New York Times ☛ If You’ve Ever Heard a Voice That Wasn’t There, This Could Be Why

With a ghostly finger in a lab, researchers coaxed people to hear phantom voices.

Science Alert ☛ 'Unusual' Mystery of Dead Whales Washing Up on US Coast May Be Solved

We could finally have an answer.

Science Alert ☛ Global Emissions Predicted to Hit New High in 2023, Scientists Warn

"Here we are again."

Science Alert ☛ Fungal Infections in The Brain May Cause Alzheimer's-Like Symptoms

A new piece of the puzzle.

CS Monitor ☛ How two women transformed learning in rural China

Once word got out about classrooms in caves, determination and global generosity transformed education in one corner of China.

Latvia ☛ Latvian teachers' union: Ministry's wage calculations are incorrect

The issue of teachers' salaries remains unclear, causing growing outrage among teachers - there is even a cut for some instead of the promised pay rise. Inga Vanaga, Chair of the Latvian Union of Education and Science Workers (LIZDA), said in an interview with Latvian Radio October 17 that salaries have not been calculated correctly possibly also due to staff changes at the Education Ministry.

Latvia ☛ Latvian universities keep dropping in world rankings

Four Latvian universities - Rīga Technical University, Rīga Stradiņš University, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technology, and the University of Latvia - have made it into the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 list but their results are not splendid.

Latvia ☛ Teacher wage issue in Latvia still unresolved

While the issue of teacher salaries seemed to have been resolved this school year, disappointment set in for many teachers when payday came. For some, wages are even smaller than before. The Ministry of Education and Science (IZM) says financial resources have been allocated to local governments, while in local governments say the funds are not enough, Latvian Television reported October 16.

Daniel Lemire ☛ How many billions of transistors in your iPhone processor?

In about 10 years, Apple has multiplied by 19 the number of transistors in its mobile processors. It corresponds roughly to a steady rate of improvement of 34% per year on the number of transistors, or a doubling every 2.5 years.

IT Wire ☛ US tightens export rules for chips, equipment sold to China

New rules announced by the Department of Commerce on Tuesday would make it much more difficult for American firms Nvidia and Intel to either sell their existing products in China or introduce new products that bypass the rules.

In October 2022, the US administration announced updates to export rules governing semiconductors which were squarely aimed at preventing China from obtaining high-end chips used in military applications.

Tom's Hardware ☛ U.S. Govt Restricts Shipments of GeForce RTX 4090 to China, Other Countries

Nvidia discloses list of GPUs restricts to be imported to China and select other countries without license.

Latvia ☛ Latvia's medical workers can expect pay rise next year

Next year, medical workers and technical staff of medical treatment institutions can expect a rather substantial increase in salaries, so it is likely that a strike will be avoided, Valdis Keris, chairman of the Latvian Union of Health and Social Care workers (LVSADA), said in an interview on the Latvian Television newscast “Morning panorama” on October 18.

Latvia ☛ Regional hospitals might be partly nationalized, says Health Minister

Not only in Daugavpils Regional Hospital which has repeatedly raised bankruptcy alarms but also in other hospitals outside Rīga, there are financial problems, therefore the Ministry of Health plans to assess whether these should in future be partially state-managed, Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri (New Unity) told Latvian Television October 18.

Reason ☛ Helicopter Parenting Hurts Your Kids' Mental Health

Social media overuse among teens may be a symptom, not the cause, of their distress.

TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Insurers often shortchange mental health care coverage, despite a federal law

Despite the federal law, many insurers continue to charge higher copayments for mental health care, limit the frequency of mental health treatment, or impose more restrictive prior authorization policies.

Windows TCO

• Bleeping Computer ☛ FBI warns of extortion groups targeting plastic surgery offices

• Bleeping Computer ☛ Microsoft disables bad spam rule flagging all sent emails as junk

Privacy/Surveillance

• IT Wire ☛ Cash grab? Google warns on YouTube use if ad blockers are present

  Google appears to have begun warning YouTube users who have ad blockers in their browsers when they try to access videos on the site.

