Distributions and Operating Systems

Leftovers

• New York Times ☛ Broadway’s ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Asks: Can Robots Fall in Love?

  “Maybe Happy Ending” had an initial Korean-language production in Seoul in 2016. Here are five things to know about the show.

• Hackaday ☛ Fuzzy Skin Finish For 3D Prints, Now On Top Layers

  [TenTech]’s Fuzzyficator brings fuzzy skin — a textured finish normally limited to sides of 3D prints — to the top layer with the help of some non-planar printing, no hardware modifications required. You can watch it in action in the video below, which also includes details on how to integrate this functionality into your favorite slicer software.

• Hackaday ☛ Combination Safety Glasses And Measurement Tool

  While rulers and tape measures are ubiquitous, they always seem to disappear when you need them. We know you’d never forget your safety glasses (safety first!), so what if they were also a measuring tool?

• Hackaday ☛ DIY Digital Caliper Measures Up

  You might wonder why [Kevin] wanted to build digital calipers when you can buy them for very little these days. But, then again, you are reading Hackaday, so we probably don’t need to explain it.

• New York Times ☛ Elwood Edwards, Voice of AOL’s ‘You’ve Got Mail!’ Alert, Dies at 74

  Early in the internet era, he was also behind other AOL messages, including “Welcome!” “They said my voice was heard more than 35 million times a day,” he once said.

• Hackaday ☛ The Rogue Emperor, And What To Do About Them

  The chances are if you know someone who is a former Apple employee, you’ll have heard their Steve Jobs anecdote, and that it was rather unflattering to the Apple co-founder. I’ve certainly heard a few myself, and quick web search will reveal plenty more. There are enough of them that it’s very easy to conclude the guy was not a very pleasant person at all.

• Science

  • Stanford University ☛ In ‘Bit by Bit,’ alumna Ecy King sketches CS 106 in comics

    A lifelong learner of interdisciplinary studies, Ecy King '23 M.S. ’24 published two Fractal Gridded educational comics, “Bit by Bit” and “Una Kushε,” as resources for computer science students and instructors at Stanford.

  • Hackaday ☛ Ramsey Numbers And The Appearance Of Order In Random Numbers

    Generally when assuming a chaotic (i.e. random) system like an undirected graph, we assume that if we start coloring these (i.e. assign values) with two colors no real pattern emerges. Yet it’s been proven that if you have a graph with a certain set of vertices, coloring the resulting lines in this manner will always result in a clique forming. This phenomenon has been investigated for nearly a century now after its discovery by British mathematician [Frank P. Ramsey].

  • Science Alert ☛ Mars Rover Finds Evidence of an Ancient Ocean on The Red Planet

    Was it once a water world?

  • Science Alert ☛ Just 5 Minutes of Exercise a Day Can Lower Blood Pressure, Study Shows

    "It doesn't take long to have a positive effect."

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Reveal How Much Sleep You Need For 'Successful Aging'

    How many hours are you getting?

  • Science Alert ☛ There's a Critical Thing We Can Do to Keep Alzheimer's Symptoms at Bay

    Start tonight.

  • Science Alert ☛ Mysterious 'Interstellar Tunnel' Found in Our Local Pocket of Space

    We don't know what it connects to.

  • Science Alert ☛ ADHD Diagnoses Keep Rising Higher. This Is Why It's Happening.

    A startling increase.

• Career/Education

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Students at St. Paul schools among those receiving texts containing hate speech this week

    In a message to principals, the district noted that the incidents have been shared with the St. Paul Police Department and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ Radxa E52C – A Rockchip RK3582 router with dual 2.5GbE, USB 3.0 port, USB serial console port

    Radxa E52C is a compact router based on Rockchip RK3582 hexa-core Cortex-A76/A55 SoC and featuring two 2.5GbE ports, a USB 3.0 port, and a USB-C port for serial console access which will make some readers happy… It’s an update to the earlier Radxa E20C “Mini Network Titan” router, which was limited to two Gigabit Ethernet ports and a USB 2.0 port, and powered by an entry-level Rockchip RK3528A quad-core Cortex-A53 SoC.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ TSMC to stop supplying advanced Hey Hi (AI) processors for all of its China customers: Report

