Leftovers

• Jim Nielsen ☛ Novels as Prototypes of the Future

  Via Robin Rendle’s blog, I found this quote from Jack Cheng (emphasis mine):

  A novel…is a prototype of the future. And if the ideas that the tech industry is pursuing feel stagnant…maybe it points to a shortage of compelling fictions for what the world could be.

  I love that phrasing: novels as prototypes of the future.

• Ruben Schade ☛ Rasneko’s Sailor Mercury fanart

  My personal phone has had a retrocomputer or Hololive wallpaper for the past few years. But by chance I saw this stunning art of everyone’s favourite character from the series, and it was phone-sized!

• Science

  • Latvia ☛ Latvia joins CERN computing network

    Latvia has joined the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN) global computing network. It brings together 170 computing centers in more than 40 countries and provides computing facilities for analyzing and storing experimental data, Latvian Television reported on June 6.

  • Science Alert ☛ Evolutionary Mismatch Might Be Why We Struggle in Today's World

    Here's how it could affect you.

  • Science Alert ☛ Stunning New Pics of Jupiter's Hellish Moon Snapped From Earth's Surface

  • Science Alert ☛ New Evidence Challenges Origin Theory on The Universe's Heaviest Elements

    A mystery source?

  • Science Alert ☛ Japanese Company Plans to Build a Tower Into Space by 2050

    "It's been sort of a kooky idea."

• Education

  • LRT ☛ Three Lithuanian universities rise in World University Rankings

    Vilnius University (VU) has jumped 34 positions in the annual QS World University Rankings and is now ranked 439th, while Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) and Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) have also improved their positions.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Science Alert ☛ Death in Mexico First Confirmed Bird Flu Fatality

    Its source is a mystery.

  • University of Michigan ☛ MHealthy seeking Champions to foster workplace well-being

    Applications are open through July 31 for any active, benefits-eligible employees who wish to become an MHealthy Champion for their department, unit or area.

  • University of Michigan ☛ ISR retirement study receives U-M’s largest-ever research grant

    With about $195 million in new federal funding — the largest research grant in U‑M history — the Institute for Social Research will extend its Health and Retirement Study through 2029.

  • JURIST ☛ DC dispatch: at Senate hearing, witnesses and senators spar over post-Dobbs state abortion bans

    Sharon Basch is a rising 3L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and a JURIST staff correspondent in Washington DC this summer. 

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Reinvent Chocolate With Secret Ingredient – It's Healthier And Less Wasteful

    We’ve been throwing away the best part.

  • Latvia ☛ Significant rise in whooping cough cases in Latvia

    This year, from January to the end of May, 462 cases of whooping cough (pertussis) have been registered in Latvia, which is four times higher than last year, when 111 cases were registered, including one fatal case, the Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC) told LETA June 5.

  • Latvia ☛ Suitable competition in Latvian supermarket sector despite rising profits

    The two largest grocery retailers in Latvia – Rimi and Maxima – both recorded healthy profits last year. At the same time, the national competition authority points out that competition in retail trade is not strong enough in certain neighborhoods of Rīga, reports Latvian Radio June 5.

  • Deaths in England and Wales Still Very High Compared to Same Period Before COVID-19 and Experimental Vaccines (That AstraZeneca Has Since Withdrawn)

    Number of deaths in latest week (Week 20): 11,254

    In 2019: 10,272

    2014-2019 average: 10,036 So it grew about 10%.

  • Excess mortality across countries in the Western World since the COVID-19 pandemic: ‘Our World in Data’ estimates of January 2020 to December 2022

  • Reason ☛ Jay Bhattacharya: 'I Sued the Biden Administration for COVID Censorship'

    Bhattacharya explains the stakes of Murthy v. Missouri, the politicization of medical research, and his RFK Jr. endorsement.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • WhichUK ☛ Which? Shorts podcast: how to stop companies selling your data

      We explain how you can stop your personal data being sold by credit reference agencies

    • NYOB ☛ noyb urges 11 DPAs to immediately stop Meta's abuse of personal data for AI

      noyb urges 11 DPAs to immediately stop Meta's abuse of personal data for AI

      >noyb urges DPAs in 11 countries to immediately stop Meta's use of personal data for undefined "AI technology"

• Defence/Aggression

  • Atlantic Council ☛ From the Red Sea to the Indo-Pacific: Expanding Cooperation Between the Gulf and Asia

    Dr. Hasan Alhasan, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies joins us to discuss the Gulf States' views on and expanding ties with the Indo-Pacific and the Indo-Pacific's impact on Gulf security

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean activists send propaganda balloons north: Yonhap

    This follows North Korea sending hundreds of trash-filled balloons south last week.

  • RFA ☛ South Korean group floats anti-North balloons over the border

    They ignored the North’s warnings it would send more trash-filled balloons in response to such campaigns.

