05.25.23

GNU/Linux

• Audiocasts/Shows

  • Tux Digital ☛ Destination Linux 324: Wayland, The Future Of Linux But When?

    This week’s episode of Destination Linux, we discuss the final push for Wayland adoption. Then we discuss pipewire and the future of Linux Audio. Plus, we have our tips/tricks and software picks. All this and more coming up right now on Destination Linux to keep those penguins marching!

  • 324: Wayland, The Future Of Linux But When?

    FULL SHOW NOTES ►► https://tuxdigital.com/podcasts/destination-linux/dl-324/

• Kernel Space

  • LWN ☛ Linux 5.15.113

  • LWN ☛ Linux 6.1.30

  • LWN ☛ Linux 6.3.4

    I’m announcing the release of the 6.3.4 kernel.

    All users of the 6.3 kernel series must upgrade.

    The updated 6.3.y git tree can be found at:
    git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-stable.git linux-6.3.y
    and can be browsed at the normal kernel.org git web browser:

    https://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/stable/linux-s…

    thanks,

    greg k-h

• Applications

  • Meet Inkscape’s New About Screen Artist

    Inkscape 1.3 is due to be released this summer. For each major release, we host a contest for artists who compete to have their artwork displayed on Inkscape’s About Screen.

    Overall, there were 54 entries submitted for the 1.3 About Screen. The Inkscape community voted, and the 5 remaining entries were then subjected to a second round of votes by the Inkscape contributors. This year was a close contest, with numerous high quality entries!
    The winner of the 2023 Inkscape 1.3 About Screen Contest is Denis Kuznetsky with his illustration “Isometric Madness”.

    Each time we hold an About Screen Contest, we interview the winner and share the conversation with the Inkscape community. Read what our winning artist, Denis, had to say below.

  • FOSSLinux ☛ Top 20 essential Linux applications you should install

    Linux is known for its robustness, security, and the vast array of software available for it. But with such a wide range of applications, it can be challenging to decide which ones to install. If you’re a Linux user looking for software that can enhance your productivity, improve system performance, or manage multimedia files, we’ve got you covered.

    In this article, we’ve handpicked the top 20 must-have applications for Linux users, providing a mix of well-known favourites and hidden gems.

  • Linux Links ☛ 10 Best Free and Open Source Color Pickers

    To provide an insight into the quality of software that is available, we have compiled a list of 10 high quality color pickers.

  • OMG! Linux ☛ Microsoft Edge Redesign Hits Dev Builds for Linux [Ed: OMGLinux (sister site of OMG Ubuntu) boosting Microsoft proprietary spyware that steals all the passwords of all users without even asking for consent. Bad optics, Joey. Bad advice.]

    Microsoft Edge (dev) on Ubuntu 23.04

  • Daniel Stenberg ☛ curl 8.1.1 lets do this

    Only 6 days since the previous release we are again here with a curl release. It turned out 8.1.0 had some rather nasty regressions that we felt were urgent enough to warrant another round on the dance floor. So here goes curl 8.1.1. A bugfix release.

  • Announcing Istio 1.16.5

    This release note describes what’s different between Istio 1.16.4 and 1.16.5.

• Instructionals/Technical

  • Trend Oceans ☛ How to Allow/Restrict Access by IP Address in NGINX

    For secure and better-control web access in NGINX, you can allow and restrict certain IP address, ranges, subdomains, & URLs in the NGINX configuration. The NGINX web server provides you with a range of configurations to secure your web server, web application, etc.  Including the control of user access based on the IP address.

  • It’s FOSS ☛ How to Stress Test CPU in Linux

    Want to stress test your CPU in Linux? Here’s how you can do it effortlessly.

  • Linux Links ☛ Alternatives to popular CLI tools: rm

    This article spotlights alternative tools to rm, a command that removes files or directories.

  • Installing GStreamer on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 LTS Linux

    GStreamer is a framework for developers dealing in multimedia applications. Because this framework helps in creating multimedia apps and pipelines for audio and video processing.

  • UNIX Cop ☛ Fix “host key has just been changed” error on SSH

    Hello, friends. Working with SSH is essential as a sysadmin. That’s why some errors can give you many headaches, but eventually, they have a pretty simple solution. Today, for example, you will learn how to fix “host key has just been changed” error on SSH.

  • TecAdmin ☛ How to Permanently Disable Swap Partition in Linux

    The swap partition or swap file in a Linux operating system acts as a temporary storage area on the hard drive, which the system uses when the physical memory (RAM) is full.

  • TecAdmin ☛ Decoding $?: The Heart of Error Handling in Bash Scripting

    Bash, the Bourne Again SHell, is one of the most widely used shell scripting languages due to its compatibility with Unix and Linux systems. It offers a host of built-in functions and variables that make scripting more efficient and less error-prone. One such variable is `$?`, an integral part of error handling in Bash scripting.

  • Gary Benson: Which uninstalled package provides a file?

    $ apt-file find guestmount
    guestmount: /usr/bin/guestmount
    guestmount: /usr/share/bash-completion/completions/guestmount
    guestmount: /usr/share/doc/guestmount/changelog.Debian.gz
    guestmount: /usr/share/doc/guestmount/copyright
    guestmount: /usr/share/man/ja/man1/guestmount.1.gz
    guestmount: /usr/share/man/man1/guestmount.1.gz
    guestmount: /usr/share/man/uk/man1/guestmount.1.gz

  • Craig Small: Devices with cgroup v2

    Docker and other container systems by default restrict access to devices on the host. They used to do this with cgroups with the cgroup v1 system, however, the second version of cgroups removed this controller and the man page says:

    Cgroup v2 device controller has no interface files and is implemented on top of cgroup BPF.

  • Trend Oceans ☛ Missing Extensions Option in GNOME Tweaks Tool

    Not able to find an extension setting or option in the GNOME Tweaks tool in GNOME 40 or later?

  • Linux Handbook ☛ LHB Linux Digest #23.07: gz log files, Self-hosting, Memory Probing and More

    A new dedicated self hosting corner along with the regular Linux tips and tutorials.

  • LinuxConfig ☛ Linux command to quit SSH connection

  • Seamless Deployments: Launching and Updating Applications in Kubernetes

    Introduction Kubernetes has emerged as the go-to platform for container orchestration, and it has gained widespread popularity due to its ability to automate application deployment, scaling, and management. Kubernetes provides a highly modular architecture that allows developers to build containerized applications that can be deployed across various cloud environments with ease.

  • Navigating Kubernetes: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Helm

    Introduction In today’s fast-paced software development environment, businesses require a reliable, scalable, and efficient platform to manage their applications. Kubernetes has emerged as a leading solution for container orchestration and management. It is an open-source platform that enables users to deploy, scale, and manage containerized applications seamlessly.

  • Pushing Boundaries: Exploring Advanced Kubernetes Capabilities

    Introduction Kubernetes has quickly become the go-to platform for managing containerized applications in modern software development. It offers a powerful and flexible solution to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of applications.

  • Charting Success: Creating Custom Helm Charts for Kubernetes

    Introduction Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration platform that automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. It provides a powerful toolset for managing complex distributed systems, but configuring it can be challenging. This is where Helm charts come in.