New York Times ☛ Early Intelligence Suggests Hospital Blast Caused by Palestinian Fighters, U.S. Says

Officials cautioned that analysis is preliminary and that the United States was continuing to collect and analyze evidence.

New York Times ☛ U.S. Response to Israel-Hamas War Draws Fury in Mideast

The staunch support for Israel has stoked accusations of American hypocrisy, with Arab critics fearing a wholesale massacre of Palestinians in response to the deadly Hamas attack on Israel.

BIA Net ☛ Eren Keskin: Anti-racists must unite

Eren Keskin, emphasizing that the Israeli state violated the laws of war, made a statement on her social media account: "States commit the gravest crimes against humanity, and these crimes are meticulously 'ignored.' Each knows the crimes of the other."

Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China behind ‘risky’ manoeuvres against US military planes in international airspace, Washington says

The United States on Tuesday accused China of orchestrating a “concerted” campaign of dangerous and provocative air force manoeuvres against US military planes in international airspace, warning such moves could spark inadvertent conflict between the two powers.

JURIST ☛ Arkansas orders land divestment from Chinese company

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin directed Syngenta Seeds, a company under the umbrella of China’s state-owned chemical giant ChemChina, to divest its 160 acres of agricultural land within the state on Tuesday.

RFA ☛ US releases images of Chinese aircraft ‘coercive’ behavior

The Pentagon says in the last two years Chinese fighter jets conducted over 180 unsafe U.S. aircraft interceptions.

RFA ☛ Biden’s envoy offers dual approach for N Korea human rights uplift

US wants to work with Pyongyang to make concrete changes, improve human rights: envoy.

Federal News Network ☛ Ex-Treasury Secretary Lew, Biden’s pick to be US envoy to Israel, faces Senate confirmation hearing

The Senate is moving quickly to confirm Jacob Lew as ambassador to Israel, holding a hearing on his nomination. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Wednesday comes as President Joe Biden visits the region to reinforce U.S. support for Israel and try to ease tensions in its new war with Hamas. The White House has told lawmakers it could soon request between $90 billion and $100 billion for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. That's according to four people familiar with the conversations who requested anonymity because the number is not yet final they were not authorized to speak publicly about it.

LRT ☛ Interview with Israeli photographer: ‘We are hearing calls to erase Gaza’

Oren Zov was among the first to photograph dead bodies piled up on Israeli streets. “We saw bodies around as you see in Ukraine,” he recalled. Despite the shock, fear, and anger, many families don’t want their pain to be used by politicians to call for revenge, he added.

teleSUR ☛ Medvedev Blames US For War Crime in Gaza Hospital Strike

The bombing of the Al Ahli Hospital is a warning sign about the need "to end the conflict as soon as possible," the Russian president pointed out.

Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

• RFERL ☛ Darya Losik Marks Year Behind Bars In Belarus On Charges Considered Politically Motivated

  Darya Losik, the wife of jailed RFE/RL journalist Ihar Losik, has marked a year behind bars as she serves a two-year sentence for giving an interview to an independent media outlet.

• France24 ☛ How one Russian fled the war in Ukraine, only to find another in Israel

  Ilia fled his native Russia because he wanted no part in its invasion of Ukraine. Now an Israeli citizen, he tells FRANCE 24 about his experience of fleeing one war and landing in another.

• LRT ☛ Leopard tanks damaged in Ukraine undergo repairs in Lithuania

  The Lithuanian Armed Forces have started repairing German-made Leopard tanks damaged in combat in Ukraine, the Defence Ministry has said.

• France24 ☛ Ukraine uses US-supplied long-range ATACMS for the first time

  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine's armed forces had used US-supplied ATACMS long-range missiles for the first time.

