Links 15/05/2024: Growing Tensions Between East and West, Anticlimax in Chatbot Space

posted by Roy Schestowitz on May 15, 2024

Leftovers

Leftovers
- RFA ☛ As Chinese tourists flock to Laos, illegal Chinese tour guides fill language gap
  
  Many Chinese-speaking Lao guides moved to other jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Kev Quirk ☛ Adding Replies & Reactions to My Guestbook
  
  Since I launched my guestbook back in February, lots of people have signed it, but I couldn't reply to them. Now I can.
  
  There's been nearly 100 posts to my guestbook since I launched it; some are just passing comments, but others are questions. So I wanted a way to reply to those guestbook entries.
- Pro Publica ☛ Minnesota AG Keith Ellison Sues Contract-for-Deed Home Seller
  
  The Minnesota attorney general’s office filed a lawsuit Tuesday against a home seller who allegedly targeted the East African Muslim community for real estate deals that authorities called “predatory and deceptive.”
  
  The lawsuit alleges that Chadwick Banken and six of his limited liability corporations broke state and federal laws, including Minnesota’s laws against religious discrimination, by using transactions known as contracts-for-deed to sell homes at higher prices than warranted and on worse terms to Muslim buyers.
- Pro Publica ☛ Federal Law Shields Gun Stores From Public Scrutiny, Even When a Cop is Killed
  
  Nearly three years have passed since the 2021 murder of Chicago police officer Ella French, and police and prosecutors have revealed much about her killing: the grim details of her final moments, the type of gun used to shoot her during a traffic stop and how that .22-caliber Glock made its way into the hands of the man who pulled the trigger.
  
  But absent from the public discussion was the name of the retail shop where the gun used to kill French was purchased. Its disclosure has been hindered by a long-standing push by the gun industry to protect the identities of retailers that have sold guns used in crimes.
- Education
  - Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong zine librarian Samantha Chao on the importance of keeping an accessible archive
    
    Zines come in a wide array of shapes and sizes. Among the extensive collection curated by Samantha Chao, a zine librarian at the Asian Art Archive (AAA) in Hong Kong, certain zines were smaller than palm-sized, while others were about as large as ring binders.
- Hardware
  - CNX Software ☛ Rockchip RK2118G/RK2118M dual-core Star-SE Armv8-M microcontrollers target smart audio applications
    
    Rockchip RK2118G and RK2118M smart audio microcontrollers based on a dual-core Star-SE Armv8-M processor, an NPU for smart Hey Hi (AI) audio processor, three DSPs, 1024KB SRAM, optional DDR memory in package, and a range of peripherals.
  - Hackaday ☛ Supercon 2023: Building The Ultimate Apple IIe, Decades Later
    
    The Apple II was launched in 1977, a full 47 years ago. The Apple IIe came out six years later, with a higher level of integration and a raft of new useful features. Apple eventually ended production of the whole Apple II line in 1993, but that wasn’t the end. People like [James Lewis] are still riffing on the platform to this day. Even better, he came to Supercon 2023 to tell us all about his efforts!
  - Hackaday ☛ Vibrating Braille Display Is Portable
    
    Smartphones are an integral part of life, but what if you can’t see the screen? There is text-to-speech available, but that’s not always handy and can be slow. It also doesn’t help users who can’t hear or see. Refreshable braille devices are also available, but they are expensive and not very convenient to use. [Bmajorspin] proposed a different method and built a prototype braille device that worked directly with a cell phone. The post admits that as the device stands today, it isn’t a practical alternative, but it does work and is ripe for future development to make it more practical.
- Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
  - Hindustan Times ☛ Illness took away her voice. AI created a replica she carries in her phone
    
    In April, the 21-year-old got her old voice back. Not the real one, but a voice clone generated by artificial intelligence that she can summon from a phone app. Trained on a 15-second time capsule of her teenage voice — sourced from a cooking demonstration video she recorded for a high school project — her synthetic but remarkably real-sounding AI voice can now say almost anything she wants.
    
    She types a few words or sentences into her phone and the app instantly reads it aloud.
  - Science Alert ☛ Stressful Life Events Linked to Alzheimer's Biomarkers, Study Finds
  - Science Alert ☛ THC From Cannabis Could Linger in Breast Milk For a Long Time
    
    How does it affect babies?
  - Science Alert ☛ Study Finds Sleep May Not Flush Toxins From The Brain After All
    
    This challenges a dominant theory.
  - Science Alert ☛ Genetic Cause of Rare Neurological Disease Found After 25-Year Search
    
    "This is not just science. This is somebody's life."
  - Science Alert ☛ Surprising Study Finds Men With Low Testosterone More Likely to Die Early
    
    It's complicated though.
  - Science Alert ☛ How You Were Born Could Change Your Response to Life-Saving Medicine
    
    Weird.
  - RTE ☛ PJ Gallagher explores Ireland’s fight for mental wellness in new RTÉ documentary, PJ Gallagher: Changing My Mind
    
    Comedian PJ Gallagher turns mental health warrior in PJ Gallagher: Changing My Mind, a candid RTÉ documentary exploring mental health in Ireland with the humour and heart that define him.
  - LRT ☛ Lithuania records 16 legionellosis cases, three deaths in four months
    
    Sixteen cases of legionellosis and three deaths from the disease were recorded in Lithuania in the first four months of this year, the country’s National Public Health Centre (NKVC) reported on Tuesday.
  - Federal News Network ☛ VA rule change could mean health care benefits for a million more veterans
    
    Veterans with other-than honorable discharges have often faced difficulties in securing health care benefits. A new VA rule could change that.
  - Federal News Network ☛ Sweeping VA bill seeks more pay flexibility for health care workers, stricter EHR requirements
    
    The VA would receive additional pay flexibilities for its health care workforce, if a sweeping legislative makes it through Congress.
  - Latvia ☛ Rare diseases meds funding cut dangerously short in Latvia
    
