Turkey was removed from the F-35 programme and its Defence Industry Agency was sanctioned after Ankara announced in 2017 it would purchase Russian S-400 missiles.
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The US government’s opposition to Turkey’s reintegration into the F-35 fighter jet programme remains unchanged, the State Department said in a letter on Wednesday.
A group of 40 lawmakers, led by Democrat Chris Pappas, wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the government to prevent Turkey from “continuing to violate US laws and policies related to US national security.”
“We have expressed our displeasure with Ankara’s acquisition of the S-400 system and have made clear the steps that should be taken as part of our ongoing assessment of the implementation of CAATSA sanctions,” the State Department letter said.
“Turkey is a long-time NATO ally with a history of significant contributions to the alliance’s missions. The United States’ defense relationship with Turkey remains vital to the security interests of both the United States and NATO.”Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaks during a press conference at the NATO summit in The Hague, 25 June, 2025
AP Photo
Turkey was removed from the F-35 programme and the country’s Defence Industry Agency was sanctioned under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) after Ankara announced in 2017 it would purchase Russian S-400 missiles.
The US said the missiles were incompatible with NATO technology and posed a risk to the F-35s.
Turkey said it was forced to look elsewhere for missiles systems after the US refused to include technology transfer in a deal to buy American-made Patriot missiles.
Ankara also argued that it was aiming for greater autonomy in its defence procurements, but the purchase of the S400 caused concern among other NATO allies.
Heads Up: Volvo’s Lidar Could Turn Your Phone Into a Burnt‑Out Rubbish
What the Heck is Lidar?
Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) is a fancy gadget that fires invisible infrared laser pulses to build a 3‑D map of a vehicle’s surroundings. Think of it like a super‑sensitive future‑sight that helps cars see what’s in front of them without bumping into things.
The Red‑Flag Moment
Reddit—yes, the place where everyone else thinks you’re funny—gives us a cautionary tale. A user named Jeguetelli posted a video on the r/Volvo subreddit that shows a smartphone camera’s sensor not just taking a bad picture, but getting fired up literally.
Why the Volvo EX90 Is So Special
Fully electric, 7‑seat luxury SUV.
Volvo’s flagship entry into the electric‑car game.
Front‑mounted high‑power lidar that emits those rare invisible beams.
The Shocking Result
In the clip, Jeguetelli films the front lidar while holding his phone up like a tourist giving a “shot” of the car. The outcome? The phone’s image sensor goes into a fiery blaze—literally!
Picture This: A Quick Remembrance
“Never film the new EX90 because you’ll break your cell camera. Lidar lasers burn your camera.” The Reddit poster’s warning was part science, part cautionary tale. And for the record, it’s best to don’t try that again.
What to Keep in Mind
High‑power lidar emits invisible infrared; the eyes can’t see it, but your phone can.
Camera sensors are like delicate chemistry labs—excessive heat or laser exposure can cook them out.
If you’re filming a car with lidar, keep a safe distance or better yet, stay off the phone camera.
Bottom Line
Next time you’re about to snap a photo of the sleek Volvo EX90, think twice. Your phone isn’t built to handle the fan‑fast laser beams. Let the future‑sight stay in the car—maybe take a picture from outside instead.
When Lidar Meets Your Phone: A Comedy of Errors
Picture This
Volvo’s new EX90 comes with a shiny laser-based lidar that aims to guide the car around invisible obstacles. But, as The Drive notes, that tech carries a small scar‑wave—literally—of danger for anyone who looks straight at it with their phone camera.
Why Saying Nothing’s Wrong is Still Wrong
Volvo drops a warning on its website: “Never point a camera directly at the lidar. It’s an infrared laser that could cause serious camera damage.”
The warning isn’t a gripe about Volvo’s design. It’s a general heads‑up for everyone using lidar‑enabled cars.
Yet the confusion remains: some say it could mess up your backup camera if a lidar car tail‑gates you.
Reddit Disaster
A Reddit user posted, “Would this damage your car’s backup camera if a Lidar-equipped car tailgates you?” and another replied, “Thank God for Apple Care!” The comments show how people are reacting—half serious, half in disbelief.
Industry Feud: LiDAR vs. Camera
Tesla presides over the debate with a camera-only policy, claiming advanced AI can handle the full driving experience.
Elon Musk famously dismisses LiDAR as a “crutch.” He argues it holds back continuous progress toward full autonomy.
Opponents argue LiDAR offers vital redundancy, especially for high‑risk applications like robotaxis.
What’s At Stake?
Because LiDAR emits infrared beams, pointing your phone camera at it could permanently damage the sensor. That’s why the tech community urges public service warnings: avoid snapping selfies or recording vlogs while staring directly at any lidar-equipped vehicle.
Conclusion & a Dash of Humor
In the race to driverless freedom, one thing remains clear: shoot your camera away from the laser like you’d keep your cat away from a vacuum cleaner. Stay playful, stay safe, and maybe keep your focus on the open road rather than the headlines.
A controversial European Union proposal dubbed “Chat Control” is regaining momentum, with 19 out of 27 EU member states reportedly backing the measure.
The plan would mandate that messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram, must scan every message, photo and video sent by users starting in October, even if end-to-end encryption is in place, popular French tech blogger Korben wrote on Monday.
