Kolja Barghoorn criticized that the BMW chief accused the AfD of isolationism. He asked who is increasingly isolating Germany internationally and wrote that relations with Donald Trump would be damaged. Barghoorn stated that the EU has nothing to offer China except for tariffs. https://t.co/mOzgdYM1GU #BMW #Politik #Isolationismus (translated)
The author _horizont_ wrote that Antifa set fire to the car of AfD politician Bernd Baumann in November 2025. BMW withdrew its leasing offer for a company car for the President of the Saxony-Anhalt Parliament on October 6, 2026, just hours after Tobias Rausch was elected the first AfD politician to head a German parliament. Regarding the question of whether the AfD harms Germany as a business location, BMW CEO Milan Nedeljković recently stated that right-wing populism and nationalism jeopardize an open, trade-dependent economy. Those who demand protectionism and isolationism do not act in the interest of the German location and prosperity, Nedeljković reportedly said according to _horizont_. The author wrote that this says enough about BMW. #Antifa #AfD #Rechtspopulismus (translated)
Russia’s war propaganda gets a soundtrack – how AI-generated songs reached global streaming platforms Russian war propaganda is no longer confined to television broadcasts, Telegram channels or political videos. A study by the Ukrainian threat-intelligence organisation Terrecon has identified 981 songs combining signs of AI generation with pro-Russian military narratives, distributed through an ecosystem that reaches YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and SoundCloud. The songs range from sentimental ballads to rock and heavy metal. Their recurring themes are familiar from conventional Russian wartime propaganda: the heroisation of Russian soldiers, romanticisation of the war, mobilisation, the “Russian world”, commemoration of fallen troops and attacks on Ukraine and its armed forces. Some contain derogatory or dehumanising references to Ukrainians. What is new is not necessarily the message, but the production and distribution model: generative AI allows propagandistic music to be produced rapidly, cheaply and in quantities that would previously have required musicians, studios and producers. Nearly 1,000 tracks identified Terrecon examined 3,725 tracks collected from YouTube, YouTube Music, SoundCloud and the AI music platform Suno. After manual review, researchers classified 981 as showing both indications of AI generation and pro-Russian war propaganda. In 681 tracks they identified 728 propaganda-related keywords or phrases. The largest category was the glorification of the Russian military, followed by romanticised treatment of Moscow’s so-called “special military operation”, mobilisation appeals, narratives about the “Russian world”, and the cult of fallen soldiers and the state. The reach was not merely theoretical. Listening or viewing statistics were available for 608 of the identified tracks; together they had accumulated 86.8 million plays and views, according to Terrecon. A smaller group of 13 high-performing songs accounted for more than 53 million YouTube views and more than 67 million when YouTube Music was included. Among the better-known examples is “Power of Artillery”, a Russian-language rock song praising artillery weapons that passed two million views on YouTube. Most of the tracks for which publication dates could be established appeared after 2024, broadly coinciding with the rapid expansion of consumer AI music generators such as Suno and Udio. That correlation does not prove that AI alone caused the increase, but it illustrates how drastically the economics of production have changed. A propaganda song for as little as $11 Terrecon also tested how difficult it would be to commission such material. Researchers approached 25 creators producing AI-assisted militaristic music; 15 agreed to take commissions. Prices ranged from approximately $11 to $330, while delivery times ranged from two hours to three days. According to Terrecon, some were prepared to produce highly aggressive anti-Ukrainian material, including content intended for audiences involving children from occupied Ukrainian territories. Some creators used Russian intermediary services that provided access to Western AI tools such as Suno and Udio despite restrictions. The researchers then tested several AI generators themselves. Across 40 prompts submitted to Suno, Udio, Mureka, Google Flow Music and ElevenLabs, 25 resulted in successful generations, while safeguards were circumvented in 15 cases. Terrecon reported that four of the five services tested produced Russian-language material containing wartime narratives, although technical problems prevented comparable testing on some systems. In one Udio experiment, the researchers