Leftovers

• CS Monitor ☛ ‘The Last of the Sea Women’: How one director is documenting a South Korean tradition

  Women free divers in South Korea don’t view age as a limitation. The director of a new documentary discusses their determination, and how it helps them persevere in the centuries-old tradition they uphold.

• The Straits Times ☛ Aunt sentenced to 15 years for throwing baby nephew from high-rise apartment in South Korea

  She had thrown him from a 24th floor apartment where her younger brother and his wife live.

• Hackaday ☛ What’s Your SWR? Are You Sure?

  If you are involved in any sort of radio transmission, you probably have at least heard of SWR or standing wave ratio. Most transmitters can measure it these days and most ham radio operators have tuners that measure it, also. But what are you measuring? [KI8R] points out that if your coax has loss — and what coax doesn’t? — you are probably getting an artificially low reading by measuring at the transmitter.

• New York Times ☛ Founder Mode Helps Explain Why Elon Musk and Marc Andreessen Are Backing Donald Trump

  A trendy management style called “founder mode” illustrates Silicon Valley’s growing tilt toward authoritarianism.

• New York Times ☛ Seven Ways to Love Better

  Reading some 200,000 love stories has taught me a few lessons about love and life. Here are the ones that help me most.

• Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-08 [Older] German language body enshrines 'idiot's apostrophe'

• Jeff Geerling ☛ Realizing Meshtastic's Promise with the T-Deck

  Meshtastic—a simple off-grid mesh network used to transfer short messages—is a neat bit of tech, but until recently, most development has focused on little nodes with or without tiny OLED displays, and a separate phone app or web UI to actually interact with the mesh.

  The major use case I have for Meshtastic is backup comms—when cell networks and physical infrastructure may be unavailable. In those conditions, I don't want to run my full computer, or even a full smartphone, just to communicate long range via text.

• Education

  • Federal News Network ☛ A premier college program for public service celebrates 90 years

    "We really focus on creating leaders who focus on self-awareness, emotional intelligence, building relationships," said Russell Robinson.

  • CBC ☛ 2024-10-06 [Older] Alberta to move toward new funding model for K-12 schools amid rising enrolment

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Repairing A Component On A Flex Connector

    It used to be you could crack open a TV or radio and really work on the components inside. The smallest thing in there was maybe a disc capacitor a little smaller than your pinky’s nail. Nowadays, consumer electronic boards are full of tiny SMD components. Luckily [StezStix Fix?] has a microscope and the other tools you need. Someone sent him an Amazon Echo Show with a bad touchscreen. Can it be fixed?

  • Hackaday ☛ How To Make Conductive Tin Oxide Coatings On Glass

    Glass! It’s, uh, not very conductive. And sometimes we like that! But other times, we want glass to be conductive. In that case, you might want to give the glass a very fine coating of tin oxide. [Vik Olliver] has been working on just that, in hopes he can make a conductive spot on a glass printing bed in order to use it with a conductive probe.

  • Hackaday ☛ Are CRT TVs Important For Retro Gaming?

    We always thought the older console games looked way better back in the day on old CRTs than now on a modern digital display. [Stephen Walters] thinks so too, and goes into extensive detail in a lengthy YouTube video about the pros and cons of CRT vs digital, which was totally worth an hour of our time. But are CRTs necessary for retro gaming?

  • Barry Kauler ☛ Lensun MPPT has to be isolated from frame

    Maybe. I posted last month about deciding which MPPT controller to install on my trike:

    ...chose the Lensun. I very much doubt the Lensun company claim that it is both a buck and boost controller, as it says nothing in the documentation supplied with the controller, other than it is a boost controller. The Lensun website shows a photo with the front panel in English; however, the one that they sent me has Chinese characters on the front panel and Chinese User Manual. Here is the manual: [...]

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-08 [Older] EU to launch WTO challenge against China's brandy squeeze

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-10 [Older] Managing mental health in sport: A universal challenge

  • University of Michigan ☛ Why US health care costs stay high: Subsidies, profits and elections

    The U.S. health care system is a paradox. In 2021, health care spending accounted for 18.3% of U.S. GDP, compared to 8.8% to 12.8% of GDP in other developed nations. However, health care remains unaffordable for many Americans.