Denmark reintroduced the proposal on July 1, the first day of its EU Council presidency. France, once opposed, is now in favor, Korben said, citing Patrick Breyer, a former member of the European Parliament for Germany and the European Pirate Party.
Belgium, Hungary, Sweden, Italy and Spain are also in favor, while Germany remains undecided. However, if Berlin joins the majority, a qualified council vote could push the plan through by mid-October, Korben said.
A qualified majority in the EU Council is achieved when two conditions are met.First, at least 55 percent of member states, meaning 15 out of 27, must vote in favor. Second, those countries must represent at least 65% of the EU’s total population.
EU Chat Control bill finds support. Source: Pavol Luptak
Pre-encryption scanning on devices
Instead of weakening encryption, the plan seeks to implement client-side scanning, meaning software embedded in users’ devices that inspects content before it is encrypted.
“A bit like if the Post Office came to read all your letters in your living room before you put them in the envelope,” Korben said.
He added that the real target isn’t criminals, who use encrypted or decentralized channels, but ordinary users whose private conversations would now be open to algorithmic scrutiny.
The proposal cites the prevention of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) as its justification.
However, it would result in “mass surveillance by means of fully automated real-time surveillance of messaging and chats and the end of privacy of digital correspondence,” Breyer wrote.
Beyond scanning, the package includes mandatory age verification, effectively removing anonymity from messaging platforms. Digital freedom groups are asking citizens to contact their MEPs, sign petitions and push back before the law becomes irreversible.
An infographic explaining the proposed EU Chat Control bill. Source: Patrick Breyer
France faces societal collapse over censorship
Last month, Telegram founder Pavel Durov warned that France risks societal collapse if it continues down a path of political censorship and regulatory overreach. Durov was arrested in France in August 2024 after being accused of failing to moderate his app to reduce criminality.
He also alleged that French intelligence officials approached him earlier this year with requests to censor pro-conservative content ahead of the May 2025 Romanian election, a request he says he refused.
A federal judge has issued a split ruling in a lawsuit over the “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention center located in the Florida Everglades – ruling that Detainees’ claims that they lacked access to immigration courts were moot after the Trump administration designated the Krome North Processing Center near Miami to hear their cases, but then transferred other claims to the Middle District of Florida, where the detention center is located.
Work progresses on the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility in the Florida Everglades, in Ochopee, Fla., on July 4, 2025. AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell
“After numerous hearings, affidavits, status conferences, and supplemental filings, it has become readily apparent that Plaintiff’s Complaint suffers from two key flaws. For one, Plaintiff’s Fifth Amendment claim has been rendered moot,” wrote U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz on Monday.
“Venue matters,” Ruiz continued in his decision to transfer the surviving claims.
As the Epoch Times notes further, civil rights groups, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, had sought a preliminary injunction to ensure detainees could meet privately with lawyers and challenge their detention.
“Defendants currently hold approximately 700 immigrant detainees at the facility, and have barred detained immigrants from communicating confidentially with legal counsel,” their motion stated, asking the court to require private, unmonitored calls and stop officials from reading legal papers.
The suit also alleged that detainees were pressured to sign voluntary deportation orders without legal advice.
“One intellectually disabled detainee was told to sign a paper in exchange for a blanket, but was then deported subject to voluntary removal after he signed, without the ability to speak to his counsel,” the plaintiffs’ reply in support of their injunction request stated.
Government lawyers countered that the facility—still under construction on a remote airfield—had been updated to allow attorney meetings and that documents were only screened for contraband.
One attorney argued that the plaintiffs’ claims were really an effort to close the site, saying they were trying to “fragment, to prolong, [and] to block” deportation efforts.
Ruiz agreed that the First Amendment claims “are very much alive,” but ruled they should be litigated in the Middle District.
The Everglades site, formally called the Collier-Dade Training and Transition Detention Center but widely known as Alligator Alcatraz, has already drawn court battles.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ordered a 14-day halt on new construction after environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe argued the project violated federal review requirements.
This marks the second major federal lawsuit over the site, officially known as the Collier‑Dade Training and Transition Detention Center but widely called “Alligator Alcatraz.”
In early August, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams halted further construction for 14 days after environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe argued that the facility was built without required environmental reviews. Williams has yet to issue a ruling on venue.
The facility was built under emergency powers granted by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who authorized Kevin Guthrie, head of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, to take over the Dade-Collier airfield and construct the center.
Ringed by more than 28,000 feet of barbed wire, the site sits more than 50 miles west of Miami within the Big Cypress National Preserve, home to some 30,000 alligators.
“We like the idea of reopening the original Alcatraz,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said earlier this year.
“I don’t know if that can happen or not, but we thought, ‘Hey, we’ve got our own natural Alcatraz in the middle of the Everglades, great runway, great, great perimeter. So let’s, let’s make it happen.’”
Environmental groups remain opposed.
“This project has been rushed through with zero analysis of the impacts of all the vehicles and the thousands of people that will be detained or work on the site,” Earthjustice attorney Alisa Coe said at a July 1 news conference.
“The Everglades deserves more, and that’s why we’re in court.”
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaks during a press conference at the NATO summit in The Hague, 25 June, 2025