    In the first two months of this year, only seven patients with different rare diseases received reimbursable medicines, compared to nearly 1,500 diagnoses of rare diseases in the country. The Latvian Alliance for Rare Diseases called for €19 million to expand treatment options, but the Ministry of Health has not earmarked such funding. What does this mean for rare disease patients? Latvian Radio spoke to patients May 15.Svetlana Pavāre is one of about 20 people diagnosed with hereditary angioedema in Latvia. For most of her life, she has experienced countless attacks that neither she nor her doctors could explain for a long time. Four years ago, Svetlana woke up in the night unable to swallow her saliva. When she saw that her face was swollen, she called an ambulance. At the hospital, Svetlana Pavāre met an anesthetist who asked her the question that finally led to a diagnosis.
  - The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan says WHO membership means it should be allowed to attend all meetings
    
    Taiwan is excluded from most international organisations because of objections by China
  - European Commission ☛ Closing address by Commissioner McGuinness on 'Joining efforts to improve access to financial services for cancer survivors' at the Commission conference on 'Cancer survivorship: advancing the right to be forgotten'
    
    European Commission Speech Brussels, 14 May 2024 A very good afternoon.
    
    I tried to sneak into the room quietly but came in at the front row, I hope I didn't disturb everything.
  - European Commission ☛ Speech by Commissioner Stella Kyriakides at the event "Cancer Survivorship: Advancing the Right to be Forgotten; Stocktaking of Progress and Challenges"
    
    European Commission Speech Brussels, 14 May 2024 Ladies and gentlemen, colleagues, friends,
    
    Thank you for being here today.
    
    Three years ago, Europe's Beating Cancer Plan began as a blueprint for action.
- Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  - Silicon Angle ☛ OpenAI co-founder and Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever quits [Ed: Bankruptcy this year? How much money can they afford to lose?]
    
    OpenAI co-founder and Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever said today he’s quitting the company after almost 10 years in the job. His decision to step down from the artificial intelligence company comes almost six months after he was said to have played a key role in the failed ouster of Chief Executive Sam Altman in November.
  - Hackaday ☛ The Perfect Desktop Kit For Experimenting With Self Driving Cars
    
    When we think about self-driving cars, we normally think about big projects measured in billions of dollars, all funded by major automakers. But you can still dive into this world on a smaller scale, as [jmoreno555] demonstrates.
  - Science Alert ☛ Google Unveils AI-Generated Search Results in New Era For Online Queries
    
    AI has taken center stage.
  - Press Gazette ☛ No consultation from Fashion Company Apple on plans to block publisher ads and summarise articles
    
    UK News Media Association extremely concerned by expected changes to Safari browser.
  - Politico ☛ EU set to escalate Abusive Monopolist Microsoft antitrust probe into Teams video service
    
    The European Commission is readying antitrust objections for Microsoft in a probe into how the software giant bundles its video platform Teams with its must-have office software products, according to two people with direct knowledge of the case.
  - Jussi Pakkanen ☛ Jussi Pakkanen: Generative non-AI
    
    In last week's episode of the Game Scoop podcast an idea was floated that modern computer game names are uninspiring and that better ones could be made by picking random words from existing NES titles.
  - Press Gazette ☛ Less than half of journalists using generative Hey Hi (AI) for work, survey
    
    Just 5% of journalists are using tools like Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot and Bard "often", according to major survey.
- Security
  - Privacy/Surveillance
    - Security Week ☛ Vermont Legislature Passes One of the Strongest Data Privacy Measures in the Country
      
      Vermont legislature passed a bill that prohibits the sale of sensitive data, such as social security and drivers’ license numbers, financial or health information.
    - EFF ☛ Coalition to Calexico: Think Twice About Reapproving Border Surveillance Tower Next to a Public Park
      
      But times—and technology—have changed. CBP’s new strategy calls for adopting powerful artificial intelligence technology to not only control the towers, but to scan, track and categorize everything they see.
      
      Now, privacy and social justice advocates including the Imperial Valley Equity and Justice Coalition, American Friends Service Committee, and Calexico Needs Change have joined EFF in sending the city council a letter urging them to not sign the lease and either spike the project or renegotiate it to ensure that civil liberties and human rights are protected.
- Defence/Aggression
  - ADF ☛ Turkey Pushes to Expand Influence in Africa
    
    Turkey’s growing presence in Africa is undeniable, and it’s by design. With its eyes on expanding influence, Turkey has significantly increased its engagement on the continent in recent years. Turkish trade is booming, as its exports to Africa have nearly doubled in less than a decade.
  - Latvia ☛ Security Service arrests man over terrorism support suspicions
    
    On May 2 this year, the State Security Service (VDD) detained a Latvian non-citizen on suspicion of training for terrorism and distributing content encouraging terrorism to other persons, the VDD said.
  - Latvia ☛ Baltic PMs discuss security in Vilnius
    
    On Monday, May 13, the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian Prime Ministers met in Lithuania, Vilnius, to discuss regional security.
  - ADF ☛ Burkinabe Soldiers Implicated in Massacre
    
    More than 100 Burkinabe soldiers on motorbikes, in pickup trucks and at least two armored cars entered the village of Nondin in the country’s northern Yatenga province between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. on February 25. The soldiers systematically ordered people out of their homes and told them to show their identity cards.
  - France24 ☛ New Caledonia: 'Shots fired' at police in French territory amid riots over voting reforms
    
    New Caledonia's high commissioner said Tuesday that shots had been fired at security forces during a night of riots in the French Pacific territory that saw vehicles torched and shops looted.
  - ADF ☛ Islamic State Group Uses ‘Da’wah’ to Gain Support in Mozambique
    
    Extremists linked to the Islamic State group (IS) in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province are notorious for raiding and torching entire towns, beheading civilians and attacking security forces. However, IS-linked groups are pushing to change their image in an effort to win public support and recruit new fighters, analysts say.
  - RFA ☛ US has no choice but to ‘double down’ on North Korea deterrence: official
    
    Senior US diplomat Daniel Kritenbrink cited Pyongyang’s unwillingness to talk.
  - The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim calls for ‘epochal change’ in war preparations
    
    Missile launchers produced so far in 2024 are intended for military units in the country’s west, KCNA said.
  - The Straits Times ☛ China military incursions inch closer to Taiwan, sources say
    
    TAIPEI - China's military has sailed and flown closer to Taiwan in recent weeks than it has before, and staged mock attacks on foreign vessels ahead of the inauguration of the island's next president on Monday, according to Taiwanese government reports.
  - New York Times ☛ China Deploys Dozens of Ships to Block Philippine Protest Flotilla
    
    Filipino civilians set sail in fishing boats to oppose China’s control of a shoal claimed by the Philippines. A formidable Chinese fleet awaited them.
  - VOA News ☛ Russia’s US ambassador misuses statistics to deflect blame for state hacking
    
    NATO and the EU accused Russia of carrying out an “aggressive hybrid warfare” against Western nations targeting governments, militaries, and critical infrastructure.
    
