Links 07/05/2024: Pulitzer for Supreme Court Expose, New Threats to Media Reported
Contents
- Leftovers
- Science
- Education
- Hardware
- Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
- Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Security
- Defence/Aggression
- Transparency/Investigative Reporting
- Environment
- Finance
- AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
- Censorship/Free Speech
- Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
- Civil Rights/Policing
- Internet Policy/Net Neutrality Monopolies/Monopsonies
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Leftovers
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Ruben Schade ☛ My own silly intercom glitch in the Matrix
I love the phrase glitch in the Matrix. It describes the phenomena of observing something that didn’t quite generate correctly in the vast simulation in which we find ourselves. It’s all a bit of fun, though perhaps slightly more interesting if we’re to believe people like Nick Bostrom.
I’ve had the experience a few times recently, all of which occured in our own apartment block. Whoever implemented this apartment block in Blender either didn’t do their homework, or didn’t export it properly!
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Kev Quirk ☛ The Bum Gun
My wife and I recently discovered a bum gun in one of our bathrooms at home. It gave me quite the shock!
So this weekend, the kids went to their nan's to stay for a few days while my wife and I sorted some stuff out at home. We moved them into their new bedrooms, and moved us from the spare room, into what was their shared bedroom.
Nextdoor to our new bedroom is a bathroom that was converted by the previous owner to a disabled bathroom for her elderly mum. At some point we will re-do this bathroom, and it will become the en-suite for our bedroom, but for now, it will do.
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The Strategist ☛ Helium, polyethylene and more: Australia loses basic-materials industries
Australia is losing its ability to manufacture basic materials, with recent plant closures spelling the end to local production of polyethylene and the industrial gas helium [...]
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Science
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Science Alert ☛ Lost Faces Found: New Tech Reveals Hidden Images in Early Photographs
Unveiling forgotten history.
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Hackaday ☛ Tokyo Atacama Observatory Opens As World’s Highest Altitude Infrared Telescope
Although we have a gaggle of space telescopes floating around these days, there is still a lot of value in ground-based telescopes. These generally operate in the visible light spectrum, but infrared ground-based telescopes can also work on Earth, assuming that you put them somewhere high in an area where the atmosphere is short on infrared-radiation absorbing moisture. The newly opened Universe of Tokyo Atacama Observatory (TAO) with its 6.5 meter silver-coated primary mirror is therefore placed on the summit of Cerro Chajnantor at 5,640 meters, in the Atacama desert in Chile.
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Science Alert ☛ Angry Outbursts Could Literally Be Putting Some People's Heart at Risk
And... relax.
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Science Alert ☛ NASA's Stunning New Simulation Sends You Diving Into a Black Hole
Whee!
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Science Alert ☛ Powerful Flares Just Erupted on The Sun, And Their Effects Are Lashing Earth
There could be auroras!
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Science Alert ☛ Bacteria Living in The Brains of Fruit Flies Have a Surprising Effect on Their Memory
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Science Alert ☛ Fusion Breakthrough: 6 Minutes of Plasma Sets New Reactor Record
Every step brings us closer.
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Science Alert ☛ Fewer People in The US Are Religious, But That Might Not Mean What We Think
Don't say the 'A' word.
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Education
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RFA ☛ China recruits Mandarin-speaking teachers to move to Inner Mongolia
The move comes as schools phase out instruction in the Mongolian language.
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Hardware
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CNX Software ☛ Microchip PIC32CK 32-bit Arm Cortex-M33 MCU combines Hardware Security Module with Arm TrustZone for IoT cybersecurity compliance
Microchip PIC32CK is a new family of 32-bit Arm Cortex-M33 microcontrollers clocked up to 120 MHz with Arm Trustzone and an optional integrated Hardware Security Module (HSM) that can help companies meet the cybersecurity requirements for consumer IoT devices and critical infrastructure mandated in the US, Europe, and other countries.
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CNX Software ☛ AMD Ryzen 5 5500U mini PC goes for $177 with 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD
Among all the inexpensive defective chip maker Intel Alder Lake-N mini PCs, ZXIPC is selling a no-name AMD Ryzen 5 5500 mini PC for $177 with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, or $143.03 as a barebone system.
