of us came here because of Kai and Kyle, but many of us stayed because of the genuine connections we built with fellow Wisharts. Through every interaction, every event, every group chat, every project, and every shared excitement, we found people who understood us and made this journey even more meaningful. To every Wishart who has supported our projects, joined our events, streamed, voted, cheered, donated, promoted, defended, waited, hoped, and loved alongside us—thank you. Thank you for continuously trusting KaiKyle. Thank you for believing in them even during uncertain times. Thank you for staying when leaving would have been easier. Thank you for making this family what it is today. And to our dearest 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙆𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘿𝙤𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙆𝙮𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙤, Thank you. Thank you for bringing so much happiness into our lives. Thank you for every smile, every laugh, every interaction, every memory, and every moment that reminded us why we started supporting you in the first place. You may never fully realize the impact you have had on your supporters, but please know that your presence has brought comfort to so many people. You have made difficult days easier, lonely days brighter, and ordinary days something to look forward to. Through your kindness, authenticity, and genuine appreciation for your supporters, you have touched more lives than you could ever imagine. One year later, our love and support remain the same—if not stronger. This anniversary is not just a celebration of one year of KaiKyle. It is a celebration of every memory we created together, every challenge we overcame, every friendship we built, and every reason we chose to stay. And as we celebrate this milestone, one thing remains certain: We have no plans of making this our last. No matter where life takes the both of you, no matter what paths your careers may take, and no matter what the future holds, we will continue to support, cheer, and believe in you. ONE YEAR WITH KAIKYLE
3:09

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆, 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 Today, we celebrate not just a fandom, not just a ship, but a family that has stood together through every high and low, every happy moment and every uncertain day. Who would have thought that what started as a simple one-week subscription joke would turn into something this beautiful? One year later, here we are—stronger, closer, and still choosing to stay. This journey has never been easy. We have experienced days filled with excitement and happiness, but we have also endured long periods of silence. There were moments when we held on without any assurance of what was coming next. After MMK, we faced uncertainty, wondering if Kai and Kyle would have projects together again, wondering if there would be another event, another appearance, another reason to celebrate. Yet despite all those questions, we stayed. We stayed through the quiet days. We stayed through the waiting. We stayed through the moments when all we had was hope. And that is something I will always be proud of. I am proud of every Wishart who chose understanding over frustration, patience over doubt, and love over disappointment. I am proud of those who continued supporting Kai and Kyle individually while still believing in KaiKyle. I am proud of those who remained positive even when things were unclear. Most importantly, I am proud of those who never gave up on the happiness this family has brought them. Because somewhere along the way, this fandom became so much more than KaiKyle. It became friendships. It became comfort. It became a safe space. It became a home. Many of us came here because of Kai and Kyle, but many of us stayed because of the genuine connections we built with fellow Wisharts. Through every interaction, every event, every group chat, every project, and every shared excitement, we found people who understood us and made this journey even more meaningful. To every Wishart who has supported our projects, joined our events, streamed, voted, cheered, donated, promoted, defended, waited, hoped, and loved alongside us—thank you. Thank you for continuously trusting KaiKyle. Thank you for believing in them even during uncertain times. Thank you for staying when leaving would have been easier. Thank you for making this family what it is today. And to our dearest 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙆𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘿𝙤𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙆𝙮𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙤, Thank you. Thank you for bringing so much happiness into our lives. Thank you for every smile, every laugh, every interaction, every memory, and every moment that reminded us why we started supporting you in the first place. You may never fully realize the impact you have had on your supporters, but please know that your presence has brought comfort to so many people. You have made difficult days easier, lonely days brighter, and ordinary days something to look forward to. Through your kindness, authenticity, and genuine appreciation for your supporters, you have touched more lives than you could ever imagine. One year later, our love and support remain the same—if not stronger. This anniversary is not just a celebration of one year of KaiKyle. It is a celebration of every memory we created together, every challenge we overcame, every friendship we built, and every reason we chose to stay. And as we celebrate this milestone, one thing remains certain: We have no plans of making this our last. No matter where life takes the both of you, no matter what paths your careers may take, and no matter what the future holds, we will continue to support, cheer, and believe in you. ONE YEAR WITH KAIKYLE

KAIKYLE OFFICIAL

31,551 views • 3 months ago

President Xi’s New Year Address On New Year's Eve, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered his 2026 New Year message through China Media Group and the internet. The following is the full text of the message: Greetings to all! Year after year, life opens a fresh chapter. As the new year begins, I extend my best wishes to you from Beijing! The year 2025 marks the completion of China's 14th Five-Year Plan for economic and social development. Over the past five years, we have pressed ahead with enterprise and fortitude, and overcome many difficulties and challenges. We met the targets in the Plan and made solid advances on the new journey of Chinese modernization. Our economic output has crossed thresholds one after another, and it is expected to reach RMB 140 trillion yuan this year. Our economic strength, scientific and technological abilities, defense capabilities, and composite national strength all reached new heights. Clear waters and lush mountains have become a salient feature of our landscape. Our people enjoy a growing sense of gain, happiness and security. The past five years have been a truly remarkable journey, and our accomplishments have not come easily. Your unwavering hard work has made our nation thrive and prosper. I salute you all for your exceptional diligence and invaluable contributions. This year is full of indelible memories. We solemnly commemorated the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and established the Taiwan Recovery Day. These grand national events were majestic and powerful, and the glory of victory will shine through the pages of history. They are inspiring all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation to remember history, honor fallen heroes, cherish peace, and create a better future. They are rallying a mighty force for the great rejuvenation of our nation. We sought to energize high-quality development through innovation. We integrated science and technology deeply with industries, and made a stream of new innovations. Many large AI models have been competing in a race to the top, and breakthroughs have been achieved in the research and development of our own chips. All this has turned China into one of the economies with the fastest growing innovation capabilities. The Tianwen-2 probe began its star-chasing journey to explore asteroids and comets. Construction of the hydropower project at the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River started. China's first aircraft carrier equipped with an electromagnetic catapult system was officially commissioned. Humanoid robots did kung fu kicks, and drones performed spectacular light shows. Inventions and innovations have boosted new quality productive forces and added colorful dimensions to our lives. We endeavored to nurture our spiritual home with cultural development. There was a surging public interest in cultural relics, museums, and intangible cultural heritage. A new Chinese cultural site was added to the World Heritage List. Cultural IPs such as Wukong and Nezha became global hits. The younger generation came to deem classic Chinese culture as the finest form of aesthetic expression. The cultural and tourism sectors thrived. The "super league" football games in our cities and villages attracted numerous fans. Ice and snow sports ignited people's passion for the winter season. Tradition is now embracing modernity, and the Chinese culture is shining in even greater splendor. We joined hands to build a better life and enjoyed it together. I attended celebrations in Xizang and Xinjiang. From the snow-covered plateau to both sides of the Tianshan Mountains, people of various ethnic groups are united as one, like seeds of a pomegranate sticking together. With white khatas and passionate singing and dancing, they expressed their love of the motherland and the happiness they enjoy. No issue of the people is too small; we care for every leaf and tend every branch in the garden of people's well-being. Over the past year, the rights and interests of the workforce in new forms of employment have been better protected, facilities have been upgraded to bring more convenience to the elderly, and each family with childcare needs has received a subsidy of RMB 300 yuan per month. When the happy hum of daily life fills every home, the big family of our nation will go from strength to strength. We continued to embrace the world with open arms. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin and the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women were very successful; and island-wide special customs operations were launched in the Hainan Free Trade Port. To better address climate change, China announced new Nationally Determined Contributions. After announcing the three global initiatives on development, security, and civilization, I put forward the Global Governance Initiative to promote a more just and equitable global governance system. The world today is undergoing both changes and turbulence, and some regions are still engulfed in war. China always stands on the right side of history, and is ready to work with all countries to advance world peace and development and build a community with a shared future for humanity. Not long ago, I attended the opening ceremony of the National Games, and I was glad to see Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao coming together in unity and acting in unison. We should unswervingly implement the policy of One Country, Two Systems, and support Hong Kong and Macao in better integrating into the overall development of our country and maintaining long-term prosperity and stability. We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a bond of blood and kinship. The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable! Only a strong Communist Party of China can make our country strong. We launched the study and education program on fully implementing the central Party leadership's eight-point decision on improving Party and government conduct. We exercised strict governance of the Party through credible measures, and promoted the Party's self-revolution to fight corruption and advance healthy governance. As a result, the conduct of our Party and government steadily improved. We must stay true to our original aspiration and founding mission, and pursue our goal with perseverance and dedication. We should continue to give a good answer to the question on how to maintain long-term governance put forth in a cave dwelling in Yan'an and prove ourselves worthy of the people's expectation in the new era. The year 2026 marks the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan. A successful venture should start with a good plan and with clear goals set. We should focus on our goals and tasks, boost confidence, and build momentum to press ahead. We should take solid steps to promote high-quality development, further deepen reform and opening up across the board, deliver prosperity for all, and write a new chapter in the story of China's miracle. The dream lofty, the journey long-bold strides will get us there. Let us charge ahead like horses with courage, vitality, and energy, fight for our dreams and our happiness, and turn our great vision into beautiful realities. The sun of the new year will soon rise. May our great motherland stand in magnificence! May the fields across the country deliver good harvest! May our nation bathe in the glory of the morning! May you all enjoy life to the fullest, and achieve every success! May all your dreams come true!
9:04

President Xi’s New Year Address On New Year's Eve, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered his 2026 New Year message through China Media Group and the internet. The following is the full text of the message: Greetings to all! Year after year, life opens a fresh chapter. As the new year begins, I extend my best wishes to you from Beijing! The year 2025 marks the completion of China's 14th Five-Year Plan for economic and social development. Over the past five years, we have pressed ahead with enterprise and fortitude, and overcome many difficulties and challenges. We met the targets in the Plan and made solid advances on the new journey of Chinese modernization. Our economic output has crossed thresholds one after another, and it is expected to reach RMB 140 trillion yuan this year. Our economic strength, scientific and technological abilities, defense capabilities, and composite national strength all reached new heights. Clear waters and lush mountains have become a salient feature of our landscape. Our people enjoy a growing sense of gain, happiness and security. The past five years have been a truly remarkable journey, and our accomplishments have not come easily. Your unwavering hard work has made our nation thrive and prosper. I salute you all for your exceptional diligence and invaluable contributions. This year is full of indelible memories. We solemnly commemorated the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and established the Taiwan Recovery Day. These grand national events were majestic and powerful, and the glory of victory will shine through the pages of history. They are inspiring all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation to remember history, honor fallen heroes, cherish peace, and create a better future. They are rallying a mighty force for the great rejuvenation of our nation. We sought to energize high-quality development through innovation. We integrated science and technology deeply with industries, and made a stream of new innovations. Many large AI models have been competing in a race to the top, and breakthroughs have been achieved in the research and development of our own chips. All this has turned China into one of the economies with the fastest growing innovation capabilities. The Tianwen-2 probe began its star-chasing journey to explore asteroids and comets. Construction of the hydropower project at the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River started. China's first aircraft carrier equipped with an electromagnetic catapult system was officially commissioned. Humanoid robots did kung fu kicks, and drones performed spectacular light shows. Inventions and innovations have boosted new quality productive forces and added colorful dimensions to our lives. We endeavored to nurture our spiritual home with cultural development. There was a surging public interest in cultural relics, museums, and intangible cultural heritage. A new Chinese cultural site was added to the World Heritage List. Cultural IPs such as Wukong and Nezha became global hits. The younger generation came to deem classic Chinese culture as the finest form of aesthetic expression. The cultural and tourism sectors thrived. The "super league" football games in our cities and villages attracted numerous fans. Ice and snow sports ignited people's passion for the winter season. Tradition is now embracing modernity, and the Chinese culture is shining in even greater splendor. We joined hands to build a better life and enjoyed it together. I attended celebrations in Xizang and Xinjiang. From the snow-covered plateau to both sides of the Tianshan Mountains, people of various ethnic groups are united as one, like seeds of a pomegranate sticking together. With white khatas and passionate singing and dancing, they expressed their love of the motherland and the happiness they enjoy. No issue of the people is too small; we care for every leaf and tend every branch in the garden of people's well-being. Over the past year, the rights and interests of the workforce in new forms of employment have been better protected, facilities have been upgraded to bring more convenience to the elderly, and each family with childcare needs has received a subsidy of RMB 300 yuan per month. When the happy hum of daily life fills every home, the big family of our nation will go from strength to strength. We continued to embrace the world with open arms. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin and the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women were very successful; and island-wide special customs operations were launched in the Hainan Free Trade Port. To better address climate change, China announced new Nationally Determined Contributions. After announcing the three global initiatives on development, security, and civilization, I put forward the Global Governance Initiative to promote a more just and equitable global governance system. The world today is undergoing both changes and turbulence, and some regions are still engulfed in war. China always stands on the right side of history, and is ready to work with all countries to advance world peace and development and build a community with a shared future for humanity. Not long ago, I attended the opening ceremony of the National Games, and I was glad to see Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao coming together in unity and acting in unison. We should unswervingly implement the policy of One Country, Two Systems, and support Hong Kong and Macao in better integrating into the overall development of our country and maintaining long-term prosperity and stability. We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a bond of blood and kinship. The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable! Only a strong Communist Party of China can make our country strong. We launched the study and education program on fully implementing the central Party leadership's eight-point decision on improving Party and government conduct. We exercised strict governance of the Party through credible measures, and promoted the Party's self-revolution to fight corruption and advance healthy governance. As a result, the conduct of our Party and government steadily improved. We must stay true to our original aspiration and founding mission, and pursue our goal with perseverance and dedication. We should continue to give a good answer to the question on how to maintain long-term governance put forth in a cave dwelling in Yan'an and prove ourselves worthy of the people's expectation in the new era. The year 2026 marks the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan. A successful venture should start with a good plan and with clear goals set. We should focus on our goals and tasks, boost confidence, and build momentum to press ahead. We should take solid steps to promote high-quality development, further deepen reform and opening up across the board, deliver prosperity for all, and write a new chapter in the story of China's miracle. The dream lofty, the journey long-bold strides will get us there. Let us charge ahead like horses with courage, vitality, and energy, fight for our dreams and our happiness, and turn our great vision into beautiful realities. The sun of the new year will soon rise. May our great motherland stand in magnificence! May the fields across the country deliver good harvest! May our nation bathe in the glory of the morning! May you all enjoy life to the fullest, and achieve every success! May all your dreams come true!

