Leftovers

• Ruben Schade ☛ Bossa Blue by Chris Standring

  It’s Music Monday time! Each and every Monday, except when I forget, I regale everyone with tales of a specific tune, album, artist, genre, or combination of all of the above. Except when I forget.

  Today we have a bit of a treat. English jazz extraordinaire Chris Standring’s Bossa Blue has been in my playlists for years, but I only just heard him perform it live in 2017.

• Hackaday ☛ Do You Dream In Color?

  According to the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis, our language influences how we think and experience the world. That’s easy to imagine. Certainly our symbolism of mathematics influences how we calculate. Can you imagine doing moderately complex math with Roman numerals or without zero or negative numbers? But recently I was reminded that technological media also influences our perception of reality, and I have a Hackaday post to thank for it.

• Hackaday ☛ Hacking Haptics: The 19-Sensor Patch Bringing Touch To Life

  On November 6th, Northwestern University introduced a groundbreaking leap in haptic technology, and it’s worth every bit of attention now, even two weeks later. Full details are in their original article. This innovation brings tactile feedback into the future with a hexagonal matrix of 19 mini actuators embedded in a flexible silicone mesh. It’s the stuff of dreams for hackers and tinkerers looking for the next big thing in wearables.

• Hackaday ☛ Crowdsourcing Ionosphere Data With Phones

  How do you collect a lot of data about the ionosphere? Well, you could use sounding rockets or specialized gear. Or maybe you can just conscript a huge number of cell phones. That was the approach taken by Google researchers in a recent paper in Nature.

• Hackaday ☛ A Very Fast Camera Slider For The Glam Shot

  High-speed photography with the camera on a fast-moving robot arm has become all the rage at red-carpet events, but this GlamBOT setup comes with a hefty price tag. To get similar visual effects on a much lower budget [Henry Kidman] built a large, very fast camera slider. As is usually the case with such projects, it’s harder than it seems.

• Ruben Schade ☛ Saving whimsy and the 418 status code

  I tongue-in-cheek referenced the 418 status code in my ultimate multi-function device post. I’m relieved that past attempts to buzzkill it out of existence were met with such enthusiastic and ongoing repudiation.

• Science

  • NYPost ☛ A NASA lander may have killed life on Mars, scientist claims — and colleagues took his theory ‘surprisingly well’

    Oops?

  • New York Times ☛ Saving Endangered Animals Will Help Save Us, Too

    We have hardly begun to understand how inextricably our own health and safety are intertwined with those of our wild neighbors.

  • University of Michigan ☛ Grasslands are rapidly responding to climate change, UMich study finds

    While ecosystems like forests are seeing slow shifts in biodiversity due to climate change, the biological makeup of grasslands are changing rapidly, according to a recent study published by the University of Michigan. Yiluan Song, the study’s second author and Schmidt Hey Hi (AI) in Science fellow, said that climate change is altering the composition and function […]

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Reveal a Shocking Solution to The Chicken or Egg Paradox

    We finally have an answer!

  • Science Alert ☛ NASA May Have Inadvertently Killed Life on Mars, Scientist Says

    The unthinkable may have happened.

  • Science Alert ☛ The Biggest Prime Number Ever Found Is a New Milestone in Science

    A search going back thousands of years.

  • Science Alert ☛ The Amazing Camouflage of The Octopus Comes at a Heavy Cost

    One of the most incredible tricks in the animal kingdom.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ Qualcomm QCC730M dual-band WiFi 4 and QCC74xM WiFi 6, BLE 5.3, and 802.15.4 modules target low-power and IoT edge devices

    Qualcomm has added two new IoT modules to its wireless connectivity product series: the Qualcomm QCC730M ‘micro-power’ WiFi 4 module and the QCC74xM tri-radio module, with both modules designed for smart homes, smart appliances, medical devices, and industrial applications.

  • The Next Platform ☛ AMD Now Has More Compute On The Top500 Than Nvidia

    There has been a lot more churn on the November Top500 supercomputer rankings that is the talk of the SC24 conference in Atlanta this week than there was in the list that came out in June at the ISC24 conference in Hamburg, Germany back in May, and there are some interesting developments in the new machinery that is being installed.

  • Hackaday ☛ Tearing Down A SLA Printer With The Engineers Who Built It

    Product teardowns are great, but getting an unfiltered one from the people who actually designed and built the product is a rare treat. In the lengthy video after the break, former Formlabs engineer [Shane Wighton] tears down the Form 4 SLA printer while [Alec Rudd], the engineering lead for the project, answers all his prying questions.

  • Hackaday ☛ Exploring The Gakken FX Micro-Computer

    Early computer kits aimed at learning took all sorts of forms, from full-fledged computer kits like the Altair 8800 to the ready-made MicroBee Computer-In-A-Book. For those just wanting to dip their toes in the computing world, many low-cost computer “trainers” were released, and Japan had some awesome ones. [Jason Jacques] shows off his Gakken Micro-Computer FX-System (or is it the FX-Computer? Or maybe the FX-Micom? It seems like they couldn’t make up their minds). In any event, it was a combination microcomputer and I/O building blocks system running a custom version of the Texas Instrument TMS1100 microprocessor. Specifically designed to introduce users to the world of computing, the included guide is very detailed and includes 100 example programs and lots of information on how all the opcodes work.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • NYPost ☛ I’m a pharmacist and would never take these 3 supplements — beware a viral social control media trend

    "I think you're gonna be surprised at most of these," longtime UK pharmacist Amina Khan said.