    After accidentally producing Hey Hi (AI) chiplet for Huawei via proxy, TSMC is reportedly set to suspend production of advanced Hey Hi (AI) processors for all of its Chinese customers.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ US Congressman accuses SMIC of making 7nm chips for China, violating U.S. sanctions

    Michael McCaul accuses SMIC of evading U.S. sanctions, helping Huawei, calls for investigation and more stringent export controls.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ Voters in Red and Blue States Repudiate Lenient Drug Policies

    Californians voted for tougher penalties for dealers. Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota rejected proposals to legalize marijuana. Massachusetts denied a measure allowing possession of psychedelics.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indian capital New Delhi plans drone flights to combat smog crisis

    It was derided by experts as another “band-aid” solution to a public health crisis.

  • New York Times ☛ Eudemonia, a Wellness Summit, Brings Health Seekers Together

    Thousands of health seekers, many of them distrustful of the medical system, made a pilgrimage to Florida to commune with the influencers and the self-proclaimed healers they believe in most.

  • JURIST ☛ Quebec premier threatens use of ‘notwithstanding clause’ in Canadian rights charter to retain doctors in public system

    Quebec Premier François Legault announced on Wednesday that his government is prepared to use the so-called “notwithstanding clause” to require doctors trained in that Canadian province to start their careers in the province’s healthcare system, aiming to tackle the ongoing shortage of medical professionals.

  • Stanford University ☛ Human biology alumni emphasize importance of public health on democracy

    Panelists reminded the audience of the far-reaching implications of voting on health policy, and of the importance of public health in a democracy.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ The life expectancy in Mexico’s healthiest state just got longer

    The Nuevo León health minister credited the state's longevity to a health care model that prioritizes quality and safety.

  • The Kent Stater ☛ See where abortions are banned and legal — and where it’s still in limbo

    Following the US Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which eliminated a constitutional right to abortion nationwide, nearly two dozen US states have banned or limited access to the procedure.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China head of pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca detained after reports of probe into illegal drug imports

    Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca said that the head of its China operations had been detained, after reports the firm was under investigation for potentially illegal data collection and drug imports.

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Getting back into Australian espresso culture

    I love filter and immersion brewing at home. I’ve talked about how much I love the AeroPress as a daily driver, and the Hario V60 is a fun treat when I’m feeling a bit fancier. Some nice single-origin beans from a local roaster, fresh water, and those cheap coffee machines make some incredible brews, and they can taste markedly different depending on preparation and technique.

    (One of my treasured memories working briefly in San Francisco was having Philz Coffee with some of my colleagues. Instead of every other coffee shop with which I was familiar, the store had rows upon rows of filter coffee machines, with staff studiously blooming the coffee and pouring water by hand. The coffee was generally pretty good, but it was the experience of choosing a specific blend, then watching them make it, that was the most fun).

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Hindustan Times ☛ Layoffs in tech industry seem to be far from over

    The company faces intense competition in personal and enterprise business from technology giants Google, Microsoft and Box.

  • New York Times ☛ A.I.-Powered Painting of Alan Turing Sells for $1.1 Million

    The portrait depicts the British mathematician Alan Turing as the god of artificial intelligence. Its creator is a robot named Ai-Da that resembles a woman with a bob haircut.

  • Stanford University ☛ New California bill seeks to improve Hey Hi (AI) literacy in schools [Ed: Well, indoctrination for hype and nonsense]

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed the bill to mandate California schools to consider including artificial intelligence education in their curricula.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Buggy backdoored Windows Update starts automatically 'upgrading' backdoored Windows 2022 servers to backdoored Windows Server 2025

    Windows Server 2022 machines are getting automatically upgraded to backdoored Windows Server 2025, without system administrator content or awareness.

  • 9to5Mac ☛ Microsoft just learned its lesson about overcharging for Hey Hi (AI) features

    Microsoft recently announced that its Copilot Pro AI features are being baked right into Microsoft 365 (via ZDNet). This will bring Copilot Pro to key apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more. This is good news for users, but it also represents an admission of a failed AI business strategy. Why? Because until now, Microsoft had been charging $20/month for Copilot Pro as a 365 add-on.

  • Windows Central ☛ Office and Abusive Monopolist Microsoft 365 will soon cost more, and it’s all [buzzword]’s fault

    Many Microsoft 365 applications, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel will feature versions of [buzzword] to assist with content creation. The addition of Copilot features to Microsoft 365 has driven up the cost of Personal and Family plans.