China Perspective

27,604 views • 8 months ago

Today’s Outburst by Senator Lidia Thorpe Does Not Reflect all of Aboriginal Australia. As a former Senator and the first Aboriginal woman in the Australian Parliament, I am deeply disappointed by the actions of Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe during King Charles III’s visit to Parliament House. Her outburst, which disrupted what should have been a respectful event, was both embarrassing and disrespectful to our nation and the Royal Family. In 2022, Senator Thorpe herself affirmed allegiance to the Crown during her swearing-in ceremony, as required by Section 42 of the Australian Constitution, stating: “I do solemnly and sincerely affirm and declare that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, her heirs and successors according to law.” This is a reminder that, regardless of personal beliefs, respecting our nation’s constitutional framework is essential, especially as an elected representative. If Senator Thorpe was not on board with this, she should not have accepted her position and made her affirmation in the first place. For over 2 decades I have supported the principle that Australia should one day become a republic. Indeed, as a former co-chair of the Australian Republican Movement I advocated strongly for this. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that such decisions are for the Australian people to make through democratic means—not through rude interruptions or public outbursts. Senator Thorpe’s actions today do not reflect the manners, or approach to reconciliation, of Aboriginal Australians at large. They reflect only her, and it is important to clarify that the vast majority of us would not engage in this unconstructive confrontational way. Australia is moving forward in its journey of reconciliation. As a nation, we are continually recognising the deep injustices faced by Aboriginal people. However, as hard as that journey is, it requires respectful dialogue, mutual understanding, and a shared commitment to healing—not divisive actions that draw attention away from the progress we are making as a country. I would like to extend my sincere apologies to King Charles III and Queen Camilla on behalf of all those who value mutual respect and the dignity of our nation. When King Charles visited Yolngu Country in 2018, he was welcomed with great respect and warmth by the traditional owners of the land, who honoured him with a traditional ceremony. That moment exemplified the kind of engagement we need—one where respect is earned and given in equal measure. Aboriginal Australia values these opportunities for cultural exchange and understanding. We are a proud people, deeply connected to our history, but we also recognise the importance of moving forward together as a unified nation. Lidia Thorpe’s actions today do not reflect all of our people’s views or values. I hope King Charles and Queen Camilla will continue to visit and engage with communities across Australia, where they are welcomed with respect and dignity.
0:58

Today’s Outburst by Senator Lidia Thorpe Does Not Reflect all of Aboriginal Australia. As a former Senator and the first Aboriginal woman in the Australian Parliament, I am deeply disappointed by the actions of Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe during King Charles III’s visit to Parliament House. Her outburst, which disrupted what should have been a respectful event, was both embarrassing and disrespectful to our nation and the Royal Family. In 2022, Senator Thorpe herself affirmed allegiance to the Crown during her swearing-in ceremony, as required by Section 42 of the Australian Constitution, stating: “I do solemnly and sincerely affirm and declare that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, her heirs and successors according to law.” This is a reminder that, regardless of personal beliefs, respecting our nation’s constitutional framework is essential, especially as an elected representative. If Senator Thorpe was not on board with this, she should not have accepted her position and made her affirmation in the first place. For over 2 decades I have supported the principle that Australia should one day become a republic. Indeed, as a former co-chair of the Australian Republican Movement I advocated strongly for this. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that such decisions are for the Australian people to make through democratic means—not through rude interruptions or public outbursts. Senator Thorpe’s actions today do not reflect the manners, or approach to reconciliation, of Aboriginal Australians at large. They reflect only her, and it is important to clarify that the vast majority of us would not engage in this unconstructive confrontational way. Australia is moving forward in its journey of reconciliation. As a nation, we are continually recognising the deep injustices faced by Aboriginal people. However, as hard as that journey is, it requires respectful dialogue, mutual understanding, and a shared commitment to healing—not divisive actions that draw attention away from the progress we are making as a country. I would like to extend my sincere apologies to King Charles III and Queen Camilla on behalf of all those who value mutual respect and the dignity of our nation. When King Charles visited Yolngu Country in 2018, he was welcomed with great respect and warmth by the traditional owners of the land, who honoured him with a traditional ceremony. That moment exemplified the kind of engagement we need—one where respect is earned and given in equal measure. Aboriginal Australia values these opportunities for cultural exchange and understanding. We are a proud people, deeply connected to our history, but we also recognise the importance of moving forward together as a unified nation. Lidia Thorpe’s actions today do not reflect all of our people’s views or values. I hope King Charles and Queen Camilla will continue to visit and engage with communities across Australia, where they are welcomed with respect and dignity.

Nova Peris OAM OLY

406,107 views • 1 year ago

After regrouping with our investors and the team, I’ve made the difficult decision to wind down Hike completely. Our US business, launched just nine months ago, is off to a strong start. But scaling globally would require a full recap, a reset that is not the best use of capital or time. The Big Question → We could raise the capital, but the real question is: is it worth it? Is this a climb worth pivoting for? For the first time in 13 years, my answer is no. Not for me, not for my team, and not for our investors. Why? 1. RMG was never the destination. It was a way to test unit economics and traction in India while working toward a bigger vision. In hindsight, starting in India locked us into the model and regulatory headwinds, turning a temporary path into a more permanent one. 2. The Gaming Nation vision is real, but we may be too early. The world will eventually move toward a Nation-type model in gaming and Web3 - Company 2.0. But crypto regulation is still developing globally, and we don’t want to repeat India, where we hoped for clarity that never came. 3. And most importantly, if doing a full reset, is this where I’d put my own capital and energy today? For the first time, the answer is no. The world has changed in the last decade - and so have I. There are more important problems to solve and bigger opportunities to deploy brilliant talent and capital. Looking Back & Lessons The last 13 years have been immense. Hike Messenger reached 40M MAUs and became the 35th most loved consumer brand in India at its peak. With Rush, we built a brand new kind of Casual PvP gaming platform and scaled it to 10M users and $500M+ in gross revenue in just 4 years. Our execution was super, but we could never quite make it stick. There are clear lessons to carry forward, especially on market selection: 1. Be careful with winner-take-all markets. To win, you need to go global. 2. Don’t build for today’s tech constraints. Build on the spring/summer of new technologies. 3. Regulatory clarity matters. Risk is fine; uncertainty is not. More importantly momentum is everything. And build what your heart and mind are deeply excited about. It’s the conviction that carries you through. This is both a disappointment and a hard outcome. But I choose to look on the bright side: the learnings are invaluable, and my conviction for what’s next is even stronger. To everyone who has been part of this journey - our users, our team, our investors, and our community - thank you. As a CEO, you’re only as strong as your team, and I want to give a special shout-out to mine - an incredible group of people who gave this everything. Hike This chapter ends, but the climb continues. Looking Forward I’ve always thrived at building at the forefront of technology. Over the last decade, in the little time I had to explore outside of Hike, I kept returning to the same three frontiers. And now, they feel like the great canvases for decades to come → 1. AI → For the first time, technology has both intelligence and memory. Imagine products that don’t just serve us functionally but truly know us - systems that adapt, grow, and partner with us. As a UX-first builder, this is the most exciting time to be building software. 2. Breakthroughs in Energy → Human progress has always been bound by energy. The world’s demand for energy is rising faster than ever. Breakthrough approaches, especially in physics are needed to power the future. The last century gave us mastery of fine matters and electricity, the next will move deeper, at the intersection of science and spirituality - into what yogis call divine magnetism and physicists call the quantum world or electromagnetism. From there will come technologies that today feel impossible to imagine. 3. Mastery of the Self → As AI takes on more of our work, a deeper question will rise: what now defines us? When productivity is no longer the measure of worth, humanity will turn inward. Man’s evolution will move from the intellect to intuitive attunement - a deeper connection with ourselves and the divine (which we’ll realise are one and the same). The tools, spaces, and guides that help us explore this inner world will be as transformative as any innovation in the outer one - unlocking the next level of humanity’s potential. If you put these together, a picture emerges: → the cost of intelligence trending to zero → the cost of energy trending to zero → and the cost of willpower falling lower and lower. Just imagine a future where willpower is infinite, energy is abundant, and intelligence is at our fingertips. This is the future I will help build — and it’s where I’ll be contributing in the decades to come. This new chapter will look very different from the last one 🚀 Video for perspective. Full substack post link below.
0:40

After regrouping with our investors and the team, I’ve made the difficult decision to wind down Hike completely. Our US business, launched just nine months ago, is off to a strong start. But scaling globally would require a full recap, a reset that is not the best use of capital or time. The Big Question → We could raise the capital, but the real question is: is it worth it? Is this a climb worth pivoting for? For the first time in 13 years, my answer is no. Not for me, not for my team, and not for our investors. Why? 1. RMG was never the destination. It was a way to test unit economics and traction in India while working toward a bigger vision. In hindsight, starting in India locked us into the model and regulatory headwinds, turning a temporary path into a more permanent one. 2. The Gaming Nation vision is real, but we may be too early. The world will eventually move toward a Nation-type model in gaming and Web3 - Company 2.0. But crypto regulation is still developing globally, and we don’t want to repeat India, where we hoped for clarity that never came. 3. And most importantly, if doing a full reset, is this where I’d put my own capital and energy today? For the first time, the answer is no. The world has changed in the last decade - and so have I. There are more important problems to solve and bigger opportunities to deploy brilliant talent and capital. Looking Back & Lessons The last 13 years have been immense. Hike Messenger reached 40M MAUs and became the 35th most loved consumer brand in India at its peak. With Rush, we built a brand new kind of Casual PvP gaming platform and scaled it to 10M users and $500M+ in gross revenue in just 4 years. Our execution was super, but we could never quite make it stick. There are clear lessons to carry forward, especially on market selection: 1. Be careful with winner-take-all markets. To win, you need to go global. 2. Don’t build for today’s tech constraints. Build on the spring/summer of new technologies. 3. Regulatory clarity matters. Risk is fine; uncertainty is not. More importantly momentum is everything. And build what your heart and mind are deeply excited about. It’s the conviction that carries you through. This is both a disappointment and a hard outcome. But I choose to look on the bright side: the learnings are invaluable, and my conviction for what’s next is even stronger. To everyone who has been part of this journey - our users, our team, our investors, and our community - thank you. As a CEO, you’re only as strong as your team, and I want to give a special shout-out to mine - an incredible group of people who gave this everything. Hike This chapter ends, but the climb continues. Looking Forward I’ve always thrived at building at the forefront of technology. Over the last decade, in the little time I had to explore outside of Hike, I kept returning to the same three frontiers. And now, they feel like the great canvases for decades to come → 1. AI → For the first time, technology has both intelligence and memory. Imagine products that don’t just serve us functionally but truly know us - systems that adapt, grow, and partner with us. As a UX-first builder, this is the most exciting time to be building software. 2. Breakthroughs in Energy → Human progress has always been bound by energy. The world’s demand for energy is rising faster than ever. Breakthrough approaches, especially in physics are needed to power the future. The last century gave us mastery of fine matters and electricity, the next will move deeper, at the intersection of science and spirituality - into what yogis call divine magnetism and physicists call the quantum world or electromagnetism. From there will come technologies that today feel impossible to imagine. 3. Mastery of the Self → As AI takes on more of our work, a deeper question will rise: what now defines us? When productivity is no longer the measure of worth, humanity will turn inward. Man’s evolution will move from the intellect to intuitive attunement - a deeper connection with ourselves and the divine (which we’ll realise are one and the same). The tools, spaces, and guides that help us explore this inner world will be as transformative as any innovation in the outer one - unlocking the next level of humanity’s potential. If you put these together, a picture emerges: → the cost of intelligence trending to zero → the cost of energy trending to zero → and the cost of willpower falling lower and lower. Just imagine a future where willpower is infinite, energy is abundant, and intelligence is at our fingertips. This is the future I will help build — and it’s where I’ll be contributing in the decades to come. This new chapter will look very different from the last one 🚀 Video for perspective. Full substack post link below.

Kavin

24,481 views • 1 year ago

Suno's mission is to make it possible for everyone to make music. We imagine a future where music is a bigger, more valuable, and more meaningful part of people's lives than it even is today. Technology enables a future where the whole world can explore, create, and be active participants in an art form most have only ever consumed. From professional musicians seeking inspiration to friends and family writing songs for each other, we are exploring new ways to create, listen to, and experience music. So far, more than 12 million people are engaging with music in new ways that wouldn't be possible without Suno. We see this as early but promising progress. Major record labels see this vision as a threat to their business. Each and every time there's been innovation in music — from the earliest forms of recorded music, to sampling, to drum machines, to remixing, MP3s, and streaming music — the record labels have attempted to limit progress. They have spent decades attempting to control the terms of how we create and enjoy music, and this time is no different. So, it is perhaps not a surprise that on June 24th, members of the Recording Industry Association of America, which represents the major record labels, filed a lawsuit against Suno, alleging that the data used in training our music generation technologies infringed on the copyrights of the major record labels that they represent. This lawsuit is fundamentally flawed on both the facts and the law, and is nothing more than yet another instance where they chose litigation over innovation. For starters, the major record labels clearly hold misconceptions about how our technology works. Suno helps people create music through a similar process to one humans have used forever: by learning styles, patterns, and forms (in essence, the "grammar" or music), and then inventing new music around them. The major record labels are trying to argue that neural networks are mere parrots — copying and repeating — when in reality model training looks a lot more like a kid learning to write new rock songs by listening religiously to rock music. Like that kid, Suno gets better the more our AI learns. We train our models on medium- and high-quality music we can find on the open internet — just as Google's Gemini, Microsoft's Copilot, Anthropic's Claude, OpenAI's ChatGPT, and even Apple's new Apple Intelligence train their models on the open internet. Much of the open internet indeed contains copyrighted materials, and some of it is owned by major record labels. But, just like the kid writing their own rock songs after listening to the genre — or a teacher or a journalist reviewing existing materials to draw new insights — learning is not infringing. It never has been, and it is not now. The timing of this lawsuit was somewhat surprising. When this lawsuit landed, Suno was, in fact, having productive discussions with a number of the RIAA's major record label members to find ways of expanding the pie for music together. We did so not because we had to, but because we believe that the music industry could help us lead this expansion of opportunity for everyone, rather than resisting it. Whether this lawsuit is the result of over-eager lawyers throwing their weight around, or a conscious strategy to gain leverage in our commercial discussions, we believe that this lawsuit is an unnecessary impediment to a larger and more valuable future for music. This is particularly the case because Suno is a new kind of musical instrument, one that enables a new kind of creative process for everyone and opens new business opportunities for the industry. Suno is designed for original music, and we prize originality, both in how we build our product and in how people use it. People who use Suno are using the product to create their own, original music. They are not trying to recreate an existing song that can be heard somewhere else on the internet for free. But, even if they were trying to copy existing music, we have myriad controls in place to encourage originality and prevent duplicative use cases. We do so more aggressively than any other company in the industry, including other startups. Some of our originality-guarding features include checking for and preventing copyrighted content in audio uploads, and disallowing artist-based descriptions in requests to generate music. Why do we work to encourage originality? We do this because it makes for a more fun and engaging experience to create entirely original compositions on Suno. We do it because we think it makes Suno incredibly valuable to be a place where new musical talent can shine. AI allows anyone to realize the songs in their head, regardless of the money, equipment, or connections that they have. The future is an explosion of new artists that are creating music in new ways, building fan bases, finding new reasons to smile, and getting famous. We hope that the major record labels realize that we can build a stronger foundation for the music industry of tomorrow, together. With or without them, we will continue pursuing our mission on behalf of the many millions of music fans already creating with Suno, and all those who will in the coming months. We are excited and humbled to support this next generation of musicians and the music they create. --- 🎥: shing86 jams with Suno
0:28