said the model itself introduced more explicit violent language than had appeared in the original promp These tests do not demonstrate that the commercial platforms knowingly support Russian propaganda. They show something narrower: existing safeguards can be inconsistent when political messaging is packaged as music. From generation to Spotify The distribution experiment may be the most revealing part of Terrecon’s research. The team deliberately uploaded test tracks containing explicit hostile language to YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify and Deezer. Terrecon says none was blocked during the experiment. On SoundCloud, researchers used an account identifying its location as Moscow, disclosed the use of AI and added markers including references to the Russian military and the war. The platform accepted the upload and subsequently offered paid promotional and distribution tools. This does not prove that streaming recommendation systems systematically promote pro-war music. There is currently insufficient public evidence to make that claim. It does demonstrate that material can enter the same commercial distribution infrastructure as ordinary music and, once there, potentially benefit from playlists, searches, sharing and recommendation mechanisms available to other releases. That distinction is important. Propaganda no longer has to announce itself as political communication. On a streaming platform it can look like another song. Culture as a delivery mechanism Music has always been used in wartime propaganda. What generative AI changes is scale. Instead of investing heavily in a limited number of patriotic performers or officially commissioned productions, creators can generate variations across styles, audiences and emotional registers at very low cost. Terrecon found material ranging from war rock to sentimental songs and content styled for younger audiences. Some creators also experimented with cloned celebrity voices and stylistic imitation of established musicians. The format also offers a different relationship with the audience. A political video asks a viewer to consume an argument. Music can accompany commuting, exercise or entertainment and may be encountered outside explicitly political spaces. This does not automatically make it more persuasive, and Terrecon’s research does not establish measurable effects on political attitudes. It does, however, place wartime narratives inside a cultural environment where users may not initially perceive themselves as consuming political messaging. An ecosystem, not a proven Kremlin command structure The strongest evidence supports describing this as a growing AI-assisted pro-Russian propaganda-music ecosystem, not a single operation controlled from Moscow. Terrecon did not establish that the Russian government created, financed or coordinated all 981 tracks. Reporting on the study likewise notes that the extent of direct state involvement remains unclear. There is broader evidence that the Russian state finances cultural projects and digital content supporting the war, including through state-backed funding bodies. That context matters, but it does not allow individual songs in Terrecon’s dataset to be attributed to the Kremlin without additional evidence. The significance of the case lies elsewhere. AI has reduced the cost of producing ideological content, intermediaries can help creators access generation tools, and global platforms can provide distribution. The result is a pipeline in which wartime propaganda no longer has to resemble propaganda at all. It can simply appear in a playlist. Sources Terrecon / Ukrainska Pravda — Daria Verbytska on the research https://www.pravda.com.ua/columns/2026/10/05/8056229/ Suspilne Culture — detailed breakdown of Terrecon findings https://suspilne.media/culture/1417933-rosijsku-voennu-propagandu-maskuut-pid-anime-karaoke-ta-rok-doslidzenna-si-pisen-vid-terrecon/ The Insider — AI-generated Russian war propaganda music https://theins.ru/news/297839 Institute of Mass Information — summary of New York Times reporting https://imi.org.ua/en/news/doslidzhennya-rf-masovo-stvoryu%D1%94-propagandistski-pisni-za-dopomogoyu-shi The Bridge Media — AI-generated songs and Russian military propaganda https://thebridgemedia.com.ua/en/ai-generated-songs-russian-military-propaganda/ Center for Strategic Communication — cost and production of AI propaganda music https://spravdi.org/propaganda-za-11-yak-rosiya-shtampuye-shi-pisni-z-miljonamy-prosluhovuvan/ Times of India — AI-generated Russian war songs https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/ai-sings-russias-war-story-inside-the-rise-of-generative-songs-about-ukraine-conflict/articleshow/134650594.cms EU Council / EUR-Lex — Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32026D1351 Human