  • The Verge ☛ Even Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Notepad is getting Hey Hi (AI) [buzzwords nonsense] text editing now

    Microsoft is adding AI-powered text editing to Notepad, the stripped-down text editor originally introduced in 1983. The feature, called Rewrite, is rolling out in preview to backdoored Windows Insiders and will...

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Is generative Hey Hi (AI) hitting a ceiling? Maybe, but investors don’t care

    Of course the presidential election looms over everything, and I’ll just say one thing: Any executives or investors counting on President-elect Donald Trump keeping the vast majority of promises he has made are not as smart as they think they are.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Latvia ☛ Warning issued over cyber scam in Latvia

      Latvia's dedicated cyber-security agency, CERT.lv has issued a warning about a new scam campaign targeting WhatsApp and Telegram users.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Privacy International ☛ Digital health, big tech and your privacy

    • Privacy International ☛ Privacy International's response to the College of Policing consultation on the 'ethical use of data and technologies guidance'

    • EFF ☛ Creators of This Police Location Tracking Tool Aren't Vetting Buyers. Here's How To Protect Yourself

      The tool, called Locate X, is run by a company called Babel Street. Locate X is designed for law enforcement, but an investigator working with Atlas Privacy, a data removal service, was able to gain access to Locate X by simply asserting that they planned to work with law enforcement in the future.

      With an incoming administration adversarial to those most at risk from location tracking using tools like Locate X, the time is ripe to bolster our digital defenses. Now more than ever, attorneys general in states hostile to reproductive choice will be emboldened to use every tool at their disposal to incriminate those exerting their bodily autonomy. Locate X is a powerful tool they can use to do this. So here are some timely tips to help protect your location privacy.

      First, a short disclaimer: these tips provide some level of protection to mobile device-based tracking. This is not an exhaustive list of techniques, devices, or technologies that can help restore one’s location privacy. Your security plan should reflect how specifically targeted you are for surveillance. Additional steps, such as researching and mitigating the on-board devices included with your car, or sweeping for physical GPS trackers, may be prudent steps which are outside the scope of this post. Likewise, more advanced techniques such as flashing your device with a custom-built privacy- or security-focused operating system may provide additional protections which are not covered here. The intent is to give some basic tips for protecting yourself from mobile device location tracking services.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Strategist ☛ Australia should lead efforts to address online gender-based violence

    Since the UN Security Council adopted the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda in 2000, the world has started to facilitate women’s participation in peace and security processes while protecting them from gender-based violence.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Yoon says Korea-US alliance will immediately strike North if it attempts nuclear attack

    He says the South has what it takes to make Pyongyang regret using nuclear weapons.

  • France to ‘expand and diversify’ naval presence in Asia-Pacific

    The French navy plans to deploy a carrier strike group to the Indo-Pacific, according to media reports.

  • India’s Manipur authorities give Myanmar refugees 1-month deadline to return home

    The refugees had crossed the border to flee junta airstrikes and arson attacks.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ 2 Hong Kong police officers remain in jail pending appeal over framing homeless man for drug possession

    A Hong Kong court has refused bail to two police officers, who filed an appeal against their convictions and jail sentences over planting drugs and covering up surveillance cameras to frame a homeless man. The Court of Appeal on Thursday rejected bail applications from Leung Fei-pang and Pong Chun-sze, local media reported.

  • JURIST ☛ US DOJ charges 3 Iranians over plot to Trump assassination before election

    The US Department of Justice Friday unsealed criminal charges related to a thwarted Iranian plot to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump prior to this week’s presidential election.

  • France24 ☛ US charges Iranian man in alleged plot to assassinate Donald Trump

    US prosecutors unsealed charges on Friday in an alleged Iranian plan to assassinate Donald Trump before the presidential election. The failed plot was allegedly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to avenge the 2020 killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a US strike in Iraq ordered by then president Trump, the Justice Department said.