Suno's mission is to make it possible for everyone to make music. We imagine a future where music is a bigger, more valuable, and more meaningful part of people's lives than it even is today. Technology enables a future where the whole world can explore, create, and be active participants in an art form most have only ever consumed. From professional musicians seeking inspiration to friends and family writing songs for each other, we are exploring new ways to create, listen to, and experience music. So far, more than 12 million people are engaging with music in new ways that wouldn't be possible without Suno. We see this as early but promising progress. Major record labels see this vision as a threat to their business. Each and every time there's been innovation in music — from the earliest forms of recorded music, to sampling, to drum machines, to remixing, MP3s, and streaming music — the record labels have attempted to limit progress. They have spent decades attempting to control the terms of how we create and enjoy music, and this time is no different. So, it is perhaps not a surprise that on June 24th, members of the Recording Industry Association of America, which represents the major record labels, filed a lawsuit against Suno, alleging that the data used in training our music generation technologies infringed on the copyrights of the major record labels that they represent. This lawsuit is fundamentally flawed on both the facts and the law, and is nothing more than yet another instance where they chose litigation over innovation. For starters, the major record labels clearly hold misconceptions about how our technology works. Suno helps people create music through a similar process to one humans have used forever: by learning styles, patterns, and forms (in essence, the "grammar" or music), and then inventing new music around them. The major record labels are trying to argue that neural networks are mere parrots — copying and repeating — when in reality model training looks a lot more like a kid learning to write new rock songs by listening religiously to rock music. Like that kid, Suno gets better the more our AI learns. We train our models on medium- and high-quality music we can find on the open internet — just as Google's Gemini, Microsoft's Copilot, Anthropic's Claude, OpenAI's ChatGPT, and even Apple's new Apple Intelligence train their models on the open internet. Much of the open internet indeed contains copyrighted materials, and some of it is owned by major record labels. But, just like the kid writing their own rock songs after listening to the genre — or a teacher or a journalist reviewing existing materials to draw new insights — learning is not infringing. It never has been, and it is not now. The timing of this lawsuit was somewhat surprising. When this lawsuit landed, Suno was, in fact, having productive discussions with a number of the RIAA's major record label members to find ways of expanding the pie for music together. We did so not because we had to, but because we believe that the music industry could help us lead this expansion of opportunity for everyone, rather than resisting it. Whether this lawsuit is the result of over-eager lawyers throwing their weight around, or a conscious strategy to gain leverage in our commercial discussions, we believe that this lawsuit is an unnecessary impediment to a larger and more valuable future for music. This is particularly the case because Suno is a new kind of musical instrument, one that enables a new kind of creative process for everyone and opens new business opportunities for the industry. Suno is designed for original music, and we prize originality, both in how we build our product and in how people use it. People who use Suno are using the product to create their own, original music. They are not trying to recreate an existing song that can be heard somewhere else on the internet for free. But, even if they were trying to copy existing music, we have myriad controls in place to encourage originality and prevent duplicative use cases. We do so more aggressively than any other company in the industry, including other startups. Some of our originality-guarding features include checking for and preventing copyrighted content in audio uploads, and disallowing artist-based descriptions in requests to generate music. Why do we work to encourage originality? We do this because it makes for a more fun and engaging experience to create entirely original compositions on Suno. We do it because we think it makes Suno incredibly valuable to be a place where new musical talent can shine. AI allows anyone to realize the songs in their head, regardless of the money, equipment, or connections that they have. The future is an explosion of new artists that are creating music in new ways, building fan bases, finding new reasons to smile, and getting famous. We hope that the major record labels realize that we can build a stronger foundation for the music industry of tomorrow, together. With or without them, we will continue pursuing our mission on behalf of the many millions of music fans already creating with Suno, and all those who will in the coming months. We are excited and humbled to support this next generation of musicians and the music they create. --- 🎥: shing86 jams with Suno

Suno

46,955 views • 2 years ago

🚨NEW - House Speaker Mike Johnson delivers first floor speech on border catastrophe, accusing President Biden of intentionally creating a "clear and present danger to our national security." "Since I was elected Speaker less than 100 days ago, more than 700,000 illegals have been welcomed into our country illegally by the Biden administration. American schoolchildren have been forced into virtual schools so migrants can sleep in their school buildings. Korean War veterans have been booted from nursing homes that were sold to house migrants. Our streets are being flooded with fentanyl. Hundreds of thousands of children and adults are being poisoned and losing their lives. Vulnerable children and women are being exploited and trafficked by cartels. Since President Biden and Alejandro Mayorkas assumed office, there have been more than 7 million encounters with illegal aliens just at our southern border alone. 35 of our 50 states, including my home state of Louisiana, don't have a population that large. More than 300 individuals who are on our terror watchlist have been apprehended on the southern border. The frightening question is, how many have entered undetected? We know there are at least 1.8 million gotaways that have escaped. Understand that the situation at our border presents a clear and present danger to our national security, and it demands that it be addressed. FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Homeland Security Committee in November that these gotaways are a great concern for the agency, and all 56 of our Joint Terrorism Task Forces are trying to identify who these people are. We don't know how many terrorists are inside our borders. We do know that fentanyl is pouring into our communities like an open sewer. Right now, the leading cause of death of death in America for Americans aged 18 to 46 is fentanyl poisoning. To make matters worse, we've learned that the Biden administration is now simply just releasing 85% of the illegals who come across that border right into the country. For reference, by the way, in 2013, the Obama administration detained 82% of illegal aliens. How do we go from detaining 82% to releasing 85%? It only happens if this is by design. It only happens if it's an orchestrated intentional effort by the administration to do exactly that, and that is what the evidence shows. Earlier this month, I released a memo documenting 64 specific actions that the Biden administration has taken to undermine our border security and to promote the mass release of illegals and dangerous persons into our country. The very first day President Biden walked into the Oval Office, he revoked Executive Order 9844. Do you know what that did? It ended the construction of the border wall that Congress had already paid for. Everybody has seen the images of the materials out there rotting in the sun. Why? Because Joe Biden decided unilaterally that he didn't want a wall. In February 2021, the administration stopped applying Title 42 expulsions to children and incentivize by doing that incentivize families to send unaccompanied children through Mexico under the watch of cartels and traffickers. Since then, the administration admits to losing track of more than 80,000 unaccompanied children somewhere in the US. We don't know where they are. Have they been put into trafficking rings? We know that some of these kids are being trafficked for free labor and being forced to do things that are too appalling for us to articulate on this floor. Everybody here knows that's happening, and we're not demanding the President stop it? He can. He has the power to do it. In October 2021, the Biden administration revoked the migrant protection protocols that had been instituted under President Trump. That's the policy that we all know colloquially as Remain in Mexico. The Remain in Mexico policy kept asylum seekers in a safe haven third country while they were seeking asylum in the United States. Do you know why that works magically so well? Because it sent a message around the world that you shouldn't pay your life savings to a cartel to traffic you through Mexico and drop you over the US border because you're not going to be dropped over the US border. The word goes out on social media to countries all around the world. They are not going to let you in. Man, is that the most common sense rule you've ever thought of? President Biden doesn't agree because he stopped it. He issued an executive order to stop that common sense rule. A senior border patrol officer told us on that trip to Eagle Pass that if President Biden, by the stroke of a pen, would issue an executive order today to just simply reinstate Remain in Mexico, they think that would stop the flow by 70%. One stroke of the pen by the President. He does not seem to care. I told President Biden this myself on multiple occasions, most recently, a couple of weeks ago on the phone, I read him the law that says that he has all this authority, but he refuses to act. And even that's even despite court orders, by the way that instructed the administration to reinstate the institute remain in Mexico while the litigation was going on. You know what they did? They ignored it. The Biden administration is actively incentivizing illegals to come to the United States. We have laid out the welcome mat. We told everybody around the world, come on, you know what? The US taxpayer will take care of you. It's costing the American people billions and billions and billions of dollars to provide for people who are intentionally breaking our laws, billions and billions of dollars to house them and educate them and clothe them and take care of them. Why should we bear the burden when they break our laws? In January 2023, the Biden administration expanded the use of the Customs and Border Patrol One App so illegal aliens could just make appointments and then be released immediately right into America's interior. Guess what? 95% of all illegals who simply scheduled appointments through the app were released right into the United States. That's right. All you have to do is just download the app because they all have smartphones, make an appointment, and the President of the United States will release you into a network of NGOs who will put you on a plane to the destination of your choice. Without identification, by the way, while Americans are waiting in line to get through TSA. All on the dime of the American taxpayer. In December 2023, CBP recorded more than 302,000 encounters, almost double the population of my hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana. In just one month 302,000 people just walked right into the country. I could go on and on about the 64 actions we've documented that President Biden has specifically taken to open our border wide up, but it's crystal clear his policy choices and Secretary Mayorkas refusal to comply with the law are driving this border catastrophe. They have chosen disorder and chaos for us rather than securing the homeland. They've ceded the homeland to cartels and traffickers. In the Del Rio sector alone in Eagle Pass, Texas, the cartels are making an estimated $3.5 million dollars a day trafficking human beings into our country. Do the math. They are making billions of dollars a year trafficking undocumented children and victims into this country. The Department of Homeland Security has effectively become a taxi driver to just help traffickers complete the last few miles of their human smuggling operation, and they're making billions of dollars in the process. It's absolute madness, and it is dismantling the safety of our communities. More than half a million known criminals and illegal aliens are in the US in our communities, free to re-offend and victimize American people. When we were at Eagle Pass in the Del Rio sector earlier in January, they told us that 60 to 70% of the people coming across the border right there at that epicenter are single adult males. They're military-aged. These are not huddled masses of families seeking refuge and asylum. These are people coming into our country to do only God knows what. The Biden administration is allowing it, and we've noted that they are coming from adversarial nations and from terrorist regions. We have no idea what they're planning. But in fiscal year 2023, border patrol encountered illegals from 170 different countries, including hundreds from Iran and Syria, thousands from Russia, and tens of thousands have come in from China. Tell me that's not dangerous? Law enforcement and intelligence leaders are warning us that we may very well suffer a preventable terrorist attack here in the homeland if we don't immediately secure that border and remove these dangerous terrorists from inside our borders. I read the black letter law to the President of the United States on the phone about two and a half weeks ago. I said, Mr. President, it says very clearly that you have all the tools and the executive authority necessary to reverse the catastrophe that you have created. He has those tools right now, and he has since day one. We have to decide if we believe in the rule of law or not. We have to decide if we're a sovereign nation or we're not. I believe that border security is part of our solemn obligation to safeguard the well-being of our citizens and uphold the principles that define who we are as a nation. A weak border weakens America, and a strong border is good for America, and a stronger America is good for everybody around the world. And everybody in this chamber should acknowledge that. Just as we lock our doors at night to protect our homes, we secure our borders to protect our homeland. And my friends, that is our sacred obligation." Speaker Mike Johnson
29:19

🚨NEW - House Speaker Mike Johnson delivers first floor speech on border catastrophe, accusing President Biden of intentionally creating a "clear and present danger to our national security." "Since I was elected Speaker less than 100 days ago, more than 700,000 illegals have been welcomed into our country illegally by the Biden administration. American schoolchildren have been forced into virtual schools so migrants can sleep in their school buildings. Korean War veterans have been booted from nursing homes that were sold to house migrants. Our streets are being flooded with fentanyl. Hundreds of thousands of children and adults are being poisoned and losing their lives. Vulnerable children and women are being exploited and trafficked by cartels. Since President Biden and Alejandro Mayorkas assumed office, there have been more than 7 million encounters with illegal aliens just at our southern border alone. 35 of our 50 states, including my home state of Louisiana, don't have a population that large. More than 300 individuals who are on our terror watchlist have been apprehended on the southern border. The frightening question is, how many have entered undetected? We know there are at least 1.8 million gotaways that have escaped. Understand that the situation at our border presents a clear and present danger to our national security, and it demands that it be addressed. FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Homeland Security Committee in November that these gotaways are a great concern for the agency, and all 56 of our Joint Terrorism Task Forces are trying to identify who these people are. We don't know how many terrorists are inside our borders. We do know that fentanyl is pouring into our communities like an open sewer. Right now, the leading cause of death of death in America for Americans aged 18 to 46 is fentanyl poisoning. To make matters worse, we've learned that the Biden administration is now simply just releasing 85% of the illegals who come across that border right into the country. For reference, by the way, in 2013, the Obama administration detained 82% of illegal aliens. How do we go from detaining 82% to releasing 85%? It only happens if this is by design. It only happens if it's an orchestrated intentional effort by the administration to do exactly that, and that is what the evidence shows. Earlier this month, I released a memo documenting 64 specific actions that the Biden administration has taken to undermine our border security and to promote the mass release of illegals and dangerous persons into our country. The very first day President Biden walked into the Oval Office, he revoked Executive Order 9844. Do you know what that did? It ended the construction of the border wall that Congress had already paid for. Everybody has seen the images of the materials out there rotting in the sun. Why? Because Joe Biden decided unilaterally that he didn't want a wall. In February 2021, the administration stopped applying Title 42 expulsions to children and incentivize by doing that incentivize families to send unaccompanied children through Mexico under the watch of cartels and traffickers. Since then, the administration admits to losing track of more than 80,000 unaccompanied children somewhere in the US. We don't know where they are. Have they been put into trafficking rings? We know that some of these kids are being trafficked for free labor and being forced to do things that are too appalling for us to articulate on this floor. Everybody here knows that's happening, and we're not demanding the President stop it? He can. He has the power to do it. In October 2021, the Biden administration revoked the migrant protection protocols that had been instituted under President Trump. That's the policy that we all know colloquially as Remain in Mexico. The Remain in Mexico policy kept asylum seekers in a safe haven third country while they were seeking asylum in the United States. Do you know why that works magically so well? Because it sent a message around the world that you shouldn't pay your life savings to a cartel to traffic you through Mexico and drop you over the US border because you're not going to be dropped over the US border. The word goes out on social media to countries all around the world. They are not going to let you in. Man, is that the most common sense rule you've ever thought of? President Biden doesn't agree because he stopped it. He issued an executive order to stop that common sense rule. A senior border patrol officer told us on that trip to Eagle Pass that if President Biden, by the stroke of a pen, would issue an executive order today to just simply reinstate Remain in Mexico, they think that would stop the flow by 70%. One stroke of the pen by the President. He does not seem to care. I told President Biden this myself on multiple occasions, most recently, a couple of weeks ago on the phone, I read him the law that says that he has all this authority, but he refuses to act. And even that's even despite court orders, by the way that instructed the administration to reinstate the institute remain in Mexico while the litigation was going on. You know what they did? They ignored it. The Biden administration is actively incentivizing illegals to come to the United States. We have laid out the welcome mat. We told everybody around the world, come on, you know what? The US taxpayer will take care of you. It's costing the American people billions and billions and billions of dollars to provide for people who are intentionally breaking our laws, billions and billions of dollars to house them and educate them and clothe them and take care of them. Why should we bear the burden when they break our laws? In January 2023, the Biden administration expanded the use of the Customs and Border Patrol One App so illegal aliens could just make appointments and then be released immediately right into America's interior. Guess what? 95% of all illegals who simply scheduled appointments through the app were released right into the United States. That's right. All you have to do is just download the app because they all have smartphones, make an appointment, and the President of the United States will release you into a network of NGOs who will put you on a plane to the destination of your choice. Without identification, by the way, while Americans are waiting in line to get through TSA. All on the dime of the American taxpayer. In December 2023, CBP recorded more than 302,000 encounters, almost double the population of my hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana. In just one month 302,000 people just walked right into the country. I could go on and on about the 64 actions we've documented that President Biden has specifically taken to open our border wide up, but it's crystal clear his policy choices and Secretary Mayorkas refusal to comply with the law are driving this border catastrophe. They have chosen disorder and chaos for us rather than securing the homeland. They've ceded the homeland to cartels and traffickers. In the Del Rio sector alone in Eagle Pass, Texas, the cartels are making an estimated $3.5 million dollars a day trafficking human beings into our country. Do the math. They are making billions of dollars a year trafficking undocumented children and victims into this country. The Department of Homeland Security has effectively become a taxi driver to just help traffickers complete the last few miles of their human smuggling operation, and they're making billions of dollars in the process. It's absolute madness, and it is dismantling the safety of our communities. More than half a million known criminals and illegal aliens are in the US in our communities, free to re-offend and victimize American people. When we were at Eagle Pass in the Del Rio sector earlier in January, they told us that 60 to 70% of the people coming across the border right there at that epicenter are single adult males. They're military-aged. These are not huddled masses of families seeking refuge and asylum. These are people coming into our country to do only God knows what. The Biden administration is allowing it, and we've noted that they are coming from adversarial nations and from terrorist regions. We have no idea what they're planning. But in fiscal year 2023, border patrol encountered illegals from 170 different countries, including hundreds from Iran and Syria, thousands from Russia, and tens of thousands have come in from China. Tell me that's not dangerous? Law enforcement and intelligence leaders are warning us that we may very well suffer a preventable terrorist attack here in the homeland if we don't immediately secure that border and remove these dangerous terrorists from inside our borders. I read the black letter law to the President of the United States on the phone about two and a half weeks ago. I said, Mr. President, it says very clearly that you have all the tools and the executive authority necessary to reverse the catastrophe that you have created. He has those tools right now, and he has since day one. We have to decide if we believe in the rule of law or not. We have to decide if we're a sovereign nation or we're not. I believe that border security is part of our solemn obligation to safeguard the well-being of our citizens and uphold the principles that define who we are as a nation. A weak border weakens America, and a strong border is good for America, and a stronger America is good for everybody around the world. And everybody in this chamber should acknowledge that. Just as we lock our doors at night to protect our homes, we secure our borders to protect our homeland. And my friends, that is our sacred obligation." Speaker Mike Johnson

