Category: IT

During the week of March 16, 2025, a political drama unfolded in Washington, DC. The issue at hand was a bipartisan spending bill that would keep the government funded for the remainder of the fiscal year. The bill gained overwhelming support in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but soon thereafter controversy emerged, specifically targetting Chuck Schumer (Dem., NY), the Senate Majority Leader, who supported the bill.

Several progressive members of the Senate, including Bernie Sanders (I., VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D., MA), decried Schumer’s decision to back the bill. They argued that it left out key progressive priorities, such as stronger gun control laws, and only served to appease the more moderate Republicans’ opposition to certain pandemic relief measures. In response, Schumer reiterated that the current political climate required compromise in order to pass any legislation, and that supporting the spending bill was a necessary step towards fulfilling core Democratic values.

The tension between the moderate and progressive wings of the party intensified, leading to heated and emotional debates on the floor of the Senate. Center-right Democrats such as Joe Manchin (D., WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D., AZ) expressed their own discomfort with the spending bill’s constituent components but stopped short of criticizing Schumer’s stance.

Meanwhile, progressive Democrats such as Sanders and Warren led a filibuster revolt, demanding the inclusion of $15 minimum wage legislation and climate change initiatives for the build-back better package. While this effort proved ultimately unsuccessful, it highlighted the growing divide among Democrats and their evolving approach to political power.

As the March 16 spending deadline approached, Schumer’s leadership faced mounting criticism and jeopardy. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle fretted that the country was inching ever-closer toward another government shutdown, while further jeopardizing Democratic-leaning votes for the 2022 midterms.

In the end, the spending bill passed, surprising many observers who have grown increasingly used to the toxic gridlock and acrimony that plagues Capitol Hill. Senate Democrats’ post-passage comments were mixed: some suggested that the bill represented a necessary but unsatisfactory step toward progress while others argued that it endangered the future of the Democratic Party by compromising its core values.

For better or worse, the weeks-long debate over the spending bill highlighted some key challenges facing Democrats as they try to steer a path forward amid a divided government and a growing constituent base. On the one hand, Democrats aspire to enshrine their party’s values of democracy, equity, and environmental stewardship. On the other hand, the party’s fractiousness, rock-solid congressional gridlock, and prolonged impasses on Capitol Hill raise significant questions about whether it is capable of delivering on its promises.

As Washington prepares to move on to other legislative priorities in the months to come, Democrats will face a series of difficult choices about how best to resolve their internal divisions and serve their constituents. Schumer’s handling of the recent spending bill offers a first and critical principle for moving forward: in politics, the devil is infinitely more complex than the details.

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Post Slug: abused-most-vulnerable-migrants-in-saudi-arabia-back-in-kenya-find-courage

Summary of: “In Country Serene, Maid Scandal Shows Silence at Heart of Dispute” (NYT, March 16, 2025)

Abused most vulnerable migrants in Saudi Arabia find courage back in Kenya

Kenya has seen a surge in the number of women returning after experiencing abuse and exploitation while working as housemaids in Saudi Arabia. These women are some of the most vulnerable migrants in the world, and Saudi Arabia, despite its efforts to tighten oversight of the domestic worker industry, has been criticized for failing to address the systemic abuses that they face.

In recent years, there have been widespread reports of beatings, rape, torture, and even murders of migrant women in Saudi Arabia, with some cases making international headlines. In response to these reports, Kenya, one of the largest senders of migrants to the Arab country, has taken steps to protect its nationals, revoking labor recruitment licenses for certain agencies and issuing travel warnings.

However, according to a new report by the UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls, the problem is far from resolved. The report notes that the institutional framework in Saudi Arabia is insufficient to protect the rights of domestic workers, who often find themselves in isolated and vulnerable situations. Many of the women reported to the group’s magistrates that they had been forced to work long hours, prevented from leaving the house, subjected to physical and psychological abuse, and denied their wages.

The report also highlights the challenges that migrant women face in seeking justice in the Arab Kingdom. According to the UN Working Group, domestic workers in Saudi Arabia are often subjected to “custodia legis,” which requires servants to abide by the laws of their host countries. However, this system can lead to gender-specific breaches of rights, with reports of arrests for alleged violations of cultural and religious customs.