  • Cluster Capacity: Making Informed Choices and Effective Management

    The Importance of Cluster Capacity Cluster capacity refers to the ability of a group of entities, such as machines, people, or systems, to work together in an efficient and effective way. It involves managing the resources within a cluster to ensure that they are being used optimally.

  • Linux Journal ☛ Using the Linux Cat Command to Manage Files and Directories

    In the realm of Linux command-line tools, few commands are as versatile and widely used as cat. This article dives deep into the capabilities of the Linux cat command, merging insights from multiple sources to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of its usage. From basic file manipulation to concatenation and text processing, we will explore the numerous possibilities offered by this command.

    Understanding the Basics of the cat Command

    The cat command, short for “concatenate,” is a powerful tool for working with files in Linux. With its simple syntax and intuitive functionality, it is a must-know command for any Linux user. Let’s start by examining the basic usage and some of its core features.

  • LinuxTechi ☛ How to Install Ansible AWX on Kubernetes Cluster

    In this post, we will show you how to install Ansible AWX on Kubernetes (k8s) cluster step by step. Ansible AWX is a powerful open-source tool for managing and automating IT infrastructure.

  • TecAdmin ☛ Setting Up an SFTP Server on CentOS/RHEL Systems

    Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) is a protocol that provides a secure and reliable mechanism for accessing, transferring, and managing files on remote systems over an SSH connection.

  • Jonathan Dowland ☛ Jonathan Dowland: neovim plugins and distributions

    I’ve been watching the neovim community for a while and what seems like a cambrian explosion of plugins emerging. A few weeks back I decided to spend most of a “day of learning” on investigating some of the plugins and technologies that I’d read about: Language Server Protocol, TreeSitter, neorg (a grandiose organiser plugin), etc.

    It didn’t go so well. I spent most of my time fighting version incompatibilities or tracing through scant documentation or code to figure out what plugin was incompatible with which other.

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Moving to ansible_facts['distribution']

    I always add conditions to my Ansible playbooks to check the target OS and distribution. Until recently I did this: [...]

Distributions and Operating Systems

• New Releases

  • Linux Magazine ☛ Bodhi Linux 7.0 Beta is Ready for You to Test

    The latest iteration of the Bohdi Linux distribution is now available for those who want to experience what’s in store and for testing purposes.

• SUSE/OpenSUSE

  • Unified Patents ☛ InterDigital video codec patent challenged in reexam

    On May 16, 2023, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 8,085,845, owned by InterDigital VC Holdings. The ’845 patent relates generally to hybrid video coding in a single block and has been designated as essential to SISVEL’s AV1 patent pool.

  • JUVE ☛ Cabinet Netter proves design patent valid after disputing Wayback Machine evidence

    Cabinet Netter has successfully challenged the Japan Patent Office after it questioned the novelty of a filed design patent, belonging to Ascendence Flight Technologies, which covers a new hybrid aeroplane. Using evidence from online internet archive the Wayback Machine, the Japan Patent Office said the patent was not novel based on the alleged filing date.

• Fedora Family / IBM

  • Linuxiac ☛ Fedora Plans to Drop X11 Support in Plasma 6 Completely

    For years, one of the most hotly debated topics on the Linux desktop has been the replacement of the X11 protocol with Wayland. Moreover, despite popular belief that X11 is already too old and that Wayland is the way to go, X11 is generally still supported in all Linux distributions for various reasons.

    However, the Fedora KDE Plasma spin developers have plans to take a significant move by dropping support for X11 entirely following the release of Plasma 6, which is currently in early development. Here are their main arguments behind this decision.

• Devices/Embedded

  • CNX Software ☛ iW-RainboW-G55M is an OSM-LF compliant module based on TI AM62A Cortex-A53 processor

    The company provides support for Linux on the Cortex-A53 cores and FreeRTOS for the Cortex-R5F cores. The TI AM62A module appears to be pin-to-pin compatible with the earlier iW-RainboW-G50M OSM-L system-on-module and as such works with the same carrier board that offers dual gigabit Ethernet, two CAN headers, one USB 2.0 OTG port, two USB 2.0 host port, a microSD card, audio in and out jacks, a MIPI CSI connector, an RS232, and a full function UART.

    There may be some differences in terms of the exact features due to the differences between NXP i.MX 93 and Texas Instruments AM62A processors. iWave Systems also provides hardware and software documentation, and a Linux 5.10.153 or higher BSP, but every document is only available after leaving your email and getting manually approved by a company’s representative including the product brochure!

• Open Hardware/Modding

  • Arduino ☛ This robotic dispenser will tell you if you forget to take your pills

    Many types of medications (such as anti-depressants like SSRIs) can have a very negative effect if they aren’t taken on a regular basis. Even taking them a few hours late can harm a person’s mood and cause physical discomfort.

• Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

  • SlashGear ☛ 12 Things You Should Stop Doing On Your Android Phone Immediately

  • Business Insider ☛ Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro Review: Best Smartwatch for Samsung Phones

  • Android Authority ☛ How to set up and use Emergency SOS on Android – Android Authority

  • The Sun ☛ Google reveals how to fix Android ‘storage nightmare’ with simple tricks – long list will save you | The US Sun

  • Android Authority ☛ Wallpaper Wednesday: Android wallpapers 2023-05-24 – Android Authority

  • The Sun ☛ Android owners are just noticing a hidden feature that makes sharing Wi-Fi with pals so much easier | The US Sun

  • GO Media ☛ How to Block YouTube Ads on Your Android TV

  • Android Authority ☛ How to share your location on Android – Android Authority

  • Geeky Gadgets ☛ How to factory reset an Android Phone – Geeky Gadgets

  • Android Police ☛ How to stop your games and apps from crashing on Android

  • Hacker News ☛ Data Stealing Malware Discovered in Popular Android Screen Recorder App

  • Gadgets Now ☛ android: iQoo launches its first Android tablet iQoo Pad: Here’s what it offers

  • Android Police ☛ Google will pay you for finding bugs in its first-party Android apps

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

• Web Browsers/Web Servers

  • Mozilla

    • 9to5Linux ☛ Firefox 115 Will Let You Open Links or Search with Middle-Click on New Tab Button

      This new feature will enable middle-click paste of your clipboard’s contents, whether it’s an URL or plain text, on the New Tab button. So middle-clicking on the New Tab button will open whatever is in your clipboard, no matter from where the content (URL or text) was copied (that means it can be from any of your apps).

      As you can imagine, this will save you some time as you won’t have to first open a new tab and then paste the URL or text you copied on your clipboard. The copied text will be opened with your default search provider, as expected.

    • OMG Ubuntu ☛ This is Thunderbird Email Client’s Brand New Logo

      The Thunderbird project is in rude health of late. It’s bagged a big boost in funding thanks to donation drives, got an official Android app, and showcased a major UI redesign that has a lot of people, myself included, super stoked.

      With the project now thriving Thunderbird’s Project Manager, Ryan Sipes, has revealed a brand new icon for the app that they say “properly represents this revitalization”.

      And here it is…

• Openness/Sharing/Collaboration

  • uni Michigan ☛ The tragedy of the commons

    In 2018, Ann Arbor voters approved a charter amendment to develop a city-owned surface parking lot in the middle of downtown into an “urban park and civic center commons.”