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Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel reportedly demands all board partners implement defective chip maker Intel Default (Baseline) Profile by May 31 — company hopes to fix issues with some Core i9 chips
Intel is putting an end to 13th and 14th-gen instability by demanding board partners implement an defective chip maker Intel default profile by May 31st for all LGA1700 boards.
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Hackaday ☛ Spend An Hour In The Virtual Radio Museum
You have an hour to kill, and you like old communication technology. If you happen to be in Windsor, Connecticut, you could nip over to the Vintage Radio and Communication Museum. If you aren’t in Windsor, you could watch [WG7D’s] video tour, which you can see below.
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Hackaday ☛ Non Contact Scope Probe Costs Nearly Nothing
[IMSAI Guy] wants you to build a non-contact scope probe. The cost? Assuming you have a bit of wire and a regular scope probe, it won’t cost you anything. Why do you want such a thing? You can see what he does with it in the video below.
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Hackaday ☛ Upgrading A Cheap LX-2BUPS UPS Board To Fix Fatal Flaws
Cheap uninterruptable power supply (UPS) boards that take Li-ion cells of some description seem to have cropped up everywhere the past years. Finding use in applications such as keeping single-board computers ticking along in the case of a power failure, they would seem to be a panacea. Unfortunately most of these boards come with a series of fatal flaws, such as those that [MisterHW] found in an LX-2BUPS board obtained from AliExpress. Worst of all was the deep discharge of the Li-ion cells to below 2 V, which took some ingenuity and hard work to fix this and other problems.
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Hackaday ☛ Retrotechtacular: How Not To Use Hand Tools
Whatever you’re doing with your hand tools, by the US Army’s lights, you’re probably doing it wrong. That seems to be the “Green Machine’s” attitude on pliers and screwdrivers, at least, the main stars of this 1943 War Department training film on the horrors of tool abuse.
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Digital Music News ☛ Peloton Announces Major Staffing Cuts, CEO Steps Down
Peloton CEO Barry McCarthy has resigned as the company announced a 15% cut to its global workforce, impacting around 400 employees. The exercise company became a high-paying revenue stream for the music industry—but the post-pandemic return to gyms is killing demand for home exercise equipment.
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Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
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The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia grapples with doctor shortage as housemen numbers fall by half since 2019
The issue could be resolved with better pay, allowances and benefits, says a rights group.
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Latvia ☛ Medical ethics legislation comes to the foreground again in Latvia
With a second move after more than a year of pause, the Health Inspectorate will try to move changes to laws related to patient care violations and complaint assessment. However, the Ministry of Health is reluctant to raise the issue. Previously, the Ministry planned to introduce the relevant changes in early 2023, reports Latvian Television's De Facto broadcast.
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New York Times ☛ Kris Hallenga, Who Urged Young on Breast Cancer Awareness, Dies at 38
After being diagnosed when she was 23, she became determined to educate other young people about early detection.
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Pro Publica ☛ An Oil Well Polluted a Family Farm. The Courts Let Drillers Walk Away.
The first sign of trouble bubbled up from gopher holes a stone’s throw from Stan Ledgerwood’s front door. The salt water left an oily sheen on the soil and a swath of dead grass in the yard.
It was June 2017, and Ledgerwood and his wife, Tina, had recently built a home on the family farm, 230 acres of green amidst the rolling hills and long horizons of south-central Oklahoma. There they planned to spend their retirement, close to Stan’s parents on land that has been in the family since 1920.
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YLE ☛ Belated birch blooms kickstart allergy season
Winter's long tail this year kept the worst of the seasonal allergies at bay for slightly longer than usual.
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Science Alert ☛ Keeping The Body's Multiple Clocks in Sync Could Be The Secret to Slowing Aging
Timing is everything.
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Science Alert ☛ A Single Adjustment to Just One Meal Can Benefit Liver Disease Patients
A simple positive change.
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Science Alert ☛ Most Dementia Patients 'Return' Before Death And It's Unclear Why
Here's why it's so hard to study.
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New York Times ☛ Lead in Beethoven’s Hair Offers New Clues to Mystery of His Deafness
Using powerful technologies, scientists found staggering amounts of lead and other toxic substances in the composer’s hair that may have come from wine, or other sources.
