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Facebook No Longer About Friends, Says Zuckerberg—Meta Faces Breakup Threat"

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Goodbye to the Old Facebook: Zuckerberg Admits Shift as FTC Lawsuit Threatens to Dismantle Meta May 7, 2025 — In a striking admission that signals the end of an era, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that Facebook is no longer primarily a platform for connecting friends and family. Once the hallmark of digital social interaction, Facebook has shifted focus toward entertainment, algorithm-driven content, and commercial engagement. Zuckerberg’s comments come at a critical moment, as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) escalates legal action that could result in the breakup of Meta, the tech giant that also owns Instagram and WhatsApp. The lawsuit, centered on antitrust concerns and alleged monopolistic practices, argues that Meta has suppressed competition and exploited user data at the expense of public interest. “This is no longer the Facebook we created to bring people closer together,” Zuckerberg admitted during a recent tech forum. “We’ve evolved—but maybe not in the way people e...
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A Life of Faith and Service: Tribute to Pope Francis

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Pope Francis "𝘈 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘴—𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥." Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, due to a stroke and subsequent heart failure. His death was confirmed by the Vatican, marking the end of a transformative papacy that emphasized humility, compassion, and inclusivity.  Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he became the first Jesuit and the first Latin American pope when elected in 2013. His leadership was characterized by a focus on social justice, environmental stewardship, and outreach to marginalized communities.  Pope Francis's final public appearance was on Easter Sunday, where he delivered the traditional "Urbi et Orbi" blessing. His passing has prompted a period of mourning and the initiation o...
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Philippines Accuses China of Damaging South China Sea Reefs

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  Philippine Coast Guard/Facebook. According to the Philippine Coast Guard, heaps of bleached coral fragments now surround Rozul (Iroquios) Reef. In recent footage released by the Philippine Coast Guard, extensive bleached coral formations have been observed surrounding Rozul (Iroquios) Reef and Sabina (Escoda) Shoal in the South China Sea, both located within the country's recognized exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Commodore Jay Tarriela, the spokesperson for the coast guard, reported that between August 9 and September 11, they monitored 33 Chinese vessels near Rozul Reef and approximately 15 Chinese ships near Escoda Shoal. The observations indicate signs of coral degradation and potential dumping activities. The Philippine military had previously accused China's maritime militia of causing substantial damage to these areas, but Chinese authorities denied these allegations, calling them "false and groundless." China claims sovereignty over a significant portion of...
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De-dollarization gains momentum, Indonesia joins the movement.

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  "Will this have an impact on ASEAN members?" The global campaign aimed at reducing the dominance of the U.S. dollar in international trade and investments continues to attract more countries. Indonesia has recently joined this movement, as confirmed by Indonesia's central bank.  The nation has established a National Task Force with the objective of expanding the use of its local currency in transactions with partner countries. According to Perry Warjiyo, the Governor of Bank Indonesia, "Bank Indonesia is confident that the National LCT Task Force will serve as an effective coordination platform to enhance policy alignment among government ministries and agencies, with the goal of increasing the utilization of local currencies in bilateral transactions between Indonesia and its major trading partners." This initiative is expected to contribute to the stability of the rupiah and strengthen the resilience of the domestic financial markets, as highlighted by...
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Instability Among China's Leadership Raises Concerns About the Rule of Xi Jinping

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  Chinese Communist President, Xi Jinping  At the beginning of his unprecedented third term, Xi Jinping appointed a cadre of loyalists to China's top leadership, presumably to facilitate the realization of his ambitious vision for the country. However, less than a year later, turbulence has engulfed Xi's carefully chosen ruling elite, casting doubts on his judgment and eroding international confidence in his governance. This unrest comes at a critical juncture for China, facing significant economic challenges domestically and heightened competition with the United States on the global stage. Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu  In a matter of months, two high-ranking members of China's cabinet, responsible for engaging with the world, have vanished. Defense Minister Li Shangfu has not appeared in public for three weeks, fueling speculation of a possible investigation. Earlier, Foreign Minister Qin Gang was abruptly removed after a month-long absence from public view. Th...
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JPMorgan Warns of De-dollarization Risk: Loss of Key Crisis-Fighting Tool for the US

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JPMorgan Warns of De-dollarization Risk: Loss of Key Crisis-Fighting Tool for the US JPMorgan Warns of De-dollarization Risk: US May Lose Vital Crisis-Fighting Tool JPMorgan's strategists, led by Marko Kolanovic, caution that the primary de-dollarization risk isn't a rival currency but centers on inflation and mounting debt for Western economies. They emphasize that emerging powers won't suddenly abandon the dollar but highlight potential vulnerabilities tied to inflation, debt, and energy prices. The history of USD supremacy relied on factors like imported deflation, trade dynamics, and energy independence. However, as global economies decouple and energy costs rise, the effectiveness of crisis measures that central banks used in the past may be compromised, leading to inflation and debt issues in the West. Fitch's recent downgrade of the US credit rating underscores this risk. Environmental imbalances, like outsourcing carbon-intensive industries, have made the West...
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BRICS+6 Expansion Empact

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BRICS+6 Expansion Empact! The Argentine Republic, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. According to an analysis, the proposed addition of Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates as new members to the existing BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) will increase the BRICS' global GDP share from 26% to 30%, and their population share to 46%. This expansion was announced during the last BRICS summit in Johannesburg and will be effective from January 1, 2024. As a result of this expansion, China's share of the BRICS' GDP will decrease from 70% to 62%, India's from 13% to 12%, South Africa's will decrease by 50% to 1%, and Russia's share will decrease by 7%. Brazil's stake will remain unchanged. Saudi Arabia will have the largest economy among the new members, contributing 4% of th...
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