  • NYPost ☛ Human bird flu cases grow with 2 more confirmed in California

    U.S. and California health officials confirmed two new cases of H5N1 bird flu in dairy farm workers in the state on Friday, bringing the total of infected dairy workers in that state to six.

  • Latvia ☛ First flu cases recorded in Latvia

    Latvia recorded 10 cases of influenza last week, the first this autumn. The virus has been detected in Rīga and Liepāja, Latvian Radio reported from the Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC) on Friday.

  • Latvia ☛ Defibrillators will be compulsory in schools next year in Latvia

    The deadline for the introduction of defibrillators in public buildings has been extended. Defibrillators will now be required in educational establishments at the start of the next school year, Zemgale regional television reported October 10.

  • Latvia ☛ Latvia's mental health death rates a cause for concern

    In 2021, there were 190 900 deaths in the EU resulting from mental and behavioural disorders, equivalent to 3.6% of all deaths. Relative to the population size, there were 38 deaths from mental and behavioural disorders per 100 000 inhabitants, according to Eurostat data published October 10.

  • Science Alert ☛ The Sad Case of The Youngest Person Ever Diagnosed With Alzheimer's

    There's so much we still don't understand.

  • Science Alert ☛ New Tool Reveals How Much Longer You Have With Your Beloved Dog

    A better way to deal with difficult choices.

  • Science Alert ☛ Does Stress Really Turn Your Hair Gray?

    And can you slow it down?

  • Medevel ☛ Smart Jump Rope! Seriously? The Next Level of Smart Stupid!

    Ah, the Smart Jump Rope. Just when you thought we were running out of things to slap a Bluetooth chip on, someone went and said, “You know what really needs a processor? A rope. But not just any rope—a jump rope!”

  • Medevel ☛ Unnecessary Smart Sports Gadgets You Absolutely, 100% Don't Need (But They Made Them Anyway)

    Why simply exercise when you can have a smart gadget do all the thinking for you? Forget about mastering form, technique, or self-discipline—these gadgets are here to help (or completely confuse you).

  • CBC ☛ 2024-10-05 [Older] Beef tongue products recalled due to Listeria risk

  • Medevel ☛ Welcome to the Lazy Zone: Hey Hi (AI) Apps and Unnecessary Smart Devices - The Evolution of the Modern Human Sloth (Aka Breathing Couch)

    Welcome to the era of smart devices, where “getting off the couch” is a legendary tale told by our ancestors.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Medevel ☛ Adding Hey Hi (AI) to Simple Apps - Sometimes Means Adding a New Layer of Complexity

    As a web developer, I've been on the front lines of integrating generative Hey Hi (AI) into various applications, including medical EMR/EHR and ERP systems.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Tesla shares drop following Cybercab, Robovan autonomous vehicle reveal

    Shares of Tesla Inc. dropped more than 8% in trading today following a product event where it debuted two new autonomous vehicles. The company’s “We, Robot” event in Los Angeles saw Chief Executive Elon Musk introduce an autonomous taxi called the Cybercab.

  • Inkl ☛ TikTok axes 500 jobs in Malaysia, embraces AI for global content moderation

  • Bruce Schneier ☛ More on My Hey Hi (AI) and Democracy Book

    In July, I wrote about my new book project on Hey Hi (AI) and democracy, to be published by MIT Press in fall 2025. My co-author and collaborator Nathan Sanders and I are hard at work writing.

    At this point, we would like feedback on titles. Here are four possibilities:

  • Rewiring the Republic: How Hey Hi (AI) Will Transform our Politics, Government, and Citizenship
  • The Thinking State: How Hey Hi (AI) Can Improve Democracy
  • Better Run: How Hey Hi (AI) Can Make our Politics, Government, Citizenship More Efficient, Effective and Fair
  • AI and the New Future of Democracy: Changes in Politics, Government, and Citizenship...

Security

• Privacy/Surveillance

  • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

    • [Old] Bruce Schneier ☛ Phone Tapping in Greece - Schneier on Security

      Unknowns tapped the mobile phones of about 100 Greek politicians and offices, including the U.S. embassy in Athens and the Greek prime minister.