• Programming/Development

  • Python

    • Linux Hint ☛ Remove Special Characters From String Python

      To remove special characters from a string the “regular expressions”, “looping”, “join(), and filter()” methods, and the “replace()” method are used in Python.

    • Linux Hint ☛ Python Compile() Function

      The “compile()” function in Python is a built-in function that is utilized to compile Python code into “bytecode” by accepting several parameters.

    • Linux Hint ☛ Matplotlib Pie Chart

      To create a pie chart in Python, the “matplotlib” library’s “pie()” function can be used along with the multiple required parameters.

    • Linux Hint ☛ How to Copy a File in Python

      To copy a file various methods are used in Python such as “shutil.copyfile”, “shutil.copy()”, “read()” with “write()” and “shutil.copyfileobj()”.

    • Linux Hint ☛ NumPy Inverse

      The “numpy.linalg.inv()” function of the “numpy.linalg” module is utilized to compute the inverse of the given nonsingular matrix.

    • Linux Hint ☛ Python Next() Function

      The Python “next()” function iterates over an iterable object and returns the next item from the iterable and stops with the exception when no items are left.

    • Linux Hint ☛ Python Sorted Reverse

      The “sorted()” function is used to sort the strings, lists, tuples, etc. in ascending or descending order or based on single or multiple “key” parameter values.

    • Linux Hint ☛ Python Remove all Instances From List

      To remove all instances from the input string in Python, the “remove()”,  “filter()”, and “list comprehension” methods are used.

    • Linux Hint ☛ Python Finds the String in the File and Print

      The “built-in file” operations, “regular expressions”, “read()” and “readlines()” methods are used to find a string in a file and print it in Python.

    • Linux Hint ☛ Overwrite a file in Python

      Python has several methods for overwriting files such as the “write()” method, the “truncate()” method, the mode “w”, “shutil” module, or the “os” module, etc.

    • Linux Hint ☛ Python string comparison

      To compare strings in Python, various methods such as the “Comparison Operators” or the “is” and “is not” operators are used.

    • Linux Hint ☛ Matplotlib Vertical Line

      To create single or multiple vertical lines and spans on your plots various methods such as “axvline()”, “vlines()”, and “ax.axvspan()” are used in Python.

    • Linux Hint ☛ Pandas to records

      The Pandas “to_records()” method converts a DataFrame to a NumPy record array, which can be exported to other applications.

    • Linux Hint ☛ List Files in a Directory Python

      To list files in a directory in Python, apply the “os.listdir()”, “glob.glob()”, “os.walk()”, “scandir()” functions or the “pathlib.Path.glob()” method.

    • Linux Hint ☛ Python Dictionaries

      Python “dictionaries” are a flexible data structure used in a broad range of applications and can be created via “curly braces {}” or “dict()” function.

Leftovers

• uni Stanford ☛ Denzel Curry lights up Frost Festival with fluid rhythms and immersive energy

  This Saturday was Stanford Concert Network’s annual Frost Fest. The night was packed with engaging, stylistically diverse and satisfying performances that did not disappoint, writes Sarayu Pai.

• New York Times ☛ Madeleine McCann Disappearance: Portugal Searches for Missing Girl

  The case of 3-year-old Madeleine McCann, who disappeared while vacationing with her family in Portugal, has drawn international attention for years.

• New York Times ☛ The Madeleine McCann Case: Here’s What We Know

  A new search in Portugal has brought the case of the British girl, missing since 2007, back to the headlines.

• New York Times ☛ The First 10 Words of the African American English Dictionary Are In

  An exclusive look at a dictionary consisting entirely of words created or reinvented by Black people. (Don’t worry: All three variants of “bussin” are included.)

• New York Times ☛ ‘Time Shelter,’ by Georgi Gospodinov, Wins International Booker Prize

  Georgi Gospodinov’s acclaimed satire, translated by Angela Rodel, is the first Bulgarian novel to win the prestigious award.

• New York Times ☛ As Migration to U.K. Soars, Britain Targets Visas for Students’ Kin

  The government, which has been mostly focused on asylum seekers crossing the English Channel, is now turning to limiting some pathways for legal migrants.

• Ruben Schade ☛ Ohai, feels weird being back

  Thanks to all of you who reached out; I’ll admit I took Jim’s passing, and some others in the extended family, pretty hard. I’ve lost important people in my life many times, but never a close friend like that. I’ve also had the flu which hasn’t helped!

  My sister put it best when she said that by continuing to use his moral compass, and writing posts as though they were directed at him, he’s still influencing the world. I really like that.

  As I said in my farewell post, I’m still thinking of ways to remember him in a more permanent and fitting way. For now, I’ve added him to the dedications section of the About page.

• Science

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ This prolific Mexican inventor was also once Public Enemy No. 1

    Victor Ochoa pioneered early flight and renewable electricity and was a friend of Teddy Roosevelt. He was also an enemy of the Mexican state.

  • Science Alert ☛ Signs of Monster Stars 10,000 Times Our Sun’s Mass Found at The Dawn of Time

    Here be dragons.

  • Science Alert ☛ Alien Hands And Walking Corpses Among Some of The World’s Rarest Mental Conditions

    Strange but true.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Giant Spot Is Crossing The Sun And You Don’t Even Need a Telescope to See It

    Break out those fancy eclipse glasses!

  • uni Michigan ☛ U-M launches institute to accelerate quantum research, education

    U-M will invest $55 million to launch a multidisciplinary Quantum Research Institute and recruit up to eight new faculty members with expertise in quantum.

  • U-M only U.S. university helping build massive telescope

    The Extremely Large Telescope — the largest optical telescope ever built — could change everything we know about the universe, and U-M is the only U.S. university involved in building it.

  • Science Alert ☛ The Forest Floor Makes a Faint Sound, If You Listen Close

    A hidden world.

  • Axios ☛ NASA return to the Moon could be imperiled by politics

    NASA’s flagship program to get people back to the Moon is at risk in the debate over the country’s budget.

    Why it matters: The Artemis program has survived two presidential administrations and has bipartisan support in Congress.

    ---

    • Both administrations have worked to reduce the political risk of the multibillion-dollar program, awarding multiple contracts to commercial companies in multiple states and partnering with international space agencies.

    What’s happening: Efforts to insulate Artemis from possible cuts, delays and cancellation are facing a major test with the current budget fight on Capitol Hill.

  • Quartz ☛ NASA found the Japanese Moon lander that crashed into the Moon

    ispace’s attempt to become the first private company to safely land a robot on the Moon left a mark: A NASA space telescope orbiting Earth’s nearest neighbor in space spotted the impact of the vehicle on the lunar surface.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ USB4 docking station support up to five 4K displays with 120 Hz refresh rate

    Action Star Technology, a Taiwanese OEM/ODM of USB productivity solutions part of Qisba (BenQ group), has unveiled its USB4 penta-4K120 docking station at Computex 2023 with support for up to five 4K displays at a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. The docking station is based on Synaptics chips, and besides support for up to five 4K displays, it can also handle up to three 8K displays at 60+ Hz, and offers Ethernet, audio, and 10 Gbps USB 3.2 interfaces.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Ford Pledges to Include AM Radio in Every Upcoming Vehicle

    Ford pledges to include AM radio in every upcoming vehicle, with software updates to include it in recent vehicles, following pressure from lawmakers.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Dell and Nvidia debut Project Helix to speed up on-premises generative AI software [Ed: Dell-sponsored puff pieces dressed up as "HEY HI" (AI) nonsense...]

