Vanishing Acts, Flickering Truths, and Surveillance by Design
Welcome to Ohmbudsman, your daily digest of the world’s sharpest headlines, trimmed to the truth and styled for signal.
From flickering lightcodes to Raspberry Pi heists, we’ve got today’s global snapshot—no clickbait, no fluff, just clarity.
The Metropolitan Police in London is dramatically expanding its use of facial recognition technology, planning to deploy it up to 10 times weekly. This represents a significant increase, with projected scans rising from 2 million faces in 2023 to 4.7 million in 2024. Commissioner Mark Rowley has praised the technology as "fantastic," though this expansion comes amid staffing cuts and raises concerns about surveillance oversight and civil liberties.
A serious product mix-up has triggered a recall of Celsius energy drinks, as some cans may contain vodka instead of the energy formula. The FDA has warned consumers in six states about products shipped between July 21-23, urging them to dispose of potentially affected cans immediately. The error originated at a vodka seltzer factory, highlighting concerns about quality control in beverage manufacturing and potential risks to consumers.
Corporate pressure is increasingly affecting media coverage of Trump-related issues. CBS parent company Paramount paid a $16 million settlement to Trump, while the Washington Post has reportedly pulled back on criticism. The situation has led to notable changes, including Porter's departure from the Post and the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's show, with Colbert describing the settlement as "a big fat bribe." These developments raise serious questions about journalistic independence and corporate influence on media.
Fifteen nations, including Australia, Canada, Spain, and Ireland, have united in calling for Palestinian state recognition. The joint declaration emphasizes the UN's role and addresses humanitarian concerns in Gaza and West Bank unity, marking a potential shift in diplomatic approaches to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. France has taken a leading role, urging other nations to join the call for recognition.
Japan is experiencing unprecedented heat waves, with temperatures reaching a record-breaking 41.2°C. The impact has been severe, with 33 of 47 prefectures under heatstroke alerts and 10,800 people hospitalized. Sixteen deaths have been reported in just one week, surpassing the previous record of 41.1°C set in 2018 and matched in 2020, highlighting escalating climate change concerns.
China's preparation for October talks regarding its next Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) will bring together 370 party elite to shape economic and social policy. The planning process, which began with public consultation in May, is particularly significant given ongoing tensions with the United States over trade and technology. The final endorsement is scheduled for March 2026.
Malaysia's expanding electric vehicle sector, which has attracted $6.15 billion in investments since 2018, faces growing cybersecurity challenges. Experts warn about vulnerabilities in connected car systems, including infotainment systems and Apple CarPlay, highlighting the need for enhanced digital security measures in the automotive industry.
The United States has been watchlisted for civil society repression by Civicus, joining countries like El Salvador and Turkey. The report cites militarized protest responses and media funding cuts, downgrading the US civic space rating to "narrowed." This development raises significant concerns about democratic resilience and civil liberties under Trump's second term.
In technology regulation news, Google has signed the EU's AI Code while Meta has refused, highlighting industry divisions over regulation. The code is designed to prepare companies for the 2024 AI Act, with rules for general-purpose AI models taking effect in August 2025. Google expressed concerns in a blog post, while Meta views the regulations as overreach.
The UAE is addressing Gaza's humanitarian crisis by constructing a 7km desalinated water pipeline from Egypt. This crucial infrastructure project comes as 154 Palestinians have reportedly died from enforced starvation. Equipment transfers have already begun, demonstrating urgent action to address the humanitarian catastrophe.
A sophisticated ATM heist attempt has revealed new hybrid physical-digital security threats, with hackers attempting to hide a 4G-equipped Raspberry Pi in a bank to breach ATM networks. The attack used a rootkit called 'Caketap' to spoof authorization messages and manipulate card verification systems, highlighting vulnerabilities in physical IT security infrastructure.
Cornell University researchers have developed an innovative approach to detecting deepfakes using flickering lights. The "noise-coded illumination" technique embeds authentication in ambient light, making it possible to expose AI tampering through undetectable scene flickers. This development, published in ACM Transactions on Graphics, represents a potential breakthrough in the fight against digital misinformation.
That’s today’s cut through the static.
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