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New York Times ☛ How Bad Are Ultraprocessed Foods, Really?
They’re clearly linked to poor health. But scientists are only beginning to understand why.
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RFA ☛ UN experts urge Hanoi to address prisoner of conscience’s health
Serving 11-year sentence, Le Huu Minh Tuan’s health has worsened.
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JURIST ☛ UN sexual and reproductive health agency reports global shortage of 1M midwives
The United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UN Population Fund Agency (UNFPA), released a statement on Sunday in celebration of the International Day of the Midwife. It reported the risks related to a global shortage of around one million midwives.
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Reason ☛ Don't Co-Parent With Congress
Instead of lobbying for age verification and youth social control media bans, parents can simply restrict their kids' smartphone use.
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Latvia ☛ Latvia has EU's second-lowest life expectancy
According to preliminary 2023 data published by Eurostat May 3, life expectancy at birth in the EU was 81.5 years, up by 0.9 years from 2022, and 0.2 years compared with the pre-pandemic level in 2019.
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Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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New York Times ☛ A New Diplomatic Strategy Emerges as Artificial Intelligence Grows
The new U.S. approach to cyberthreats comes as early optimism about a “global internet” connecting the world has been shattered.
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Dedoimedo ☛ Amazon Customer Service has become awful
Jolly Monday! Here's an article and rant detailing my extremely negative experience with business account opening and network gear order on Amazon, covering difficulty in getting customer support, difficulty setting up a business account, difficulty reporting a potential security issue, shipment of second-hand open-box devices instead of new items, Amazon's refusal to send replacements, problems with the process of used items collection and associated refund, barrage of auto-generated emails, zero customer care, my subsequent decision to shop local, other details, and more. This could be interesting.
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Security
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Privacy/Surveillance
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The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia’s spyware protects national security but needs more oversight: Analysts
Revelations in Amnesty report raised concerns about links to Israel and privacy.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong urged to improve accountability after two more gov’t data breaches
The Hong Kong government should improve accountability and ensure computer security measures are put in place to protect citizens’ privacy, a lawmaker has said after two more departments reported data breach incidents last week.
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Defence/Aggression
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YLE ☛ Poll: Most Finnish MPs would back Fentanylware (TikTok) ban
A wide majority of respondents say the Chinese-owned social control media app should be blocked in the EU.
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Internet Society ☛ Montana’s Fentanylware (TikTok) Ban: Breaking the Internet and Undermining Online Privacy [Ed: Missing the boat or the point that this ban does no worse than what TikTok itself is doing, including spying and censorship]
Asking TikTok, Google, and Fashion Company Apple to more intrusively track nearly every American with a cell phone, based on the possibility that a Fentanylware (TikTok) user might enter Montana, would be a significant invasion of privacy.
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Digital Music News ☛ TikTok’s Latest Viral Song?—A Propaganda Tune from North Korea [Ed: A reminder of what Beijing uses TikTok for]
So what is TikTok’s latest viral hit? A propaganda song released by North Korea that calls for the annihilation of the United States. Here’s the latest. The song is called “Friendly Father” and is a diddy meant to hype North Korea’s current leader, Kim Jong Un.
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France24 ☛ 🔴Live: Israeli brigade takes ‘operational control’ of Gaza side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt
An Israeli tank brigade on Tuesday seized control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the military said, moving forward with an offensive in the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas continue. The Palestinian militant group on Monday said it accepted an Egyptian-Qatari mediated truce proposal, but Israel insisted the deal did not meet its core demands.
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New York Times ☛ Tuesday Briefing: Israel Orders Rafah Evacuations
Also, Russia plans for nuclear drills.
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RFA ☛ North Korea tests liquid propellant rocket engine: research group
It also boosts resources for satellite launching station.
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Defence Web ☛ South Korea’s defence industry takes flight
South Korea, a technological savvy nation, is internationally famous for its successful soft culture export. From K-drama to K-pop, the country has conquered the hearts of millions of fans and made remarkable tourism profits.