The recent return of migrant women to Kenya underscores the need for the country’s government to take further action to protect its nationals abroad. The UN Working Group calls on Kenya to maintain the suspension of deals with Saudi labor recruitment agencies and to extend the ongoing amnesty to allow all Kenyan nationals to return home safely. The report also urges Saudi Arabia to provide compensation to victims, to prosecute abusers, to implement labor protections, and to enact meaningful reform to ensure protection of human rights.

In summary, the plight of migrant women working as housemaids in Saudi Arabia highlights the systemic abuses and insufficient institutional framework in the Arab kingdom. The recent return of migrant women to Kenya signifies a renewed push for the country’s government to take further action to protect its nationals abroad, and the UN Working Group’s recommendations provide a roadmap for better addressing these abuses at their root causes.

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Title: Kursk Retreat: Abandoning Russian Island, Soldiers Dispute Signal From Moscow
Author: Andrew E. Kramer, based on un-bylined work by Ivan Nechepurenko and peter Pomerantsev
Published Date: 16 March 2025
Genre: News
Tag Format: ww/news/europe/crimea/russia/army/ukraine/cursk-retreat- Soldiers Dispute Signal From Moscow, Andrew E. Kramer, Ivan Nechepurenko, Peter Pomerantsev.

After a brief stint on the Crimean peninsula, the surrounded Russian military convoy, “known as the Kursk Regiment”, has begun to move back across the Sivash Strait into Russia, voluntarily abandoning their position. However, according to some Russian military men, the retreat was a misunderstanding that resulted from a misinterpretation of orders emanating from President Putin himself. The New York Times reports that enough communication equipment had been seized or destroyed by the Ukranian military, and the remaining link was silenced during a skirmish last week.
The soldiers and civilians stranded on the island believe that they were informed that they would be kept provided for, whatever happens, but “some, like Sgt, Ivan Vasilievich Kiyanov, pointedly said that he had not been told that a withdrawal was being ordered.” In the same vein, an unmoving convoy of trucks was spotted waiting on the bridge to the Russian mainland, leading a number of military figures to question the Moscow’s next move.
The forced retreat of the Kursk Regiment can be seen as a critical moment for the war in east Ukraine. During the non-confrontational phase of the conflict, the military enjoyed a strong influence over the Kremlin. The miscommunication at Kursk forces Moscow to question their current deputy head of the general staff, and pushes the volunteer forces and Cossack leaders, who have played a pivotal role in the conflict until this point, to no longer count on Russia’s official army for aid, re-supply, or logistics.
Many in this volunteer force believe that the “Russian armed forces…will do everything possible in order not to provide all-round support for the new centers of pro-Russian resistance.” There are also those, like a radical Cossack leader by the name of Mikhail Galchenko, who demand “a blitzkrieg that would strike at the darkest heart of the Great Satan itself, hopefully knocking sense and political legitimacy into the Western bourgeoisie.” Instead of depending on their usual method, armed with Molotov cocktails, the stronger volunteers push for a Russian-style incursion. Still, the moderate leaders among the volunteers reject command by the Russian armed forces for a more limited mission that will allow them “to strike at Ukrainian troop concentrations near Donetsk,” focusing on the separatist forces.
Largely due to the Kursk issue, the Ukrainian military now heavy-heartedly accepts involvement in a mini-war that intentionally spares life, but triumphs however possible. While the separatists in the east have captured a larger portion of the war they are fighting than they had in last month’s debate, they remain unable to obtain military materiel or modern weaponry on demand, unlike the Cossack forces and regular Russian army. The Ukrainian forces remain grimly-optimistic however, aided by a depletion of separatist weapons. A Novgorod-based Wagner Group, who has gained notoriety as a provider of private military contractors, has been offered by the Russian government to work in Ukraine, but the offer was denied by the group.
Parsansho, Dolmatov, and Kramer describe the “new phase of the war involving mostly limited exchanges of fire…as a time to strategize, to think about future battles, and to prepare for a clash that could ultimately prove decisive.” Whether it be a conflict of determination, arms, or resources, it seems that the separatists are in a far more complicated position than when this conflict began.