Rights Watch — Russian state funding of digital and patriotic content https://www.hrw.org/report/2025/07/30/disrupted-throttled-and-blocked/state-censorship-control-and-increasing-isolation #DISINFORMED #Episode16 #Russia #Ukraine #RussianPropaganda #WarPropaganda #MusicPropaganda #AIMusic #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #GenerativeAI #SyntheticMedia #AIPropaganda #Disinformation #InformationWarfare #InfluenceOperations #CulturalPropaganda #DigitalInfluence #NarrativeManipulation #PropagandaMusic #StreamingPlatforms #Spotify #AppleMusic #YouTube #YouTubeMusic #Deezer #SoundCloud #Suno #Udio #RussianWorld #RusskiyMir #MilitaryPropaganda #WarNarratives #Mobilisation #AlgorithmicDistribution #RecommendationAlgorithms #MusicStreaming #PlatformManipulation #Terrecon #OSINT #MediaManipulation #WRLD
The Health Insurance Fund encourages filling out an organ donor declaration to raise awareness of the shortage of donors and to offer hope to those in need of life-saving transplants. #спорт #Мягги #олимпийскийкомитет (translated)
The US government has apparently begun negotiating directly with the military junta in Myanmar after years of isolation, which has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats after the military attacked civilians shortly after the talks. #Myanmar #USPolitik #Menschenrechte (translated)
On October 7, 2026, Israel commemorated for the third time the bloodiest day in its history, when 1,200 people were killed in a Hamas attack, and hundreds of memorial events and protests took place across the country, reflecting the changed social climate and Israel's isolation on an international level. #Israel #Gedenken #Hamas (translated)
The author described the strikes on Kyiv and 12 regions as Vladimir Putin’s birthday “gift” to Ukraine, saying they involved 70 missiles and 130 drones and killed at least 15 people. They wrote that after more than 25 years in power, Putin had brought war, death and destruction to neighbouring countries, while Russia itself faced isolation, repression and a stolen future. https://t.co/VuBLOhxqP1 #Ukraine #Putin #War #UA #RU
Anna wrote that the public staging surrounding the withdrawal of US bombers from Great Britain had exposed NATO's fundamental weakness. She accused Donald Trump of attacking the closest allies again and panicking by withdrawing troops while the alliance stood by paralyzed. Trump no longer presents himself as a serious politician during crises, attacks alliance partners, and acts unpredictably, Anna wrote. As a result, he is not a protective shield but a security risk. She stated that neither the USA nor a NATO that observes passively is needed. An independent Europe that organizes its own security brings more than the constant following of unpredictable announcements from Washington. #NATO #Sicherheit #Europa (translated)
The author marked 5 October as “Balkan Liberation Day” and wrote that Serbia’s people rose against Slobodan Milošević on 5 October 2000, bringing an end to authoritarian rule, war and isolation. The author described Zoran Đinđić as a major democratic symbol of that turning point and a reformer. https://t.co/B5Pwpx8xgd #BalkanLiberationDay #Serbia #Democracy #RS #EU
An international crew is testing life on a future lunar base in the Gotthard massif to explore the challenges of isolation and the psychological pressures that astronauts might face during long-term missions. #Asclepios #Mondbasis #Raumfahrt (translated)
The 28-year-old laboratory technician Daria S. died in Russia from pneumonic plague, which alarmed the White House and led to the immediate isolation of around 200 contacts. #Pest #Seuchenausbruch #Lungenpest (translated)
Seven instead of eight years. This is not a correction, this is leniency. Simeon Trux, born as such, later called Maja T., attacked with other patriots on the "Day of Honor." Contusions, bruises, broken bones. For this, there is now a one-year discount in Budapest. The public prosecutor wanted to impose a harsher sentence. The court reduced it. Those who beat others often face a debate in Germany and at least a punishment in Hungary. However, even that is being downplayed again. Arrest in Berlin, extradition, the Federal Constitutional Court finds the procedure inadmissible, the family speaks of isolation and vermin. All important, as soon as the perpetrator suffers. The bones of the beaten do not feature in this sympathy. Seven years for a serious crime is not a scandal of harshness. It is the scandal that even this is considered too much. #Rechtsprechung #Justiz #Menschenrechte (translated)
Climate: these measures that cost a fortune for so little results - EXCLUSIVE. Thermal insulation, solar panels on rooftops… To avoid a ton of CO₂, France subsidizes measures that are ineffective and overpriced, reveals a report by @CGollier and @Fxol, who call for a radical review of our strategies. 👇 https://t.co/Uzu2YiBlsI #Climat #Écologie #TransitionÉnergétique (translated)