    Dell Technologies Inc. and Nvidia Corp. today detailed Project Helix, a joint initiative designed to help companies run generative artificial intelligence software in their own on-premises data centers. The initiative has produced a series of offerings dubbed validated designs.

  • Ghacks ☛ SanDisk confirms major issues with Extreme SSDs

    Reports about SanDisk Extreme and Extreme Pro drives becoming unreadable out of the blue have started about 4 months ago. SanDisk has now responded to an inquiry by Ars Technica, stating that it is aware of the issue and plans to release a firmware fix for some affected models “soon”.

  • Bryan Lunduke ☛ Lunduke’s History of Computers – Volume 3

    DRM-Free PDF is now ready for download!

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexico’s farmers seek government help as grain prices fall

    Farmers across Mexico have called on the government to take action, as the industry faces making significant losses on this year’s harvest.

  • RFA ☛ Food shortage spreads in North Korea, with some starving farmers unable to work

    Desperate families flee by boat to South Korea to escape hardship.

  • Federal News Network ☛ South Carolina ready to renew abortion ban around 6 weeks of pregnancy after Senate vote

    The South Carolina Senate has approved a bill that would ban most abortions after around six weeks of pregnancy, sending the bill to the governor who has promised to sign it. The proposal passed on Tuesday restores the ban South Carolina had in place when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. That ban was overturned by the state’s highest court because it violated the state Constitution’s right to privacy. Republicans have been searching for an answer to that ruling because it left abortion legal through 22 weeks of pregnancy and sharply increased the number of abortions taking place in South Carolina as most other Southern states enacted stricter laws.

  • New York Times ☛ South Carolina Senate Passes 6-Week Abortion Ban

    The legislation, which faced a filibuster led by five women senators, now heads to the governor who has said he will sign it.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Here are all of the abortion debates happening this week in US courts and statehouses

    Lawmakers in South Carolina have passed an abortion ban while a judge in Montana was weighing restrictions there. Those are the latest developments in the shifting landscape of law since the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned Roe v. Wade and the nationwide right to abortion. Nebraska on Monday adopted a 12-week ban just weeks after stricter ones narrowly failed in the conservative-dominated state. Last week, North Carolina lawmakers last week overrode the Democratic governor’s veto of a ban on abortion after the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Meanwhile, a federal court is deciding whether to uphold a judge’s ruling rescinding approval for a drug used for abortion. The pill, mifepristone, remains on the market for now.

  • Helsinki Times ☛ Significant decrease in reimbursed private doctor visits through Kela in April 2023

    In April 2023, the number of individuals receiving reimbursements for private doctor visits through Kela (The Social Insurance Institution of Finland) decreased by 80,000 compared to March. The reduction in private medical fees and the elimination of reimbursements for examinations and treatment may have had some impact on the utilization of services. This article explores the implications of these changes and the broader context of private healthcare services in Finland.

  • New York Times ☛ Surgeon General Warns That Social Media May Harm Children and Adolescents

    The report by Dr. Vivek Murthy cited a “profound risk of harm” to adolescent mental health and urged families to set limits and governments to set tougher standards for use.

  • New York Times ☛ A History of U.S. Surgeon General Warnings: Smoking, TV, Safer Sex and More

    Public advisories from the nation’s top doctor are infrequent, but sometimes become turning points in American life.

  • Hatay’s new hospital inaugurated by Erdoğan remains largely unfinished

    The new Defne State Hospital, ostensibly completed within 60 days, still has construction works that potentially endanger public health, a delegation from medical organizations reports.

  • Science Alert ☛ Zig-Zag Cuts Heal Differently to Straight Incisions, And Now We Know Why

    Not all cuts are the same.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Common Fungus Evolved to Grow 20,000 Times Bigger in Just a Few Years

    A beast of a yeast.

  • New York Times ☛ An African Country Faces Challenges to Protect Girls From HPV

    Almost all cervical cancer deaths now occur in developing countries. Tanzania is trying to inoculate girls against the virus that causes the disease — nearly 20 years after rich countries began offering the shot.

  • Science Alert ☛ Flesh-Eating Bacteria Seem to Thrive on Plastic And Seaweed Blooms

    This could come back to bite us.

  • Science Alert ☛ Toxic Fragments of Bacteria Leaking From The Gut May Drive Weight Gain

    A new culprit behind obesity.

  • Federal News Network ☛ CDC investigating salmonella outbreak in 6 states linked to Papa Murphy’s cookie dough

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies are investigating reports of 18 salmonella infections linked to Papa Murphy’s cookie dough. The CDC said Tuesday that interviews with sick people show that raw cookie dough sold at Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake pizza stores may be contaminated. The CDC says people have been sickened in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, California and Missouri. Two people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. The number of sick people is likely higher than the number reported, and could extend to other states. People who have Papa Murphy’s raw chocolate chip cookie dough and s’more bars dough should throw it away.

• Proprietary

  • Microsoft is forcing you to upgrade Windows 10 [Ed: Microsoft understaffed amid mass layoffs; it cannot maintain the codebases.]

    Microsoft will soon be automatically updating anyone running old versions of Windows 10 to 22H2, with everything else unsupported come June 13.

  • Bleeping Computer ☛ Microsoft 365 hit by new outage causing connectivity issues

    Microsoft is investigating service issues preventing users from accessing their Microsoft 365 accounts and blocking access to installed apps.

  • Ghacks ☛ Microsoft struggles to find solutions to Windows 11 problems

    Windows 11 has been plagued by a range of issues, leaving both users and the tech giant grappling for solutions. Recent reports reveal that Microsoft has acknowledged the existence of certain problems within Windows 11 that it is currently unable to rectify. These issues have affected users of Windows 11 as well as those still using Windows 10, leading to frustration and uncertainty about the future of Microsoft’s operating systems.

  • IT Jungle ☛ Update On Critical Security Vulnerability In PowerVM

    Earlier this week, we told you about a very serious security vulnerability in the PowerVM hypervisor when running on Power9 and Power10 systems. IBM found the vulnerability itself and immediately set about to patch the vulnerability, which it revealed on May 17 along with patches to firmware in systems that are managed by the Hardware Management Console, or HMC.

• Security

  • The Straits Times ☛ Digital security in Indonesia remains a work in progress

    Islamic bank’s recent data breach shows that more needs to be done to beef up online defences.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Quartz ☛ Meta sold Giphy at a $262 million loss

      Three years after Facebook parent company Meta bought Giphy for $315 million, it’s selling the GIF search engine to Shutterstock for just $53 million, a $262 million loss on the deal.

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Meta sells Giphy to Shutterstock at huge loss following antitrust ruling

      Meta Platforms Inc. today said it has agreed to sell Giphy Inc. to Shutterstock Inc. at a huge loss after it was ordered to divest the company on competition grounds. Meta, then known as Facebook, acquired Giphy, the startup behind the GIF animated image sharing platform of the same name, in May 2020 for $315 million.