• Federal News Network ☛ Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov arrives in North Korea in the wake of a reported weapons transfer

  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is visiting North Korea just days after the U.S. said Pyongyang had transferred munition to Moscow for its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian state news agency RIA Novosti posted a video of a crowd on Wednesday greeting Lavrov on in the pouring rain in Pyongyang alongside a welcoming party. Lavrov said his visit was an opportunity to discuss implementing the agreements President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had signed when they met in Russia's Far East in September. Lavrov said Russia highly appreciates North Korea’s “principled, unequivocal support for Russia’s actions” in Ukraine.

• France24 ☛ Xi praises 'deepening' trust between China and Russia in talks with Putin

  Chinese leader Xi Jinping told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that "political mutual trust" between their countries was "continuously deepening", Beijing's state media reported.

• RFA ☛ Putin welcomed as guest of honor in Beijing

  But analysts suggest he’s been reduced to a ‘junior partner’ in China’s global ambitions celebrated at the BRF.

• RFERL ☛ China, Russia Have Maintained Close Strategic Coordination, Xi Tells Putin

  China and Russia have maintained close and effective strategic coordination, and their bilateral volume of trade has reached a historical high, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on October 18.

• New York Times ☛ With Putin by His Side, Xi Outlines His Vision of a New World Order

  China’s close ties with Russia in countering American dominance point to a geopolitical rift that could shape the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

• New York Times ☛ Putin Plays Down Threat Posed by Powerful U.S.-Supplied Missiles

  Analysts say the long-range weapons could force Russia to move military assets further away from the front lines, undermining their operations.

• New York Times ☛ Biden Visits Israel and Putin Visits China Amid Gaza and Ukraine Wars

  Washington’s strong support for Israel against Hamas is contrasted with Russian and Chinese efforts to align with the Palestinian struggle.

• Latvia ☛ Government gives more money to Ukrainian support in Latvia

  On Tuesday, October 17, the government decided to allocate an additional €10.3 million to support Ukrainian refugees, LETA reports.

• RFERL ☛ Canada Sanctions Nine More People, Six TV Stations For Attempts to Destabilize Moldova

  Canada has sanctioned nine more individuals and six television stations involved in actions to destabilize Moldova and to facilitate Russia's war in Ukraine.

• RFERL ☛ Report: 14-Year-Old Russian Boy Sick With TB Arrested For 'Terrorist Activities'

  Valery Zaitsev, a 14-year-old Russian boy from the village of Solnechny, in the Far Eastern Russian region of Khabarovsk, who reportedly voiced sympathy for Ukraine, has been arrested under suspicion that he was preparing a terrorist attack with explosives, Mediazona reports.

• RFERL ☛ Several Dead, Wounded In Strike On Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya, Other Regions

  Five people were killed in an overnight rocket attack that struck an apartment building in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya, the regional governor said on October 18.

• Latvia ☛ Russia likely to blame for threatening schoolchildren

  The sending of threatening messages to hundreds of Latvian schools, kindergartens  and other institutions last week was most likely organized by Russia, the head of the National Security Commission of the Saeima, Ainars Latkovskis (New Unity), told the "Krustpunktā" (Crossroads) program of Latvian Radio, October 17.

• LRT ☛ Institutions in Lithuania again receive bomb threats

  Various Lithuanian institutions, businesses, and organisations last night received Russian-language emails about bombs planted in their premises.

• RFERL ☛ Bulgaria Defends Decision To Impose Tax On Russian Gas Transit As Hungary, Serbia Vow To Respond

  Bulgaria's government has defended its decision to impose a new tax on Russian gas transiting through the country as Hungary and Serbia -- which rely on supplies from Moscow -- vowed to respond to the move, which they called a “hostile” step.

• RFERL ☛ Court In Odesa Posthumously Sentences Russian-Imposed Administrator To Life Imprisonment

  The Malinovskiy District Court of Odesa on October 18 said Kirill Stremousov, who died in November last year in a car crash, has been sentenced posthumously to life in prison for treason.