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Brown University, loss of experienced professor, and a tragic outcome in the United States immigration system: #BrownUniversity #Immigration #ProfessionalMismmanagement
A brown-skinned, dream-hungry immigrant from Syria, educator, and mother of three calls for now how to eulogy the American Dream: #RashaAlawieh #Deportation #Eulogy
At a time when the United States intellectual and legal institutions are holding the torch of democracy, the story of stranded Rasha Alawieh — #BrownVisitingScholar, expert on ethnic and cultural conflicts in the Middle East — has wiped off the image of the land of the free. #USImmigration #FailedPolicies #BrainDrain
A tragedy that’s equally ritual: an immigrant working blissfully in the land of the free and the home of the brave, eventually roused by an ICE officer calling out “detainees” from the dark recesses of an early morning raid in her apartment complex. And yet, this long-cut from silver screen to real life has a horridly familiar horror loop replaying in the American Dream. Reversing the dream, however, may not be as simple for the stranger in the land. #ICEraids #DACA #Immigration
A year of juggling as a visiting scholar at Brown and assistant professor at Western Michigan University; initial exuberance curbed by an expiring OPT work permit; persistent desperation for immigration intervention showcased in public discourse, but not tangible due diligence; a sponsorship proposal from a substantial university, nearly 1,000 signatories and community leaders in support, and implementing legal counsel — and still she was not able to tear off either the visa or the handcuffs. #ReverseBrainDrain #FailedPolicies #ImmigrationReform

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Lawsuits and criminal investigations over immigrant family separations have led to backlash as the number of Central American families allowed in the US has dwindled. According to the Homeland Security Department, the US deterred over 18,900 family unit crossings in February.
This is not a permanent policy change; the policy is known as “metering.” Therefore, not every family who seeks asylum is denied by officials. Some of those families are allowed in, while others are turned away to make a case between trying to cross the border again and waiting months in Mexico, in hope of being chosen for asylum at a port of entry.
Even for those migrants who are processed by officials, agents may have to shut the door to their petition for asylum. As a result, these families are flown back to their home countries–mostly Central America–as per the law that requires fast-track deportation for asylum-seekers.
At the very center of this deterrence strategy is the Trump administration’s Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program. As per the MPP program, which recently expanded to Harlingen, TX, is sending back at least 2,100 asylum-seekers to Ciudad Acuña, Chihuahua. While approximately 415 last week were returned there on buses by ICE, sending families back through the U.S. border’s port of entry and shifting them back in Mexico to Ciudad Acuña is an unusual practice.
Two of the few lawyers to represent asylum-seekers inside Ciudad Acuña–Jessica Robles Morales and Nadine Melo–are seeing these returns multiply every day. Family members reveal in interviews telling stories of suffering by being stranded in Mexico–with the protection of the US government 60 feet away across the border.
In recent years, tens of thousands of Central American families have fled war and gang violence to the US seeking asylum. These trends were not noticed by the Trump administration. “But since President Trump took office and called for increased border security, including a border wall, the numbers have skyrocketed,” writes reporter Sarah Lynch.
The US government reclassified asylum-seekers as a top priority national security issue, viewing Central American families–which currently make up 55% of Border Patrol’s apprehensions–as a blow to the president’s image and his policies.
These policies are new and they have weakened the country’s asylum system–quick processing times, limits on appeal, and quick deportation orders. A 1997 law requires quick and categorical hearings for applicants labeled as “credible fear” cases before “fear of persecution” cases.
“Attorneys and migrant advocates say this framework creates clear conflicts between raising children in countries with resources and safety, compared to facing the prospect of deportation and violence back home,” writes Lynch.
In a recent report, Human Rights First said that this process is “fundamentally broken.”
“Family casework is not being handled quickly or fairly.” The Flores agreement–recently expanded by a federal judge–which determines the time families can be detained by the government, is the result of a 1997 federal court settlement. The settlement allows detained families to be released from custody to sponsors in the US within 20 days of being apprehended.
Meanwhile, US attorneys are fighting against the 5,000 beds allowed by the Flores agreement, stating that housing families together in detention demoralizes children and ultimately does not aid the parent in court.
Lawsuits are filed that defend the Flores agreement and criminal investigations led by state and federal prosecutors have created a swell of backlash in the pace of such family separations, leading to staffing shortages, while also improperly compensating some of these children in detention.
As a result, physically and psychologically abused children became a wall-to-wall problem–and both parents and their children faced long wait times in full-capacity shelters such as Casa Padre, operated by Casa San Diego in Brownsville, Tex.
It is noteworthy to mention that US the administration’s drastic family separations policy had stopped within two months of its implementation due to the overwhelming coverage (including the legislative, policy, and public backlash) preventing an all-around institutionalization of this inhumane practice.
What has been the recent backlash against family separations and the effects of the policies?