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JURIST ☛ Israel strikes Rafah after Hamas accepts Egypt ceasefire proposal, but will send negotiating delegation to Cairo
Hamas announced on Monday that its leaders had told Egyptian and Qatari mediators that they accepted the countries’ most recent Gaza ceasefire proposal. Israel’s war cabinet responded by voting to continue its military operation in Rafah and the IDF announced strikes on targets in Rafah, after negotiators studied the proposal.
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New York Times ☛ Middle East Crisis: Israel Steps Up Attacks on Rafah as Hamas Shifts Position on Cease-fire
Israel’s war cabinet voted to continue the military assault on Hamas and Israeli forces carried out strikes in Gaza’s southernmost city, hours after Hamas said it would accept terms based on a cease-fire proposal put forward by mediators.
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The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian footballer Faisal Halim in ICU with fourth-degree burns, needs more surgery
Mr Faisal was attacked with acid at a shopping mall in Kota Damansara on May 5.
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The Straits Times ☛ Second suspect nabbed over acid attack on Malaysian national footballer
Another man has been detained over the May 5 acid attack on Faisal Halim.
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RFA ☛ US, Filipino forces thwart ‘beach attack’ by enemy force in annual military drills
Simulation drills in the northern Philippines took place amid Manila’s row with Beijing in the South China Sea.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ South China Sea: Philippines, US fire at imaginary ‘invasion’ force during war games
US and Filipino troops fired missiles and artillery at an imaginary “invasion” force during war games on the Philippines’ northern coast Monday, days after their governments objected to China’s “dangerous” actions in regional waters.
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Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine
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RFERL ☛ Rhetoric Heats Up Between Russia, West Over Ukraine Involvement
Russia, angered over what it says are "unprecedented" and "provocative" statements from the West, threatened retaliatory moves "inside Ukraine and beyond," as well as plans to conduct military exercises with tactical nuclear weapons that the European Union called "irresponsible."
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New York Times ☛ A Week of Pomp to Project Putin’s Confidence
The Russian president’s inauguration for a fifth term and the annual Victory Day parade will highlight his grip on the country’s politics and his resolve to capture Ukraine.
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LRT ☛ Putin ready for ‘mini-operation’ but sees Western reaction, says Polish intelligence chief
Commenting on Russian possible confrontation with NATO, Poland’s intelligence chief says no one can know when it would happen, speculating that Vladimir Putin may already be ready for a small operation against a Baltic state.
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Meduza ☛ New joint investigation returns to ‘Putin’s palace’ with hidden camera for updated tour of Russian president’s billion-dollar hideout — Meduza
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European Commission ☛ Joint press release: EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum bolsters cooperation between Ukrainian and European defence industries
European Commission Press release Brussels, 06 May 2024 Today, the EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum took place in Brussels.
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Latvia ☛ Braže talks continued support to Ukraine in Tallinn
On May 6, 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, was in Estonia on a working visit to discuss bilateral cooperation between Latvia and Estonia and support to Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a release.
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Latvia ☛ Latvia sends 'drone vans' to Ukraine
Adapted vans, or drone control centers, are heading to Ukraine at the specific request of Ukrainian soldiers. These vans are part of a shipment of more than €150,000 worth of aid provided by the Ganta Foundation. The shipment, which also includes a large amount of medical and hygiene supplies for the war victims, left Rīga on Monday, May 6, Latvian Television reported.
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NYPost ☛ Ukrainian weightlifter Oleksandr Pielieshenko who competed in 2016 Olympics killed in war against Russia
A two-time European weightlifting champ who competed in the 2016 Olympics for Ukraine was killed in action during his country’s war with Russia, the Ukrainian Olympic Committee announced Monday.
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Scoop News Group ☛ State Department wants ‘digital solidarity’ at center of tech diplomacy
Secretary of State Antony Blinken points to the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a model of nimble tech diplomacy.
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New York Times ☛ What to Know About Pooh-tin Jinping’s Trip to Europe
The Chinese president this week will be visiting France, Serbia and Hungary. His trip comes at a time of tensions with many European countries over trade and accusations of Chinese espionage.
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RFA ☛ Tibetan, Uyghur protesters greet Pooh-tin Jinping in Paris
'Your time is up,' declared a banner as activists took to the streets with flags and placards.