    • JURIST ☛ Ireland issue €1.2B fine against Meta Ireland for violating EU data protection law

      Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) announced the conclusion of its inquiry into Meta Ireland, issuing the Facebook parent company with a €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) fine. DPC ordered Meta to stop transferring Facebook users’ data from Europe to the US.

    • Quartz ☛ Meta has a $11 billion reason not to leave the EU

      Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) fined Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) for sending European citizens’ personal data to the US in violation of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU’s sweeping data privacy law.

    • NYPost ☛ High profile Quebec cold case of teen rape and murder cracked after nearly 50 years

      With the help of DNA evidence, police in Longueuil, Quebec identified Franklin Maywood Romine as the murderer of teenager Sharron Prior in 1975 in the Montreal suburb.

    • Press Gazette ☛ Alastair Campbell tells Mirror group hacking trial he was targeted by private investigators

      The ex-No 10 comms chief accused Piers Morgan of “two-faced conduct” while editing the Mirror.

• Defence/Aggression

  • France24 ☛ Syria’s Assad should be put on trial, says French foreign minister

    Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should be put on trial following “hundreds of thousands of deaths” and “chemical arms use” during the country’s civil war, the French foreign minister said on Tuesday.

  • AntiWar ☛ It’s a Bad Idea for Biden to Broker Saudi-Israeli Normalization

    Reprinted with permission from the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft The Biden administration is reportedly planning to pursue a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia before the end of this year. According to Axios, President Biden will seek to work out the deal before the election campaign “consumes” his agenda.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. Navy Steps Up Efforts to Curb Iran’s Ship Seizures in Strait of Hormuz

    The United States is increasing patrols in the busy shipping lanes, where Iranian forces have taken two internationally flagged tankers in recent weeks.

  • The Strategist ☛ When wars are fought in cities, nobody wins

    On 29 April 2023, Sudan’s Federal Ministry of Health reported that the death toll from clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces had risen to 528, with thousands injured.

  • Axios ☛ Remembering Uvalde children’s joy one year after shooting

    In Uvalde, reminders of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School — and the town’s resolve in the face of tragedy — remain one year later.

    Details: Crosses surround the bright blue fountain in a downtown square. Friends and family have left notes for their loved ones in English and Spanish, recalling yearbook signatures. Dried flowers cover the ground.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ AMLO responds to reports a senior official was victim of espionage

    The N.Y. Times reported that Pegasus spyware has been used against Deputy Interior Minister Alejandro Encinas, and implicated the military.

  • New York Times ☛ Mexican President Said He Told Ally Not to Worry About Being Spied On

    The leader acknowledged that he had been told the government’s top human rights official was targeted by spyware, but sought to downplay the surveillance on Tuesday.

  • Axios ☛ Mental health help on standby for Uvalde a year after shooting

    More Uvalde families are in need of mental health support as the trauma of the school shooting intensifies for some people one year after the tragedy.

    What’s happening: About 2,000 Uvalde residents have sought mental health support from the Ecumenical Center since the shooting, and the organization saw increase of about 20% in the number of people reaching out as the one-year mark approached, CEO Mary Beth Fisk tells Axios.

  • The Strategist ☛ How the Quad can become more than an anti-China grouping

    To be strategically successful, the Quad needs buy-in from the rest of the Indo-Pacific region, notably from Southeast Asia.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan tour operators eager for rebound in cross-strait tourism, but travellers are wary

    Taiwanese say they will ‘wait and see’ how the political situation unfolds before deciding on a holiday in China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Korea space race heats up with North and South planning launches

    The North is upgrading its space centre to accommodate the increased demands of leader Kim Jong Un.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan won’t join Nato, but local office considered, PM Kishida says

    Mr Kishida made these comments at a Parliament session on Wednesday.

  • France24 ☛ Turkish drone strike kills several Yazidi fighters in Iraq

    A Turkish drone strike in northern Iraq on Tuesday killed three Yazidi fighters affiliated with the rebel Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), security officials in the autonomous Kurdish region said.

  • Off Guardian ☛ The War on Reality (Revisited)

    CJ hopkins Reality isn’t what it used to be. It never really was, but that’s another story. This one isn’t about reality per se. It’s about the War on Reality, the one we’re in the middle of, the war that started when the War on Terror was cancelled in the Summer of 2016.

  • The Kent Stater ☛ Man pleads guilty for failure to stop in crash that killed a Kent student

    Timothy Michael Brind Jr. of Atwater pleaded guilty to failure to stop in a 2022 accident that killed Kent State student Colin Pho. Brind was charged with the third-degree felony before the Portage County Court of Common Pleas Wednesday.

  • RFERL ☛ U.S. Senators Promote Closer Serbia-Kosovo Ties In Balkans Visit

    Two U.S. senators on May 23 said they hope that European Union-backed negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia can achieve results this year in resolving the dispute between the two countries and normalizing their relations.

  • RFERL ☛ Taliban Mulls Guidelines For Letting Female NGO Staff Resume Work

    Jan Egeland, the secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said on May 23 that key Taliban officials told him in meetings that they are close to finalizing guidelines that will allow Afghan women to resume working for nongovernmental organizations.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan says last wartime ‘comfort woman’ has died at 92

    More than 200,000 women were sexually enslaved by Japan’s military during World War II.

  • teleSUR ☛ East African Countries Start Training of Rapid Reaction Forces

    Soldiers from Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda take part in the training.

  • New York Times ☛ How Women Are Giving Birth Amid Chaos in Sudan

    War in the northeast African nation has forced pregnant women to drive “through hell” to reach the dwindling number of hospitals and clinics, or turn to overworked midwives to give birth at home.

  • teleSUR ☛ Somali Military Officers Train to Improve Maritime Security

    The coastline has often been exploited by illegal fishing and smugglers, and a well-trained and equipped navy is needed to ensure that the country can fully benefit from the blue economy.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Walmart to pay California $500,000 in settlement over sale of brass knuckles

    Walmart will pay half a million dollars in civil penalties to the state of California over allegations that it was selling and allowing third-party vendors to sell brass knuckles on its website. State Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the settlement on Tuesday. Brass knuckles are illegal weapons in many states, including California. Bonta says investigators found approximately 250 products that could be classified as brass knuckles on Walmart’s website, 60% of which were sold directly by the company. Walmart said it didn’t violate any state laws but believed a settlement was in everyone’s best interest.

• Environment

  • France24 ☛ Climate scientists flee Twitter as hostility surges following Musk’s takeover

    Scientists suffering insults and mass-spam are abandoning Twitter for alternative social networks as hostile climate-change denialism surges on the platform following Elon Musk’s takeover.

  • France24 ☛ French ban on short-haul flights comes into effect in push for climate-friendly train travel

    France on Tuesday formally banned domestic flights on short routes that can be covered by train in less than two-and-a-half hours — a move aimed at reducing airline emissions that has also irked the industry.

  • France24 ☛ ‘Go to hell, Shell’: More than 100 climate activists storm annual shareholder meeting

    British oil and gas giant Shell faced a stormy shareholders’ gathering Tuesday, as environmental protesters hit out over its pledge to tackle carbon emissions.