    The campaign includes physical sabotage, a flood of disinformation, increased espionage, jamming of GPS signals for civilian aviation, and massive cyberattacks, NBC News reported on May 13.
  - RFA ☛ 300 Chinese troops arrive in Cambodia for joint exercise
    
    Golden Dragon 2024 to be the largest wargame to date between the two countries.
  - RFA ☛ Hong Kong trade official accused of spying for city’s government
    
    3 men are charged including a manager at Hong Kong’s Economic and Trade Office in London.
  - Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong’s John Lee dismisses claims of overseas activist surveillance following UK ‘spying’ arrests
    
    Hong Kong’s leader John Lee has dismissed “unwarranted accusations” that the city funded the surveillance of overseas activists wanted by national security police, after a government employee was charged by UK authorities over alleged spying activities. ]
  - Hong Kong Free Press ☛ UK summons Chinese envoy over after 3 arrested for alleged ‘spying’ activities linked to Hong Kong
    
    The UK government said on Tuesday it had summoned China’s ambassador Zheng Zeguang, a day after three people were charged in the latest Beijing-linked alleged espionage case.
  - RFA ☛ 16 years on, Sichuan's bereaved quake parents still angry
    
    The parents say they have nowhere to mourn their children and authorities haven’t delivered on promises.
  - RFA ☛ Biden unveils sweeping tariffs on Chinese goods
    
    Rust Belt states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania once again look set to decide the next US president.
  - RFA ☛ Myanmar military adds advanced Chinese drones to arsenal
    
    The move to upgrade its fleet follows years of successful drone strikes by rebel forces.
  - New York Times ☛ Anti-Monarchy Activist in Thailand Dies After Hunger Strike
    
    Netiporn Sanesangkhom, 28, supported abolishing the law that prohibits criticizing royalty and wanted to push the authorities to stop jailing political activists.
  - Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine
    - Latvia ☛ Ukrainian refugee flow to Latvia shrinks
      
      Recently, Ukraine's war refugee stream in Latvia has dramatically decreased. Meanwhile, those who have settled are finding jobs and many are learning the Latvian language, Latvian Radio reported on May 14.
    - Atlantic Council ☛ Russia’s growing kamikaze drone fleet tests Ukraine’s limited air defenses
      
      Russia's expanding fleet of kamikaze drones poses an evolving security threat to Ukraine that tests the country's limited air defense capabilities, writes Marcel Plichta.
    - France24 ☛ US arms will make ‘real difference’ to Ukraine’s defence, Blinken says in Kyiv
      
      U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sought Tuesday to rally the spirits of glum Ukrainians facing a fierce new Russian offensive, assuring them that they are not alone and that billions of dollars in American military aid on its way to the country would make a “real difference” on the battlefield.
    - France24 ☛ Germany's Scholz joins with Nordic countries to urge Europe to boost Ukraine aid
      
      German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday urged Europe to ramp up its military aid to Ukraine, particularly air defence systems, as Kyiv struggles to repel a fierce Russian offensive in the northeast.
    - France24 ☛ Blinken visits Ukraine in show of US support as Russia intensifies attacks
      
      US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday in an unannounced diplomatic mission to reassure Ukraine that it has American support as it struggles to defend against increasingly intense Russian attacks.
    - RFERL ☛ Russia Says 'Massive' Ukrainian Attack Repulsed Over Crimea
      
      Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed governor of occupied Crimea, said a "massive" Ukrainian missile attack was repulsed over the city of Sevastopol.
    - RFERL ☛ Death Toll In Russian Apartment Building Collapse Rises To 17
      
      Russia's Emergencies Ministry said on May 14 that the number of people killed in a residential building collapse in the city of Belgorod two days before has risen to 17 after rescue teams found two more bodies.
    - RFERL ☛ Siberian Man Gets 12 Years In Prison On Attempted Sabotage Charge
      
      A court in Siberia on May 14 sentenced a resident of Novosibirsk to 12 years in prison on charges of attempted sabotage in 2022 and having links with the Freedom of Russia legion that is fighting alongside Ukrainian forces against occupying Russian troops.
    - RFERL ☛ In Surprise Kyiv Visit, Blinken Pledges 'Tangible Steps' For Ukraine At July NATO Summit
      
      U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a visit to Kyiv, vowed Washington will take "tangible steps" to ensure Ukraine's accession to the NATO military alliance and that the United States will support the country to ensure its security and sovereignty as Russia's attacks in the east intensify.
    - New York Times ☛ Russian Gains in Ukraine War Worry U.S. Officials
      
      Multiple factors are helping Russia’s military advance, including a delay in American weaponry and Moscow’s technological innovations on the battlefield.
    - New York Times ☛ Blinken Plays Guitar During Visit to Ukraine
      
      The secretary of state, a longtime guitarist, strummed along to a song chosen to underscore a central message of President Biden’s foreign policy.
    - New York Times ☛ How One Crack in the Line Opened a Path for the Russians
      
      When Russian soldiers suddenly showed up in the small town of Ocheretyne in the east, it was clear that something had gone wrong.
    - New York Times ☛ Ukraine Needs Money to Fight. Can Seized Russian Assets Help?
      