  • JURIST ☛ UN High Commissioner for Refugees warns of humanitarian crisis in Lebanon

    UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi brought attention to the humanitarian crisis ongoing in Lebanon before the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea says Seoul-Washington alliance will strike back if North Korea attempts nuclear attack: Newsweek

    President Yoon Suk Yeol said South Korea could rely on US nuclear weapons to defend the country and did not need its own.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea holds missile drill after recent North Korea launches

    A Hyunmoo surface-to-surface short-range missile was sent into the West Sea in the exercise.

  • JURIST ☛ China objects to Philippines new maritime laws

    China expressed on Friday its strong objections to two new Philippines laws that define the country’s maritime boundaries over disputed areas in the South China Sea, in its foreign ministry statement and by summoning the Philippines’ ambassador.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China summons Philippine ambassador over new maritime laws

    The laws bolster Manila's maritime claims amid tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea.

  • JURIST ☛ Germany arrests eight for suspected role in right-wing terrorist organization

    The German Federal Prosecutor’s Office arrested eight people on Tuesday under suspected membership of a neo-Nazi militant group known as “Sächsische Separatisten” or “Saxon Separatists,” the Federal Prosecutor’s Office said in a press statement.

  • European Commission ☛ Commission and national authorities urge Temu to respect EU consumer protection laws

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 08 Nov 2024 Today, following a coordinated investigation at European level, the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network of national consumer authorities and the European Commission notified the online marketplace Temu of a number of practices on its platform that infringe EU consumer law.

  • Site36 ☛ Border surveillance and control: EU has invested 3.5 billion in anti-migration research

    With significant involvement from Frontex, the EU Commission has funded more than 800 migration-related security research projects over the past 17 years. The aim is to bring the external borders up to the latest technological standards.

  • France24 ☛ How could Trump bring lasting peace to Middle East, like he promised?

    The world is processing what Donald Trump's victory will mean abroad. Both supporters and critics of the president-elect have said his return to power will fundamentally change America's place in world affairs and security matters, especially as the wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East drag on.

  • France24 ☛ Trump 2.0: What's in store for Asia's strongmen?

    On this week's Access Asia we speak to Steve Tsang, Director of the SOAS China Institute, who tells us what officials in Beijing really think of Donald Trump's US presidential victory. He discusses the risk of a full-blown trade war erupting. We also get a check on how New Delhi is reacting. Former Indian ambassador to France, Dr Mohan Kuman, tells us that India hopes the US president-elect can bring the wars in Ukraine and Gaza to an end.

  • Defence Web ☛ New Somali piracy threats require partnerships and holistic responses

    Signs of a potential Somali piracy resurgence have emerged in 2024, most recently with the European Union Naval Force Operation ATALANTA reporting a suspected pirate group off Somalia’s coast. >

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • RFERL ☛ Pentagon To Allow U.S. Defense Contractors To Maintain Weapons In Ukraine, Reports Say

      The Pentagon is easing restrictions to allow a small number of private American defense contractors to work inside Ukraine, according to reports in U.S. media on November 8.

    • RFERL ☛ Musk Reportedly Took Part In Call Between Trump And Zelenskiy

      Elon Musk was present during a phone conversation between U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, according to media reports citing sources.

    • RFERL ☛ Official In Ukrainian President's Office Was Frequent Flier To Russia, Investigation Finds

      The last known time Oleh Tatarov flew to Moscow was on April 22, 2019, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy won his first term in office. A little over a year later, Tatarov was a controversial high-ranking member of Zelenskiy’s administration in Kyiv.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine, Russia Exchange Bodies Of Fallen Soldiers

      The Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported that the bodies of 563 servicemen have been returned to Ukraine, of whom 320 were killed in Donetsk, 89 in Bakhmut, and another 154 had been in morgues on Russian territory.

    • RFERL ☛ EU Leaders Talk Security In Budapest Amid Doubts Over Trump's Stance On Ukraine War

      Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Donald Trump's reelection as U.S. president has created a "new situation" for Europe as he wrapped up an informal summit in Budapest on November 8, telling his EU counterparts that the continent cannot finance the war in Ukraine alone.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Hungary's PM Orban says Trump will 'quit' Ukraine war, forcing EU rethink

      BUDAPEST - The European Union needs to rethink its support for Ukraine following Donald Trump's U.S. election victory, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said before a summit of EU leaders on Friday, adding that Europe cannot finance the war alone.