  • Michael West Media ☛ Climate fix ‘impossible alone and possible together’

    Billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes’ tech firm Atlassian has issued a guide to help like-minded companies reduce their carbon footprint.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Asia water, energy supplies at risk as climate woes mount, research shows

    Rivers including the Ganges, the Yangtze, the Mekong and the Salweenis are vulnerable to climate risk.

  • YLE ☛ Orpo: Climate, immigration now central focus of government negotiations

    The four parties aiming to form Finland’s next coalition government have been locked in negotiations since 2 May, but immigration and climate policy are considered two of the most divisive topics.

  • YLE ☛ Police release Elokapina climate activists, probe into protest continues

    A group of 38 demonstrators were detained on Monday following a protest outside the forestry firm UPM’s pulp mill near the city of Kouvola.

  • New York Times ☛ Phoenix Blackout in Heat Wave Would Overwhelm Hospitals, Study Warns

    New research warns that nearly 800,000 residents would need emergency medical care for heat stroke and other illnesses in an extended power failure. Other cities are also at risk.

  • Axios ☛ New study finds nearly 2 billion at risk from “dangerous heat”

    Absent new, more ambitious climate policies, the world is headed for a magnitude of climate change that would put about 2 billion people at risk of extreme heat by the end of the century, a new study finds.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Can the oil industry help address climate change? Saudi Arabia says yes.

    The effort to abate climate change has a new player: Saudi Arabia. Yet some doubt the world’s second-largest oil producer will strike the right balance between current needs and future necessities.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Energy Dept. rejects $200M grant to battery maker after GOP criticism over alleged ties to China

    The Biden administration has canceled plans to award a $200 million grant to a U.S. battery manufacturer amid criticism from Republican lawmakers over the company’s alleged ties to China. Texas-based Microvast was one of 20 companies to win preliminary grants totaling $2.8 billion to boost domestic manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles. The company is building a battery plant in Tennessee and was in talks with the Energy Department for a $200 million grant funded through the 2021 infrastructure law. A spokeswoman for Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm confirmed Tuesday that negotiations with Microvast were canceled but did not offer a specific reason.

  • Quartz ☛ Big food and fashion companies are setting science-based nature targets for the first time

    Seventeen companies have signed up to a pilot project to set the first- ever science-based nature targets (SBNTs), so as to halt and reverse the impact of industrialization on biodiversity and the natural environment.

  • CS Monitor ☛ In Sweden, recycled fabrics turn old clothes into new fashion

    To address the fashion industry’s rampant waste problem, innovators are processing old clothes into brand-new textiles.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Michael West Media ☛ Mining ready to ride biggest boom with climate in mind

      Mining leaders are confident they can ride the clean energy boom and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a global survey. KPMG Global Mining Leader Trevor Hart is in Perth for the AFR Mining Summit where mining giants and minnows are chasing funding and supply deals.

    • H2 View ☛ DOE announces nearly $42m in funding for US clean hydrogen projects

      The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced up to $42m in funding for 22 clean hydrogen projects in 14 different states.

    • RFA ☛ US sanctions North Korean crypto operations

      Besides stealing cryptocurrency, Pyongyang allegedly has tech specialists ‘fraudulently’ working remote jobs.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Treasury Department sanctions entities tied to North Korean IT scams, hacking

      North Korea’s use of malicious cyber activity to evade international sanctions has become a growing problem for U.S. national security.

    • New York Times ☛ Mountain of FTX Evidence: Emails, Chat Logs, Code and a Notebook

      Prosecutors investigating Sam Bankman-Fried, the cryptocurrency exchange’s founder, have accumulated more than six million pages of documents and other records.

    • RFERL ☛ Six Security Personnel Killed In Suspected Militant Attack On Hungarian-Owned Energy Facility In Pakistan

      Four policemen and two private security guards were killed in an attack by dozens of gunmen on a Hungarian-owned gas and oil extraction facility in northwestern Pakistan, officials said on May 23.

    • Latvia ☛ Electric car popularity on the rise in Latvia

      Over the past two years, electric car numbers have increased – the sector has had the fastest growth ever. The number of electric car charging points is therefore also increasing. Several experts addressed by Latvian Radio on May 24 said that the number of charging networks is optimal, while some say Latvia is lagging behind.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ The Montreal Protocol Turned Out to Have an Amazing World-Changing Side Effect

      The best climate treaty we’ve ever had.

    • Science Alert ☛ Orcas Are Sinking Boats Off The Coast of Europe And We Have No Idea Why

      Is it just a fad?

    • uni Stanford ☛ Doerr School announces greenhouse gas removal as its first focus area

      While many in the school consider the removal of greenhouse gasses an essential part of mitigating the effects of climate change, critics worry that the school’s first Flagship Destination is too closely tied to the interests of the oil and gas industry.

    • Digital Music News ☛ Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Lenny Kravitz, Jon Batiste will Headline Global Citizen’s ‘Power Our Planet: Live in Paris’ Festival

      Global Citizen’s ‘Power Our Planet: Live in Paris’ festival has announced headliners including Lenny Kravitz, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., and Jon Batiste.  The festival is happening on June 22 in Paris at the Champ de Mars to raise awareness and call on world, business, and philanthropic leaders to take a stand against global inequality and climate…

    • CS Monitor ☛ Damage control: How the World Bank reformed and Brazil curbs illegal gold

      Progress roundup: Efforts to protect people with less power include Brazil’s testing to identify illegal gold, and the World Bank’s 30-year-old reforms.

  • Overpopulation

    • JURIST ☛ Aid agencies call for international aid for Horn of Africa emergency

      Multiple global and local aid agencies called for $7 billion full funding for the UN response to food emergencies in the Horn of Africa Tuesday, ahead of Wednesday’s Horn of Africa High Level Pledging Conference.

    • teleSUR ☛ UNICEF: + 7 Million Malnourished Children in Horn of Africa

      “The crisis in the Horn has been devastating for children”

    • Quartz ☛ Arizona, California, and Nevada agreed to use less water to save the Colorado River

      Three of the seven US states that benefit from the Colorado River have agreed to use less water to help preserve the natural resource.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Western states strike a deal to conserve water from Colorado River

      Arizona, California, and Nevada agree to significantly cut their water use from the drought-stricken Colorado River in exchange for money from the federal government.

• Finance

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ AMLO: government could buy Citibanamex if Grupo México pulls out

    Following rumors of Grupo México changing its mind about purchasing the bank, President López Obrador said he’d consider a government buyout.

  • New York Times ☛ Turkey’s Next President Will Win an Economy in Peril

    A surge in government spending before the election this month and pressure on the country’s currency could hit the economy in coming months, experts say.

  • LRT ☛ Lithuanian Bank calls on lenders to offer fixed-rate mortgages

    Lithuania’s central bank has proposed to oblige commercial banks and other lenders to offer people fixed interest rates on their mortgages for at least five years. The move comes in response to sky-rocketing repayment sums, as most lenders in Lithuania only offer variable-rate mortgages.

  • New York Times ☛ Lessons From a Renters’ Utopia

    Worldwide, housing has become a nightmare of expense and speculation. What did Vienna do right?