    • [Old] Bruce Schneier ☛ More on Greek Wiretapping - Schneier on Security

      More details are emerging. It turns out that the “malicious code” was actually code designed into the system. It’s eavesdropping code put into the system for the police.

    • [Old] Quintessenz ☛ IT and telco surveillance equipment - data sheets and presentations

      A collection of network monitoring and datamining suites made by Nokia Siemens, Ericsson, Verint and others. All systems are compliant to ETSI and CALEA "lawful interception" standards, the vendors themselves are involved in the standardization. While the official name of the game is still "lawful interception" the newer suites also perform "high speed government surveillance". From Iran to China they are ab/used to track down the democratic opposition, dissidents, ethnic and religious minorities. The vendors are mostly European and US companies.

    • [Old] Bruce Schneier ☛ Greek Wiretapping Scandal

      Behind the bugging operation were two pieces of sophisticated software, according to Ericsson. One was Ericsson’s own, some basic elements of which came as a preinstalled feature of the network equipment. When enabled, the feature can be used for lawful interception by government authorities, which has become increasingly common since the Sept. 11 terror attacks. But to use the interception feature, operators like Vodafone would need to pay Ericsson millions of dollars to purchase the additional hardware, software and passwords that are required to activate it. Both companies say Vodafone hadn’t done that in Greece at the time.

    • [Old] uni Columbia ☛ SMBlog -- 6 July 2007

      The second lesson, of course, is that built-in wiretap facilities and the like are really dangerous, and are easily abused. See, for example, Security Implications of Applying the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act to Voice over IP, by myself, Blaze, Brickell, Brooks, Cerf, Diffie, Landau, Peterson, and Treichler; The Real National-Security Needs for VoIP, by me, Blaze, and Landau; Comments on the Carnivore System Technical Review, by me, Blaze, Farber, Neumann, and Spafford; The RISKS of Key Recovery, Key Escrow, and Trusted Third-Party Encryption by Abelson, Anderson, me, Benaloh, Blaze, Diffie, Gilmore, Neumann, Rivest, Schiller, and Schneier; CERT® Advisory CA-2000-18: PGP May Encrypt Data With Unauthorized ADKs; and many more.

    • [Old] uni Columbia ☛ Security Implications of Applying the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act to Voice over IP [PDF]

      There is a danger that intercept design features adopted for the benefit of legitimate law enforcement agencies could be used by others, rendering the entire Internet’s application space more vulnerable than it already is. This is very dangerous (and has more than privacy implications). In 2000, the Internet Engineering Task Force6 Network Working Group examined the issue and declined to consider wiretapping requirements as part of the standards process [9] — because of the potential security problems involved. Various attacks, including man-in-the-middle alteration of data (done by attacker interposed between the communication endpoints), capture of identity information and passwords, and many other pernicious behaviors could well be enabled by CALEA-like accommodations. Furthermore, because these accommodations would apply only to U.S.-based applications, there is the potential to drive traffic to locations unaffected by the U.S. government requirements. Indeed, tunneling and end-to-end cryptographic methods might make it possible for users to “escape” intercept mechanisms in place in the U.S., instead taking advantage of services offered outside U.S. borders. This would not only be bad for American business, it would destroy certain advantages currently enjoyed by U.S. intelligence.

    • [Old] Council of Europe ☛ PACE website

      The surveillance practices disclosed endanger fundamental human rights, including the rights to privacy (Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights), freedom of information and expression (Article 10), and the rights to a fair trial (Article 6) and freedom of religion (Article 9). The committee is also deeply worried about threats to Internet security by the practice of certain intelligence agencies of seeking out systematically, using and even creating “back doors” and other weaknesses in security standards and implementation, which could easily be exploited also by terrorists and cyberterrorists or other criminals.

Defence/Aggression

• CBC ☛ 2024-10-08 [Older] Canada could help balance the scales with China as tensions rise in South China Sea, experts say

• Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-10 [Older] Middle East tensions leave global economy on edge

• Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-09 [Older] Bangladesh: Will UN probe ensure justice for protesters?