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France24 ☛ Macron, von der Leyen press China’s Pooh-tin on Ukraine, trade at Paris summit
French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen urged Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping to ensure more balanced trade with Europe as the three met in Paris on Monday at the start of Xi's two-day visit.
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European Commission ☛ Opening statement by President von der Leyen ahead of the trilateral meeting with French President Macron and President of the People's Republic of China Pooh-tin Jinping
European Commission Statement Paris, 06 May 2024 Merci beaucoup Président Macron, dear Emmanuel, thank you for convening us again here in Elysée and many thanks for inviting me to a part of this state visit.
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European Commission ☛ Press statement by President von der Leyen following the trilateral meeting with French President Macron and President of the People's Republic of China Pooh-tin Jinping
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France24 ☛ Ukrainian drone attack in Russia border region kills at least six, governor says
A Ukrainian drone attack hit vehicles carrying workers in Russia's frontier Belgorod region, killing six people and injuring 35, the governor said Monday.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ EU, France urge China’s Pooh-tin Jinping to push for end to Ukraine war and uphold fair trade
By Francesco Fontemaggi, Ludovic Ehret and Stuart Williams French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen pressed Pooh-tin Jinping at a summit in Paris on Monday to use Beijing’s influence to halt the Russian war against Ukraine, also telling the Chinese leader to accept fair global trade rules.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ France’s Macron seeks to sway China’s Pooh-tin on Ukraine during state visit
By Stuart Williams French President Emmanuel Macron was on Monday set to warn Chinese leader Pooh-tin Jinping against backing Russia in the conflict over Ukraine but also seek to enlist his help in finding an end to the war. Pooh-tin is making a state visit to France marking 60 years of diplomatic relations between France […]
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JURIST ☛ Ukraine: Russian attacks on Orthodox Easter Sunday kill one woman and injure 24 others
At least one person has been killed and 24 others reportedly injured as a result of Russian attacks during the Orthodox Easter Sunday festivities in Kharkiv, a city in the northeast of Ukraine, and surrounding areas, regional officials reported. The attacks caused buildings to collapse and trapped several civilians under debris.
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LRT ☛ Lithuanian president confirms participation in peace summit in phone call with Zelensky
In their phone call on Monday, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky discussed Ukraine's peace formula summit, the situation on the frontline, and military assistance to Kyiv.
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RFERL ☛ Macron, Von Der Leyen Urge China To Press Russia Over Ukraine
France and the European Commission on May 6 told Chinese President Pooh-tin Jingping that they wanted him to use his influence on Russia to end its war in Ukraine, while underscoring that the EU wouldn't waver in its support for Kyiv.
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RFERL ☛ Belgrade Lays Out Welcome For Pooh-tin Visit Aimed At Raising Economic, Political Ties
The Serbian capital has been adorned with Chinese flags and banners ahead of President Pooh-tin Jinping's May 7-8 visit to the country, as the Chinese leader seeks to gain economic and political influence during a rare European trip.
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RFERL ☛ Moscow Summons British Envoy Over Cameron's 'Hostile' Remarks On Attacks Inside Russia
Russia on May 6 summoned British Ambassador Nigel Casey to the Foreign Ministry over what it called “hostile” remarks by U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who said Ukraine had the right to launch attacks inside Russia with British-made weapons.
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RFERL ☛ Investigation Launched Into Convicted Kyrgyz Mercenary's Escape To Russia
A court in Bishkek announced on May 6 that an internal investigation had been launched into the escape of a Kyrgyz man to Russia after he was handed a suspended seven-year prison term for joining Russia's armed forces and fighting in Ukraine.
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RFERL ☛ Alleged Torturer Of Ukrainian Prisoners Killed In Car Bombing
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) says a Russian correctional colony employee in Moscow-occupied Berdyansk who had been implicated in the alleged torture of Ukrainians has been "eliminated."
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teleSUR ☛ Zelensky Will Soon Lack Legitimacy, Russia Says
The U.S. only cares about the Ukrainian president as long as he is capable of continuing the war, stated the SVR.
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The Straits Times ☛ Ukraine peace talks should include Russia, Chinese diplomat says
Beijing supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said in an interview with Russia's RIA state news agency in remarks published on Tuesday.