  • RFA ☛ South Korea to resume border military activity after suspending inter-Korean pact

    The suspension will also allow South Korea to resume loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts into the North.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US flies long-range bomber over Korean Peninsula in first live munitions drop in 7 years

    The last "live munitions drop” was conducted on the Korean Peninsula in 2017.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippine police bust kidnap gang targeting Chinese, Malaysian tourists

    The syndicate is believed to be behind at least four kidnappings, all snaring foreigners.

  • New York Times ☛ Allies Warn Former Fighter Pilots Not to Train Chinese Military Members

    A new bulletin says China is trying to step up recruitment of Western-trained fighter pilots to improve its air combat capability.

  • RFA ☛ Five Eyes nations say China is poaching Western ex-military

    The People’s Liberation Army is ‘aggressively recruiting Western military talent.’

  • The Straits Times ☛ Peru's Boluarte will meet China's Pooh-tin after Congress OKs late June trip

    LIMA - Peru's President Dina Boluarte will travel to China this month to meet with her Chinese counterpart Pooh-tin Jinping and leaders from mining, technology and transportation firms after the Andean nation's Congress on Wednesday granted permission for the trip.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia, China seek bigger ties with Solomon Islands

    Australia is the Solomon Islands’ biggest development partner, said Australia Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

  • RFA ☛ China sends glacial water from Tibet to the Maldives, raising concerns

    Tibetans meanwhile are being told to save water as Beijing engages in water diplomacy.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China accuses US of interfering after Tiananmen crackdown comments

    China lashed out at the United States on Wednesday after Washington’s top diplomat Antony Blinken vowed never to forget the crackdown in Tiananmen Square 35 years ago. “The move of the US seriously interferes with China’s internal affairs,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said. “China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposes it,” she added.

  • The Strategist ☛ Building the Indo-Pacific defence industry base

    Indo-Pacific alliances and partnerships are a key advantage of the United States in competing with China.

  • D-Day, Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • New York Times ☛ Putin Says Russia Could Target Countries Supplying Weapons to Ukraine

      President Vladimir V. Putin said that since Western governments were allowing long-range missiles to be used on Russia, it could do the same.

    • Latvia ☛ TechChill helps send another convoy to Ukraine

      June 4 saw another aid convoy organized by the "Entrepreneurs for Peace" foundation set off for Ukraine, this time organized in cooperation with the startup and technology conference "TechChill", as well as the Ministry of Defense and the National Armed Forces.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ After honoring D-Day, Macron and Biden embark on a diplomatic sprint for Europe’s security

      The commemoration in Normandy will be followed by the Group of Seven summit in Italy, the Switzerland peace summit for Ukraine, and the NATO Summit in Washington.

    • France24 ☛ Western leaders join veterans to mark 80th anniversary of D-Day landings in France

      Western leaders are set Thursday to remember the 1944 World War II D-Day landings in northern France to liberate Europe from Nazi occupation, mindful of the over two-year war raging since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    • France24 ☛ Macron pays tribute to civilian victims of D-Day bombings ahead of anniversary

      As world leaders gathered to celebrate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to the thousands of civilian victims of Allied bombardments on that day and in the months-long Battle of Normandy that followed.

    • France24 ☛ Biden in France to mark D-Day's 80th anniversary, promote international alliances

      US President Joe Biden on Wednesday began a state visit to France marking 80 years since the World War II D-Day landings, with a new war shadowing Europe as Ukraine battles Russia's invasion.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ A new NATO Command Structure

      The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO suggest an urgent need for a revised NATO Command Structure, better suited to the security needs of allies and better organized to deter and defend in light of these new realities.

    • France24 ☛ Defence, migration and the Green Deal: Key issues at stake in the EU elections

      EU voters head to the polls on June 6-9 to elect the next European Parliament with the 27-member bloc facing a daunting set of challenges, including deep divisions over migration management, a backlash against climate change policies, and an overhaul of Europe’s defence industries spurred by the ongoing war in Ukraine.

    • France24 ☛ French police arrest Russo-Ukrainian man with explosives near Paris

      French police have arrested a 26-year-old Ukranian-Russian man after he blew himself up with explosive materials in a hotel room north of Paris, a source at the French PNAT anti-terrorism prosecutors office said on Wednesday.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania to contribute to reconstruction of school, rehabilitation centres in Ukraine

      Lithuania will contribute to the reconstruction of another school, as well as several rehabilitation centres in Ukraine after the government approved the implementation of these projects, allocating almost 11.4 million euros.

    • RFERL ☛ Drones Attack Oil Refinery In Russia's Rostov Region For Third Time

      A drone attack on the oil refinery in Novoshakhtinsk, in Russia's Rostov region earlu on June 6 has caused a fire, regional governor Vasily Golubev said.