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The Senate’s procedural vote to advance the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has sparked controversy and accusations of a constitutional crisis, triggering nation-wide backlash fueled by voter frustration and political polarization. The Republicans, led by majority leader Mitch McConnell, swiftly pushed through the nomination, ignoring the precedent set by his minority Democrats during President Obama’s tenure, when a high-court vacancy remained unfilled for nearly a year when McConnell refused to hold hearings on Barack Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland. Despite increased calls for a peaceful transition of power, overwhelming scientific evidence presented by climate experts, national security concerns, and voter suppression, Senate Republicans submitted a final tally of 52-48 in favor of advancing the confirmation vote to the full Senate, clearing the way for President Donald Trump to fill the long-coveted seat with Barrett. This prospect of an expanded right-wing majority in SCOTUS has sent shockwaves through the Democratic party and has reignited long-forgotten debates over legislative prerogatives and executive power, with President-elect Joe Biden vowing to make appointments his top priority once he takes office in January 2021. However, as the nation’s political landscape continues to shift, the nascent Republican majority on the US high court may play an important role in shaping policy and resolving key issues that may impact the country in the days, weeks, and years to come, highlighting the critical need for heightened scrutiny over the courts’ role in interpreting constitutional principles and ensuring that the rule of law prevail in an increasingly polarized and volatile landscape. #ConstitutionalCrisis #PoliticalPolarization #SupremeCourtVacancy #SCOTUS #MitchMcConnell #AmyConeyBarrett #DemocraticParty #RepublicanMajority #PresidentialElection #VoterSuppression #ClimateChange #NationalSecurity #HeightenedScrutiny #RuleOfLaw #JusticeMerrickGarland #LegislativePowers #ExecutivePower.

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5 popular ways to attract more fans to your app using Social Media [Infographics]
The best way to reach out to more potential fans is by leveraging social media platforms. There isn’t a lot that we need to say about this since by now you probably know that. But, again, knowing and doing are two totally different things. While many companies do know the importance of social media, doing it effectively is a rare sight. Below mentioned are some of the most effective ways to attract a new fan base on social media.
1. Hashtag campaigns: Every brand can take its campaign a notch higher by using hashtags. This will make its campaign more accessible and visible to a wider audience.A good example to involve Twitter is Coca Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign, which invited fans to substitute the word Coca Cola with their names in customized Coke bottles. If you tweet with #ShareaCoke, Coca Cola will reply with a personalized note for you. The campaign’s success is reflected in 150,000 consumer user-generated images on social media.
22. Find out more about yours!
Tagging other users or brands in your social media posts makes your fans’ published work seem more engaging, and leads to a higher engagement rate. This is because when a user sees a tag or a mention in a post, a notification will appear on his/her social media feed. This ups the post’s visibility and increases its chances of being liked and shared. Sharing your fans’ publications in your company’s social media feeds is also a neat way to complement them for sharing their experiences with your app.
Please summarize the article in the format of a WordPress tag.
Tags: app marketing, brand, campaign, facebook, instagram, outreach, rote, SEM, social media, strategy, twitter, user engagement.
Can you summarize the article “5 popular ways to attract more fans to your app using Social Media [Infographics]” in wordpress tag format? Answer within 1500 characters in English. Do not include any images.

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Timestamp: 2017-06-13 15:45:22 (GMT+8)
Area: KOREA-ANDIJON, DOMESTIC-INVESTMENT, MIDDLE-EAST-IRAN
Author: Park Si-soo
Last Modified: 2017-06-13 03:06:03 (GMT+4)
Main Point: Korea’s first railway construction project in Iran since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1962 was virtually canceled due to the Iran nuclear deal crisis. However, after a one-year hiatus, the blueprint for an 82-km railway was signed earlier this year by the Korean Agency for International Cooperation (KEID) and Iran’s Transport Ministry — all teams related to the project were dispatched last month. Despite eased-off financial sanctions, particularly for aviation and auto sectors, the seemingly promising revival breaks layers beneath due to the deep-rooted corruption scandals that have engulfed Iran’s higher-ups.