      Kyiv’s supporters are discussing how to use the interest earned by frozen Russian assets to help pay for weapons and postwar reconstruction.
    - Meduza ☛ Spread too thin Russia’s new offensive near Kharkiv is gaining ground, but the real objective might be exhausting Ukraine’s limited reserves — Meduza
    - Latvia ☛ LTV asks state bodies not to interfere with EP election content
      
      On May 13, the State Language Center (VVC) said in a public statement that it does not support the intention of the Public Electronic Mass Media Council (SEPLP) to hold a session of the European Parliament pre-election debates on public television in Russian.
    - Latvia ☛ Security Service to check Rīga councilor's statements about Crimea
      
      The State Security Service (VDD) will assess the remark by Riga City Council deputy and EP candidate Inna Djeri that Crimea belongs to Russia, VDD confirmed to LSM.
    - France24 ☛ Thousands protest in Georgia after lawmakers pass controversial ‘Russian law’
      
      Thousands of protesters rallied Tuesday in Georgia after parliament adopted a law to brand overseas-funded NGOs as groups under “foreign influence”, a measure Brussels has warned will undermine Tbilisi’s European aspirations.
    - LRT ☛ Lithuanian transport company took part in exhibition in Moscow
      
      The Lithuanian transport company Tersis took part in the logistics exhibition TransRussia 2024 in Moscow on March 19–21, the Delfi news website reported on Tuesday.
    - RFERL ☛ Rapper Who Attended Scandalous 'Almost Naked' Party Flees Russia
      
      Russian rapper Nikolai Vasilyev, who served 25 days in jail for attending a controversial "Almost Naked" party in Moscow wearing only a sock on his genitalia, has fled Russia, his colleague Yana Dzhalyu said on May 14.
    - RFERL ☛ Top Russian Court Upholds Kremlin Critic Kara-Murza's Treason Conviction, 25-Year Sentence
      
      Russia's Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by jailed dissident and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza against his conviction and 25-year sentence, the longest prison term handed to a Kremlin opponent in post-Soviet Russia.
    - RFERL ☛ Russia Detains Another Senior Defense Ministry Official In Corruption Case
      
      Lieutenant General Yury Kuznetsov, who heads the personnel directorate of Russia's Defense Ministry, has been arrested in a corruption case after more than $1 million in cash and valuables were found during a search at his residence amid an ongoing crackdown on top military officials in Russia.
    - RFERL ☛ Clashes Erupt Inside, Outside Georgia's Parliament Over 'Foreign Agent' Law's Approval
      
      Police and protesters briefly clashed outside parliament, while inside lawmakers traded punches on the legislature floor as tensions boiled over in Tbilisi after final approval was given to a contentious "foreign agent" bill that has triggered weeks of massive protests by Georgians who regard it as a threat to the country's European integration because it mirrors similar repressive legislation pushed through in Russia.
    - teleSUR ☛ EU Broadens Restrictive Measures on Iran
      
      The sanctions were justified on the grounds that Iran has supposedly provided military support to Russian forces and irregular armed groups.
    - teleSUR ☛ Russia Puts Bulava Intercontinental Missile into Service
      
      This Russian weapon is capable of overcoming the United States anti-missile shield.
    - New York Times ☛ Russia Detains Senior General, Widening Military Purge
      
      Lt. Gen. Yuri Kuznetsov became the second senior defense official to be detained on an accusation of corruption in the past month.
    - Meduza ☛ Russia arrests second top Defense Ministry official on corruption charges — Meduza
    - New York Times ☛ Georgia’s Parliament Gives Final Approval to ‘Foreign Agents’ Measure
      
      The president has vowed to veto the legislation, which critics say could push the country back into Russia’s orbit. The governing party says it can override a veto.
    - New York Times ☛ U.K. Summons Chinese Ambassador for Reprimand as Tensions Rise
      
      Britain’s foreign office said it had reprimanded the Chinese ambassador, a day after three men were charged with assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service.
    - Atlantic Council ☛ Putin appoints economist as defense minister as Russia plans for long war
      
      The appointment of a technocrat economist as Russia's new Defense Minister is a clear sign that Putin preparing the country for a long war with Ukraine and the West, writes Mercedes Sapuppo.
    - Atlantic Council ☛ Putin expands invasion as outgunned Ukraine waits for Western weapons
      
      Russia has opened a new front in the invasion of Ukraine with a cross-border offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region as Putin seeks to capitalize on a window of opportunity before fresh Western aid reaches Ukrainian front line troops, writes Mykola Bielieskov.
    - Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Russia’s Putin to visit Beijing this week upon invitation of Chinese leader Pooh-tin Jinping
      
      Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China this week on the invitation of leader Pooh-tin Jinping, Beijing’s foreign ministry said Tuesday. Putin will be in Beijing from Thursday to Friday, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, in the Russian leader’s second visit to China in just over six months.
    - RFERL ☛ Putin Plans To Visit China On May 16-17
      
      Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China on May 16-17, according to the Kremlin's website.
    - New York Times ☛ It’s Not Just Putin. Russia Needs China, Too.
      
      Never before have the two countries been so entwined.
    - Meduza ☛ Putin appoints former Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev as presidential aide — Meduza
    - Meduza ☛ ‘We left Russia, but Putinism followed us’ Russian immigrants on why they’ve joined the mass protests against Georgia’s ‘foreign agents’ law — Meduza
    - New York Times ☛ Putin Will Visit Xi, Testing a ‘No Limits’ Partnership
      
      Moscow seeks more support for its war in Ukraine. But Beijing risks alienating Europe, a key trading partner needed to help revive China’s economy.
- Transparency/Investigative Reporting
  - American Oversight ☛ American Oversight Amends Lawsuit Against DeSantis to Include New Requests for Public Records
- Environment
  - The Scotsman ☛ CO2 increasing ten times faster than any point in last 50,000 years, study finds
    
    The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), provide important understanding of abrupt climate change periods in Earth’s past and offer insight into the potential impacts of climate change.
  - New York Times ☛ Alarmed by Climate Change, Astronomers Train Their Sights on Earth
    