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YLE ☛ Papers: Former Green leader attended Russian seminar justifying war in Ukraine
Tarja Cronberg currently works for the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), but did not represent the organisation at the event.
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New York Times ☛ Xi Bristles at Criticism of China Over the War in Ukraine
Talks in Paris with President Macron produced a call for an “Olympics truce” this summer but no concrete progress on Beijing putting pressure on Russia.
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New York Times ☛ Russia to Hold Drills on Tactical Nuclear Weapons in New Tensions With West
Russian officials claimed the order was in response to comments from the West about the possibility of more direct involvement in Ukraine. NATO called Russia’s announcement “irresponsible.”
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European Commission ☛ Readout of the meeting between Commissioner Kadri Simson and Ukraine's Minister of Energy German Galushchenko
European Commission Statement Kyiv, 07 May 2024 Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson discussed today with Ukraine's Energy Minister German Galushchenko, during an official visit to Kyiv, their cooperation to strengthen the resilience of the Ukrainian energy system and preparations for the next heating season
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Meduza ☛ ‘The price is unimaginably high’: A dispatch from Kyiv, where Ukrainians are coming to terms with the third year of all-out war with Russia — Meduza
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Atlantic Council ☛ Dispatch from Vilnius: Allies still waiting for the ‘Long Telegram’ from Washington
US and European policymakers should learn from the urgency with which frontline nations regard the threat of a Russian invasion.
The post Dispatch from Vilnius: Allies still waiting for the ‘Long Telegram’ from Washington appeared first on Atlantic Council.
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Atlantic Council ☛ Dispatch from Tbilisi: Amid Georgia’s battle for democracy, Russian influence is already here
The West has criticized Georgia's “foreign agent” law. Now it must take action to help defend democracy and the rule of law in Georgia.
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RFERL ☛ Russian Dissident Kara-Murza Wins Pulitzer For Commentaries From Prison
Jailed Russian dissident and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza was awarded the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for commentaries for his articles that appeared in The Washington Post.
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Latvia ☛ Germany's Scholz, Baltic PMs meet in Rīga
Germany is ready to help defend the Baltic States in the event of possible Russian military aggression, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced in Riga on Monday, May 6 .
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RFERL ☛ Russian Journalist Kevorkova's Home Searched
Russian media reported on May 6 that Moscow police searched the home of noted journalist Nadezhda Kevorkova as part of a case on justifying terrorism.
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RFERL ☛ U.S. Soldier Detained In Russia Named, Placed In Custody Until July 2
A U.S. soldier has been arrested in Russia and accused of stealing after traveling there without informing his superiors, adding to a list of Americans being detained by Moscow amid deteriorating relations with Washington.
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RFERL ☛ Germany Recalls Ambassador From Russia Over Cyberespionage
Germany has recalled its envoy to Moscow over accusations that Russian military spies hacked e-mails of top members of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party and other sensitive government and industrial targets.
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RFERL ☛ Russian Lawmakers OK Bill Banning 'Foreign Agents' From Elections
The Russian parliament’s lower chamber, the State Duma, on May 6 approved in the second and third readings a bill that would ban individuals added to the controversial "foreign agents'" list from taking part in federal, regional, and local elections.
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teleSUR ☛ Russia to Hold Military Drill to Boost Nuclear Readiness
The Russian exercises are a response to threatening comments made by French President Macron, Peskov said.
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YLE ☛ FT: Finland storing military equipment in Norway, Sweden
A Lieutenant General with the Finnish Defence Forces told the British business daily that Finland is stepping up its already high level of preparedness in the face of an "increasingly aggressive Russia".
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New York Times ☛ U.S. Army Soldier Is Detained in Russia
The soldier was apprehended in Vladivostok on charges of criminal misconduct, in a case that is likely to aggravate the contentious relationship between Moscow and Washington.
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Meduza ☛ Russia arrests U.S. soldier in Vladivostok on theft charges — Meduza
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Meduza ☛ The political rhetoric that preceded Moscow’s announced nuclear weapons drills — Meduza
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France24 ☛ Putin's presidential inauguration set to prolong his two decades in power
Russian President Vladimir Putin will be sworn into office at a lavish ceremony in the Kremlin on Tuesday, embarking on a record-breaking fifth term with more power than ever before.