    • New York Times ☛ Elon Musk Joined Trump’s Call With Zelensky

      Elon Musk was with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago when the president-elect spoke with Ukraine’s leader. It is not clear if they discussed any change in U.S. policy toward Ukraine.

    • New York Times ☛ How My War Came Home

      A reporter thought of his city in the west of Ukraine as a haven from Russian bombs — until a strike hit his street.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Hits Ukraine with Drones, Missiles Overnight

      Millions trek to shelters nightly or take their chances at home as unceasing missile and drone attacks drag on. Some Ukrainians are looking — with hope or sarcasm — to Trump for respite.

    • Meduza ☛ Elon Musk joined Ukrainian president’s Wednesday phone call with Donald Trump — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Two Russian soldiers sentenced to life for murdering family of nine in occupied Ukraine — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Kyiv braces for a Trump presidency as his advisors float plans to freeze Russia’s war against Ukraine — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Biden lifts ban on U.S. military contractors in Ukraine, but not for combat — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ In latest repatriation of remains, 563 killed soldiers return to Ukraine, 37 to Russia — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Two weeks after saying Donbas Front ‘has crumbled,’ Ukrainian general resigns, citing health reasons — Meduza

    • France24 ☛ Toll from Russian attack on Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia rises to eight

      The death toll from a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia has doubled to eight, including an infant, the regional governor said Friday. Thursday's attack on the industrial hub has also wounded 42 people and damaged a hospital. Zaporizhzhia city has come under increasing Russian aerial bombardments in recent weeks and six people were killed in a strike on an industrial sector of the city earlier this week. Story by Nick Rushworth.

    • Meduza ☛ Russia’s police officers to be tasked with ‘preserving and strengthening traditional values’ — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Ex-soldier reveals that Russia’s military still considers wounded veterans for conscription service — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia jails blogger who planned to attend trial in support of accused anti-Jewish rioters — Meduza

    • LRT ☛ Thirty-one political prisoners pardoned in Belarus

      Belarusian authoritarian leader Alexander lukashenko has pardoned 31 people convicted under the country’s "extremism" law.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania’s rising defence budget unrelated to Trump’s victory, says president

      On Thursday, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said the country was increasing its defence budgets to meet its security needs, not due to pressure from partners.

    • Meduza ☛ While Putin teases ‘dialogue’ with Trump, Kremlin spokesman says Russia’s war aims remain unchanged — Meduza

    • France24 ☛ How could Donald Trump end the war in Ukraine 'within 24 hours?'

      At a gathering on Thursday of European leaders in Budapest, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy objected to Trump's claim that Russia’s war with Ukraine could be ended in a day, something he and his European backers fear would mean peace on terms favorable to Putin and involving the surrender of territory. How could Donald Trump the war in Ukraine in one day? Details with FRANCE 24 International Affairs Commentator, Douglas Herbert.

    • France24 ☛ US greenlights deployment of military contractors to fix weapons in Ukraine

      Military contractors from the US will be sent to Ukraine in order to help maintain and repair Pentagon-provided weaponry, a US defense official said on Friday. The move is a significant policy shift in the final months of Joe Biden's administration that aims to aid Kyiv's fight against Russia.

    • France24 ☛ 'Dangerously simplistic' view of geopolitics: Trump 'unfit' to handle global threats and challenges

      While campaigning to regain the U.S. presidency, Donald Trump said that he would be able to end Russia's war in Ukraine in 24 hours, warned that Israel would be "eradicated" if he lost the election and vowed sweeping new tariffs on Chinese imports. Now that Trump has claimed victory, many at home and abroad are asking an urgent question: will he make good on his long list of foreign policy threats, promises and pronouncements? Many former top aides, including ex-national security adviser John Bolton and his first chief of staff John Kelly, broke with him before the election, calling him unfit for office. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on how American foreign policy might play out during Trump's second term, FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee is joined by former Nat'l Security Advisor to Donald Trump John Bolton.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong broadcaster TVB pulls show after online commenters accuse it of being pro-Ukraine, politically motivated

      A Hong Kong broadcaster has cancelled a documentary series on global conflicts after online backlash, with comments accusing it of being politically motivated in favour of Ukraine and neglecting Russia’s narrative. Scheduled as a 10-episode series, the first two instalments of TVB’s Cantonese show Planet Under Fire were broadcast on Monday and Tuesday night.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Summons Canadian Diplomat To Reject Sabotage Accusations

      Moscow summoned a Canadian diplomat on November 8 to rebut Western allegations that Russia's secret services had orchestrated a campaign to mail explosive packages to addresses in NATO countries, including Canada.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Pediatrician May Face Prison For Anti-War Comments To Patients

      The prosecution has requested a six-year prison sentence for 68-year-old Russian pediatrician Nadezhda Buyanova on charges related to the dissemination of so-called "fake news" about the Russian military.