• New York Times ☛ North Korea Accuses the South of Sending Drones Over Pyongyang

  Pyongyang threatened military action if the provocations continued, while the South advised its angry neighbor not to act “rashly.”

• RFA ☛ North Korea says South sent drones over its capital, warns of conflict

  South Korea said it has not sent a drone to the North.

• RFA ☛ Blinken warns ASEAN on China’s ‘dangerous’ actions in sea disputes

  China’s Li, also speaking to Southeast Asian leaders, denounced interference by ‘foreign forces.’

• RFA ☛ Did an American admiral claim the US will attack China in 2027?

  Verdict: Misleading

• RFA ☛ A tale of two National Days: Artists pick sides across Taiwan Strait

  Some Taiwanese actors and musicians boost China’s claim on their democratic island or risk losing access to work.

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Beijing says Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te’s ‘provocations’ will ‘bring disaster’

  China warned on Thursday that “provocations” by Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te, who earlier gave a speech on the self-ruled island’s National Day, would result in “disaster” for its people.

• RFA ☛ Hun Sen adviser arrested at airport after returning from China business trip

  The arrest comes days after another adviser was accused of taking bribes in exchange for government positions.

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China expresses ‘grave concern and strong condemnation’ of Israeli attack on UN peacekeeper base in Lebanon

  China on Friday expressed “grave concern and strong condemnation” of Israeli attacks on UN peace operations, after peacekeepers said Israeli forces fired on their headquarters in south Lebanon.

• RFERL ☛ Russian, Iranian Presidents Meet As War Rages In Middle East

  Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding talks with his Iranian counterpart, Masud Pezeshkian, as the crisis in the Middle East continues to threaten to spin out of control.

• RFERL ☛ EU To Announce New Sanctions On Iran, Sources Tell RFE/RL

  The European Union will move ahead early next week with new sanctions against individuals and entities linked to Iran, sources told RFE/RL on October 11.

• JURIST ☛ HRW: Afghanistan policewomen face sexual abuses and threats

  Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday reported ongoing sexual abuses and threats against Afghan policewomen under both the former government and current Taliban authorities, urging countries that funded Afghanistan’s security forces training programs to resettle these women abroad.

• Defence Web ☛ Underfunded SANDF not conducive to safe environment and economic growth

  The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) maintains South Africa’s security and stability faces “a significant threat” if underfunding of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) continues. This conclusion comes from a statement following a National Treasury (NT) briefing this week (Wednesday, 9 October).

• CBC ☛ 2024-10-07 [Older] B.C. Conservative leader recants, apologizes for 'Nuremberg 2.0' comments

• Defence Web ☛ Defence Committee welcomes dialogue to strengthen defence oversight

  The Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) has welcomed what it says were fruitful round-table discussions with academic experts from the University of Stellenbosch’s Faculty of Military Science, including the Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa and the Centre for Military Studies, on measures to improve defence oversight.

• Atlantic Council ☛ The Nasrallah killing is upending Iran’s security strategy. Here’s what to expect next.

  Tehran needs to decide whether it is ready to change its policy since October 7, 2023.

• Jacobin Magazine ☛ 2024-10-04 [Older] Justin Trudeau’s Pivot to the Right on Immigration

• CBC ☛ 2024-10-05 [Older] Waterloo region has highest rate of police-reported hate crimes in Canada. What police, advocates are saying

• Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-09 [Older] Most Taiwanese would defend island against China, poll finds

• Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-09 [Older] Holocaust victims memorial stones stolen in German town

• Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-09 [Older] Ethiopia: New president signals willingness to dialogue

• The Strategist ☛ What Iran is facing: Israeli strike power combines precision with mass

  On October 1, before Iran launched more than 180 missiles against Israel, an X user called @MossadIL posted a video of the Damavand power station.

• RFERL ☛ Blinken Tells Israel Protecting Civilians 'Vitally Important' After Deadly Beirut Strikes

  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that Washington was still working to prevent a larger war in the Middle East and urged Israel to protect civilians after 22 people were killed in strikes on central Beirut.