• RFERL ☛ Russian Lawmakers Pass Bill To De-Ratify Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Amid Tensions With West

  The Russian parliament’s lower chamber, the State Duma, approved a bill on October 18 revoking the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), a change in the country's nuclear posture amid heightened tensions with the West.

Energy/Transportation

• CS Monitor ☛ Chinese EV sales are soaring in Europe. The EU doesn’t love it.

  Chinese automakers are winning over drivers in Europe’s electric vehicle market – a key industry in Europe’s green energy transition. The European Union says China is artificially driving down its prices, adding tensions between the West and China.

Wildlife/Nature

• CS Monitor ☛ Boats, houseboats, dolphins stranded in Amazon’s worst drought

  The world’s largest rainforest is suffering its worst drought, just over two years after its most significant flooding. The Negro River, the Amazon’s second largest tributary, reached its lowest level since official measurements began 121 years ago.

• Breach Media ☛ Suncor CEO grilled on ‘catastrophic’ wildfire season

  Summoned to Parliament to explain comments he made that caused outrage, Suncor’s CEO Rich Kruger doubled down

Paramount To Shut Down Showtime Sports

Leading streaming services continue to hone their live sports strategies in an effort to attract advertisers at premium rates, as well as become less dependent on blockbuster originals to maintain viewership levels.

Following Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max launch last month of its $9.99-per-month Bleacher Report Sports Add-On for all of its tiers, with all sports simulcast on TNT, TBS and TruTV, Netflix has just thrown its programming hat into the ring with a sponsored livestreamed celebrity golf match of its own making.

New York Times ☛ American Household Wealth Jumped in the Pandemic [Ed: Wall Street Times as megaphone of Federal Reserve. Interest rates sank to zero, many people lost their job or were forced not to work (lockdowns), but somehow we're meant to believe now that the pandemic was a boon to the economy?]

Pandemic stimulus, a strong job market and climbing stock and home prices boosted net worth at a record pace, Federal Reserve data showed.

Federal News Network ☛ Stock market today: Wall Street dips following profit reports, and oil prices jump on war worries

Wall Street is dipping following a mixed set of profit reports from big U.S. companies. Worries about war in the Middle East are also dragging on the market. The S&P 500 was 0.6% lower Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 110 points, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.8%. Crude oil prices jumped sharply overnight following a deadly explosion at a hospital in the Gaza Strip, which sparked protests across the Middle East. But oil prices pared their gains as the morning progressed. Gold, meanwhile, kept rising as investors have looked for safer investments.

Reason ☛ Will CISOs have to choose between getting rich or going to jail?

Episode 477 of the Cyberlaw Podcast

LRT ☛ EC will ask Lithuania to explain bank solidarity levy

The European Commission is examining a complaint by the Association of Lithuanian Banks regarding the bank solidarity levy introduced earlier this year.

Defence Web ☛ Corruption costs Africa $140 billion a year

Interpol’s just ended Africa conference in Luanda closed with delegates agreeing to increase information sharing in multiple crime areas from counter-terrorism to wildlife trafficking.

WhichUK ☛ Inflation remains at 6.7% in September 2023 – can any savings rate beat it?

State pension unlikely to rise in line with this month's inflation figure

YLE ☛ Finnish banks announce increased profits

Interest rate hikes have been good for profits in the financial sector.

Robert Heaton ☛ Thousands of elderly twins assure me that my kids will be alright

I know that time spent with my kids is supposed to be its own reward, and it is. But I also want to believe that what I do in this time matters, as much as possible. Elegantly handling a tantrum feels more worthwhile if I’m helping my son learn to express his feelings, not just making it through another day. I find more contentment at the end of a long afternoon if I think that I did a good job and that this good job will echo through the ages, or at least after bedtime.

CS Monitor ☛ One year in office, has Italian Premier Meloni proven skeptics wrong?