KanekoaTheGreat

14,479,702 views • 2 years ago

War Diary Day 1,391 Blaise Metreweli, the Chief of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, sticks it to the Killer in The Kremlin. And all his creepy helpers. I agree with every fucking word. VPDFO! (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered) 📷 Welcome inside MI6. This iconic building, familiar to movie fans everywhere, is the home of Britain’s foreign intelligence agency. But whilst hundreds of my team pass through the entry pods each day, the truth is that most of our work happens many miles away from this place - out of sight, hidden from the world, undercover, recruiting and running agents who choose to place their trust in us, sharing secrets to make the UK and the world safer. You might pass one of our officers on the street or sit next to them on a plane when you’re about to set off on an adventure of your own, or in a foreign city taking selfies by the sights. Whether it’s in seemingly everyday places, or on the front line embedded with our military, MI6 is there. In my first few weeks, I’ve heard repeatedly that MI6 is trusted and respected globally, two things that we never take for granted. We are seen as a source of hard power, soft influence and rapid innovation. I’ve also heard that people want to believe in MI6. It’s my job to make sure they can. Today, I want to talk about human agency. We all have choices to make about how we deal with the undercurrents shaping our world. About how, in our new, faster, more dangerous and technology-mediated world, it will be our rediscovery of our shared humanity, our ability to listen, and our courage that will determine how our future unfolds. Conflict is not inevitable. Understanding human nature is in my bones. From a family shaped by devastating conflict, I grew up with a deep sense of gratitude for the UK’s precious democracy and freedom. I spent much of my childhood overseas, which is where my passion for travel and adventure began. I studied anthropology, and later psychology and AI, exploring how we make sense of the world and each other. It’s why I was drawn to MI6: it offers strong purpose, a chance to serve and a belief in the positive power of human connection. Like the Service, I’m operational to my very core. Over nearly three decades, my career has involved recruiting and running agents in hostile territory; and leading operations in warzones to defuse threats and support peace. Always in teams, always learning from others. Over the years, I’ve worked with hundreds of brilliant partners – and indeed occasionally those we’d label as adversaries – across dozens of countries, tackling weapons proliferation and terrorism. During my time at MI5, I saw close up what it takes to defend Britain from being targeted by hostile states. You’ll find many like me in my organisation: powerfully motivated to protect our precious country; curious about how our world is changing, joining dots and taking action, across domains. But it was in my last role as ‘Q’, where it was my job to turn emerging technologies from threats to opportunities that I could most see the world changing. As I dug deep into data and extraordinary innovation, I could see how technology was rapidly reshaping not just our capabilities but also conflict and trust, truth and global power. Let me lay out how I see the global issues MI6 must tackle. Because the greatest danger we face is to misunderstand the nature of the problem. Let’s be in no doubt. Our world is more dangerous and contested now than it has been for decades. Conflict is evolving and trust eroding, just as new technologies spur both competition and dependence. We are being contested from sea to space, from the battlefield to the boardroom. And even our brains, as disinformation manipulates our understanding of each other and ourselves. Across the globe, we are now confronting not one single danger, but an interlocking web of security challenges – military, technological, social, ethical even – each shaping the other in complex ways. We are now operating in a space between peace and war. This is not a temporary state or a gradual, inevitable evolution. Our world is being actively remade, with profound implications for national and international security. Institutions which were designed in the ashes of the Second World War are being challenged. New blocs and identities forming and alliances reshaping. Multipolar competition in tension with multilateral cooperation. But there’s something distinctive that will make this change unlike any other: the impact of advanced technologies, which will accelerate the pace and scale of every threat and opportunity, and increasingly, individualise them too. Advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum computing are not only revolutionising economies but rewriting the reality of conflict, as they ‘converge’ to create science-fiction-like tools. There’s incredible promise in all this for all of us, from green technologies to hyper-personalised medicine. But also peril. AI-powered robots and drones are brilliant for scaled manufacturing but devastating on the battlefield. Discoveries that cure disease can also create new weapons. And as states race for tech supremacy, or as some algorithms become as powerful as states, those hyper-personalised tools could become a new vector for conflict and control. Power itself is becoming more diffuse, more unpredictable as control over these technologies is shifting from states to corporations, and sometimes to individuals. And at the same time, the foundations of trust in our societies are eroding. Information, once a unifying force, is increasingly weaponised. Falsehood spreads faster than fact, dividing communities and distorting reality. We live in an age of hyper-connection yet profound isolation. The algorithms flatter our biases and fracture our public squares. And as trust collapses, so does our shared sense of truth – one of the greatest losses a society can suffer. The defining challenge of the twenty-first century is not simply who wields the most powerful technologies, but who guides them with the greatest wisdom. Our security, our prosperity, and our humanity depend on it. Our world is being remade. And for the first time, we are all at the heart of it. My Service must now operate in this new context too: not just expert on hostile states, terrorism, proliferation and more, but also fluent in technology, able to anticipate the second and third order effects of advances that reshape the world in minutes not months. And as China will be a central part of the global transformation taking place this century, it is essential that we, as MI6, continue to inform the government’s understanding of China’s rise and the implications for UK national security. I’m going to break with tradition and won’t give you a global threat tour, but will focus here on Putin’s Russia. We all continue to face the menace of an aggressive, expansionist and revisionist Russia, seeking to subjugate Ukraine and harass NATO. I find it harrowing that hundreds of thousands have died, with the toll mounting every day, because of Putin’s historical distortions and his compromised desire for respect. He is dragging out negotiations and shifting the cost of war onto his own population. But Putin should be in no doubt, our support is enduring. The pressure we apply on Ukraine’s behalf will be sustained. Because it is fundamental not just to European sovereignty and security but to global stability. Alongside the grinding war, Russia is testing us in the grey zone with tactics that are just below the threshold of war. It’s important to understand their attempts to bully, fearmonger and manipulate, because it affects us all. I am talking about: Cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. Drones buzzing airports and bases. Aggressive activity in our seas, above and below the waves. State-sponsored arson and sabotage. Propaganda and influence operations that crack open and exploit fractures within societies. Countering this activity is the work of intelligence and security services across Europe and the globe. And as the Foreign Secretary made clear in a speech last week, the UK is defending itself against this Russian information warfare – sanctioning Russian media outlets pushing Kremlin narratives. The export of chaos is a feature not a bug in this Russian approach to international engagement; and we should be ready for this to continue until Putin is forced to change his calculus. So, how should we respond? It’s not enough now just to understand the world. We must shape it too. MI6 is well-positioned to respond to these threats and wider global instability. And we will continue to evolve, just as we have throughout our long history. The UK government has invested in our intelligence agencies and we are all using our unique powers to keep the British people safe. Our ‘open and connected’ partnerships across the UK Intelligence Community, with HMGCC, NSSIF and the wider tech ecosystem in the UK will become even more important – because in the digital battleground, no single organisation can prevail alone. As a global agency, MI6’s inbuilt strength is our partners and our people. The risks I have set out require us to work ever more closely with our colleagues in MI5, GCHQ and in defence and diplomacy. But also with our Five Eyes partners, with the E3, the EU, NATO, those across the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific and beyond. And with many valued partners whose identity needs to remain secret. Together, we integrate our diverse talent, data and tools to meet the threat. AI is a domain in which we will excel, using the technology to augment, not replace, our human skills. Every digital trace, every byte of data, every algorithmic decision has implications for the safety of the lives of the courageous people who work with us as officers and agents, and for the UK’s strategic advantage. Mastery of technology will infuse everything we do. Not just in our labs, but in the field, in our tradecraft, and even more importantly, in the mindset of every officer. We will become as comfortable with lines of code as we are with human sources, as fluent in Python as we are in multiple other languages. Under my leadership, MI6 will continue to attract Britain’s best and most creative minds: linguists and data scientists, case officers and engineers, behavioural experts and technologists. We need people who walk in the shoes and get in the heads of our adversaries. We need people who think differently, challenge assumptions, and act decisively. All can thrive and make a difference at MI6. At an operational level, we will sharpen our edge and impact with audacity, tapping into – if you like – our historical SOE instincts. We’re at our best when we’re hustling to make things happen, because our intelligence is most valuable when it changes reality on the ground. We will take calculated risks, where the prize is significant and the national interest clear. We will never stoop to the tactics of our opponents. But we must seek to outplay them. In every domain. In every way. So intelligence must drive action. Action must deliver advantage. And advantage must serve Britain’s security and prosperity. But at the core, our deeper contribution is also our simplest – how we unlock human agency. Our fast-paced, tech and threat-infused world now generates more heat than light. As nations retrench and rearm, we are losing opportunities to listen to what’s really going on. I’ve seen time and again throughout my career, that this is where MI6 matters most: we listen and we hear. We understand, because we take time to learn languages and cultures, complex technical and historical detail, immerse ourselves in what’s really driving the situation. Across the globe, right now, our officers are finding people with the courage to step forward, and they are taking time to sit and listen to break these tightening cycles of violence. They listen for nuance, for connection, for opportunity. Over the years, I’ve listened to terrorists who have told us how to defuse the bomb because they know that more violence won’t help. To proliferators and smugglers who’ve told us where to find the dangerous material, motivated to protect their children’s future. To people trapped in authoritarian regimes who know, deep down, that their humanity is being chipped away – and that telling us what’s really going on is an important release, allowing us all to find better ways to navigate our changing world. So, we will work with our agents. And we will continue to engage directly, and with respect, with states and organisation currently working against us. Away from the glare of the media, we will use MI6’s convening power wherever we can to make a material difference, bringing parties together to defuse tensions. But the response to the increasing risks we face won’t be delivered by the UK intelligence community alone. Wider society has a role to play too. That includes work taking place in schools across the country so our children don’t get duped by information manipulation. Let’s all check sources, consider evidence, and be alive to those algorithms that trigger intense reactions, like fear. It also means everyone in society really understanding the world we are in – a world where terrorists plot against us, where our enemies fearmonger, bully and manipulate, and the front line is everywhere. Online, on our streets, in our supply chains, in the minds and on the screens of our citizens. We must all stand together against this. As we do today with our friends in Australia after the shocking antisemitic terrorist attack this weekend. My thoughts -and those of my whole organisation – are with the family, friends and loved ones of the victims. Light will always win over darkness. In rising to meet these challenges we, in MI6, will remain anchored to our values: courage, creativity, respect and integrity. And to our principles: accountability and trust are not constraints on our work; they are the foundations of our legitimacy with the British public. Recently, I had the privilege of meeting and thanking a foreign agent who has worked with us for decades, taking extraordinary risks to help keep the UK safe. I asked why. They said simply, ‘Your values. Your integrity and respect. None of us have a future without them’. This moment reinforced to me that we must remain a very human agency. And so, to sustain that trust, MI6 will continue to be more open. Not for the sake of visibility, but because it matters – and as my MI5 counterpart Sir Ken McCallum said recently - because it is a strength. We will continue the practice of speaking publicly, broaden our channels of engagement, and sustain our focus on attracting the most diverse talent to join our Service. Transparency does not mean revealing what must remain secret. It means showing the British people who we are, what we stand for, and why our work matters. We need your trust and support for the difficult and often dangerous work our agents pursue, every day of the year. In an age of uncertainty, one constant remains: the choices made by human beings still determine the shape of the world. Yes, technology can illuminate possibilities: but information requires judgement; complexity demands clarity; and only people can decide which path to follow. The United Kingdom’s global voice has never rested solely on strength – it has rested on trust, principle, and the ability to understand others as well as ourselves. That is also the essence of intelligence: not simply knowing the world, but interpreting it through a uniquely human lens. Ours is the quiet service, the hidden service. It is one rooted in a profound belief that when human beings act with purpose and integrity, they can steady a faltering world. When the Berlin Wall fell, it was our shared belief in freedom that carried Europe forward. When acts of terror targeted open societies, it was intelligence, cooperation and resolve that preserved them. And when adversaries blur fact and falsehood, our task is to defend the space where truth can still stand. As we step into the future, the tools at our disposal will evolve. But what will always matter most is the human element – the person who stands in the shadows and says: this is right, and that is wrong. That choice – the exercise of human agency – has shaped our world before, and it will shape it again. Because in the end, it is not what we can do that defines us, but what we choose to do. Thank you. Published 15 December 2025
0:59