• RFERL ☛ Israeli Strikes On Beirut, Gaza School Kill Dozens

  At least 18 people were killed and 92 others injured in Israeli strikes on Beirut, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported on October 10 after an Israeli strike on a school sheltering Palestinians in Gaza killed dozens of people.

• New York Times ☛ Lebanon’s Leader Calls on U.N. for Cease-Fire as Beirut Searches for Airstrike Survivors

  Rescuers dug through rubble in Beirut as the caretaker prime minister implored the United Nations to adopt a resolution calling for an “immediate” truce between Israel and Hezbollah.

• New York Times ☛ Rescuers Search for Survivors After Strikes Hit Central Beirut

  Lebanese officials said at least 22 people were killed in an Israeli attack that reduced one of the capital city’s central intersections to a ruin.

• New York Times ☛ In Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, a Lone Gas Station Is a Lifeline

  Thousands have fled the town of Baalbek amid a barrage of Israeli airstrikes. For those who remain, Ali Jawad’s business is a critical piece of an informal safety net.

• New York Times ☛ Conflict Between Israel and Iran Adds to Oil Market Volatility

  Israel and Iran are fighting at a time when prices are under pressure because of weak demand in China and concerns about oversupply.

• JURIST ☛ UN report labels Israel attacks on Gaza medical facilities war crimes

  A UN report released Thursday found Israeli attacks on healthcare facilities and medical personnel in the Gaza Strip in violation of international human rights laws, calling the attacks war crimes and crimes against humanity.

• Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

  • New Yorker ☛ Owen Smith’s “Alexei Navalny”

    A portrait of the defiant Russian opposition leader.

  • New Yorker ☛ Prison Diaries: An Excerpt from Alexei Navalny’s Memoir, “Patriot”

    The Russian opposition leader’s account of his last years and his admonition to his country and the world.

  • France24 ☛ Should Zelensky's government be afraid of far-right groups?

    Ukrainian deputy Oleksandr Merezhko sparked a stern online backlash after publicly warning about the threat posed by what he described as a growing far-right movement in Ukrainian society. Ukraine’s far-right fringe remains a sensitive topic in the war-torn country – and an easy target for Russian propaganda.

  • France24 ☛ Zelensky says he hopes war with Russia will end 'no later than next year'

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been meeting with leaders across Europe to drum up fresh military and financial aid for Ukraine ahead of winter and discuss a "victory plan" that, he says, could end fighting in Ukraine in 2025.

  • France24 ☛ Italy to host next Ukraine ‘recovery conference’ in July 2025

    Rome will host the next Ukraine Recovery Conference in July 2025, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Thursday following discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Meloni affirmed Italy's support for Ukraine, emphasising continued solidarity in the country's reconstruction efforts. Previous conferences took place in Switzerland, the UK and Germany.

  • RFERL ☛ U.S. Charges Subject Of RFE/RL Report With Stock Manipulation Over False Claims

    A U.S. businessman whose extravagant claims about supposed projects in Ukraine were exposed in an RFE/RL investigation has been charged with stock manipulation by financial regulators in the United States.

  • RFERL ☛ Amid Ukraine, Mideast Conflicts, Nobel Peace Prize Awarded To Anti-Nuke Group

    The Japanese group Nihon Hidankyo, an organization of Atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki who advocate for the abolition of nuclear weapons, has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.

  • RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy Wraps Up European Tour Looking To Keep Aid Flowing

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said during a visit to Berlin on October 11 that it was important that Ukraine's allies do not decrease their assistance next year as he met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

  • RFERL ☛ RFE/RL Reveals Belarusian Fertilizer Entering Ukraine, Despite Sanctions

    A complex international smuggling operation involving the illegal supplying of Belarusian mineral fertilizers to Ukraine despite sanctions imposed on such activities by both Ukraine and the European Union has been uncovered by RFE/RL’s Belarusian Service, known locally as Radio Svaboda.

  • New York Times ☛ Ukrainian Journalist Viktoria Roshchina Dies in Russian Captivity, Ukraine Says

    Viktoria Roshchina, a 27-year-old reporter, had been detained by the Russian authorities after reporting from occupied territories in Ukraine.

