https://www.explainxkcd.com/3087

Hey everyone! 📚 I’m excited to introduce Bookracy, an open-source shadow library dedicated to preserving and freely sharing knowledge. With a large and growing collection, Bookracy is (annoying) ad-free, non-profit, and lightning-fast ⚡—plus, it’s fully open-source and powered by a passionate community. Whether you're a reader, researcher, or developer, there’s a place for you here. Check out our Reddit, website, GitHub, and hop into our Discord to join the conversation and help grow this movement for open access! 🤝❤️

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/29960006

Hamza M.Salha and Sharif Abdel Kouddous
May 11, 2025

"The May 9 attack on the UN distribution center came as part of Israel’s scorched-earth bombing campaign that resumed in full force on March 18 following a brief “ceasefire.” Since then, #Israel has targeted charity kitchens, displacement camps, schools, hospitals, so-called “humanitarian zones,” and other civilian gatherings on a regular basis. On Saturday alone, #Israeli airstrikes bombed two tents used for preparing food in Khan Younis and #Gaza City."

Basel (Switzerland) (AFP) – The Eurovision Song Contest burst into Basel on Sunday, but a parade launching a week of build-up to the grand final was marked by protests over Israel's participation.

The Swiss city is hosting the 69th edition of the world's biggest annual live televised music event, reaching around 160 million viewers.

Organisers said tens of thousands of spectators took to the streets to welcome the 37 artists representing the competing countries.

Europop beats, dramatic staging and earworm choruses dominate the stage but Eurovision's light-hearted kitsch often unfolds against a backdrop of serious geopolitics.

A demonstration took place Sunday to protest Israel's participation in the contest as the nation ramps up its war in Gaza, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

As the parade began outside Basel's iconic 500-year-old city hall, around a dozen Palestinian flags could be seen waving in the crowd. One banner read: "Israel: open Gaza's borders. Let aid in".

One flag-waving protester was tackled by police officers.

Some held up signs reading: "No applause for genocide" and "Singing while Gaza burns".

The competition is organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the world's biggest public service media alliance, of which Israel's broadcaster Kan is a member.

Its entrant this year is Yuval Raphael.

She survived the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza, hiding beneath dead bodies as Hamas gunmen attacked a music festival, killing hundreds.

As she emerged from the city hall, Raphael, 24, waved and blew kisses to the crowd and posed for photographs, waving the Israeli flag.

Kan said it had filed a complaint with Swiss police "following an incident in which a young man wearing a keffiyeh and holding a Palestinian flag made a throat-slitting gesture toward Yuval Raphael and members of the Israeli Eurovision delegation".

AFP has sought a comment from the Basel police and the EBU.

Basel resident Birgit Althaler, was among the demonstrators.

"Israel has always used Eurovision as a platform for propaganda. And it's also scandalous that the city of Basel for example, does nothing," she told AFP.

"It's important that Eurovision changes," she said.

Switzerland is hosting after Swiss vocalist Nemo won Eurovision 2024 in Malmo with the highly personal song "The Code".

Nemo has joined calls for Israel to be thrown out of the event.

"Israel's actions are fundamentally at odds with the values that Eurovision claims to uphold -- peace, unity, and respect for human rights," the singer told the Huffington Post news website.

Basel's emergency services said the parade to the Messeplatz square "went off without any significant problems"

"The police were able to stop around 150 people at the Messeplatz through their presence and thus prevent the official event from being disrupted," it said in a brief statement.

Vintage trams and buses took the performers along the so-called "turquoise carpet" parade route -- the longest in Eurovision history at 1.3 kilometres (0.8 miles).

The parade was accompanied by drummers, carnival groups, marching bands, alphorn players and techno DJ sets.

"The moment we have eagerly awaited is finally here," said Conradin Cramer, president of the Basel City canton, declaring Eurovision 2025 officially open.

"The stage is ready. Excitement fills the air and the entire city is buzzing with a unique and vibrant energy."

The semi-finals on Tuesday and Thursday will eliminate 11 countries, leaving 26 nations to contest Saturday's final at the St. Jakobshalle arena.

Sweden's entry KAJ -- from Finland's Swedish-speaking minority -- are the hot favourites to win, with a comical take on the joy of having a sauna.

"The plan is to win for Sweden then the Finns can feel it's basically their win but Sweden pays for it," quipped the group's Jakob Norrgard.

"I'm very excited. Obviously there's a little bit of pressure because people have high expectations," JJ told AFP.

"When I saw Nemo's performance, I was blown away. But we have different styles. I'm glad that people see similarities and are comparing me to a former winner," he said.

Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Hamas said it would release a US-Israeli hostage held in Gaza as the group revealed it was engaged in direct talks with the United States towards a ceasefire in the war-battered territory.

"Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, a dual US national, will be released as part of efforts towards a ceasefire" and the reopening of aid crossings, the Palestinian militant group said in a statement.

The family of 21-year-old Alexander said they had been informed that he might be released "in the coming days".

Earlier, two Hamas officials told AFP that talks were ongoing in the Qatari capital of Doha with the United States and reported "progress" had been made.

Israeli strikes meanwhile continued, with Gaza's civil defence agency reporting that at least 12 people were killed on Sunday including four young children.

One Hamas official, speaking of the talks with the United States, said there was "progress made... notably on the entry of aid to the Gaza Strip" and the potential exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.

A second official also reported progress "on the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip".

Israel again vowed to keep fighting despite the talks.

Comments

It feels awful to me. It used to feel much worse when I was younger for some reason. Touching it felt like it was between by teeth.

Cross-posted from Mastodon: https://chaos.social/@dickenhobelix/114490762212148978

Hamza M.Salha and Sharif Abdel Kouddous
May 11, 2025

"The May 9 attack on the UN distribution center came as part of Israel’s scorched-earth bombing campaign that resumed in full force on March 18 following a brief “ceasefire.” Since then, #Israel has targeted charity kitchens, displacement camps, schools, hospitals, so-called “humanitarian zones,” and other civilian gatherings on a regular basis. On Saturday alone, #Israeli airstrikes bombed two tents used for preparing food in Khan Younis and #Gaza City."

Comments

I remember a time when visiting a website that opens a javacript dialog box asking for your name so the message "hi " could be displayed was baulked at.

Why does signal want a phone number to register? Is there a better alternative?