    • RFERL ☛ Macron To Attend Ukraine Peace Summit In Switzerland

      President Emmanuel Macron will attend a Ukraine peace conference later this month in Switzerland, the French presidential office has confirmed.

    • RFERL ☛ France Arrests Russian-Ukrainian With Explosives On Terror Charges

      France's domestic intelligence agency has detained a 26-year-old Russian-Ukrainian man on suspicion of planning a violent act after he injured himself in an explosion, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office said on June 5.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy In Qatar For Talks Focused On Return Of Ukrainian Children From Russia

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived on June 5 on an official visit to Qatar for talks with the Qatari leader regarding the return of Ukrainian children deported by Russia.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Bars Men With Dual Citizenship Or Foreign Residence From Leaving Country

      Ukrainian men of conscription age who hold dual citizenship or foreign permanent residence permits are not allowed to leave the country as of June 1, Andriy Demchenko of Ukraine's State Border Service said on Telegram.

    • New York Times ☛ As Ukraine Rebuilds Its Identity, Folk Songs Are the New Cool

      Faced with Russia’s efforts to erase Ukrainian culture, people have embraced traditional music as a way to reconnect with their past and affirm their identity.

    • New York Times ☛ Biden Will Link Fight for Ukraine With Allied Effort on D-Day

      President Biden sees similar principles at stake in both conflicts: the defense of freedom and a rules-based international order.

    • New York Times ☛ As Ukraine’s Summer Starts With Blackouts, Worries Over Winter Begin

      Recent rolling power outages have raised alarm about what will happen when cold weather arrives and energy consumption goes even higher.

    • New York Times ☛ Visiting Europe, Biden Will Find Both Solidarity and Isolation

      The president arrived in France for a visit meant to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion and showcase Western unity. But even as he rallies American allies in defense of Ukraine, he will defy them on the war in Gaza.

    • LRT ☛ Russia still has significant maritime capabilities – BALTOPS commander

      Russia still has significant maritime capabilities, Thomas Edward Ishee, commander of BALTOPS 24, has said ahead of the largest-ever exercise in the Baltic Sea.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Internet Streamer Jailed For War Reports

      A Moscow court on June 5 sentenced Internet streamer Anna Bazhutova to 5 1/2 years in prison on a charge of distributing false information about Russia's military.

    • RFERL ☛ Commission Begins Investigating Russian, Belarusian Influence In Poland

      A special commission tasked with investigating Russian and Belarusian influence in Poland was beginning its work on June 5, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced.

    • RFERL ☛ Kremlin Spokesman's Daughter Reportedly Registered In Kazakhstan Amid Western Sanctions

      Systema, RFE/RL's Russian investigative unit, said on June 4 that it had discovered the name and details of a person who it believes is Yelizaveta Peskova, the daughter of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in the national taxpayer registry of Kazakhstan.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Sociologist Kagarlitsky Loses Appeal Against 5-Year Prison Sentence

      Russia's Supreme Court on June 5 rejected an appeal filed by sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky against the five-year prison term he was handed in February on a charge of making online calls justifying terrorism.

    • RFERL ☛ Investigators Request Arrest Warrant For Self-Exiled Russian Journalist

      Self-exiled Russian journalist Dmitry Kolezev said on June 5 that investigators had requested a Moscow court issue an arrest warrant for him on a charge of "distributing of false information about Russian military motivated by political hatred."

    • New York Times ☛ A Russian American Is Sentenced in Russia Over Social Media Posts

      The latest detention of an American national in Russia has renewed fears that the Kremlin is seeking to use U.S. citizens as bargaining chips.

    • RFERL ☛ U.S. Citizen Convicted Of 'Rehabilitating Nazism' In Russia

      A court in Russia's northwestern city of St. Petersburg on June 5 sentenced U.S.-Russian citizen Yury Malev to 3 1/2 years of colony settlement on a charge of rehabilitating Nazism.

    • RFERL ☛ More Belarusians On Trial Over 2020 Protests As Crackdown Continues

      Activist Dzyanis Zhalezka has gone on trial for participating in protests against the official results of a 2020 presidential election that declared authoritarian ruler, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the winner as a crackdown on dissent continues almost two years after the vote.

    • RFERL ☛ Putin Threatens To Send Arms To Countries That Could Attack Kyiv's Allies

      Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on June 5 that Russia could provide advanced long-range weapons to Western adversaries in an "asymmetric" response to Ukrainian missile strikes deep into Russian territory.

    • France24 ☛ Putin warns Russia could supply weapons to other countries to strike Western targets

      President Vladimir Putin warned Wednesday that Russia could provide long-range weapons to others to strike Western targets in response to NATO allies allowing Ukraine to use their arms to attack Russian territory.