    A growing number of researchers in the field are using their expertise to fight the climate crisis.
  - Science Alert ☛ It's Official: Summer of 2023 Was The Hottest in 2,000 Years
    
    The data is in.
  - Energy/Transportation
    - New York Times ☛ Justice Dept. Says Boeing Violated 2021 Settlement Over Max Plane
      
      The department said the company had failed to design and enforce an ethics program to prevent violation of U.S. fraud laws.
    - New York Times ☛ Few Chinese Electric Cars Are Sold in U.S., but Industry Fears a Flood
      
      Automakers in the United States and their supporters welcomed President Biden’s tariffs, saying they would protect domestic manufacturing and jobs from cheap Chinese vehicles.
    - The Straits Times ☛ North Korea laundered $199m in stolen crypto in March, say UN experts
      
      In 2024 alone, the monitors said they had been looking at “11 cryptocurrency thefts".
    - DeSmog ☛ GB News Owner Hires Tory Kingpin’s Oil and Gas Linked Lobbying Firm
    - Public Citizen ☛ Cryptobros United: Crypto Super PACs Amass Over $100 Million for 2024 Elections - Public Citizen
      
      • Super PACs backed by the cryptocurrency sector have raised more than $102 million, the third-most of all super PACs engaged in the 2024 election, according data from Opensecrets.org. Only the super PAC backing Ron DeSantis’ failed presidential campaign and the super PAC backing Democratic Senate candidates have raised more money so far.
      
      • More than half of the crypto super PACs’ political war chests – about $54 million – comes from direct corporate expenditures, primarily Coinbase and Ripple Labs, showing the sector is taking full advantage of Citizens United-enabled unlimited corporate political spending.
    - Hong Kong Free Press ☛ US hikes tariffs on US$18 billion of China imports, including electric vehicles and chips
      
      By Beiyi Seow The United States is hiking tariffs on US$18 billion worth of imports from China, targeting strategic sectors like electric vehicles, batteries, steel and critical minerals, the White House said Tuesday.
    - Atlantic Council ☛ What to know about Biden’s new tariffs on Chinese EVs, solar cells, and more
      
      The Biden administration has imposed new tariffs on imports from China across a range of strategic industries. Atlantic Council experts dig into the details.
    - Hackaday ☛ The Alien Energy Crisis Solved
      
      Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, humans have been searching for more energy. Especially lately, there has been a huge interest in wind, solar, geothermal, and other ways to capture and harness power. However, we have a huge power plant just eight light minutes away: our sun. Oh sure, we toy with solar power, but the amount of sunlight hitting the Earth or even Earth orbit is a tiny fraction of Sol’s total output. But what if you could capture nearly all of the sun’s output? Scientists think that maybe — just maybe — they’ve detected 60 new extraterrestrial civilizations doing just that. At least, that’s what it could be.
  - Wildlife/Nature
    - The Straits Times ☛ Wildlife park in China under probe for deaths of tigers, some found in freezers
      
      Other animals found dead included African lions, giraffes and macaques.
    - Science Alert ☛ Orcas Strike Again, Sinking Yacht in Strait of Gibraltar
      
      What's with this bizarre activity?
    - ADF ☛ Chinese Vessels Decimating Angolan Fish Stocks, Local Fishermen Say
      
      Fishermen near Benguela, Angola, pulled their artisanal canoes from the sun-splashed surf as fish sellers walked along the beach with baskets on their heads. Neither the canoes nor the baskets were brimming with fish.
  - Overpopulation
    - Majorca, Spain ☛ Mallorca beaches: Campaign - "Don't tag this beach, bitch!"
      
      La Indis is a Mallorcan communications agency. It has wished to join the debate about 'massification', to give a new vision, as one of the causes of this overcrowding is social media.
      
      The company has launched a campaign with the slogan 'Don't tag this beach, bitch!'. It explains that just one tag can result in millions of views on Instagram and that the problem isn't that people can't find space to lay their towels. It is a problem with very serious consequences for the local population.
- Finance
  - The Straits Times ☛ China considers local government purchases of unsold homes, Bloomberg News says
    
    China is considering a plan for local governments nationwide to buy millions of unsold homes, Bloomberg News said on Wednesday, after a meeting of leaders of the ruling Communist Party called for efforts to clear mounting housing inventory.
  - France24 ☛ Gamestop ‘meme’ stock sees surge after cryptic social control media post
    
    US video game retailer Gamestop closed trading 75 percent higher on Monday after investors boosted its shares following a social control media post by Keith Patrick Gill, also known as "Roaring Kitty" on X. In this edition, we take a look at why Gamestop was the recipient of a previous social control media-fuelled boom in 2020 and what's behind this latest move. Also, Proprietary Chaffbot Company has launched an updated Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot which includes a hyper-realistic voice assistant.
  - CS Monitor ☛ ‘Golden visas’: Europe tightens residency rules for the rich
    
    Some European countries that offered residency rights to rich foreign investors have backed off the schemes, over doubts about fairness and security.
- AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
  - The Straits Times ☛ China allows visa-free entry for overseas groups on cruise ships
    
    The new policy will be effective from May 15.
  - RFERL ☛ Iran's Ex-Agriculture Minister Gets 3 Years In Prison On Corruption Charges
    
    Iran's judiciary chief said on May 14 that former Agriculture Minister Javad Sadatinejad was sentenced to three years in prison in connection with a corruption case involving the import of animal feed.
  - Atlantic Council ☛ The View from New Delhi: Can IMEC Rival China’s Belt and Road?
    