War Diary Day 1,391 Blaise Metreweli, the Chief of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, sticks it to the Killer in The Kremlin. And all his creepy helpers. I agree with every fucking word. VPDFO! (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered) 📷 Welcome inside MI6. This iconic building, familiar to movie fans everywhere, is the home of Britain’s foreign intelligence agency. But whilst hundreds of my team pass through the entry pods each day, the truth is that most of our work happens many miles away from this place - out of sight, hidden from the world, undercover, recruiting and running agents who choose to place their trust in us, sharing secrets to make the UK and the world safer. You might pass one of our officers on the street or sit next to them on a plane when you’re about to set off on an adventure of your own, or in a foreign city taking selfies by the sights. Whether it’s in seemingly everyday places, or on the front line embedded with our military, MI6 is there. In my first few weeks, I’ve heard repeatedly that MI6 is trusted and respected globally, two things that we never take for granted. We are seen as a source of hard power, soft influence and rapid innovation. I’ve also heard that people want to believe in MI6. It’s my job to make sure they can. Today, I want to talk about human agency. We all have choices to make about how we deal with the undercurrents shaping our world. About how, in our new, faster, more dangerous and technology-mediated world, it will be our rediscovery of our shared humanity, our ability to listen, and our courage that will determine how our future unfolds. Conflict is not inevitable. Understanding human nature is in my bones. From a family shaped by devastating conflict, I grew up with a deep sense of gratitude for the UK’s precious democracy and freedom. I spent much of my childhood overseas, which is where my passion for travel and adventure began. I studied anthropology, and later psychology and AI, exploring how we make sense of the world and each other. It’s why I was drawn to MI6: it offers strong purpose, a chance to serve and a belief in the positive power of human connection. Like the Service, I’m operational to my very core. Over nearly three decades, my career has involved recruiting and running agents in hostile territory; and leading operations in warzones to defuse threats and support peace. Always in teams, always learning from others. Over the years, I’ve worked with hundreds of brilliant partners – and indeed occasionally those we’d label as adversaries – across dozens of countries, tackling weapons proliferation and terrorism. During my time at MI5, I saw close up what it takes to defend Britain from being targeted by hostile states. You’ll find many like me in my organisation: powerfully motivated to protect our precious country; curious about how our world is changing, joining dots and taking action, across domains. But it was in my last role as ‘Q’, where it was my job to turn emerging technologies from threats to opportunities that I could most see the world changing. As I dug deep into data and extraordinary innovation, I could see how technology was rapidly reshaping not just our capabilities but also conflict and trust, truth and global power. Let me lay out how I see the global issues MI6 must tackle. Because the greatest danger we face is to misunderstand the nature of the problem. Let’s be in no doubt. Our world is more dangerous and contested now than it has been for decades. Conflict is evolving and trust eroding, just as new technologies spur both competition and dependence. We are being contested from sea to space, from the battlefield to the boardroom. And even our brains, as disinformation manipulates our understanding of each other and ourselves. Across the globe, we are now confronting not one single danger, but an interlocking web of security challenges – military, technological, social, ethical even – each shaping the other in complex ways. We are now operating in a space between peace and war. This is not a temporary state or a gradual, inevitable evolution. Our world is being actively remade, with profound implications for national and international security. Institutions which were designed in the ashes of the Second World War are being challenged. New blocs and identities forming and alliances reshaping. Multipolar competition in tension with multilateral cooperation. But there’s something distinctive that will make this change unlike any other: the impact of advanced technologies, which will accelerate the pace and scale of every threat and opportunity, and increasingly, individualise them too. Advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum computing are not only revolutionising economies but rewriting the reality of conflict, as they ‘converge’ to create science-fiction-like tools. There’s incredible promise in all this for all of us, from green technologies to hyper-personalised medicine. But also peril. AI-powered robots and drones are brilliant for scaled manufacturing but devastating on the battlefield. Discoveries that cure disease can also create new weapons. And as states race for tech supremacy, or as some algorithms become as powerful as states, those hyper-personalised tools could become a new vector for conflict and control. Power itself is becoming more diffuse, more unpredictable as control over these technologies is shifting from states to corporations, and sometimes to individuals. And at the same time, the foundations of trust in our societies are eroding. Information, once a unifying force, is increasingly weaponised. Falsehood spreads faster than fact, dividing communities and distorting reality. We live in an age of hyper-connection yet profound isolation. The algorithms flatter our biases and fracture our public squares. And as trust collapses, so does our shared sense of truth – one of the greatest losses a society can suffer. The defining challenge of the twenty-first century is not simply who wields the most powerful technologies, but who guides them with the greatest wisdom. Our security, our prosperity, and our humanity depend on it. Our world is being remade. And for the first time, we are all at the heart of it. My Service must now operate in this new context too: not just expert on hostile states, terrorism, proliferation and more, but also fluent in technology, able to anticipate the second and third order effects of advances that reshape the world in minutes not months. And as China will be a central part of the global transformation taking place this century, it is essential that we, as MI6, continue to inform the government’s understanding of China’s rise and the implications for UK national security. I’m going to break with tradition and won’t give you a global threat tour, but will focus here on Putin’s Russia. We all continue to face the menace of an aggressive, expansionist and revisionist Russia, seeking to subjugate Ukraine and harass NATO. I find it harrowing that hundreds of thousands have died, with the toll mounting every day, because of Putin’s historical distortions and his compromised desire for respect. He is dragging out negotiations and shifting the cost of war onto his own population. But Putin should be in no doubt, our support is enduring. The pressure we apply on Ukraine’s behalf will be sustained. Because it is fundamental not just to European sovereignty and security but to global stability. Alongside the grinding war, Russia is testing us in the grey zone with tactics that are just below the threshold of war. It’s important to understand their attempts to bully, fearmonger and manipulate, because it affects us all. I am talking about: Cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. Drones buzzing airports and bases. Aggressive activity in our seas, above and below the waves. State-sponsored arson and sabotage. Propaganda and influence operations that crack open and exploit fractures within societies. Countering this activity is the work of intelligence and security services across Europe and the globe. And as the Foreign Secretary made clear in a speech last week, the UK is defending itself against this Russian information warfare – sanctioning Russian media outlets pushing Kremlin narratives. The export of chaos is a feature not a bug in this Russian approach to international engagement; and we should be ready for this to continue until Putin is forced to change his calculus. So, how should we respond? It’s not enough now just to understand the world. We must shape it too. MI6 is well-positioned to respond to these threats and wider global instability. And we will continue to evolve, just as we have throughout our long history. The UK government has invested in our intelligence agencies and we are all using our unique powers to keep the British people safe. Our ‘open and connected’ partnerships across the UK Intelligence Community, with HMGCC, NSSIF and the wider tech ecosystem in the UK will become even more important – because in the digital battleground, no single organisation can prevail alone. As a global agency, MI6’s inbuilt strength is our partners and our people. The risks I have set out require us to work ever more closely with our colleagues in MI5, GCHQ and in defence and diplomacy. But also with our Five Eyes partners, with the E3, the EU, NATO, those across the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific and beyond. And with many valued partners whose identity needs to remain secret. Together, we integrate our diverse talent, data and tools to meet the threat. AI is a domain in which we will excel, using the technology to augment, not replace, our human skills. Every digital trace, every byte of data, every algorithmic decision has implications for the safety of the lives of the courageous people who work with us as officers and agents, and for the UK’s strategic advantage. Mastery of technology will infuse everything we do. Not just in our labs, but in the field, in our tradecraft, and even more importantly, in the mindset of every officer. We will become as comfortable with lines of code as we are with human sources, as fluent in Python as we are in multiple other languages. Under my leadership, MI6 will continue to attract Britain’s best and most creative minds: linguists and data scientists, case officers and engineers, behavioural experts and technologists. We need people who walk in the shoes and get in the heads of our adversaries. We need people who think differently, challenge assumptions, and act decisively. All can thrive and make a difference at MI6. At an operational level, we will sharpen our edge and impact with audacity, tapping into – if you like – our historical SOE instincts. We’re at our best when we’re hustling to make things happen, because our intelligence is most valuable when it changes reality on the ground. We will take calculated risks, where the prize is significant and the national interest clear. We will never stoop to the tactics of our opponents. But we must seek to outplay them. In every domain. In every way. So intelligence must drive action. Action must deliver advantage. And advantage must serve Britain’s security and prosperity. But at the core, our deeper contribution is also our simplest – how we unlock human agency. Our fast-paced, tech and threat-infused world now generates more heat than light. As nations retrench and rearm, we are losing opportunities to listen to what’s really going on. I’ve seen time and again throughout my career, that this is where MI6 matters most: we listen and we hear. We understand, because we take time to learn languages and cultures, complex technical and historical detail, immerse ourselves in what’s really driving the situation. Across the globe, right now, our officers are finding people with the courage to step forward, and they are taking time to sit and listen to break these tightening cycles of violence. They listen for nuance, for connection, for opportunity. Over the years, I’ve listened to terrorists who have told us how to defuse the bomb because they know that more violence won’t help. To proliferators and smugglers who’ve told us where to find the dangerous material, motivated to protect their children’s future. To people trapped in authoritarian regimes who know, deep down, that their humanity is being chipped away – and that telling us what’s really going on is an important release, allowing us all to find better ways to navigate our changing world. So, we will work with our agents. And we will continue to engage directly, and with respect, with states and organisation currently working against us. Away from the glare of the media, we will use MI6’s convening power wherever we can to make a material difference, bringing parties together to defuse tensions. But the response to the increasing risks we face won’t be delivered by the UK intelligence community alone. Wider society has a role to play too. That includes work taking place in schools across the country so our children don’t get duped by information manipulation. Let’s all check sources, consider evidence, and be alive to those algorithms that trigger intense reactions, like fear. It also means everyone in society really understanding the world we are in – a world where terrorists plot against us, where our enemies fearmonger, bully and manipulate, and the front line is everywhere. Online, on our streets, in our supply chains, in the minds and on the screens of our citizens. We must all stand together against this. As we do today with our friends in Australia after the shocking antisemitic terrorist attack this weekend. My thoughts -and those of my whole organisation – are with the family, friends and loved ones of the victims. Light will always win over darkness. In rising to meet these challenges we, in MI6, will remain anchored to our values: courage, creativity, respect and integrity. And to our principles: accountability and trust are not constraints on our work; they are the foundations of our legitimacy with the British public. Recently, I had the privilege of meeting and thanking a foreign agent who has worked with us for decades, taking extraordinary risks to help keep the UK safe. I asked why. They said simply, ‘Your values. Your integrity and respect. None of us have a future without them’. This moment reinforced to me that we must remain a very human agency. And so, to sustain that trust, MI6 will continue to be more open. Not for the sake of visibility, but because it matters – and as my MI5 counterpart Sir Ken McCallum said recently - because it is a strength. We will continue the practice of speaking publicly, broaden our channels of engagement, and sustain our focus on attracting the most diverse talent to join our Service. Transparency does not mean revealing what must remain secret. It means showing the British people who we are, what we stand for, and why our work matters. We need your trust and support for the difficult and often dangerous work our agents pursue, every day of the year. In an age of uncertainty, one constant remains: the choices made by human beings still determine the shape of the world. Yes, technology can illuminate possibilities: but information requires judgement; complexity demands clarity; and only people can decide which path to follow. The United Kingdom’s global voice has never rested solely on strength – it has rested on trust, principle, and the ability to understand others as well as ourselves. That is also the essence of intelligence: not simply knowing the world, but interpreting it through a uniquely human lens. Ours is the quiet service, the hidden service. It is one rooted in a profound belief that when human beings act with purpose and integrity, they can steady a faltering world. When the Berlin Wall fell, it was our shared belief in freedom that carried Europe forward. When acts of terror targeted open societies, it was intelligence, cooperation and resolve that preserved them. And when adversaries blur fact and falsehood, our task is to defend the space where truth can still stand. As we step into the future, the tools at our disposal will evolve. But what will always matter most is the human element – the person who stands in the shadows and says: this is right, and that is wrong. That choice – the exercise of human agency – has shaped our world before, and it will shape it again. Because in the end, it is not what we can do that defines us, but what we choose to do. Thank you. Published 15 December 2025