Giorgia Meloni took office one year ago as Italy’s first post-war far-right premier. But so far, Ms. Meloni has surprised skeptics. Notably, she has backed NATO support for Ukraine despite running an election campaign “raging against Europe.″

uni Stanford ☛ Assistant Secretary Geoffrey Pyatt says China is sole U.S. adversary

A seminar hosted by the Hoover Institution underscored cooperation with national allies for a secure, sustainable transition to a clean energy future and warned attendees of a political model in China that "denies individual freedom."

Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s leader Xi Jinping announces over US$100 billion new funding for Belt and Road Initiative

Beijing, China Beijing will inject over US$100 billion of new funding into its Belt and Road initiative, President Xi Jinping said Wednesday at a summit marking the vast infrastructure project’s tenth anniversary.

Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

• JURIST ☛ Meta announces measures to curb disinformation and violence amid renewed Israel-Hamas conflict

  Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced measures Friday to address concerns regarding disinformation and misinformation surrounding the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas. This comes after the European Union urged social media platforms like Meta, X, Youtube and Tiktok to take more decisive action against misinformation.

• Vice Media Group ☛ ‘Kia Boys’ Trend Fueling Nationwide Crime Wave Is Running Rampant on Instagram

  Long associated with TikTok, the viral trend of stealing Kias and Hyundais is now far more popular—and more permitted—on Instagram.

• New York Times ☛ New Report Documents How Easily Children Can Access Graphic War Images

  On Instagram, Snapchat and Tiktok, researchers were able to find graphic posts, even with the apps’ sensitivity features turned on.

• European Commission ☛ Fighting disinformation and dissemination of illegal content in the context of the Digital Services Act and in times of conflict - Speech by Commissioner Breton

European Commission ☛ Commission recommends Member States to fast-track DSA governance to enhance response to illegal online content*

European Commission Press release Brussels, 18 Oct 2023 Today, the Commission published a set of recommendations for Member States to coordinate their response to the spread and amplification of illegal content, such as terrorist content or unlawful hate speech, before it can lead to a serious threat to public security.

MIT Technology Review ☛ China has a new plan for judging the safety of generative AI—and it’s packed with details

Ever since the Chinese government passed a law on generative AI back in July, I’ve been wondering how exactly China’s censorship machine would adapt for the AI era.

Reason ☛ Journal of Free Speech Law: "Platform Transparency and the First Amendment," by Daphne Keller

The article, which is directly relevant to the Netchoice cases that the Court will consider this Term, is here; here's the Introduction: Major U.S. platforms can powerfully influence public discourse by removing, promoting, and otherwise moderating users' online speech. Better information about their content moderation would help policymakers enact better laws.

Hong Kong Free Press ☛ 57-year-old Hong Kong man denied bail over alleged ‘seditious’ online content

A 57-year-old man has been denied bail after he was arrested by Hong Kong national security police over allegedly posting content “with seditious intention” online. Au Kin-wai appeared in front of Chief Magistrate Victor So on Wednesday morning at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts.

New York Times ☛ Harvard Students Doxxed After Writing Anti-Israel Letter

A truck with a billboard displayed their names and photos, and critics put out do-not-hire lists. The students say it’s a campaign to shut them up.

Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Detained ex-editor of Hong Kong Apple Daily newspaper issues apology over ‘false’ Chinese espionage allegations

The former editor-in-chief of defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily has issued a public apology for publishing reports alleging that two business executives were Chinese spies when the pair was involved in an espionage investigation in Taiwan four years ago.

Reason ☛ Google Bard: "There Are No Good Arguments Against Transgender Rights"

That's what it answers when asked, "What are the best arguments against transgender rights?"

BIA Net ☛ Kurdish digital journalism workshops to be held by Botan International

The participants will be attending all of the six workshops on content production & technical tools for podcasts, digital media editing, conducting interviews, digital media management, news photography, and literary journalism.