    • RFERL ☛ Azerbaijani Commentator Sentenced To 13 Years For 'Espionage'

      A Baku court has sentenced Azerbaijani journalist Nazakat Mammadova to 13 years in prison for treason on charges of spying for Russia, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports.

• Environment

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-10-30 [Older] Spain's Horrific Flooding Another Nasty Hit in a Fall Where Climate Extremes Just Keep Coming

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippines cleans up after Typhoon Yinxing slams north coast

    The country is prone to storms and sees an average of 20 a year.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China sends vice premier to COP29 climate summit in Baku

    BEIJING - China's vice premier, Ding Xuexiang, will travel to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to attend the COP29 climate summit next week, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

  • Meduza ☛ The prisoners and the peace deal As COP29 draws near, families of Armenians jailed in Azerbaijan ‘live in hope’ for their release — Meduza

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Ruben Schade ☛ Qantas engine failure this afternoon

      Social media was flooded with pictures of a smoky grassfire at Sydney Airport this afternoon, after an aircraft bound for Brisbane experienced an engine failure on take-off. Fun!

  • Overpopulation

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Why is Depopulation a Threat to Balkan Security? | A Debrief with Majlinda Bregu

      To discuss the Common Regional Market 2.0 and its role in the Western Balkans' EU integration, Europe Center Senior Fellow Ilva Tare sits down with Majlinda Bregu of the RCC, and considers the region's depopulation and other security concerns.

• Finance

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China agrees to raise local gov’t debt ceiling by US$840 million to inject new funds into ailing economy

    China said on Friday lawmakers had agreed to raise the local government debt ceiling by US$840 billion, opening up new funds for its ailing economy as they eye the possibility of intensified trade tensions with US president-elect Donald Trump.

  • The Strategist ☛ It’s not just inflation. Contracting practices are also stifling construction

    Inflation is ganging up with long-standing problems in our contracting and procurement systems to stifle construction, innovation and ultimately our economic future.

  • Latvia ☛ Inflation rate rose to 2% in October in Latvia

    The latest data published by the Central Statistical Bureau November 8 show that in October 2024, compared to October 2023, the average level of consumer prices in Latvia increased by 2.0 %.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • France24 ☛ Women in Trump's America

    What will Donald Trump's second term in the White House mean for women in America and how abortion rights will not be the only area under attack. Also what does the Trump victory mean for the war in Ukraine; Annette Young asks veteran war correspondent, Janine di Giovanni, who is now with The Reckoning Project which teaches journalists how to collect testimonies that can be used in war crimes trials. Plus human rights activists call on Iranian authorities to release a young student who was arrested after stripping to her underwear in what is said to be a protest against the compulsory hijab laws.

  • France24 ☛ Trump's victory is an 'existential wake-up call' for Europe: Ex-EU commissioner Moscovici

    For all the talk of "Trump-proofing" Europe, much remains to be done, and there are now only a few short months before the former president takes office again, following his dramatic comeback and resounding victory in the US election. We speak to Pierre Moscovici, who was European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs during the first Trump presidency. He identifies three major areas where the EU is likely to face headwinds – Ukraine, trade and climate action. Moscovici is now First President of the Court of Auditors, which is the highest body for auditing the use of public funds in France. In that capacity, he addresses the challenge of reducing France's huge public deficit.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Brzezinski in TVP World on Trump’s foreign policy

    On November 7, Transatlantic Security Initiative senior fellow Ian Brzezinski was interviewed in TVP World discussing Trump’s foreign policy and potential scenarios for Ukraine and NATO.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ What the world thinks of Trump’s return to the US presidency

    From Ukraine to Australia, Sweden to Singapore, Atlantic Council experts examine how people in different countries view the decisive win by President-elect Donald Trump.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China could be in for a rocky few years of tariffs and tensions as Donald Trump reelected to White House