  • Latvia ☛ Braže: Russian threat to democracy will continue

    Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže told a conference in Rīga this week that Russia's attempts to undermine the democracy of other countries should be reckoned with in future.

  • Latvia ☛ Latvian who had served in Russian army detained for illegal border crossing

    On October 7, border guards in Šķilbēni municipality detained a Latvian citizen who illegally crossed the border from the Russian side, Border Guard told Latvian Television on October 10.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Dispatch from Moldova: With elections approaching, Moscow is taking aim at Chișinău’s pro-European path

    Russian influence campaigns are working to sway votes ahead of the October 20 election, which will include a referendum on enshrining EU membership as a goal in the Moldova’s constitution.

  • LRT ☛ Significant drop in Russia’s Baltic Sea provocations – Lithuanian Navy rep

    The Russian Navy is still active in the Baltic Sea but there has been a significant drop in the number of provocations, Captain Tomas Skurdenis, chief of staff at the Lithuanian Navy, says.

  • RFERL ☛ Monument Honoring Soviet Victims Erected In Siberia, Despite Roadblocks

    A monument has been erected in the Siberian city of Nizhnevartovsk to honor victims of the brutal purges from the 1930s to the 1950s, despite efforts by the Russian government to glorify Soviet dictator Josef Stalin and downplay the extent of Soviet-era political repression.

Environment

• Energy/Transportation

  • CBC ☛ 2024-10-04 [Older] B.C. man sues RBC after earning then losing $415M on Tesla stocks

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-09 [Older] Namibian President Mbumba: "We are committed to Green Hydrogen program"

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-09 [Older] Nobel Prize: Baker, Hassabis, Jumper win award for chemistry

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-08 [Older] John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton win Nobel physics award

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s solar supremacy has become cause for concern, both for global competitors and domestic companies

    Strong state support and huge private investment have made China’s solar industry a global powerhouse, but it faces new headwinds, from punitive tariffs abroad to a brutal price war at home.

  • CBC ☛ 2024-10-09 [Older] Canada 'seriously' considering high-speed rail link between Toronto and Quebec City: minister

  • CBC ☛ 2024-10-03 [Older] Competition Bureau gets court orders against Air Canada, WestJet for market info

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-10 [Older] Ryanair slashes German services, complains about taxes, fees

  • CBC ☛ 2024-10-09 [Older] Stellantis files additional lawsuits against United Auto Workers union in U.S.

  • CBC ☛ 2024-10-07 [Older] Canadian Natural Resources buying Chevron's Alberta assets for $6.5B US

• Wildlife/Nature

  • CBC ☛ 2024-10-07 [Older] Alberta asks federal government to reimburse it for Jasper wildfire recovery costs

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-10 [Older] Why Germany's dying forests could be good news

  • BIA Net ☛ Dozens of stray cats and dogs poisoned to death in Turkey’s Kocaeli, local authorities blamed

    All the killed animals were healthy and were regularly being fed by volunteers, which constitutes a violation of the recently enacted law authorizing stray animal killing under specific conditions.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Giant arapaima fish in Malaysia injure fisheries officers during capture

    The officers suffered shortness of breath and swollen knees.

  • CBC ☛ 2024-10-09 [Older] Alaska's Fat Bear Contest winner finishes ahead of the bear that killed her cub

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discover a Mysterious 'Sixth Sense' Hidden in Geckos

    And they might not be the only ones to have it.

  • Science Alert ☛ Sharks Go Absolutely Wild For Sea Urchins, New Footage Reveals

    Quite a mouthful.

  • CBC ☛ 2024-10-09 [Older] 'It's like a horror film': Rat infestation has residents fleeing Ottawa row houses

  • Medevel ☛ The Hidden Crisis in Horse Care: Your horse is NOT a ***** Motorcycle [offtopic]

    As an avid equestrian with few years of experience in Turkey, I’ve witnessed a disturbing trend in the world of horseback riding and horse care.