John Sweeney

42,257 views • 9 months ago

"What NewJeans Wanted to Say" [Full transcript translated to English] 240911 19:00 KST Hyein: Some of you might be surprised by this sudden meeting, but we wanted to share our thoughts and opinions about the recent events, so we prepared this session. First, I want to explain one of the reasons we decided to do this live. It's been hard to see many people who have worked with us continue to suffer from unfair demands and pressure even after our CEO was dismissed. It was frustrating to just stand by and watch these situations unfold, and we were very worried about our future as a group of five. Honestly, while preparing for this live, we were naturally concerned about the reactions we might receive afterward. We were also worried that people might mistakenly think that our CEO instructed us to do this, but I want to clarify that this live was prepared because we five members genuinely wanted to express our thoughts. We received help from directors we trust for things we couldn't prepare ourselves, like setting up the shoot and finding a location. It didn’t feel right for us to stay silent when everyone, including our Bunnies, has been stepping up to support us. Moreover, this is not just a matter of leaving it to the adults because it directly affects the lives of us five members. Since we're the ones going through this, we felt that it would be healthier to speak up ourselves than to do nothing, so we mustered the courage to do so. The main point of what we want to say today is directed towards HYBE. We've already had meetings with the current management to express our opinions, but after seeing what happened afterward, it feels like our concerns weren't clearly conveyed. It seemed like communication was blocked, so we felt that preparing this live was the only way to properly share our thoughts and feelings. Minji: I’m sure that today’s announcement has shocked many of the staff as well, as they were not aware of it, and I imagine everyone watching is quite surprised too. We’ve thought a lot about where to begin, but since the purpose is to express our intentions, we’ll try to explain as clearly as possible. Of course, due to contractual issues, we can’t share everything, but we’ll be as honest as we can. After it was decided that we would debut as NewJeans, our members spent a lot of time getting to know Min Hee-jin Daepyonim, both as a group and individually. At first, I had reservations and a certain fear towards the adults we were working with, but Daepyonim was the first person to approach us in a way that allowed us to open up, which was initially awkward but eventually built trust. From before our debut until now, we’ve been aware of various issues related to our debut schedule and other matters. However, working with Daepyonim made us feel good, and I believe that’s why we were able to debut successfully and continue our activities until now. Danielle: Naturally, we all want to continue working with Daepyonim. Even before debuting as NewJeans and through all of the time that we spent together with Min Hee-jin Daepyonim, all of us felt that the music we wanted to make and the kind of world we wanted to build together, our vision, was similar in so many ways. With Min Hee-jin Daepyonim, we were able to prepare each and every task with sincere hearts, and I believe it shows in our work. Putting our sincere effort into something is only possible because of the people that we're working with have trust in each other and have that same vision. Min Hee-jin Daepyonim is not only the person that produces our music, but someone who makes NewJeans who we are. She discusses even the smallest details with us and explains them in ways that we can understand clearly. NewJeans has a distinct colour and tone, and this was created with Min Hee-jin Daepyonim. She is integral to NewJeans’ identity, and we all feel that she is irreplaceable. Haerin: However, even after our debut, there have been many unfair and incomprehensible incidents that you might not know about, and these incidents have only increased over time. As some of you may know, recently, videos from our trainee days and private records, such as medical information, were leaked. When I first saw that, I was really shocked. It was hard to understand how our company, which is supposed to protect us, failed to manage and allowed such information to be leaked. Naturally, this situation has made us worry that other strange or false information about us might spread in the future. Although we, along with our parents and Min Hee-jin Daepyonim, have raised concerns about this to HYBE, they haven’t resolved the issue, nor have they taken any proactive measures. Then, in the midst of all this, our CEO was dismissed, and we’re left wondering whom we can trust and rely on. We’ve come to the conclusion that if we don’t speak out about this now, no one will know what we’re going through. After much discussion among ourselves, we finally decided to take this step. Hanni: Something happened to me recently. The 4th floor of the HYBE building is where we get our hair and makeup done, so a lot of other artists and staff come and go there. One day, I was waiting alone in the hallway, and some staff from another team passed by. We greeted each other, but when they came back out a bit later, I heard one of their managers say, “Ignore her,” right in front of me. I could hear and see everything clearly. Even now, I still don’t understand why I had to go through that. Minji: When I heard about what Hanni experienced, I was really shocked. How could a manager from another team tell their members to ignore one of us, and say it so loudly that Hanni could hear it? Such unimaginable words and behavior were directed at us, yet there was no apology, nor did they even acknowledge their wrongdoing. Of course, I’m worried about how many more similar incidents might occur in the future and whether we’ll be subtly ostracized without anyone there to protect us. Hanni: I hope no one else has to go through something like that, but since it’s already happened once, I can’t help but feel scared that other members might experience the same thing. I spoke to the new CEO about it, but since I didn’t have evidence and it was considered too late, they seemed to brush it off, making me feel like there’s no one left to protect us. It really felt like the concern for us was gone, and even though I was being honest, it made me feel like I was suddenly being treated as a liar. Before, Min Hee-jin, our previous CEO, used to take care of us a lot. But now, while the new people say they’ll help, it’s just been months of excuses... excuses... excuses... They keep saying that it’s something they can’t resolve. But this is something that I personally went through and experienced, yet they are trying to dismiss it as if it’s my fault. I’m worried and scared about what might happen next. Minji: Of course, I’m worried about our future, but what’s most frightening is that the work we’ve already created is being compromised. Seeing the people who have poured their lives into creating our work being treated this way makes it hard to understand how this could be happening. The new management said they would separate producing and management, but we’ve always worked differently from other labels, and we thought that our way was a good one. Now, Daepyonim can no longer approve all matters, and we’re left wondering how we’re supposed to continue working as we did before. The recent statement from the new management also didn’t make sense to me. If they really didn’t intend to interfere with our producing, then the recent incident with Director Shin Woo-seok should never have happened, and it should have been handled differently. We are the ones directly involved with the copyrights and likeness rights of our content, yet they’re making decisions without our consent. In their statement, they kept saying they were acting to protect us and prevent our anxiety, but why do they keep insisting on this when they haven’t considered our wishes? We don’t want any more unnecessary issues to arise, and we want them to show respect and consideration for Daepyonim and all the directors who have worked with us. The things they’re doing right now are not in our best interest at all. Hanni: Something we all find very important, something that plays a very important role in our team's colour and image is our media content and creative production. Despite saying that they would leave all the creative production to our now former CEO, Min Hee-jin, through official statements that I think a lot of you might have already read or seen, and also during our personal meetings, they infringed our content. Content that not only we worked really hard on, but also our staff who spent endless hours to produce and release them solely for our fans. And if they had any understanding about what type of team we are, and the type of content that we create, they would have thought more deeply for crossing the line that they set for themselves. Because of this incident, we realized that there's not much we can do to prevent these type of issues. Personally, the way that ADOR used to run was the business management and creative production was not separated and was factors that played and worked in harmony with each other. That's how it worked and it was perfectly fine. It was our way of working and it was our CEO's way of producing NewJeans' content, which a lot of you were able to enjoy and appreciate. But now that she's no longer CEO, these factors that should have continued to work together in harmony are now being seen as two different areas of work. Minji: Besides this, there are many other incidents we’ve experienced that are beyond my understanding—things that are frightening and uncomfortable. These incidents naturally make us question whether HYBE really cares about NewJeans, and there are clear signs of this. However, it’s hard to discuss everything today because we’re not sure how far things could escalate. We just hope you can understand a little of what’s been on our minds and why we chose to speak out in this way. Danielle: As I mentioned earlier, our dream was to perform the music we want to make with Daepyonim, and we were working very hard toward that goal. But now, we can’t do that, and the plans we’ve made might not come to fruition. As Hanni unnie said earlier, just like that, the content that we released solely for our fans, for our bunnies, was instantly erased. And I truly can't understand why anyone would do this to a group, or just anyone in general. We were just working hard for the present, so what did we do wrong? A week after Daepyonim was dismissed, we found out that we could no longer work with the director we’ve been working with all this time, and we’re extremely anxious because we don’t know what will happen to the staff who have always worked hard for us. If they really care about us, they should stop saying that they prioritize the artists and instead let us do the music we love in an environment where we can be genuinely happy. Is that really so hard to do? It’s hard to fully express what’s in my heart, but in the end, the five of us just want to continue our activities with Min Hee-jin Daepyonim, as we have done so far. Haerin: Personally, I want to continue working with the people around us who have helped me grow mentally and made me feel alive. However, I can't understand, nor do I think I should have to understand, why external forces are constantly obstructing and hindering us. I absolutely cannot comprehend what is truly in our best interest or what is supposed to help us grow. And I feel so sorry and heartbroken that our Bunnies, who found comfort in us and shared joyful memories with us, have to go through this ordeal and worry about things they shouldn't have to. We almost lost the work that symbolizes the relationship between NewJeans and Bunnies, and we don't want to lose anything else. I refuse to conform to or follow the values of the society those people belong to, and because I believe that direction is not the right one, I will not choose to go that way. Hyein: We found out about the CEO's dismissal through the news on the very day it happened. It was so sudden and unimaginable for all of us, and honestly, it was really difficult for us to process. As artists under HYBE, the company's unilateral notification made it clear to us that they don't respect us at all. In the midst of this confusion, we heard through our manager that the new CEO wanted to meet with us. From the very first action taken by the newly appointed Juyoung, it was clear that there was no consideration for us. He claimed to care for us, to prioritize NewJeans, but looking at everything that has happened, it's evident that his words were just that—empty words. HYBE’s actions, like publishing articles that painted us in a bad light just a week before our comeback, make us question how any of this is supposed to be in our best interest. Minji: It's already been half a year of unnecessary and exhausting discussions about us and NewJeans, and even as a third party, it must be tiring. As the ones directly involved, it’s incredibly uncomfortable for us. We still have music we want to make and goals we want to achieve together, but as things stand now, it’s heartbreaking to think that we might lose not only the work we’ve created so far but also the identity of our team. That’s what makes us feel so helpless. We held this live stream to express our feelings because we sincerely want this tiresome conflict to end. Hanni: Like how we have our own and individual thoughts and feelings, we have the choice to choose how we will react to each situation, and we are not going to follow HYBE's every order blindly. We are more than well aware that this is getting in the way of our work, and that we should be treated much, much better than how we are right now. And it's very hard to believe that they are truly sincere about wanting to help us continue, to be able to continue to work with our Daepyonim, Min Hee-jin Daepyonim. Despite her being in the midst of all this current legal conflict, she's expected to plan and creatively produce our future endeavours in just only two months, which I personally think makes no sense at all. We don't want to hear all the empty words of how they're going to help us continue to work with Min Hee-jin, Daepyonim. And all we want is this legal conflict to be resolved and have our working environment returned back to normal the way it was before. Hyein: The way HYBE is operating right now feels dishonest and wrong to us. Please, stop interfering. Reinstating our CEO and returning us to the original ADOR environment we had before, with familiar people, not strangers, would make things right. We’re not asking for special treatment; we just want everyone to do their jobs well in their respective places. We’ll do our best in our roles too. We sincerely hope our request is heard. Danielle: From a human perspective, I hope you stop harassing our CEO, Min Hee-jin. Honestly, she seems so pitiful, and HYBE just comes across as an inhumane company. What can we possibly learn from a company like this? So, I really hope you stop bothering our CEO. Minji: What we want is the original ADOR, where CEO Min Hee-jin leads both management and production. The reason we're making this request is because it's a way to coexist peacefully without conflict with HYBE. If our message has been conveyed properly, we hope Chairman Bang and HYBE make a wise decision to restore ADOR to its original state by the 25th. Thank you for listening to us. NewJeans: Thank you. #NewJeans_Never_Die #NeverForget
27:11

"What NewJeans Wanted to Say" [Full transcript translated to English] 240911 19:00 KST Hyein: Some of you might be surprised by this sudden meeting, but we wanted to share our thoughts and opinions about the recent events, so we prepared this session. First, I want to explain one of the reasons we decided to do this live. It's been hard to see many people who have worked with us continue to suffer from unfair demands and pressure even after our CEO was dismissed. It was frustrating to just stand by and watch these situations unfold, and we were very worried about our future as a group of five. Honestly, while preparing for this live, we were naturally concerned about the reactions we might receive afterward. We were also worried that people might mistakenly think that our CEO instructed us to do this, but I want to clarify that this live was prepared because we five members genuinely wanted to express our thoughts. We received help from directors we trust for things we couldn't prepare ourselves, like setting up the shoot and finding a location. It didn’t feel right for us to stay silent when everyone, including our Bunnies, has been stepping up to support us. Moreover, this is not just a matter of leaving it to the adults because it directly affects the lives of us five members. Since we're the ones going through this, we felt that it would be healthier to speak up ourselves than to do nothing, so we mustered the courage to do so. The main point of what we want to say today is directed towards HYBE. We've already had meetings with the current management to express our opinions, but after seeing what happened afterward, it feels like our concerns weren't clearly conveyed. It seemed like communication was blocked, so we felt that preparing this live was the only way to properly share our thoughts and feelings. Minji: I’m sure that today’s announcement has shocked many of the staff as well, as they were not aware of it, and I imagine everyone watching is quite surprised too. We’ve thought a lot about where to begin, but since the purpose is to express our intentions, we’ll try to explain as clearly as possible. Of course, due to contractual issues, we can’t share everything, but we’ll be as honest as we can. After it was decided that we would debut as NewJeans, our members spent a lot of time getting to know Min Hee-jin Daepyonim, both as a group and individually. At first, I had reservations and a certain fear towards the adults we were working with, but Daepyonim was the first person to approach us in a way that allowed us to open up, which was initially awkward but eventually built trust. From before our debut until now, we’ve been aware of various issues related to our debut schedule and other matters. However, working with Daepyonim made us feel good, and I believe that’s why we were able to debut successfully and continue our activities until now. Danielle: Naturally, we all want to continue working with Daepyonim. Even before debuting as NewJeans and through all of the time that we spent together with Min Hee-jin Daepyonim, all of us felt that the music we wanted to make and the kind of world we wanted to build together, our vision, was similar in so many ways. With Min Hee-jin Daepyonim, we were able to prepare each and every task with sincere hearts, and I believe it shows in our work. Putting our sincere effort into something is only possible because of the people that we're working with have trust in each other and have that same vision. Min Hee-jin Daepyonim is not only the person that produces our music, but someone who makes NewJeans who we are. She discusses even the smallest details with us and explains them in ways that we can understand clearly. NewJeans has a distinct colour and tone, and this was created with Min Hee-jin Daepyonim. She is integral to NewJeans’ identity, and we all feel that she is irreplaceable. Haerin: However, even after our debut, there have been many unfair and incomprehensible incidents that you might not know about, and these incidents have only increased over time. As some of you may know, recently, videos from our trainee days and private records, such as medical information, were leaked. When I first saw that, I was really shocked. It was hard to understand how our company, which is supposed to protect us, failed to manage and allowed such information to be leaked. Naturally, this situation has made us worry that other strange or false information about us might spread in the future. Although we, along with our parents and Min Hee-jin Daepyonim, have raised concerns about this to HYBE, they haven’t resolved the issue, nor have they taken any proactive measures. Then, in the midst of all this, our CEO was dismissed, and we’re left wondering whom we can trust and rely on. We’ve come to the conclusion that if we don’t speak out about this now, no one will know what we’re going through. After much discussion among ourselves, we finally decided to take this step. Hanni: Something happened to me recently. The 4th floor of the HYBE building is where we get our hair and makeup done, so a lot of other artists and staff come and go there. One day, I was waiting alone in the hallway, and some staff from another team passed by. We greeted each other, but when they came back out a bit later, I heard one of their managers say, “Ignore her,” right in front of me. I could hear and see everything clearly. Even now, I still don’t understand why I had to go through that. Minji: When I heard about what Hanni experienced, I was really shocked. How could a manager from another team tell their members to ignore one of us, and say it so loudly that Hanni could hear it? Such unimaginable words and behavior were directed at us, yet there was no apology, nor did they even acknowledge their wrongdoing. Of course, I’m worried about how many more similar incidents might occur in the future and whether we’ll be subtly ostracized without anyone there to protect us. Hanni: I hope no one else has to go through something like that, but since it’s already happened once, I can’t help but feel scared that other members might experience the same thing. I spoke to the new CEO about it, but since I didn’t have evidence and it was considered too late, they seemed to brush it off, making me feel like there’s no one left to protect us. It really felt like the concern for us was gone, and even though I was being honest, it made me feel like I was suddenly being treated as a liar. Before, Min Hee-jin, our previous CEO, used to take care of us a lot. But now, while the new people say they’ll help, it’s just been months of excuses... excuses... excuses... They keep saying that it’s something they can’t resolve. But this is something that I personally went through and experienced, yet they are trying to dismiss it as if it’s my fault. I’m worried and scared about what might happen next. Minji: Of course, I’m worried about our future, but what’s most frightening is that the work we’ve already created is being compromised. Seeing the people who have poured their lives into creating our work being treated this way makes it hard to understand how this could be happening. The new management said they would separate producing and management, but we’ve always worked differently from other labels, and we thought that our way was a good one. Now, Daepyonim can no longer approve all matters, and we’re left wondering how we’re supposed to continue working as we did before. The recent statement from the new management also didn’t make sense to me. If they really didn’t intend to interfere with our producing, then the recent incident with Director Shin Woo-seok should never have happened, and it should have been handled differently. We are the ones directly involved with the copyrights and likeness rights of our content, yet they’re making decisions without our consent. In their statement, they kept saying they were acting to protect us and prevent our anxiety, but why do they keep insisting on this when they haven’t considered our wishes? We don’t want any more unnecessary issues to arise, and we want them to show respect and consideration for Daepyonim and all the directors who have worked with us. The things they’re doing right now are not in our best interest at all. Hanni: Something we all find very important, something that plays a very important role in our team's colour and image is our media content and creative production. Despite saying that they would leave all the creative production to our now former CEO, Min Hee-jin, through official statements that I think a lot of you might have already read or seen, and also during our personal meetings, they infringed our content. Content that not only we worked really hard on, but also our staff who spent endless hours to produce and release them solely for our fans. And if they had any understanding about what type of team we are, and the type of content that we create, they would have thought more deeply for crossing the line that they set for themselves. Because of this incident, we realized that there's not much we can do to prevent these type of issues. Personally, the way that ADOR used to run was the business management and creative production was not separated and was factors that played and worked in harmony with each other. That's how it worked and it was perfectly fine. It was our way of working and it was our CEO's way of producing NewJeans' content, which a lot of you were able to enjoy and appreciate. But now that she's no longer CEO, these factors that should have continued to work together in harmony are now being seen as two different areas of work. Minji: Besides this, there are many other incidents we’ve experienced that are beyond my understanding—things that are frightening and uncomfortable. These incidents naturally make us question whether HYBE really cares about NewJeans, and there are clear signs of this. However, it’s hard to discuss everything today because we’re not sure how far things could escalate. We just hope you can understand a little of what’s been on our minds and why we chose to speak out in this way. Danielle: As I mentioned earlier, our dream was to perform the music we want to make with Daepyonim, and we were working very hard toward that goal. But now, we can’t do that, and the plans we’ve made might not come to fruition. As Hanni unnie said earlier, just like that, the content that we released solely for our fans, for our bunnies, was instantly erased. And I truly can't understand why anyone would do this to a group, or just anyone in general. We were just working hard for the present, so what did we do wrong? A week after Daepyonim was dismissed, we found out that we could no longer work with the director we’ve been working with all this time, and we’re extremely anxious because we don’t know what will happen to the staff who have always worked hard for us. If they really care about us, they should stop saying that they prioritize the artists and instead let us do the music we love in an environment where we can be genuinely happy. Is that really so hard to do? It’s hard to fully express what’s in my heart, but in the end, the five of us just want to continue our activities with Min Hee-jin Daepyonim, as we have done so far. Haerin: Personally, I want to continue working with the people around us who have helped me grow mentally and made me feel alive. However, I can't understand, nor do I think I should have to understand, why external forces are constantly obstructing and hindering us. I absolutely cannot comprehend what is truly in our best interest or what is supposed to help us grow. And I feel so sorry and heartbroken that our Bunnies, who found comfort in us and shared joyful memories with us, have to go through this ordeal and worry about things they shouldn't have to. We almost lost the work that symbolizes the relationship between NewJeans and Bunnies, and we don't want to lose anything else. I refuse to conform to or follow the values of the society those people belong to, and because I believe that direction is not the right one, I will not choose to go that way. Hyein: We found out about the CEO's dismissal through the news on the very day it happened. It was so sudden and unimaginable for all of us, and honestly, it was really difficult for us to process. As artists under HYBE, the company's unilateral notification made it clear to us that they don't respect us at all. In the midst of this confusion, we heard through our manager that the new CEO wanted to meet with us. From the very first action taken by the newly appointed Juyoung, it was clear that there was no consideration for us. He claimed to care for us, to prioritize NewJeans, but looking at everything that has happened, it's evident that his words were just that—empty words. HYBE’s actions, like publishing articles that painted us in a bad light just a week before our comeback, make us question how any of this is supposed to be in our best interest. Minji: It's already been half a year of unnecessary and exhausting discussions about us and NewJeans, and even as a third party, it must be tiring. As the ones directly involved, it’s incredibly uncomfortable for us. We still have music we want to make and goals we want to achieve together, but as things stand now, it’s heartbreaking to think that we might lose not only the work we’ve created so far but also the identity of our team. That’s what makes us feel so helpless. We held this live stream to express our feelings because we sincerely want this tiresome conflict to end. Hanni: Like how we have our own and individual thoughts and feelings, we have the choice to choose how we will react to each situation, and we are not going to follow HYBE's every order blindly. We are more than well aware that this is getting in the way of our work, and that we should be treated much, much better than how we are right now. And it's very hard to believe that they are truly sincere about wanting to help us continue, to be able to continue to work with our Daepyonim, Min Hee-jin Daepyonim. Despite her being in the midst of all this current legal conflict, she's expected to plan and creatively produce our future endeavours in just only two months, which I personally think makes no sense at all. We don't want to hear all the empty words of how they're going to help us continue to work with Min Hee-jin, Daepyonim. And all we want is this legal conflict to be resolved and have our working environment returned back to normal the way it was before. Hyein: The way HYBE is operating right now feels dishonest and wrong to us. Please, stop interfering. Reinstating our CEO and returning us to the original ADOR environment we had before, with familiar people, not strangers, would make things right. We’re not asking for special treatment; we just want everyone to do their jobs well in their respective places. We’ll do our best in our roles too. We sincerely hope our request is heard. Danielle: From a human perspective, I hope you stop harassing our CEO, Min Hee-jin. Honestly, she seems so pitiful, and HYBE just comes across as an inhumane company. What can we possibly learn from a company like this? So, I really hope you stop bothering our CEO. Minji: What we want is the original ADOR, where CEO Min Hee-jin leads both management and production. The reason we're making this request is because it's a way to coexist peacefully without conflict with HYBE. If our message has been conveyed properly, we hope Chairman Bang and HYBE make a wise decision to restore ADOR to its original state by the 25th. Thank you for listening to us. NewJeans: Thank you. #NewJeans_Never_Die #NeverForget