    China can buckle in for another four years of tariffs, tensions and tough talk under a second Donald Trump presidency, experts told AFP — though they said the billionaire’s openness to deals could play in Beijing’s favour.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Southeast Asia prepares for factories fleeing Trump tariffs on China

    BANGKOK - Companies have been moving factories from China to Southeast Asia, anticipating Donald Trump would slap high tariffs on Beijing if he regained the White House, a move set to accelerate with his election win, industrial park developers in the region say.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China readying itself for Trump 2.0 as higher tariffs loom

    In the short term, Trump’s proposed tariff hike will be painful for the sluggish Chinese economy.

  • China expecting harder times after Trump victory

    The next US president’s vow to raise tariffs will hit Chinese exporters hard, creating further economic woes.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China unveils $1.8 trillion plan to fix local govt debt; more action likely in case of trade war

    The aim is to defuse risks to the financial system.

  • New York Times ☛ With Trump Tariffs Looming, Businesses Try to ‘Run From a Moving Target’

    Companies are filling their warehouses or looking into moving factories as they weigh President-elect Donald J. Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on foreign goods.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia’s Prabowo heads to China at start of multi-country trip

    The Indonesian President's trip will include stops in South America for the Apec and G-20 summits.

  • The Straits Times ☛ No winners in trade wars, says Chinese envoy, as US confrontation looms

    Ambassador Xie Feng said any attempt to contain or suppress China would only “hit a wall”.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Anwar promotes Asean as gateway on third visit to China, ahead of Malaysia’s chairmanship of group

    But disputes over the South China Sea cast a shadow over Kuala Lumpur-Beijing ties.

  • What Trump’s election win could mean for US foreign policy in Asia: RFA Insider #19

    Alex Willemyns discusses Biden administration's stances in Asia and how incoming Trump administration might differ

  • CS Monitor ☛ Democrats begin soul-searching – and finger-pointing – after devastating loss

    Working-class voters abandoned Kamala Harris in droves. Democrats are fighting about what went wrong – and where to go from here.

  • New Yorker ☛ What Does It Mean That Donald Trump Is a Fascist?

    Trump takes the tools of dictators and adapts them for the Internet. We should expect him to try to cling to power until death, and create a cult of January 6th martyrs.

  • NYPost ☛ Israeli soccer fans speak out about horrific mob attack in Amsterdam: ‘What Kristallnacht would have looked like’

    “It was a pogrom. If there had been Internet in ’38, that’s what Kristallnacht would have looked like,” a shaken victim said.

  • US election: Trump II to affect trade, security in SE Asia, experts say

    Donald Trump’s return to the White House may cause trade to slow down in and raise regional tensions in SE Asia.

  • Citizen Lab ☛ Irene Poetranto on the panel “What the World Can Learn from Indonesia’s Democracy”

    On November 14, 2024, The Citizen Lab’s Irene Poetranto will participate in the panel “What the World Can Learn from Indonesia’s Democracy” hosted by the Asian Institute, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • JURIST ☛ Mozambique urged to end internet restrictions amid post-election protests

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the government of Mozambique Wednesday to halt internet restrictions and re-establish full access to social control media platforms following post-election protests. HRW argue these shutdowns violate several human rights such as access to information, freedom of speech, and peaceful protest.

  • Meduza ☛ Russia designates comedian Denis Chuzhoi as a ‘foreign agent’ — Meduza

  • RFERL ☛ Russia Expands 'Foreign Agents' Registry With New Additions

    In a move that extends Russia's crackdown on dissent, the Justice Ministry on November 8 added several high-profile journalists and entities to its controversial registry of "foreign agents."

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japanese comedian drops libel suit over sexual assault article

    Shukan Bunshun magazine said it had agreed to the withdrawal of the suit.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia’s ex-PM Muhyiddin ordered to pay more than $400,000 to politician over defamatory remarks

    Muhyiddin had made the defamatory remarks in a series of Facebook (Farcebook) posts in March 2023.