  • CBC ☛ 2024-10-07 [Older] Vancouver company reducing lumber production at B.C. sawmills, citing market challenges

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-10 [Older] N. Macedonia: Europe's most endangered butterfly sold online

Finance

• The Straits Times ☛ China says will ‘significantly increase’ debt to revive economic growth

  Finance Minister Lan Foan said there will be more “counter-cyclical measures” in 2024.

• CBC ☛ 2024-10-07 [Older] Overwhelmed by workload, public sector integrity commissioner asks for more money

• CBC ☛ 2024-10-07 [Older] Homelessness isn't unique to big cities. Rural Sask. communities say they need help too

• CBC ☛ 2024-10-07 [Older] Airbnb host says $40K lost after guest jailed on drug, gun charges

• Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-09 [Older] Germany's prolonged recession makes firms takeover targets

• Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-09 [Older] Germans fear rising cost of living

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

• New York Times ☛ Obama’s Admonishing Tone to Black Men Presents a Risk for Democrats

  The former president’s remarks that some Black men are not “feeling the idea” of a female president were blunt and urgent, but also potentially alienating for a vital group of Democratic voters.

• France24 ☛ Barack Obama lashes out at ‘crazy’ Trump in first campaign rally for Harris

  Former US President Barack Obama on Thursday criticized Donald Trump, calling him "crazy", and urged voters to support Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris during a rally in Pennsylvania. Obama compared Trump’s lengthy speeches to the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s and said the Republican nominee was disconnected from ordinary Americans.

• CBC ☛ 2024-10-04 [Older] Quebec language watchdog orders café to make Instagram posts in French

• RFA ☛ As Myanmar’s census draws to a close, observers question its accuracy

  Many people have fled the country or joined the armed opposition, while others fear divulging personal data.

• Press Gazette ☛ Observer falls outside Scott Trust’s ‘core responsibilities’, minutes from 1993 suggest

  The Observer's success "shouldn't be to the detriment" of The Guardian, minutes from 1993 said.

• Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-10 [Older] The Berlin Process: 10 years of hope and disillusionment

• Atlantic Council ☛ Senator Mark Warner on the top five risks for the next administration to watch

  At an Atlantic Council Front Page event, the senator outlined those risks, ranging from competition with China to the ongoing crisis in Venezuela.

• Atlantic Council ☛ Marc Polymeropoulos on South China Morning Post about possible Israeli intentions behind Hezbollah pager attacks

  On September 20, Marc Polymeropoulos, nonresident senior fellow at Forward Defense, spoke with the South China Morning Post about possible Israeli intentions behind the pager attacks against Hezbollah.

• NYPost ☛ Virginia is illegally striking voters off the rolls, DOJ claims in new lawsuit

  The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Virginia election officials Friday that accuses the state of striking names from voter rolls in violation of federal election law.

• Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-09 [Older] Kashmir: What's next after first election in a decade?

• Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-08 [Older] India: Kashmir awaits result of first vote in a decade

• Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

  • RFERL ☛ Fake Facebook (Farcebook) Accounts Aimed At Moldovans Removed After Pressure From U.S. Lawmaker

    U.S. tech giant Meta said on October 11 that it had removed a network of group accounts targeting Russian-speakers in Moldova ahead of the country's October 20 election after a U.S. senator called on the company to address Russian disinformation.

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-08 [Older] Fact check: Viral claims in the wake of the Hurricane Helene disaster

  • The Kent Stater ☛ Fact check: Univision debunks false right-wing claim that Harris used a teleprompter at town hall

    Univision has debunked a viral false claim that Vice President Kamala Harris used a teleprompter during her town hall with the Spanish-language network on Thursday.

Censorship/Free Speech

• BIA Net ☛ Culture Ministry bans Kurdish-language film ‘Rojbash’

  The ministry deemed the film “unsuitable for commercial circulation,” effectively banning it from being shown in cinemas.

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Explainer: Websites blocked in Hong Kong – when, how, and why the list is growing

  A key feature of Hong Kong’s business environment that differentiates it from mainland China is its free and open internet. However, the city is not immune to internet controls, with a growing list of websites apparently blocked by telecoms firms and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), with some citing police demands.

Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

• Press Gazette ☛ Why kill fees for freelances need to be killed off

  New freelance guidelines for editors also advocate end to payment on publication.