1tokki

19,445 views • 10 months ago

Finally, Ed Davey calls for the UK to join the EU Single Market 👏 "We meet at an extraordinary moment. Vladimir Putin is still waging war on our continent. Donald Trump's chaos in the Middle East goes on. And our government, our own government is paralysed by infighting, waiting for Makerfield to release them from their agony." "And yet, despite all that, standing with you here today, I feel hope. And not just about England's chances against Croatia tonight, but hope about our country's future." "Not hope because the path ahead is easy. It isn't. Not hope because everything will magically get better. It won't." "But hope because finally, after ten long, difficult years, I believe we can move on. We can finally fix the Brexit damage, end the Brexit chaos and get our country back on track." "Because the story the media won't tell you, as they fawn over the rise of Farage, as they hang on his every empty press conference, is that the country is with us. We hear it on the doorsteps, we see it in the polls, we feel it in our communities." "People are fed up. They've had enough. Enough of the chaos in government, the queues at ports, the queues at airports, the bills that just keep on going up." "They know the hard truth that most politicians won't admit. The Brexit experiment has failed. And it's failed all of us." "£90 billion a year. That's how much it's costing us all as taxpayers" "£90 billion every year, gone" "That's £250 million every single day. Taken away from our schools, our hospitals, our armed forces. Taken out of everyone's pockets in the form of unfair tax rises." "Not because of a pandemic, not because of a war, not because of some force of nature out of our control, but because of their Brexit experiment. Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and the rest. An experiment that has now consumed a decade of British politics. That has tangled British businesses up in pointless red tape, that has pushed up prices for British families and that has left us all poorer." "Well, not all of us, apparently. Farage says that the five million he got from a crypto billionaire was his reward for Brexit. So when he said 'We'll be better off after Brexit,' it turns out he was using the royal we." "But friends, it's not only the economic and financial impact, as disastrous as those have been. It's the way they have poisoned our relationship with our nearest neighbours and friends, making it harder to work together on all the things we need to. Energy security and climate change, migration and refugees, AI, and above all, defence." "Britain has always been at its best when we stand tall with our European allies, not when we shut ourselves off. Now they promised us global Britain, but they have left us isolated at the worst possible time. Poorer, weaker and more insecure." "Their experiment has failed. We all know it. So it's time to move on." "But what do they say? The ones who caused all this. The people responsible. Farage and the Conservative Party. They say 'Tough.' They say you can't move on. They say you can't question Britain's relationship with Europe now. You can't dare to suggest there might be a better way. Doesn't matter how bad it gets, doesn't matter how much you're struggling. You just have to live with it, they say." "We say 'No.' We say Britain shouldn't have to live with a bad deal they've lumped us with. We say our country deserves far better than that." "Theirs is old thinking. It's 2016 thinking. The world has changed dramatically since then. It's time for us to change too. It's time for us to move on, move forward." "Just look around. Vladimir Putin is bombing schools and hospitals in Ukraine, murdering innocent civilians. He's testing NATO's resolve and setting his sights on the rest of Eastern Europe. He has shown that territorial conquest is not some relic of the distant past. It is happening now on European soil to our friends and our allies who share our values and our way of life." "And Donald Trump, he's torching the world economy for fun with his tariffs and his trade wars and now his actual war with Iran. He's ripping up the rules-based international order that generations of British leaders, American leaders, European leaders, painstakingly built after the Second World War. Trump threatening NATO, emboldening Putin and actively meddling in our democracies." "And then there's China, increasingly using trade supply chains and strategic dependencies as instruments of geopolitical competition." "And to add to all those political changes, there's the billionaire tech barons taking more and more control of our lives and our jobs with their empires of AI and social media, that no one nation can govern on its own." "The assumptions we have lived by for decades, that global trade would keep expanding, that international rules would broadly be respected, that our security would be underwritten by stable alliances. Those assumptions no longer hold. The world has changed more rapidly than at any time since the end of the Cold War. And our politics must change too." "Now we obviously can't turn to those who wrecked it. Farage and the Conservatives. They only want to make things worse. Even now, pushing for Brexit 2.0 with their plans to rip up the European Convention on Human Rights. They would just rerun all the old arguments, forcing Britain to replay the last ten years over and over in a never ending Brexit doom loop." "But nor, I'm afraid, can we look to Labour. Labour who failed to act with anything like the urgency this moment demands. Who don't seem to grasp the scale of the change we need in our relationship with Europe. Labour, who still kept us hemmed in the red lines they set more than five years ago. No single market, no customs union. Red lines they set before Putin invaded Ukraine, before Trump returned to the White House. Red lines that were wrong then and are even more wrong now." "The world has changed and it's time to move on. We cannot be trapped by that old thinking anymore. We have to look to the future. Not back to 2016 but to 2036 and beyond." "And that's why we're all here today, isn't it? Not because we are bitter about the past, but because we believe in a better future. Because we love our country and we know its brightest days still lie ahead." "We're here for our children and our grandchildren because we want them to inherit a country that is growing, that is confident, that is leading, not one that is shrinking, stagnating and standing alone." "That's what drives us. We're here because the world has changed, because the challenges we face to our economy, to our society and to our national defence are real and urgent. And because we believe Britain deserves ambition that matches the scale of this moment." "So what does that ambition look like? Well, first the government needs to drop those old red lines that stop us getting rid of the Conservatives' red tape. Those red lines are holding Britain back. They're hurting the British people and they are playing into the hands of Farage and Reform." "So my message to Andy Burnham, to Wes Streeting, to whoever the next Prime Minister may be, is drop those red lines. Drop them now." "If we do, we can move on from the torpor and timidity that has marked out Labour's approach to Europe so far. We can put an end to the endless talk of a reset that so far seems to just mean saying no more politely than the Conservatives did. And we can get on with properly fixing our relationship with Europe, for our economy, for our security, for our future." "Our party has led that debate for years. Last year, days before Trump took office, we set out plans for the UK to join a new customs union with the EU. And today I want to build on that and go further, much further." "Today we are calling for a new growth and defence partnership with the European Union. A new growth and defence partnership with the European Union. A bold new deal that will make Britain richer, safer and stronger, including a customs union, but also crucially taking Britain back into the single market." "Tearing down the barriers to trade. Ending the mountains of paperwork, the cost, the delays, the queues. Giving our young people the chance to study and work, live and love anywhere in the EU. Undoing the damage of the Johnson Farage Brexit deal that has held our economy back for so long." "Giving British businesses the certainty they need to invest, to hire and to grow. Giving Britain's economy the boost it needs after years of stagnation. Crucially, giving Britain's public finances a growth dividend. Tens of billions of pounds that we would use to cut the cost of living, to fix the NHS and to strengthen our armed forces." "And this new partnership must go beyond trade and growth. In the age of Putin, Xi and Trump, this must be about defence and security too. No country can be prosperous and free if it is not safe." "And Britain can help lead on defence in Europe as we have so decisively in the past. Despite the Conservatives' short-sighted cuts to our armed forces and Labour's chaos over investing in them now, Britain is still one of Europe's foremost military powers. We are a leading intelligence nation, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the third-biggest contributor to NATO." "We should be using those strengths. We should be at the table, helping to shape Europe's security future, not watching from the sidelines. And Europe wants us at the table. They know they need our leadership on defence." "So let's seize the initiative from a position of strength to form a new partnership that strengthens both Britain's economy and our collective security. That is why our new partnership would be about defence as much as it is about growth." "That means financial cooperation through a new European rearmament bank, alongside securing UK access to the one hundred and fifty billion euro safe programme. It means joint defence procurement, creating jobs in Britain while strengthening our collective capabilities. It means deeper cooperation on intelligence, on cyber security and on protecting critical infrastructure." "It means working together on energy security so that none of us can be held hostage by an authoritarian regime turning off the gas. It means political cooperation through a new European Security Council with a permanent seat for the UK, ensuring that Europe can shoulder greater responsibility for its own security within NATO." "As Trump's actions remind us every day, that we cannot afford to rely so much on the United States. Friends, this is not a choice we can afford to dodge any longer. In the face of Putin's threats and Trump's unpredictability, a new defence pact with Europe, with allies on whom we can depend, allies who share our interests and our values, is frankly the only way to keep Britain safe and defend our values in a dangerous world." "A new defence pact with Europe is not a choice, it is a necessity. So let's get on with it." "That is the ambition we need when it comes to our relationship with Europe. No more tinkering around the edges of a bad deal. No more shackling ourselves to the arguments of the last ten years, but building something new. A partnership fit for the enormous challenges we face today." "A new growth and defence partnership with a new pact for our collective security. Forming a customs union, joining the single market. A new partnership to make us richer, safer and stronger." "I think it's the best hope our country has to stop the chaos and end the crisis. And, my friends, it is the biggest step we could take now back towards membership of the EU." "And there's another big step we need to take too. Defeating Nigel Farage and Reform. We have to stop them from turning our United Kingdom into their version of Trump's America." "And here's the point. Until we do defeat them, many in Europe will not countenance Britain joining." "Let's remember why this matters, why it's so crucial for Britain to be there at the heart of Europe, at the table with our nearest neighbours." "I've been privileged to see it for myself, the power we have when Britain leads in Europe. When Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea in 2014, we recognised then that the way to defeat him would be to get Europe off its dependence on Russian oil and gas, to take away the money that was funding his aggression, to bankrupt the Russian war machine." "So I led Britain's efforts to bring Europe together behind that common cause, and we succeeded. We wrote Europe's energy security strategy. Britain did that, sitting at the table, leading in Europe." "But then, instead of seeing it through, the Conservatives walked away. They gave up Britain's seat at the table. They locked us out of those discussions at the worst possible time." "Just imagine where we could be now if Britain had continued to lead on energy security. Imagine how much weaker Putin would be now. Imagine how much safer Ukraine and the rest of Europe, including Britain, would be now. What a terrible waste. What an indictment of the Conservatives." "And that is why I am so determined to get us back at the table, back at the heart of Europe. Britain leading again." "Now I want to speak for a moment about the bigger picture. Because our ambition is not limited to Europe alone. It's about Britain's place in the world." "The old assumption that trade, security and prosperity could be treated as separate issues no longer holds. Supply chains can be disrupted. Energy can be weaponised. Economic security and national security are now inseparable." "At a time when authoritarian powers are doing so much to undermine our security, democratic nations must work more closely together to enhance it. As Mark Carney said in Davos, middle powers must act together, because if we're not at the table, we're on the menu. He is right." "Fixing our relationship with Europe is the essential foundation, but it's not the ceiling. The UK can be an incredible force for good when it stands tall on the world stage. Our history, our alliances and our relationships across every continent gives us a unique position for us to act as a bridge, not just between Europe and the US but between Europe and the whole wider democratic world." "We are here because we believe that our country and our people thrive when we are open and outward looking. That is Britain at its best. Not a small inward looking island clinging to the wreckage of a failed experiment, but a leader, a convening power, a country that helps shape the international order rather than being buffeted by it." "That is the Britain we can be." "But friends, I want to be honest with you about the task ahead. What we are proposing is bold. It is ambitious. It requires courage, requires leadership. And it will not happen without all of us." "We know the obstacles we face, the arguments ahead, the opponents who would rather replay the last ten years instead of moving on from them. Who will tell us we can't even talk about a new deal with Europe, let alone make one. The politicians who will claim change isn't possible because the status quo works for them. But it doesn't work for anyone else." "So our job is to get out there and show people that change is possible, that it doesn't have to be like this, that there is a way forward. A better future for our country. Leading in Europe once again." "This isn't just because we believe in Europe. It's not just about friendship or shared history, or the fact that a divided Europe has always ended in misery. Fixing it is about us, our country, our future, our hopes and our dreams." "Britain needs a new plan. A plan for growth, for jobs, for defence. A plan to give our children the better future they deserve. A new deal with Europe. The only way to fix the cost of living crisis. The only way to get our country back on track." "So let us stand together. Let us end the chaos. Let us show the world what Britain can be. Not a small island clinging to a failed experiment, but a leader, open, outward looking. At the table, not on the menu." "A Britain that is richer, safer and stronger. That is the future we are fighting for." " Thank you. Thank you very much."
23:40