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RFERL ☛ U.S., EU Ambassadors Will Skip Putin's Swearing-In Ceremony
The United States and European Union said they will not be sending representatives to the swearing-in of Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 7 for a new six-year term.
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Transparency/Investigative Reporting
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Reason ☛ Even If You Support Police, Don't Ban People From Recording Them
Filming cops is a First Amendment right, and there are already plenty of laws against harassing them.
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Environment
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CS Monitor ☛ ‘We’re living climate change now.’ Latin Americans bring climate worries to high court.
Victims of climate change in Latin America are bringing their complaints to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The findings of the court could help shape better policy and laws, saving countless lives and bolstering infrastructure.
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Energy/Transportation
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CS Monitor ☛ How China’s tech-forward EVs are dominating the industry
China’s booming electric vehicle industry is sparking concern among foreign automakers. Could it benefit consumers?
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DeSmog ☛ Landmark Study Reveals Gas Stove Emissions Boost Childhood Asthma Rates, Adult Deaths
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Federal News Network ☛ Energy Department illustrates how to get clean-energy projects going
In an effort to clear the existing backlog of solar, wind, and battery projects in need of interconnection, the Department of Energy has created a new roadmap.
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The Straits Times ☛ Cambodia says it will cut shipping through Vietnam by 70% with new China-funded Mekong canal
PHNOM PENH/HANOI - Cambodia plans to cut shipping through Vietnamese ports by 70% as a result of a $1.7 billion China-funded upgrade of a canal connecting the Mekong River basin to the Cambodian coast, the country's deputy prime minister told Reuters.
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DeSmog ☛ Canceled Canadian CCS Project Deemed ‘Not Economically Feasible’
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The Straits Times ☛ China military air incident unacceptable, says Australian PM Albanese
The Chinese jet dropped flares around an Australian helicopter on a routine flight on May 4 in the Yellow Sea.
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DeSmog ☛ Canada’s Bitumen Boosters Want Us to Forget About Norway
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Finance
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YLE ☛ Tuesday's papers: Future of berry picking, inheriting debts and dumbed-down textbooks
The government is looking at options to hire foreign workers to pick berries in Finland.
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Reason ☛ Americans Care About Inflation, but Politicians Don't
Plus: A listener asks the editors about cancelling student loan debt.
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YLE ☛ Bicycle theft insurance payouts hit €11m in 2023
Police in Finland received nearly 17,000 reports of stolen bikes last year.
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YLE ☛ Posti begins restructuring talks with 250 jobs on the line
The company plans to end the delivery of unsolicited advertising pamphlets and free newspapers by the beginning of next year.
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YLE ☛ Check tax return forms before Tuesday's deadline, tax authority says
Some 1.5 million workers, pensioners and welfare recipients must complete and submit their pre-filled tax return forms by 7 May.
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AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
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Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda
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RFA ☛ Fake images of US college protests circulate in China
Images, including one of Mao's slogans, are from unrelated events months or years earlier.
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Censorship/Free Speech
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New York Times ☛ Senators Need to Stop the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act
The panic over pro-Palestinian protesters fuels illiberal legislation.
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New Yorker ☛ Randall Kennedy on Harvard Protests, Antisemitism, and the Meaning of Free Speech
“The word ‘safety,’ ” the legal scholar tells David Remnick, has “been very much inflated,” and defining antisemitism too broadly will have a chilling effect on academic freedom.
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Reason ☛ Yet Again, Someone Trying to Vanish My Post About a Case on One-Sided Pseudonymity
In February, I wrote about a Fourth Circuit decision in Doe v. Sidar, which discusses one-sided pseudonymity. Today, I see that Surveillance Giant Google received yet one more request that it remove that post from its indexes, and thus vanish it from search results.
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Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
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JURIST ☛ Italy journalists strike over budget cuts and press freedom concerns
Journalists from Italy’s public broadcaster RAI went on strike Monday protesting budget cuts and the “suffocating control” of the Meloni government in their work. The striking journalists have cited alleged acts of censorship and criminal investigations.