This morning I was at the Léonard-de-Vinci high school in Saint-Michel-sur-Orge and Paul-Langevin in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois to support the young people who are asking for: - more teachers - better organized schedules - thermal insulation - the end of Parcoursup https://t.co/1ekjCvvJbU #Éducation #Jeunes #Réformes (translated)
Other requests that concern you @vpecresse: - have toilets that close - repair the plumbing (smells) - thermal insulation of the rooms - have chairs and tables to study normally - exterminate to avoid rats in the cafeteria Is that too much to ask? #Infrastructures #Éducation #QualitéDeVie (translated)
Die Zahl der bestätigten Ebola-Fälle im Kongo ist auf über 8000 gestiegen, wobei bisher rund 3900 Todesfälle verzeichnet wurden und 773 Menschen aktuell in Isolation oder Behandlung sind. #Ebola #Gesundheit #DemokratischeRepublikKongo
Russia's recruitment drive targeting Belarusians has become a key tool to boost manpower on the battlefield and exploits economic hardship and isolation. #Belarus #Recruitment #UkraineWar
Der Iran hat Schiffe gewarnt, dass unautorisierte Routen durch die Hormus-Straße zu finanziellen und menschlichen Verlusten führen könnten, während die USA eine diplomatische Lösung des Konflikts ablehnen und stattdessen auf wirtschaftliche Isolation setzen. #Iran #Hormusstraße #Diplomatie
BREAKING Am Rande des UN Gipfels hat sich die deutsche Delegation mit den Russen unter Aussenminister Lawrow facetoface getroffen ! Warum das "Breaking" ist ? Weil es seit Beginn des Proxy Wars der Natostaaten gegen Russland mit ukrainischen Händen kein solches Treffen gab - Seit Jänner 2022 hat kein deutsches Regierungsmitglied mit den Russen persönlich von Angesicht zu Angesicht gesprochen! Und nächstes Anzeichen das da hinter den Kulissen was im Busch ist - Trump hat Putin persönlich (!) zum G20 Gipfel eingeladen- und der deutsche Aussenminister hat den Tabubruch der totalen Isolationsstrategie des Westens nur mit der Bemerkung kommentiert, es sei "eine Gelegenheit miteinander zu sprechen" Katastrophenlage an der Front, Kollaps der Staatsstrukturen in der Ukraine , die Welle an Skandalen im korruptesten Land der Welt, kein Geld mehr da für das finanzielle Schwarze Loch Banderistan und wohl auch der unfassbare Auftritt des Kokskönig von Kiew in New York - es scheint nun auch der Koalition der Kriegstreiber in Europa klar zu werden dass das Ende der Sackgasse erreicht ist Keep Fingers crossed GM #UNGipfel #Russland #Diplomatie
“If everything you offered wasn’t enough, offer your absence” - Mario Benedetti “The 15 Million Men America Has Lost to Marriage America has a problem that is remarkably difficult to discuss without changing the subject: young men are disappearing from marriage. In 2000, there were 20.7 million unmarried men aged 20–39 and 18.1 million married men—a gap of 2.6 million. By 2025, there were 30.4 million unmarried men but only 15.4 million married men. The gap had exploded to roughly 15 million. That is not a minor cultural adjustment. It is a demographic earthquake. The explanation cannot simply be that men have become unwilling to “grow up.” Economic and educational changes matter. Unpartnered men have lower education, employment and earnings than partnered men. In 2019, 26% of unpartnered prime-working-age men had a bachelor’s degree, compared with 37% of partnered men. Meanwhile, women have made enormous gains in education and economic independence. Marriage is therefore no longer an economic necessity for women to the same extent it once was. The consequences are visible. In 1980, 63% of Americans aged 25 were married; by 2021, only 22% were. The share with a child fell from 39% to 17%. By 2021, one quarter of 40-year-olds had never married, compared with 6% in 1980. And 39.5% of U.S. births in 2024 occurred outside marriage. None of this proves that marriage guarantees happiness, or that being unmarried makes someone dysfunctional. Nor does the 15-million figure mean 15 million men will never marry. But pretending that family formation is irrelevant is equally absurd. A society cannot manufacture spouses for people. Nor should it. But it can create conditions in which work, competence, responsibility, commitment and family formation are attainable—and respected. Instead, we have increasingly normalised economic dependence, digital isolation and permanent adolescence while treating personal choice as though it has no social consequences. The 15-million gap is therefore more than a marriage statistic. It is a warning that millions of young men are failing to make the transition into the responsibilities of adult life” - ChatGPT