Finally, Ed Davey calls for the UK to join the EU Single Market 👏 "We meet at an extraordinary moment. Vladimir Putin is still waging war on our continent. Donald Trump's chaos in the Middle East goes on. And our government, our own government is paralysed by infighting, waiting for Makerfield to release them from their agony." "And yet, despite all that, standing with you here today, I feel hope. And not just about England's chances against Croatia tonight, but hope about our country's future." "Not hope because the path ahead is easy. It isn't. Not hope because everything will magically get better. It won't." "But hope because finally, after ten long, difficult years, I believe we can move on. We can finally fix the Brexit damage, end the Brexit chaos and get our country back on track." "Because the story the media won't tell you, as they fawn over the rise of Farage, as they hang on his every empty press conference, is that the country is with us. We hear it on the doorsteps, we see it in the polls, we feel it in our communities." "People are fed up. They've had enough. Enough of the chaos in government, the queues at ports, the queues at airports, the bills that just keep on going up." "They know the hard truth that most politicians won't admit. The Brexit experiment has failed. And it's failed all of us." "£90 billion a year. That's how much it's costing us all as taxpayers" "£90 billion every year, gone" "That's £250 million every single day. Taken away from our schools, our hospitals, our armed forces. Taken out of everyone's pockets in the form of unfair tax rises." "Not because of a pandemic, not because of a war, not because of some force of nature out of our control, but because of their Brexit experiment. Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and the rest. An experiment that has now consumed a decade of British politics. That has tangled British businesses up in pointless red tape, that has pushed up prices for British families and that has left us all poorer." "Well, not all of us, apparently. Farage says that the five million he got from a crypto billionaire was his reward for Brexit. So when he said 'We'll be better off after Brexit,' it turns out he was using the royal we." "But friends, it's not only the economic and financial impact, as disastrous as those have been. It's the way they have poisoned our relationship with our nearest neighbours and friends, making it harder to work together on all the things we need to. Energy security and climate change, migration and refugees, AI, and above all, defence." "Britain has always been at its best when we stand tall with our European allies, not when we shut ourselves off. Now they promised us global Britain, but they have left us isolated at the worst possible time. Poorer, weaker and more insecure." "Their experiment has failed. We all know it. So it's time to move on." "But what do they say? The ones who caused all this. The people responsible. Farage and the Conservative Party. They say 'Tough.' They say you can't move on. They say you can't question Britain's relationship with Europe now. You can't dare to suggest there might be a better way. Doesn't matter how bad it gets, doesn't matter how much you're struggling. You just have to live with it, they say." "We say 'No.' We say Britain shouldn't have to live with a bad deal they've lumped us with. We say our country deserves far better than that." "Theirs is old thinking. It's 2016 thinking. The world has changed dramatically since then. It's time for us to change too. It's time for us to move on, move forward." "Just look around. Vladimir Putin is bombing schools and hospitals in Ukraine, murdering innocent civilians. He's testing NATO's resolve and setting his sights on the rest of Eastern Europe. He has shown that territorial conquest is not some relic of the distant past. It is happening now on European soil to our friends and our allies who share our values and our way of life." "And Donald Trump, he's torching the world economy for fun with his tariffs and his trade wars and now his actual war with Iran. He's ripping up the rules-based international order that generations of British leaders, American leaders, European leaders, painstakingly built after the Second World War. Trump threatening NATO, emboldening Putin and actively meddling in our democracies." "And then there's China, increasingly using trade supply chains and strategic dependencies as instruments of geopolitical competition." "And to add to all those political changes, there's the billionaire tech barons taking more and more control of our lives and our jobs with their empires of AI and social media, that no one nation can govern on its own." "The assumptions we have lived by for decades, that global trade would keep expanding, that international rules would broadly be respected, that our security would be underwritten by stable alliances. Those assumptions no longer hold. The world has changed more rapidly than at any time since the end of the Cold War. And our politics must change too." "Now we obviously can't turn to those who wrecked it. Farage and the Conservatives. They only want to make things worse. Even now, pushing for Brexit 2.0 with their plans to rip up the European Convention on Human Rights. They would just rerun all the old arguments, forcing Britain to replay the last ten years over and over in a never ending Brexit doom loop." "But nor, I'm afraid, can we look to Labour. Labour who failed to act with anything like the urgency this moment demands. Who don't seem to grasp the scale of the change we need in our relationship with Europe. Labour, who still kept us hemmed in the red lines they set more than five years ago. No single market, no customs union. Red lines they set before Putin invaded Ukraine, before Trump returned to the White House. Red lines that were wrong then and are even more wrong now." "The world has changed and it's time to move on. We cannot be trapped by that old thinking anymore. We have to look to the future. Not back to 2016 but to 2036 and beyond." "And that's why we're all here today, isn't it? Not because we are bitter about the past, but because we believe in a better future. Because we love our country and we know its brightest days still lie ahead." "We're here for our children and our grandchildren because we want them to inherit a country that is growing, that is confident, that is leading, not one that is shrinking, stagnating and standing alone." "That's what drives us. We're here because the world has changed, because the challenges we face to our economy, to our society and to our national defence are real and urgent. And because we believe Britain deserves ambition that matches the scale of this moment." "So what does that ambition look like? Well, first the government needs to drop those old red lines that stop us getting rid of the Conservatives' red tape. Those red lines are holding Britain back. They're hurting the British people and they are playing into the hands of Farage and Reform." "So my message to Andy Burnham, to Wes Streeting, to whoever the next Prime Minister may be, is drop those red lines. Drop them now." "If we do, we can move on from the torpor and timidity that has marked out Labour's approach to Europe so far. We can put an end to the endless talk of a reset that so far seems to just mean saying no more politely than the Conservatives did. And we can get on with properly fixing our relationship with Europe, for our economy, for our security, for our future." "Our party has led that debate for years. Last year, days before Trump took office, we set out plans for the UK to join a new customs union with the EU. And today I want to build on that and go further, much further." "Today we are calling for a new growth and defence partnership with the European Union. A new growth and defence partnership with the European Union. A bold new deal that will make Britain richer, safer and stronger, including a customs union, but also crucially taking Britain back into the single market." "Tearing down the barriers to trade. Ending the mountains of paperwork, the cost, the delays, the queues. Giving our young people the chance to study and work, live and love anywhere in the EU. Undoing the damage of the Johnson Farage Brexit deal that has held our economy back for so long." "Giving British businesses the certainty they need to invest, to hire and to grow. Giving Britain's economy the boost it needs after years of stagnation. Crucially, giving Britain's public finances a growth dividend. Tens of billions of pounds that we would use to cut the cost of living, to fix the NHS and to strengthen our armed forces." "And this new partnership must go beyond trade and growth. In the age of Putin, Xi and Trump, this must be about defence and security too. No country can be prosperous and free if it is not safe." "And Britain can help lead on defence in Europe as we have so decisively in the past. Despite the Conservatives' short-sighted cuts to our armed forces and Labour's chaos over investing in them now, Britain is still one of Europe's foremost military powers. We are a leading intelligence nation, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the third-biggest contributor to NATO." "We should be using those strengths. We should be at the table, helping to shape Europe's security future, not watching from the sidelines. And Europe wants us at the table. They know they need our leadership on defence." "So let's seize the initiative from a position of strength to form a new partnership that strengthens both Britain's economy and our collective security. That is why our new partnership would be about defence as much as it is about growth." "That means financial cooperation through a new European rearmament bank, alongside securing UK access to the one hundred and fifty billion euro safe programme. It means joint defence procurement, creating jobs in Britain while strengthening our collective capabilities. It means deeper cooperation on intelligence, on cyber security and on protecting critical infrastructure." "It means working together on energy security so that none of us can be held hostage by an authoritarian regime turning off the gas. It means political cooperation through a new European Security Council with a permanent seat for the UK, ensuring that Europe can shoulder greater responsibility for its own security within NATO." "As Trump's actions remind us every day, that we cannot afford to rely so much on the United States. Friends, this is not a choice we can afford to dodge any longer. In the face of Putin's threats and Trump's unpredictability, a new defence pact with Europe, with allies on whom we can depend, allies who share our interests and our values, is frankly the only way to keep Britain safe and defend our values in a dangerous world." "A new defence pact with Europe is not a choice, it is a necessity. So let's get on with it." "That is the ambition we need when it comes to our relationship with Europe. No more tinkering around the edges of a bad deal. No more shackling ourselves to the arguments of the last ten years, but building something new. A partnership fit for the enormous challenges we face today." "A new growth and defence partnership with a new pact for our collective security. Forming a customs union, joining the single market. A new partnership to make us richer, safer and stronger." "I think it's the best hope our country has to stop the chaos and end the crisis. And, my friends, it is the biggest step we could take now back towards membership of the EU." "And there's another big step we need to take too. Defeating Nigel Farage and Reform. We have to stop them from turning our United Kingdom into their version of Trump's America." "And here's the point. Until we do defeat them, many in Europe will not countenance Britain joining." "Let's remember why this matters, why it's so crucial for Britain to be there at the heart of Europe, at the table with our nearest neighbours." "I've been privileged to see it for myself, the power we have when Britain leads in Europe. When Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea in 2014, we recognised then that the way to defeat him would be to get Europe off its dependence on Russian oil and gas, to take away the money that was funding his aggression, to bankrupt the Russian war machine." "So I led Britain's efforts to bring Europe together behind that common cause, and we succeeded. We wrote Europe's energy security strategy. Britain did that, sitting at the table, leading in Europe." "But then, instead of seeing it through, the Conservatives walked away. They gave up Britain's seat at the table. They locked us out of those discussions at the worst possible time." "Just imagine where we could be now if Britain had continued to lead on energy security. Imagine how much weaker Putin would be now. Imagine how much safer Ukraine and the rest of Europe, including Britain, would be now. What a terrible waste. What an indictment of the Conservatives." "And that is why I am so determined to get us back at the table, back at the heart of Europe. Britain leading again." "Now I want to speak for a moment about the bigger picture. Because our ambition is not limited to Europe alone. It's about Britain's place in the world." "The old assumption that trade, security and prosperity could be treated as separate issues no longer holds. Supply chains can be disrupted. Energy can be weaponised. Economic security and national security are now inseparable." "At a time when authoritarian powers are doing so much to undermine our security, democratic nations must work more closely together to enhance it. As Mark Carney said in Davos, middle powers must act together, because if we're not at the table, we're on the menu. He is right." "Fixing our relationship with Europe is the essential foundation, but it's not the ceiling. The UK can be an incredible force for good when it stands tall on the world stage. Our history, our alliances and our relationships across every continent gives us a unique position for us to act as a bridge, not just between Europe and the US but between Europe and the whole wider democratic world." "We are here because we believe that our country and our people thrive when we are open and outward looking. That is Britain at its best. Not a small inward looking island clinging to the wreckage of a failed experiment, but a leader, a convening power, a country that helps shape the international order rather than being buffeted by it." "That is the Britain we can be." "But friends, I want to be honest with you about the task ahead. What we are proposing is bold. It is ambitious. It requires courage, requires leadership. And it will not happen without all of us." "We know the obstacles we face, the arguments ahead, the opponents who would rather replay the last ten years instead of moving on from them. Who will tell us we can't even talk about a new deal with Europe, let alone make one. The politicians who will claim change isn't possible because the status quo works for them. But it doesn't work for anyone else." "So our job is to get out there and show people that change is possible, that it doesn't have to be like this, that there is a way forward. A better future for our country. Leading in Europe once again." "This isn't just because we believe in Europe. It's not just about friendship or shared history, or the fact that a divided Europe has always ended in misery. Fixing it is about us, our country, our future, our hopes and our dreams." "Britain needs a new plan. A plan for growth, for jobs, for defence. A plan to give our children the better future they deserve. A new deal with Europe. The only way to fix the cost of living crisis. The only way to get our country back on track." "So let us stand together. Let us end the chaos. Let us show the world what Britain can be. Not a small island clinging to a failed experiment, but a leader, open, outward looking. At the table, not on the menu." "A Britain that is richer, safer and stronger. That is the future we are fighting for." " Thank you. Thank you very much."

Farrukh

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