    Ambassador Navdeep Suri and expert Kabir Taneja explore the India, Middle East, Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and how it may rival China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
  - CS Monitor ☛ Hungary and Serbia welcome Pooh-tin – and Chinese investment – to Europe’s struggling economy
    
    While many European countries are distancing their economies from Chinese financing, Hungary and Serbia have invited investment from China’s President Pooh-tin Jinping. They believe the support of the world’s second-largest economy is vital to Europe’s success.
  - CBC ☛ Melinda French Gates steps down from charitable [sic] foundation that bears her name
    
    The foundation, formed in 2000, is one of the most powerful and influential forces in global public health, having spent more than $50 billion US over the past two decades to bring a business approach to combating poverty and disease.
  - Axios ☛ Melinda Gates steps down from Gates foundation
    
    Why it matters: Melinda French Gates has played a significant role in the size and reach of the foundation. She added that she'll depart with $12.5 billion to commit to programs for women and children.
  - NDTV ☛ Melinda Gates To Leave Gates Foundation, Keeps $12.5 Billion For Her Work
    
    Melinda French Gates announced Monday she has decided to resign from her role as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - an organization that has become one of the most influential in the world. "My last day of work at the foundation will be June 7," she posted on X.
  - Hindustan Times ☛ What next for Melinda French Gates? To use $12.5 billion for own philanthropy [sic]
    
    With this, Melinda French Gates joins MacKenzie Scott, former wife of Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos, in completely separating her philanthropic ventures from her ex-husband’s.
  - IT Wire ☛ Investment to boost STEM diversity welcomed by Science and Technology Australia
    
    “STA has consistently advocated that to maintain our standard of living and create the economy we want for the future, we need to increase R&D expenditure to 3% of GDP as fast as possible. If we had this level of investment right now, the economy would be $100 billion and 42,000 jobs better off.
    
    “The Review of the R&D system is timely and welcome – it has the potential to better connect the innovation ecosystem to support business, build a thriving economy, and accelerate the development of products and solutions. This can reverse the decline in national investment in R&D.”
    
    “The investments through A Future Made in Australia will incentivise business to add more heft to that R&D effort.
    >
  - Daniel Pocock ☛ Laura Smyth's journey from Belfast to Canberra: Irish and Australian politics
    
    As an Irish-Australian with international experience, I will never be able to walk past that place where the nurse Ann Delaney died on a street in Dublin and accept that it is the new normal. I never saw this type of thing happening in any of the other countries where I lived and worked. Out of 28 candidates running, I may have been the only one to walk past there in the hour she died and people who live in these difficult situations will continue to be on my mind if people vote me in.
  - Silicon Angle ☛ Meta to shut down its Workplace business communications platform
    
    Meta Platforms Inc. today announced plans to shut down Workplace, an enterprise version of Facebook (Farcebook) that competes with Slack, in early 2026. The company notified customers of the move in an email made public by TechCrunch.
  - Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong to overhaul social workers’ licensing body to include gov’t-appointed majority
    
    The licensing body for Hong Kong’s social workers will be overhauled to allow government appointees to command a majority, after the welfare chief said changes were needed to “better protect national security.”
  - JURIST ☛ German court upholds domestic intelligence agency’s classification of far-right party
    
    A German higher administrative court in Münster, Germany ruled on Monday that the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which is Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, was justified in suspecting the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and its youth organization Young Alternative for Germany (JA) as extremism efforts.
  - Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda
    - NBC ☛ Russia's 'brazen' and intensifying sabotage campaign across Europe
      
      The physical sabotage campaign is part of a broader strategy that includes a flood of Russian propaganda and disinformation, increased espionage by Moscow and efforts to exert political influence in Europe to sow doubts about Ukraine’s military prospects and divisions within the NATO alliance, according to Western officials and regional analysts.
    - Press Gazette ☛ Why ‘more isn’t always more’ for publishers on Tiktok
      
      Head of publisher operations at Tiktok and Jungle Creations CEO share their insights.
    - Deutsche Welle ☛ Fake news on the rise leading up to EU elections
      
      But Amandine and Lena Marechal are not real. These purported nieces of the far-right politician were deepfakes, or manipulated videos, as was quickly reported in the French media and on the social media platform.
      
      The makers of the videos used artificial intelligence (AI) to superimpose pictures of the faces of Marine Le Pen and her actual niece, Marion Marechal, onto images of other people. This created the illusion of younger family members, who could then proclaim to be "proud to be French" and admiring of their "aunt."
- Censorship/Free Speech
  - France24 ☛ Tunisia sees a return of ‘self-censorship’ as fear mounts amid arrests
    
    The recent arrests of two lawyers and two journalists in Tunisia for criticising the situation in the country come amid rising concerns over political and individual freedoms. President Kais Saied seized more powers in 2021 and later signed a decree that outlaws “spreading false news”, which journalists and opposition figures say is used to stifle dissent.
  - Amnesty International ☛ China: "On my campus, I am afraid": China's targeting of overseas students stifles rights - Amnesty International
    
    Chinese and Hong Kong students studying abroad are living in fear of intimidation, harassment and surveillance as Chinese authorities seek to prevent them engaging with “sensitive” or political issues. This climate of fear on campuses in Europe and North America is the result of Chinese authorities’ transnational repression against overseas students, in violation of their human rights. The chilling effect engendered by these efforts prompts broad self-censorship in academic and social settings, and many affected students experience loneliness, isolation and negative mental health impacts.
  - RFA ☛ Citizen journalist who reported on COVID outbreak freed but whereabouts unknown
    
    Chinese citizen journalist Zhang Zhan on Sunday completed a jail term handed down for reporting from the front lines of the emerging COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, but fellow activists said her whereabouts remained unclear, and that she was likely still under some form of restriction."
  - Deutsche Welle ☛ Iran jails regime critic Sadegh Zibakalam
    
    The report said Zibakalam will serve at least 18 months. He is to be sent to Tehran's notorious Evin prison, where numerous political prisoners, including human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, are incarcerated.
  - [Repeat] RFA ☛ Chinese students abroad can’t escape a ‘climate of fear’
    
    Chinese students studying abroad report widespread fear that activities their peers take for granted – like attending vigils or openly discussing political views in class – could get them and their families back home in trouble, according to a report released Sunday from Amnesty International.
  - Hong Kong Free Press ☛ ‘Glory to Hong Kong’: Surveillance Giant Google blocks 32 YouTube videos of protest song after court ruling
    