  • CS Monitor ☛ A victory in Europe for clean governance

    Three years after mass anti-graft protests in Bulgaria, the EU’s poorest state may have new leaders dedicated to honesty and transparency.

  • RFERL ☛ Sarajevo Police Detain Former Mayor On Charges Of Abuse Of Office, Forgery

    Police in the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina have detained the former mayor of Sarajevo and current ambassador to Qatar on criminal charges of abuse of office, forgery, and other related offenses, the prosecutor’s office confirmed to RFE/RL.

  • uni Michigan ☛ The nature of unaffordable living in Ann Arbor

    Initially moving to Ann Arbor in August of 2021, I was blind to the inner workings of the housing market. As a freshman living in the dorms, I didn’t have to worry about finding off-campus housing.

  • Axios ☛ Congress braces for grueling week as debt deadline nears

    House leadership in both parties is advising members that they could be kept in session into Memorial Day weekend or be called back to vote mid-way through recess next week.

    Why it matters: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen tripled down Monday on her warning that the U.S. could hit the debt ceiling “X-date” as soon as June 1.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Debt ceiling talks grind on, but Republicans say there’s a ‘lack of urgency’ from White House

    Debt ceiling talks showed few signs of outward progress as negotiators for President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are trading more budget-cutting ideas. Republicans warn there’s a “lack of urgency” at the White House to resolve the budget standoff in time to avert a potentially chaotic federal default. Democrats say Republicans are responsible for the holdup. Failure to strike a deal would be unprecedented, and certain to throw U.S. financial markets into turmoil, inflicting economic pain on households at home and abroad. Negotiators are trying to strike a budget deal to lower spending in exchange for a vote to raise the borrowing limit.

  • New York Times ☛ McCarthy Faces Balancing Act on Debt Ceiling Deal

    With right-wing Republicans all but certain to oppose any bipartisan compromise, the speaker has a narrow path to push one through the closely divided House.

  • Off Guardian ☛ Shutdown or Not, the Police State Will Continue to Flourish

    John Whitehead “There is no more dangerous menace to civilization than a government of incompetent, corrupt, or vile men.” Ludwig von Mises Once again, the police state is up to its old tricks, stoking tensions over whether or not the government is forced to shut down, even partially, due to a default on the national debt.

  • Quartz ☛ Public tech bank: A newer deal

    The failure of Silicon Valley Bank sent shockwaves throughout the tech and banking sector. The bank had played a pivotal role with venture capitalists, tech companies, and—in a lofty sense—America’s new ideas.

  • Quartz ☛ The US debt ceiling fight is a short-term phenomenon for markets

  • Quartz ☛ The US Treasury may have to break the law to keep the world’s richest nation from default [Ed: "Richest" only based on totally fictional measures, including yardsticks like BOGUS valuations (companies that rake in billions in losses and are estimated to be "worth" many billions) while the population racks up 50 trillion dollars in debt]

    Congress is putting US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a tough spot.

  • Quartz ☛ Argentina’s new 2,000 peso-note honors a suspected Nazi sympathizer

    Argentina has introduced a new peso banknote as it battles soaring levels of inflation.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong ferry firms ‘caught off guard’ when gov’t revealed their request for fare hikes of up to 100%

    Proposed ferry fare hikes of up to 100 per cent were preliminary, and operators are still in negotiations with the government, representatives from two ferry firms told an Islands District Council meeting on Monday.

  • Latvia ☛ Producer prices up 11.3% on year in Latvia

    Data published on May 23 by the Central Statistical Bureau show that in April 2023, compared to April 2022, the level of producer prices in the Latvian industry increased by 11.3%.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Michael West Media ☛ PM to meet Modi at Kirribilli after huge welcome

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to welcome his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to Admiralty House ahead of official talks. Mr Albanese and Governor-General David Hurley will meet with Mr Modi at Kirribilli ahead of bilateral talks on Wednesday morning.

  • MAY 24: Countdown to Turkey runoff vote: Delayed swearing-in of parliament sparks speculations

    As President Erdoğan and his rival Kılıçdaroğlu gear up for the runoff vote on May 28, we bring you updates on the aftermath of the parliamentary and presidential elections, along with the developments leading up to the decisive second round.

  • Circassians on 159th anniversary of Tsitsekun: ‘The name of this is genocide’

    The Circassians in Turkey held commemoration ceremonies in Kefken and in Ankara on May 21, the 159th anniversary of the Tsitsekun.

  • Ancestral Alliance breaks up: Responses to Oğan’s support for Erdoğan

    Ümit Özdağ, the president of the Victory Party in the alliance, is going to make his own announcement today at 13:00 pm.

  • Vote cast on behalf of intensive care patient in Çorum

    The CHP chairperson in Çorum announced that a vote was illegitimately cast on behalf of a person who was in intensive care at the time of the May 14 election and that they will pursue court action related to the fraud.

  • Kılıçdaroğlu: ‘US dollar will be 30 lira if they win’

    Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu asked the voters to “take their decision for the economy” in the video he posted today.

  • Imam inviting people to take arms was suspended from duty

    The Directorate of Religious Affairs suspended the imam of the Cebeci Mosque in Sultangazi, İstanbul, who, during a Friday praying, invited the community to take arms on May 28 night, in the second round of the presidential elections.

  • New York Times ☛ Ron DeSantis to Announce 2024 Presidential Run With Elon Musk on Twitter

    Adding a twist to the beginning of his presidential campaign, the Florida governor is expected to appear on a live audio conversation with Mr. Musk, the social platform’s owner, on Wednesday evening.

  • France24 ☛ Trump challenger DeSantis to enter 2024 race in Twitter event with Musk

    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose impassioned battles over pandemic lockdowns and divisive cultural issues have endeared him to conservatives, will announce on Wednesday he is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, placing him on a collision course with former President Donald Trump.

  • France24 ☛ Senegal prosecutor calls for 10-year jail term for opposition leader Sonko

    The trial of Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko on rape charges adjourned early Wednesday, with the prosecutor calling for a 10-year jail term in a case that has sparked tensions in the West African country.

  • France24 ☛ Senegal’s opposition leader Sonko fails to show up at high-stakes rape trial

    A Senegalese court on Tuesday resumed the trial of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko on rape charges, but he failed for the second time running to attend the high-stakes proceedings.

  • France24 ☛ Relative calm in Sudan as ceasefire brings some respite from fighting

    Artillery fire could be heard in parts of Khartoum and warplanes flew overhead on Tuesday, residents said, though an internationally monitored ceasefire appeared to have brought some respite from heavy fighting in the Sudanese capital.

  • France24 ☛ Sudan’s ceasefire in danger as fighting continues in Khartoum

    Artillery fire could be heard in parts of Khartoum and warplanes flew overhead on Tuesday, residents said, raising fears that intense fighting would erupt and shatter Sudanese hopes raised by an internationally-monitored ceasefire.

  • ADF ☛ Sudan Conflict Threatens to Ensnare Neighbors

    As fighting continues in Sudan, it is not just the Sudanese people who are fearful for their future. The entire region is anxiously watching the developments.

  • ADF ☛ Sudan’s Warring Parties Fight to Control Information

    Nearly a year before hostilities broke out between Sudan’s rival generals, a private jet touched down at an airfield in Khartoum. Members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) met the plane during its brief visit. On board, according to reports, was a package of high-end surveillance technology known as Predator.