Digital Music News ☛ Nas-Founded Mass Appeal Faces Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

Mass Appeal, the imprint co-founded by Nas, faces a discrimination lawsuit from a white executive who alleges she was the victim of racial discrimination. Nas’ company Mass Appeal was hit with a racial discrimination lawsuit from Melissa Cooper, a documentary producer, and former head of development, who is white.

YLE ☛ Finnish Immigration Service personnel chief fired, accuses director of bullying

Migri's Director General, Ilkka Haahtela, denied allegations of workplace misconduct.

YLE ☛ Therapy centre hack suspect faces aggravated extortion, other charges

The court has ordered that the identities of the victims be kept secret, due to the sensitive issues related to the cases.

APNIC ☛ Carrier Ethernet OAM

Guest Post: An overview of Carrier Ethernet operation, administration, and maintenance for those who are new to it.

Silicon Angle ☛ Barracuda report reveals 50% of all internet traffic is bot-driven

A new report released today by cloud cybersecurity firm Barracuda Networks Inc. finds that half of all internet traffic is now bot traffic and that bad bots contribute to 30% of traffic. The report delves into the changing face of bot traffic and how bad bot traffic is evolving.

Internet Society ☛ Building More Affordable and Reliable Internet Access in the Arctic

Last August, Canada’s Northwest Territories experienced great success along with great tragedy. The remote community of Ulukhaktok launched the Arctic’s first community network in the midst of Canada’s worst forest fire season on record.

Patents

• JUVE ☛ First UPC Court of Appeal decision clarifies deadline for defendants [Ed: UPC is illegal and unconstitutional. JUVE took bribes to actively promote, based on lies, this illegal and unconstitutional charade. It still does.]

  The global patent dispute between Amgen, Sanofi and Regeneron over the cholesterol-lowering drugs Repatha and Praluent is increasingly becoming a lead case at the Unified Patent Court. The dispute is based on Amgen’s divisional patent EP 3 666 797 covering active ingredient evolocumab.

Trademarks

• TTAB Blog ☛ "TORPEDO JUICE" Section 2(d) and Nonuse Cancellation Is a Dud, Says TTAB

  The Board denied a petition to cancel a registration for the mark TORPEDO JUICE for "Alcoholic beverages, except beer; Gin; Liquor; Rum" because Petitioner Oregon Grain failed to prove prior trademark rights in support of its Section 2(d) claim, and failed to provide any acceptable evidence to support its nonuse claim. Oregon Grain Growers Brand Distillery Inc. v. Michael Pitsokos, Cancellation No. 92076817 (October 16, 2023) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Cheryl S. Goodman).

• Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Fraudulent Incontestability Declarations: Textual Fidelity vs. Fraud Deterrence

  In the trademark case of Great Concepts, LLC v. Chutter, Inc., No. 2022-1212 (Fed. Cir. Oct. 18, 2023), the Federal Circuit addressed whether fraud in a declaration of incontestability justifies cancelling the underlying trademark registration. Writing for the majority, Judge Stark held the TTAB lacked this authority under the Lanham Act. Stark reversed the TTAB’s cancellation order, finding the statute only permits cancellation for fraudulent acts taken while obtaining the registration, not for establishing incontestability.

Copyrights

• Digital Music News ☛ UTA Report Says the Live Music Resurgence Is Poised to Continue, as Millennials & Gen Z Focus On Experiences

  Millennials and Gen Z are driving the live music resurgence as the post-pandemic music boom is poised to continue, according to reports. A UTA report, “Standing Room Only: Live Music’s Epic Resurgence” paints a rosy picture for the return of live music.

• Digital Music News ☛ AI Music Generator Riffusion Reportedly Raises $4 Million, Adds The Chainsmokers As Advisors

  AI-powered music-generation platform Riffusion has reportedly raised $4 million from investors and added The Chainsmokers as advisors. Developed by Hardline founder Seth Forsgren and longtime Skydio higher-up Hayk Martiros, Riffusion allows one to create brief music clips – including auto-generated vocals – using AI.