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Press Gazette ☛ First Surveillance Giant Google core update of 2024 brings bad news for most news publishers
Google's first core algorithm update of 2024 spells bad news for the vast majority of publishers
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New York Times ☛ The New York Times and The Washington Post Win 3 Pulitzers Each
The prize for public service went to ProPublica for coverage of the Supreme Court. The Pulitzer board also issued a special citation for journalists covering the Middle East.
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Pro Publica ☛ ProPublica Wins Pulitzer Prize for Supreme Court Coverage
ProPublica won the prestigious public service Pulitzer Prize for what the judges described as “groundbreaking and ambitious reporting that pierced the thick wall of secrecy surrounding the Supreme Court to reveal how a small group of politically influential billionaires wooed justices with lavish gifts and travel, pushing the Court to adopt its first code of conduct.” The prize is given to the staff of a news organization that performed “meritorious public service.” It is the seventh Pulitzer Prize for ProPublica.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Jimmy Lai trial: Prosecution witness says he stopped lying to police as it was weighing on his conscience
A key prosecution witness in Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai’s national security trial who earlier admitted lying to police said he started being truthful as he no longer wanted the lies to weigh on his “conscience.”
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IT Wire ☛ US providers not yet given enough funds to replace Huawei, ZTE gear
The US asked communications providers to rip out and replace equipment made by Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corporation years ago, but is yet to provide all the funding needed for this task.
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Civil Rights/Policing
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AccessNow ☛ Bad for human rights and for business: Amazon must not build cloud infrastructure in Saudi Arabia
Access Now is calling on Amazon to halt the launch of proprietary trap AWS infrastructure region in Saudi Arabia and adequately address the severe human rights impacts that would arise from such a move.
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France24 ☛ Cannes film festival workers call for strike days before gala opening
Workers at the Cannes Film Festival called for a strike over pay and conditions on Monday, just a week before the event was due to start.
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Internet Policy/Net Neutrality
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Bruce Schneier ☛ New Lawsuit Attempting to Make Adversarial Interoperability Legal
Lots of complicated details here: too many for me to summarize well. It involves an obscure Section 230 provision—and an even more obscure typo. Read this.
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Michael Geist ☛ The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 202: David Soberman on the Reality Behind Claims Canadian Wireless Prices Have Been Cut in Half
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently claimed that “we’ve cut the cost of cell phone plans in half since 2019 - in part by increasing competition.” Is that true?
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Patents
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Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Patenting Informational Innovations: IOEngine Narrows the Printed Matter Doctrine
In this decision, the Federal Circuit partially reversed a PTAB invalidity finding against several IOEngine patent monopoly claims. The most interesting portion of the opinion focuses on the printed matter doctrine. Under the doctrine, certain “printed matter” is given no patentable weight because it is deemed to fall outside the scope of patentable subject matter. C R Bard Inc. v. AngioDynamics, Inc., 979 F.3d 1372 (Fed. Cir. 2020). In this case though the Federal Circuit concluded that the Board erred in giving no weight to IOEngine’s claim limitations requiring “encrypted communications” and “program code.
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Kangaroo Courts
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JUVE ☛ Strong judicial showing secures Scandi-Baltic influence at the UPC [Ed: UPC is illegal and unconstitutional, but JUVE took bribes to keep promoting this crime using lies and now, post hoc, it tries to legitimise the fake court]
It is spring, and the beech trees are growing high into the bright blue sky over Scandinavia. But the number of UPC cases pending at the region’s three UPC courts are maturing less rapidly than their initial buds suggested.
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Trademarks
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TTAB Blog ☛ CAFC Remands I-FIT FLEX Opposition at Request of USPTO for Re-consideration of First and Second DuPont Factors
On motion of the USPTO Director as intervenor [pdf here], the CAFC remanded to the Board its decision in Icon Health & Fitness, Inc. v ERB Industries, Inc., Opposition No. 91264855 (June 27, 2003) [pdf here], because the USPTO raised "legitimate concerns about the Board’s findings on the relatedness between ERB’s goods and iFIT’s services and also wishes to reconsider the decision in light of Naterra International, Inc. v. Bensalem, 92 F.4th 1113, 1119 (Fed. Cir. 2024)." iFit, Inc. v. Vidal, Appeal No. 2024-1041 (Fed. Cir. May 3, 2024) [not precedential].
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Monopolies/Monopsonies
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