    Google has blocked Hong Kong users from accessing pro-democracy protest song Glory to Hong Kong on YouTube following a court order. It comes days after Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said the government was “anxious” for the tech company’s response to the ruling.
  - The Straits Times ☛ YouTube to block access in Hong Kong to protest anthem videos after court order
    
    Eventually, links to the videos will no longer show up on Surveillance Giant Google Search in Hong Kong.
  - New York Times ☛ Roman Polanski Did Not Defame British Actress, French Court Rules
    
    Charlotte Lewis, who says the director raped her in the 1980s, brought the lawsuit against him over an interview in which he called the accusations an “odious lie.”
- Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
  - The Dissenter ☛ Judge Jails Australia War Crimes Whistleblower In 'Shameful' Attack On Press Freedom
  - The Dissenter ☛ British High Court Denies Access To Upcoming Assange Hearing
  - Press Gazette ☛ BBC makes ‘substantial payout’ to Diana chauffeur over Martin Bashir slander
    
    Martin Bashir told Princess Diana and her brother that Steve Davies "feeds Today newspaper".
  - Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Jimmy Lai trial: Recall witness to the stand ‘in the interests of justice,’ Lai’s lawyer argues
    
    The defence should be allowed to call a witness to the stand for a second time “in the interests of justice,” the lawyer for jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai has argued at the landmark national security trial.
  - Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Jimmy Lai trial: Group of current, and former, foreign politicians demand to be called as witnesses – BBC
    
    A group of current, and former, foreign politicians say they have demanded to be called as witnesses in the landmark national security trial of media mogul Jimmy Lai.
- Civil Rights/Policing
  - BIA Net ☛ Court rejects lawsuit against Tarlabaşı Community Center
    
    Based in İstanbul's Tarlabaşı neighborhood, the nonprofit aims to ease the lives of the impoverished, primarily women and children in this socialy excluded place in the metropolis.
  - RFA ☛ Vietnam frees 2 people arrested during the 2020 commune raid
    
    One of them said he was tortured and forced to confess, like many of the others.
  - EFF ☛ One (Busy) Day in the Life of EFF’s Activism Team
    
    If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to work on the activism team at EFF, or if you are curious about applying for a job at EFF, take a look at one exceptional (but also fairly ordinary) day in the life of five members of the team:
    
    I wake up around 9:00, make coffee, and check my email and internal messages (we use Mattermost, a self-hosted chat tool). I live in Berlin—between four and nine hours ahead of most of my colleagues—which on most days enables me to get some “deep work” done before anyone else is online.
    
    I see that one of my colleagues in San Francisco left a late-night message asking for someone to edit a short blog post. No one else is awake yet, so I jump on it. I then work on a piece of writing of my own, documenting the case of Alaa Abd El Fattah, an Egyptian technologist, blogger, and EFF supporter who’s been imprisoned on and off for the past decade. After that, I respond to some emails and messages from colleagues from the day prior.
  - EFF ☛ Speaking Freely: Mohamed El Gohary
    
    Mohamed El Gohary is an open-knowledge enthusiast. After majoring in Biomedical Engineering in October 2010, he switched careers to work as a Social Media manager for Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper until October 2011, when he joined Global Voices contracts managing Lingua until the end of 2021. He now works for IFEX as the MENA Network Engagement Specialist.
    
    This interview has been edited for length and clarity.*
    
    York: What does free speech or free expression mean for you?
  - RFA ☛ 24 Cambodian maids rescued in Saudi Arabia return home
    
    Two dozen Cambodian women subjected to abuse and labor rights violations when they were exploited as maids in Saudi Arabia said they returned home on May 12, while 15 others are still waiting to leave the country.
  - CBC ☛ Workers can form union at Amazon warehouse in Laval, Que., a first in Canada
    
    Workers at the DXT4 warehouse, located in Laval, a suburb north of Montreal, had been working toward unionizing with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) for two years.
    
    The CSN filed an application with Quebec's Administrative Labour Tribunal on April 19 to represent some 200 employees. The decision came down Friday.
  - Democracy Now ☛ “Unbuild Walls”: Detention Watch’s Silky Shah on Debunking Immigration Myths & Embracing Abolition
    
    Amid an intensifying crackdown on asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, we speak to the author of the new book Unbuild Walls: Why Immigrant Justice Needs Abolition about U.S. immigration policy under the Biden administration. Author Silky Shah is the executive director of Detention Watch Network and a longtime immigration rights advocate whose new book aims to “debunk the idea that immigration is a public safety issue,” in the face of narratives, from both the Republican and Democrat political establishments, of criminality and deterrence. Despite Biden’s campaign promises to reform the immigration system, his administration has “ceded more and more ground to the Republicans and moved the whole conversation to the right,” Shah says. “Legalization isn’t even on the table.” Shah discusses how the immigrant rights’ movement uses the language of abolition to build connections with other social movements fighting oppression, from mass incarceration to police brutality. “These systems aren’t separate. … We have to call for abolition of the whole system and understand those things together.”
- Internet Policy/Net Neutrality
  - APNIC ☛ The benefits of assigning more than a /48 per site
    
    Guest Post: Is a/48 always sufficient for each site? If not, what prefix size is needed, and how does assigning a larger prefix affect the address plan?
  - IT Wire ☛ Optus, Nokia set long-haul speed record during field trial
  - IT Wire ☛ Network expert Gregory says Rue limited in what he can do at Optus

Links 15/05/2024: Growing Tensions Between East and West, Anticlimax in Chatbot Space

Contents

Leftovers

RFA ☛ As Chinese tourists flock to Laos, illegal Chinese tour guides fill language gap

Kev Quirk ☛ Adding Replies & Reactions to My Guestbook

Pro Publica ☛ Minnesota AG Keith Ellison Sues Contract-for-Deed Home Seller

Pro Publica ☛ Federal Law Shields Gun Stores From Public Scrutiny, Even When a Cop is Killed

Education

Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong zine librarian Samantha Chao on the importance of keeping an accessible archive

Hardware

CNX Software ☛ Rockchip RK2118G/RK2118M dual-core Star-SE Armv8-M microcontrollers target smart audio applications