• RFERL ☛ Journalist Released In Russia's Tatarstan After Declaring Hunger Strike

  Independent Tatar journalist Iskander Siradzhi has been released from pretrial detention in the Russian city of Kazan after launching a hunger strike to protest the charges against him.

• New York Times ☛ Evan Gershkovich, U.S. Journalist Imprisoned in Russia, Will Publish a Memoir

  The memoir, which will cover his time in prison and Russia’s move toward autocracy, will be published by Crown, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ UK gov’t urged to raise case of detained Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai with China ahead of Lammy’s reported Beijing visit

  The UK government was on Friday urged to raise the case of jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai with China, after reports that foreign minister David Lammy is heading to Beijing. Lai, 76, is the founder of the now-shuttered popular Chinese-language tabloid Fashion Company Apple Daily, which supported mass pro-democracy protests in the economic hub.

Civil Rights/Policing

• JURIST ☛ ECHR finds violation of right to life in case of woman living at Hungary care home

  The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) delivered a judgment on Thursday finding a violation of the right to life in the case of a 45-year-old woman suffering from an intellectual disability who died while being resident in a state-run Hungarian care home. The court cited an inadequate response to alarming conditions in its decision.

• CBC ☛ 2024-10-04 [Older] Ontario man who posted hospital selfie with woman's dying father sentenced to 60 days in jail

• CBC ☛ 2024-10-04 [Older] 2 First Nations civil servants in Sask. 'shamed,' sent home for wearing orange on Sept. 30: chiefs

• CBC ☛ 2024-10-08 [Older] Concerns that B.C. court delays are creating 'injustice system'

• US News And World Report ☛ 2024-10-04 [Older] Canada Prisons Fail to Follow Solitary Confinement Rules, Report Finds

• New York Times ☛ A Woman Won South Korea’s First Literature Nobel. That Says a Lot.

  While Han Kang’s victory was celebrated as a crowning cultural achievement for her country, her work also represents a form of rebellion against its culture.

• Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-10 [Older] South Korean Han Kang wins Nobel Prize in literature 2024

• New York Times ☛ How The Times Investigated Indian Political Ties to Labor Abuse in the Sugar Industry

  Western companies such as Coca-Cola buy sugar from fields where workers suffer abuses. But the country has labor laws. Where was the government?

• JURIST ☛ Human rights experts raise concerns over Guinea activists following disappearance

  The United Nations and the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) raised concerns in a press release on Thursday over Guinean civil society activists Oumar Sylla and Mamadou Billo Bah’s disappearance as experts say they could face torture, mistreatment, and even extra-judicial execution.

• Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-10-08 [Older] German police smash child sexual abuse site

• Press Gazette ☛ IPSO rejects complaint over ‘insulting’ Mail article linking businessman to suicides

  Husband of Tory peer Michelle Mone behind tax avoidance scheme which led to suicides.

Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

• Ruben Schade ☛ The worst etiquette sin ever

  William Hanson, via Wired:

  If you do not say please, thank you, and sorry; as a human being walking on this Earth; then you should be put into Etiquette Room 101, and the key should be thrown away.

  Those are the absolute basic fundamental things of being a human being.

• APNIC ☛ Powering the future of data centres — Co-Packaged Optics

  Guest Post: The advantages and challenges of CPOs.

• Standards/Consortia

  • Kev Quirk ☛ Why Have Multiple Blogs?

    I don't understand it. I personally prefer to have a single place where I can get all your stuff. If you're posting about something I'm not interested in, I'll just skip over it in my RSS feed. I don't have to read everything in my feed reader.

Digital Restrictions (DRM)

• Hackaday ☛ PC Floppy Copy Protection: Vault Corporation Prolok

  In the 2020s we’re used to software being readily accessible, and often free, whether as-in-beer or as-in-speech. This situation is a surprisingly new one, and in an earlier era of consumer software it was most often an expensive purchase. An anti-piracy industry sprang up as manufacturers tried to protect their products, and it’s one of those companies that [GloriousCow] examines in detail, following their trajectory from an initial success through to an ignominious failure driven by an anti-piracy tech too extreme even for the software industry.