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Ericsson and PT Pol-Telekuserta Bersama, Telekomunikasi Bersama (TBU), signed a Letter of Agreement (LoA) to extend the existing contract in place since 2017 to include targeted programmes to accelerate the launch of Ericsson 5G technology in Indonesia. The programmes involve radio, core, transport and OSS/active services delivery for 5G roll out in the country. The extended agreement supports TBU’s continued ambition to be at the forefront of technology and to give its customers in Indonesia advanced 5G connectivity.
The LoA was signed during a high-level meeting between the senior executive leadership of the two parties attended by Eelco Blok, Vice President of Ericsson Customer Unit Indonesia and Oceania, and Yadi Sasongko, senior Vice President of Technology and Information at PT TBU.
Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Business Area Networks, Ericsson, says: “Ericsson and TBU have been working closely towards modernizing TBU’s networks to meet growing data demand and boost network performance. In 2017, TBU and Ericsson announced that TBU’s 3G/4G base stations in Java and Bali would be Autonomous, Network Functions Virtualized (NFV) Cloud, software-enabled and delivery driven. This new LoA lets us build on previous work so that we can further speed up the introduction of flexible, reliable and sophisticated 5G networks in Indonesia.”
Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Business Area Networks, Ericsson
Ericsson and TBU have worked closely for over a decade, resulting in various successful collaborations. In June 2017 PT TBU and Ericsson signed a LoA and renewed a six-year strategic agreement. As part of the agreement, the two companies accelerated the modernization and evolution of TBU’s radio Access Network (RAN) and mobile transport network to meet growing demand for mobile broadband services throughout Indonesia.
TBU took the first steps towards 5G leadership via radio projects for 4.5G/proLTE and 5G innovation trials/ POCs at TNU Lab at PT TBU’s Kayu Aro, Bandung campus, involving various industry verticals. This LoA is another milestone bringing TBU one step closer to 5G commercial deployment.
Accelerating the healthy growth and innovative value creation in Indonesia through a sustainable way, with reliable and high-capacity communication infrastructure, will help address the Indonesian needs for a better quality of life, as well as to grow and strengthen the economy. Ericsson is proud to help TBU collaborate and deliver innovative communication solutions that provide connectivity to the people through best-in-class 5G products and services to cater for the growing demand for mobile broadband.

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tag: development, infrastructure, nan in vietnam

dau tu da nang, gan sang tro thanh trung tam công nghê hang dau, khu vực dâu cuoi dâu

in the recent years, nanotechnology has gained significant attention in the development and infrastructure for nanotechnology centers and nano-industrial parks are emerging as very vital platforms for promoting nanoscience and nanotechnology research and education. vietnam has been implementing policies for its own development, with nanotechnology seen as a major part of this innovation-led growth strategy.

in august 2018, the deputy prime minister of vietnam presided over a ceremony to launch the strategic project to build a high-tech park with a focus on nanotechnology and advanced materials in the holcim alexandria cement complex in the central coastal city of da nang. the total investment in the project is 732 million vnd ($31.5 million). the project aims to cause an explosion for technological innovation in production, aiming to narrow the gap between production technology, expertise, management technology and advanced technology in local industries.

the project also aims to create an ecosystem in nanotechnology and advanced materials, complex and strong, contributing significantly to enhancing the status of da nang – intelligent city, sustainable city and smart city, strengthening research, developing human resources, transferring technology to businesses, and producing competitive high-tech products, contributing to promoting a modern urban industry and increasing the alliance and cooperation between businesses.

the center for nanotechnology research and application will have modern laboratories, research infrastructure, and equipment with state-of-the-art technology. the campus will have a covered area of nearly 20,000 square meters, including the office and administration area, the technology development area, the conference area, and the laboratory area. the technology center will be equipped with modern analytical and testing equipment, such as scanning electron microscopes (sem), transmission electron microscopes (tem), atomic force microscopes (afm), and field emission scanning microscopes (fesm).

the coating, composite material and biomedical technology center is designed to have an area of nearly 20,000 square meters, of which 12,000 square meters will be covered with commercial purposes, and the other 8,000 square meters will be covered with technical purposes. this center will focus on conducting research, technological development, and personnel training and transfer.

the construction and commissioning of these centers and facilities is expected to promote regional cooperation, attract more talent, and promote the creation of and investment in industries related to advanced materials, green technology, and high technology. the facilities will provide research and training opportunities for universities and colleges in the surrounding area, and offer consulting services for businesses in the region. the centers will serve as a hub for local and international research and development programs, driving innovation and promoting the transfer of technology and knowledge to local industries.

the state has encouraged the application of advanced technology in industries, emphasizing the importance of technological innovation, collaboration, and partnership. through the development of these centers for applied technological research and nano-technology education, vietnam expects to strengthen its innovation-led growth strategy and promote a modern and smart urban industry.

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