Hackaday ☛ Supercon 2023: Building The Ultimate Apple IIe, Decades Later

Hackaday ☛ Vibrating Braille Display Is Portable

Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

Hindustan Times ☛ Illness took away her voice. AI created a replica she carries in her phone

Science Alert ☛ Stressful Life Events Linked to Alzheimer's Biomarkers, Study Finds

Science Alert ☛ THC From Cannabis Could Linger in Breast Milk For a Long Time

Science Alert ☛ Study Finds Sleep May Not Flush Toxins From The Brain After All

Science Alert ☛ Genetic Cause of Rare Neurological Disease Found After 25-Year Search

Science Alert ☛ Surprising Study Finds Men With Low Testosterone More Likely to Die Early

Science Alert ☛ How You Were Born Could Change Your Response to Life-Saving Medicine

RTE ☛ PJ Gallagher explores Ireland’s fight for mental wellness in new RTÉ documentary, PJ Gallagher: Changing My Mind

LRT ☛ Lithuania records 16 legionellosis cases, three deaths in four months

Federal News Network ☛ VA rule change could mean health care benefits for a million more veterans

Federal News Network ☛ Sweeping VA bill seeks more pay flexibility for health care workers, stricter EHR requirements

Latvia ☛ Rare diseases meds funding cut dangerously short in Latvia

The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan says WHO membership means it should be allowed to attend all meetings

European Commission ☛ Closing address by Commissioner McGuinness on 'Joining efforts to improve access to financial services for cancer survivors' at the Commission conference on 'Cancer survivorship: advancing the right to be forgotten'

European Commission ☛ Speech by Commissioner Stella Kyriakides at the event "Cancer Survivorship: Advancing the Right to be Forgotten; Stocktaking of Progress and Challenges"

Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Silicon Angle ☛ OpenAI co-founder and Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever quits [Ed: Bankruptcy this year? How much money can they afford to lose?]

Hackaday ☛ The Perfect Desktop Kit For Experimenting With Self Driving Cars

Science Alert ☛ Google Unveils AI-Generated Search Results in New Era For Online Queries

Press Gazette ☛ No consultation from Fashion Company Apple on plans to block publisher ads and summarise articles

Politico ☛ EU set to escalate Abusive Monopolist Microsoft antitrust probe into Teams video service

Jussi Pakkanen ☛ Jussi Pakkanen: Generative non-AI

Press Gazette ☛ Less than half of journalists using generative Hey Hi (AI) for work, survey

Security

Privacy/Surveillance

Security Week ☛ Vermont Legislature Passes One of the Strongest Data Privacy Measures in the Country

EFF ☛ Coalition to Calexico: Think Twice About Reapproving Border Surveillance Tower Next to a Public Park

Defence/Aggression

ADF ☛ Turkey Pushes to Expand Influence in Africa

Latvia ☛ Security Service arrests man over terrorism support suspicions

Latvia ☛ Baltic PMs discuss security in Vilnius

ADF ☛ Burkinabe Soldiers Implicated in Massacre

France24 ☛ New Caledonia: 'Shots fired' at police in French territory amid riots over voting reforms

ADF ☛ Islamic State Group Uses ‘Da’wah’ to Gain Support in Mozambique

RFA ☛ US has no choice but to ‘double down’ on North Korea deterrence: official

The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim calls for ‘epochal change’ in war preparations

The Straits Times ☛ China military incursions inch closer to Taiwan, sources say

New York Times ☛ China Deploys Dozens of Ships to Block Philippine Protest Flotilla

VOA News ☛ Russia’s US ambassador misuses statistics to deflect blame for state hacking

RFA ☛ 300 Chinese troops arrive in Cambodia for joint exercise

RFA ☛ Hong Kong trade official accused of spying for city’s government

Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong’s John Lee dismisses claims of overseas activist surveillance following UK ‘spying’ arrests

Hong Kong Free Press ☛ UK summons Chinese envoy over after 3 arrested for alleged ‘spying’ activities linked to Hong Kong

RFA ☛ 16 years on, Sichuan's bereaved quake parents still angry

RFA ☛ Biden unveils sweeping tariffs on Chinese goods

RFA ☛ Myanmar military adds advanced Chinese drones to arsenal

New York Times ☛ Anti-Monarchy Activist in Thailand Dies After Hunger Strike

Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

Latvia ☛ Ukrainian refugee flow to Latvia shrinks

Atlantic Council ☛ Russia’s growing kamikaze drone fleet tests Ukraine’s limited air defenses

France24 ☛ US arms will make ‘real difference’ to Ukraine’s defence, Blinken says in Kyiv

France24 ☛ Germany's Scholz joins with Nordic countries to urge Europe to boost Ukraine aid

France24 ☛ Blinken visits Ukraine in show of US support as Russia intensifies attacks

RFERL ☛ Russia Says 'Massive' Ukrainian Attack Repulsed Over Crimea

RFERL ☛ Death Toll In Russian Apartment Building Collapse Rises To 17

RFERL ☛ Siberian Man Gets 12 Years In Prison On Attempted Sabotage Charge

RFERL ☛ In Surprise Kyiv Visit, Blinken Pledges 'Tangible Steps' For Ukraine At July NATO Summit

New York Times ☛ Russian Gains in Ukraine War Worry U.S. Officials

New York Times ☛ Blinken Plays Guitar During Visit to Ukraine

New York Times ☛ How One Crack in the Line Opened a Path for the Russians

New York Times ☛ Ukraine Needs Money to Fight. Can Seized Russian Assets Help?

Meduza ☛ Spread too thin Russia’s new offensive near Kharkiv is gaining ground, but the real objective might be exhausting Ukraine’s limited reserves — Meduza

Latvia ☛ LTV asks state bodies not to interfere with EP election content

Latvia ☛ Security Service to check Rīga councilor's statements about Crimea

France24 ☛ Thousands protest in Georgia after lawmakers pass controversial ‘Russian law’

LRT ☛ Lithuanian transport company took part in exhibition in Moscow