    • New Yorker ☛ What Do We Know About How the World Might End?

      The field of existential risk examines climate change, nuclear warfare, and artificial intelligence—and the totalizing threats posed by things we don’t yet understand.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Mandatory or voluntary? South Korea’s dilemma over regulating disposables

    South Korea has backtracked on previously implemented disposable plastic regulations.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • RFERL ☛ Hungary To Buy 5 Percent Stake In Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz Gas Field

      Hungarian energy conglomerate MVM will buy a 5 percent stake in Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas field, the state-owned company said in a June 5 statement.

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ Guess Who’s Angry at China’s Real Estate Bailout: Homeowners

    China has relaxed or eliminated measures on home buying to spur new purchases. This has made a vocal constituency of existing homeowners very unhappy.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ Modi's appeal clouded in India election by prices, jobs, graft, survey says

    NEW DELHI - Lack of jobs, high inflation and falling income in India led voters to rein in support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the general election where his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to win a majority, according to a survey.

  • Latvia ☛ Latvian PM promises to find out about missing Rail Baltica billions

    Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity) promised  June 5 she will get to the bottom of what's happening with the problem-plagued Rail Baltica project amid mounting criticism of inflated costs, delayed implementation and management issues.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ News avoidance: Publisher rewrites journalism rulebook for most contentious stories

    Sentiment tracker finds it's not "just kittens and sports" that make people happy - "really good analysis" does too.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Board shuts down Columbia Law Review website after it published a criticism of Israel

    Columbia Law Review’s board of directors suspended its website after student editors published an article accusing Israel of genocide. The board said the article wasn’t properly reviewed. Student editors said the intervention was a breach of editorial independence.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Internet Society ☛ The Wellness Side of the Run the Internet Challenge

    Run the Internet for a healthier you and a healthier Internet. Join the challenge today!

  • APNIC ☛ Event Wrap: PNG DNS Forum 2024

    APNIC participated in the inaugural PNG DNS Forum held from 6 to 10 May, 2024 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

  • APNIC ☛ DNS topics at RIPE 88

    DNSSEC bootstrapping, DELEG update, DNS energy consumption, resolver BCP, and more from RIPE 88.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Zimbabwe ☛ Years into Zim’s digital migration, decoders are finally available to view multiple TV channels

    Zimbabwe’s digital migration journey was a long and frustrating one. We still aren’t at the promised land, however, we have made great strides. After decades with just one TV channel and a handful radio stations, the gates were cracked open and a few new players snuck in.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ EPO Patent Quality: Where do we come from, where do we stand, and where are we going?

    Preamble: The Iron Triangle In project management there is a law known as the Iron Triangle, which states that in delivering any project, there are three points on a metaphorical triangle: time, cost and quality.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ The top 5 most influential UPC cases [Ed: UPC propaganda from paid UPC shill, which basically lobbied for a totally illegal and fake "court"]

      JUVE Patent’s top 5 most influential cases at the UPC since June 2023: PI battle in 10X Genomics against NanoString leads to landmark ruling Agfa against Gucci showcases potential of UPC Panasonic against Xiaomi and Oppo leads the way for SEP claims Paris central division takes narrow definition of “party” in Meril’s nullity suit [...]

  • Software Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ $6,000 for Dominion Harbor entity, Columbia Peak Ventures, video patents prior art

      Unified Patents added three new PATROLL contests, each with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on the list below. The patents are owned by Columbia Peak Ventures, LLC, an NPE and entity of the Dominion Harbor Group. The patents generally relate to smart TV software and video applications.

      The contests will expire on August 15, 2024. Please visit PATROLL for more information or click on each link below.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Sustains Nike's Confusion and Dilution Claims Against "DON'T JUST DO IT, GET IT DONE" for Clothing

    Footwear behemoth Nike, Inc. ran roughshod over Applicant Barbara Lorenzo in her attempt to registered the mark DON’T JUST DO IT, GET IT DONE for various clothing items. The Board sustained Nike's likelihood of confusion and likelihood of dilution claims based on the famous JUST DO IT mark for overlapping clothing items. One may wonder how this application got past the examination stage. Nike, Inc. v. Barbara Lorenzo, Opposition No. 91286066 (May 21, 2024) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Jennifer L. Elgin).

  • University of Michigan ☛ What’s the deal with ‘Seinfeld’: A beef about nothing

    Zach Loveall: Whenever I say I don’t like “Seinfeld,” I’m met with the exact same reaction: “What about this episode! What about this episode? What about this other episode!?” For a while I tried to watch all the episodes; eventually, I gave up about halfway through the show.

• Copyrights

  • Public Domain Review ☛ The Lens of Desire: Eye Miniatures (ca. 1790–1810)

    Small paintings of eyes that were gifted between lovers in England.