  • New York Times ☛ Chief Justice Says Supreme Court Is Working to Address Ethics Questions

    In remarks at an awards ceremony, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. also addressed heckling at law schools and security for members of the court.

  • New York Times ☛ Trump Lawyers Seek Meeting With Garland Over Special Counsel Inquiries

    Two lawyers for the former president asserted that he was being treated unfairly in the investigations into his handling of classified documents and his efforts to remain in power.

  • New York Times ☛ The Good News on Unemployment for Black Americans

    And another reason, in case you needed one, that policymakers should avoid a gratuitous recession.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • uni Stanford ☛ From the Community | Thought police or moral integrity?

      “There is a line; there are people Stanford will not associate with,” writes computer science and electrical engineering professor Philip Levis. “Perhaps Ms. Mercer and Mr. Murdoch are close to the line. Perhaps they are far. We won’t know unless we debate the matter and consider the facts.”

    • Reason ☛ Brickbat: But I Read It On the Internet

      Rep. Linda Sanchez (D–Calif.) clearly thought she had a “gotcha” moment during a hearing of the the House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. Sanchez asked FBI whistleblower Marcus Allen if his Twitter account was @MarcusA97050645. “That is absolutely not my account, ma’am,” Allen said.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Press Gazette ☛ Cadwalladr seeks Supreme Court ruling over ‘chilling’ Arron Banks £1m costs order

    Observer reporter ready to take case to European Court of Human Rights if necessary.

  • Breach Media ☛ The RCMP suppresses honest reporting about colonialism

    When journalists document the efforts of Indigenous land defenders, the RCMP obstructs and arrests them

  • Digital Music News ☛ Spotify Issues Statement on Removal of Mohammed Assaf Song, “Ana Dammi Falastini”

    After the patriotic Palestinian song “Ana Dammi Falastini” (My Blood is Palestinian) was removed from streaming serv

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • New York Times ☛ With Pardon of Roman Protasevich, Belarus Fuels a Tale of Betrayal

    Roman Protasevich became a symbol of the struggle for democracy when Belarus forced down a plane and arrested him. Now it has pardoned him, and former allies say he has turned on them.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Michael West Media ☛ Indigenous voice an ‘unknown risk’: ex-PM Morrison

    Former prime minister Scott Morrison has used a rare speech in parliament to oppose the upcoming Indigenous voice referendum. Mr Morrison said the proposal was “ill-defined” and would create constitutional risk in enshrining an Indigenous voice to parliament and executive government.

  • Latvia ☛ Media watchdog fines news portal for alleged word misuse

    The National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) has decided to impose an administrative penalty of €8,500 on the Internet news portal tvnet.lv for the alleged misuse of the word “deportation”, according to LETA’s information on May 23.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Software engineer who photographed US landmarks for possible attacks gets 12 years in prison

    A New Jersey software developer who prosecutors say once photographed landmarks in New York, Boston and Washington, D.C., for possible terrorist attacks has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. Federal Judge Paul G. Gardephe says it seems Alexei Saab is no longer a danger or likely to commit crimes. Saab was sentenced on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court. A jury last year rejected a charge of providing material support for a terrorist group, convicting Saab of receiving military-type training from Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad Organization. Gardephe said Saab has become a model prisoner since his 2019 arrest.

  • Reason ☛ Florida’s Restrictions on Property Purchases by Chinese Citizens Hark Back to a Dark History of Xenophobia

    In a federal lawsuit on behalf of legal U.S. residents from China, the ACLU argues that “Florida’s New Alien Land Law” is unconstitutional.

  • JURIST ☛ China citizens challenge Florida law restricting foreign nationals from purchasing property

    A group of Chinese citizens who live in Florida, along with a real estate firm that serves clients of Chinese descent, filed a lawsuit Monday challenging a Florida law that imposes restrictions on some foreign nationals and businesses from buying property in the state.

  • RFA ☛ Rights attorney Yu Wensheng, wife Xu Yan ‘could be at risk of torture’ after arrest

    Authorities also step up pressure on lawyers who might represent the couple, their friends say.

  • JURIST ☛ Hong Kong court dismisses Jimmy Lai’s challenge to ban on representation by British lawyer

    A Hong Kong court has dismissed an attempt by jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai to overturn a decision barring his British lawyer from representing him in an upcoming trial under the national security law.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Justice Sec: Those found not guilty under security law at Hong Kong High Court could be detained again if gov’t appeals

    People acquitted under the Beijing-imposed national security law at Hong Kong’s High Court could be remanded if the government appeals their exoneration, the city’s justice minister has said.

  • New York Times ☛ Bill to Force Texas Public Schools to Display Ten Commandments Fails

    A Republican effort to bring religion into classrooms faltered, though lawmakers were poised to allow chaplains to act as school counselors.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ ‘What are they afraid of?’: Hong Kong justice minister questions public concern over passing of city’s own security law

    Hong Kong will balance the protection of national security with upholding human rights when legislating the city’s own security law, the justice chief has said.

  • RFA ☛ Thousands of Hong Kongers cancel organ donation, prompting order for police probe

    Move appears driven by concern about plan to integrate the system with mainland China

  • RFA ☛ China makes getting a tourist visa to Tibet tougher for foreign visitors in Nepal

    New rules require in-person interviews and fingerprinting.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Primary 1 pupil in China dies after being hit by teacher’s car in school

    The male teacher, who is in his 20s, is assisting the police with investigations.

  • RFA ☛ Vietnamese prisoner of conscience accuses jailers of giving him contaminated water

    Nguyen Van Duc Do experienced abdominal pain and had diarrhea.

  • Michael West Media ☛ PM welcomes India’s Modi but human rights calls persist

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has welcomed the finalisation of a new migration pact with India as he hosts his counterpart Narendra Modi for bilateral talks.

  • RFERL ☛ Activists Say Iran’s ‘Eye Victims’ Under Government Pressure With Arrests

    Two Iranian protesters known as “eye victims” have been arrested in what rights activists say is a campaign by authorities to silence those who have been shot in the face by security agents during months of unrest.

  • Internet Freedom Foundation ☛ The impending EU AI Act and its potential effect on India’s AI Policy

    The EU AI Act is moving forward swiftly. What does this mean for India?

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Failed expectations

    What can be learned from the failures and successes of technology deployment?

  • APNIC ☛ Network design: Dual ISP, DMZ, and the network edge — Part 2

    Guest Post: Network designing for the edge — a detailed look at high level edge connection including BGP guidance.

• Monopolies

  • Copyrights

    • Digital Music News ☛ Musician Maria Schneider Cannot Certify a Class Action Against YouTube, Judge Rules

      On Monday, YouTube gained a small victory in the ongoing battle against Schneider’s infringement claims. Attorneys for Schneider had urged Judge Donato to let the case proceed as a class action, but Donato ruled, “Copyright claims are poor candidates for class-action treatment.” In the long-running David vs. Goliath courtroom confrontation, Goliath scored another win.

    • Press Gazette ☛ Local titles aim to safeguard £40m public notice income with new online portal

      The Google News Initiative-funded portal officially went live on Monday.