  • New York Times ☛ Lawsuit Against Meta Over Section 230, Tech Shield Law, Is Dismissed

    A professor sued pre-emptively to release software that would let users automatically unfollow everyone in their Facebook (Farcebook) feed.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Big name Mirror columnists axed in latest cutbacks at title

    Polly Hudson and Paul Routledge among big name contributors leaving the Mirror.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Trump bump? News media share prices rise post election

    Investors at least seem to think Donald Trump will be good news for the media.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • China uses London travel show to promote its narrative of Xinjiang in the West

    The measure has raised human rights concerns over a region where Uyghurs face severe repression by Beijing.

  • EFF ☛ Celebrating the Life of Aaron Swartz: Aaron Swartz Day 2024

    Today, November 8, would have been his 38th birthday.  On November 9, the organizers of Aaron Swartz Day are celebrating his life with a guest-packed podcast featuring those carrying on the work around issues close to his heart. Hosts Lisa Rein and Andre Vinicus Leal Sobral will speak to: 

    The podcast will start at 2 p.m. PT/10 p.m. UTC. Please read the official page of the Aaron Swartz Day and International Hackathon for full details.

    If you're a programmer or developer engaged in cutting-edge exploration of technology, please check out EFF's Coders' Rights Project.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • The Straits Times ☛ U Mobile’s winning bid for Malaysia’s 5G spectrum sparks talk of cronyism

    U Mobile's win ahead of larger rivals has drawn attention to its owners – Malaysia's King and Singapore's Temasek.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ Munich takes new approach to willingness of licensee in VoiceAge against HMD battle

    In a recent legal notice the court lays down its “current, provisional” view on how to proceed in FRAND disputes. While still following the established case law in many questions, the Higher Regional Court Munich introduced a new approach regarding the willingness of a licensee (case ID: 6 U 3824/22 Kart).

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ From Chief Judge Markey’s Promise to Rule 36: We Do Not Just Render One-Worded Decisions

    by Dennis Crouch

    The Supreme Court currently has before it a unique opportunity to address a longstanding problem with the Federal Circuit’s practice of issuing no-opinion summary affirmances in patent monopoly cases. The recently filed ParkerVision petition presents a compelling argument that the Federal Circuit’s heavy reliance on Local Rule 36 judgments violates 35 U.S.C. § 144’s requirement that the court “shall issue… its mandate and opinion” when deciding appeals from the Patent Office.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Oral Arguments Preview: Teva v. Amneal Tests Scope of Orange Book Device Patent Listings

    Today at 2pm Eastern, the Federal Circuit will hear arguments in a case that could significantly shape pharmaceutical patent monopoly listing practices under the Hatch-Waxman Act. In Teva v. Amneal (No. 24-1936), the court will consider whether device patents that don't explicitly recite active drug ingredients can be properly listed in FDA's Orange Book. William Jay of Goodwin Procter will argue for Teva; Steven Maddox of Procopio will represent Amneal.  The judges are not yet listed for the case, but I expect it will be three judges picked from these six: Chief Judge Moore, Judge Dyk, Judge Prost, Judge Chen, Judge Hughes, or Judge Stark.  (Update: It is judges: Prost, Taranto, and Hughes).

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Celebrates 20th Anniversary !

    "It was twenty years ago today ...." When I started this blog in 2004, I never dreamed it would still be going strong (more or less) twenty years later. Eighteen or nineteen maybe, but not twenty. The TTABlog debuted on November 8, 2004, with a post entitled "Leo Stoller Loses Again." (here). Remember him? Here we are, more than 5,600 blog posts and 15,000 "tweets" later. Thank you all for reading!

• Copyrights

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Federal court sides with Proprietary Chaffbot Company in Hey Hi (AI) copyright monopoly lawsuit

    A federal court has dismissed a copyright monopoly lawsuit that two news outlets brought against Proprietary Chaffbot Company earlier this year. U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon issued the ruling on Thursday. The plaintiffs, Raw Story Media Inc. and AlterNet Media Inc., have the option to relaunch the lawsuit in the future with certain revisions.

  • Digital Music News ☛ UMG’s $500 Million Lawsuit Against Believe Moves Ahead, Pretrial Conference Set for January

    UMG’s $500 million lawsuit against Believe gets ready to move ahead with a pretrial conference set for January. Universal Music Group’s massive $500 million copyright monopoly infringement lawsuit against Believe and TuneCore over “rampant piracy” is moving forward, with a pretrial conference set for January 8.