  • Science Alert ☛ Myopia in Kids Is Rising. Here's How to Protect Your Child's Vision.

    An urgent need for early intervention.

  • C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital study examines anger in kids

    The C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health revealed that some parents may find it challenging to help their kids manage intense emotions such as anger.

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Scientists fear what’s next for public health if RFK Jr. is allowed to ‘go wild’

    Kennedy's critics say his confirmation threatens the achievements of a science-based public health order painstakingly built since World War II.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Synthetic drug abuse on the rise among Malaysia’s youth

    Younger users are gravitating towards “party drugs” like MDMA and methamphetamine, police said.

  • Federal News Network ☛ An old health network is about to get a shot in the arm

    "We have set some real records in terms of how quickly we've been able to move forward here," said Carole Johnson.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • The Straits Times ☛ AI may be used to detect accidents in real time in Malaysia

    Swifter detection can facilitate quicker responses from first responders to accidents.

  • The Verge ☛ Elon Musk targets Abusive Monopolist Microsoft in amended Proprietary Chaffbot Company lawsuit

    Elon Musk has updated his fraud, breach of contract, and racketeering lawsuit against OpenAI to make antitrust claims against Microsoft, accusing the two companies of attempting to “monopolize the generative AI market.” The amended complaint filed on Thursday names Microsoft as a new defendant, as well as LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and Microsoft VP Dee Templeton, a former OpenAI board member.

  • Medevel ☛ The Hidden Cost of Hey Hi (AI) - Is Hey Hi (AI) Making Us Doubt Our Own Reality? The Shrinking Belief in Human Achievement with Lack of Imagination

    Last week, something happened that made me deeply reflect on how Hey Hi (AI) is changing the way we perceive reality. A friend sent me a video of someone performing traditional horseback riding in Libya.

  • MIT Technology Review ☛ The rise of Bluesky, and the splintering of social

    You may have read that it was a big week for Bluesky.  If you’re not familiar, Bluesky is, essentially, a Ex-Twitter clone that publishes short-form status updates. It gained more than 2 million users this week.

  • OpenRightsGroup ☛ The Ex-Twitter Xodus: Time to stay or time to go

    “We’re here, because we’re here.” Until recently, leaving a social control media platform seemed likely to be an act of self harm, a way to lose friends and influence. Yet people are now leaving Twitter/X, in greater numbers, to join a range of different platforms.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Fifth of Americans regularly get news from social control media influencers

    Top news influencers appear to be majority men and right-leaning.

  • Digital Music News ☛ TikTok Parent ByteDance Valuation Hits A Whopping $300 Billion

    TikTok parent company ByteDance is valuing its business at $300 billion, despite the looming ban for Fentanylware (TikTok) in the United States. The valuation results from a recent buyback offer by ByteDance, according to the Wall Street Journal.

  • Michael Geist ☛ The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 219: Scott Benzie on What the Corporate Fentanylware (TikTok) Ban Means For Canadian Digital Creators

    The recent announcement of a Canadian government decision to ban the corporate offices of Fentanylware (TikTok) but leave the app untouched has left many puzzled since the approach may actually make matters worse. The potential privacy and security risks associated with the app will remain but the ability to hold the company accountable will be weakened. While the government has downplayed the impact of the decision, the reality is that a Fentanylware (TikTok) exit from Canada will have an impact on Canadian digital creators.

• Pseudo-Open Source

  • Security

    • Privacy/Surveillance

      • The Straits Times ☛ QR code trial for Malaysians to cross land border with S’pore to include more forms of transport

        The system has been highly effective in easing cross-border congestion.

      • The Straits Times ☛ India restricts WhatsApp sharing data with other Meta entities, imposes US$25.4 million fine

        Tech giants, including Fashion Company Apple and Meta face new regulatory challenges with India’s proposed EU-like antitrust law.

      • AccessNow ☛ Six years of the GDPR: Priced out of privacy

      • AccessNow ☛ Six years of the GDPR: we won’t pay for our right to data protection

        Access Now’s new report, Six years of the GDPR: priced out of privacy, presents recommendations for the EU to address the incompatibility of "pay or consent" models with fundamental rights.

  • Defence/Aggression

    • Leader of rebel army detained in China’s Yunnan province

      Beijing is seeking the withdrawal of anti-junta forces from Lashio, a major trading town near the Chinese border.

    • Does a video show a Chinese official’s authority over Israeli leader?

      Verdict: Misleading

    • The Straits Times ☛ Philippines, US sign military intelligence-sharing deal

      The defence treaty allies are looking at sharing information in real time to boost interoperability.

    • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Trump’s criminal conviction won’t stop him from getting security clearance as president

      No reasonable background investigator would ignore the staggering evidence against Trump if he were to apply in the normal way.

    • Federal News Network ☛ Energy Department’s ‘ETAC’ cyber threat center goes operational

      The ETAC has quickly scaled from a pilot project to an operational center at the Energy Department for analyzing cyber threats like Volt Typhoon.

    • Defence Web ☛ AU puts its call for peacekeeping funding to banks and financial institutions

      A three-strong African Union (AU) delegation used the World Bank Group annual meeting in Washington to present a case for funding peacekeeping and peace support missions. The delegation, led by the continental bloc deputy chair Monique Nsanzabaganwa, met with global financial institutions, development banks and what a statement said was “prominent peacebuilding organisations”.

    • New York Times ☛ Israeli Strikes in Beirut’s Center Shatter a Tenuous Sense of Security

      The strikes, the first in weeks inside Lebanon’s capital, forced residents to come to grips with another escalation of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

    • NYPost ☛ Israeli counterattack hit component of Iranian nuclear program, Netanyahu confirms

      Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel's retaliatory strike against Iran last month hit an active component of Tehran's nuclear program, despite the US urging to avoid such sites.

    • Myanmar junta airstrike kills children playing by a church, group says

      The airstrike comes days after the junta chief reiterated a call for talks during a China visit.

    • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

      • RFERL ☛ EU Widens Sanctions On Iran For Supporting Russia's War On Ukraine

        The EU has widened its sanctions against Iran over the country's support of the Kremlin in its war against Ukraine, the European Commission said on November 18, targeting firms, ports, and individuals involved in the transfer of ballistic missiles and drones to Russia for use on the battlefield.

      • RFERL ☛ Two Russians Jailed For Damaging Memorial To Ukraine War Dead

        A Moscow court on November 18 sentenced Daniil Golikov, 28, and Andrei Kozlovsky, 26, to 2.5 and 3 years in a colony-settlement for vandalizing an informal memorial to participants in the war in Ukraine.

      • RFERL ☛ At Least 21 Dead In Russian Missile Strikes In Ukraine's Odesa, Sumy

        Russian missile attacks on November 18 have left at least 21 people dead and more than 100 injured in Ukraine, as strikes targeted the cities of Odesa and Sumy, according to Ukrainian officials.

      • RFERL ☛ Kremlin Says Washington Adding 'Fuel To Fire' As Biden Presses G20 To Support Ukraine

        The Kremlin has accused U.S. President Joe Biden of seeking to escalate the conflict in Ukraine by lifting restrictions on long-range weapons, while the U.S. leader urged G20 states to support Ukraine's sovereignty.

      • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ What does Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use longer-range US weapons mean?

        Ukrainian leaders have lobbied Western allies to allow them to use advanced weapons to strike key targets inside Russia.

      • The Straits Times ☛ US says Russia escalated Ukraine conflict by deploying North Koreans

        WASHINGTON - The United States said on Monday it was Russia that is escalating the conflict in Ukraine by deploying North Korean troops, after the Kremlin warned that Washington would deepen its involvement in the war by allowing Kyiv's forces to strike far into Russia with U.S.-made weapons.

      • The Straits Times ☛ Ukraine's Zelenskiy visits embattled frontline town

        KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he visited the \"intense\" eastern frontline town of Pokrovsk on Monday, where Russia has directed an unrelenting infantry assault for months to close in on the strategically placed road and rail hub.

      • CS Monitor ☛ Trump takes office in January. Here’s how Biden is spending his final days as president.

        The Biden administration is working to solidify the outgoing president’s legacy before he leaves office in January. Current moves include infrastructure spending, pushing toward environmental goals, sending aid to Ukraine, and confirming judicial picks.

      • New York Times ☛ As Trump Looms, Biden Makes a Twilight Pitch on Ukraine to Global Leaders

        The president approved Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles inside Russia, but that decision, among others, may soon be reversed.

      • New York Times ☛ Ukraine Is Poised to Strike Into Russia After Biden Approves Use of Long-Range Missiles

        President Biden has granted permission for Kyiv to carry out long-range strikes, but looming over Ukraine’s newfound latitude is the ascent of President-elect Trump.

      • New York Times ☛ Tuesday Briefing: Ukraine is Poised to Strike inside Russia

        Plus, revelations from a kids’ soccer coach.

      • New York Times ☛ What Are ATACMS, the U.S. Missiles That May Be Used Against Russia?

        In a major policy shift, the Biden administration has authorized Ukraine to use the ballistic missiles within Russia.

      • France24 ☛ No, these images don’t show North Korean troops in Russia

        The US, NATO and South Korean spy agencies have all confirmed that Russia has brought in North Korean soldiers to the fight against Ukraine. Many on social control media affirm to show proof of the presence of these North Korean soldiers in the Russian-Ukraine front. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

      • Biden lets Ukraine use long-range US missiles to hit Russia, North Korea troops

        The authorization is in response to Russia bringing North Korea into the fight against Ukraine, sources told media.

      • LRT ☛ ‘Decisive moment’: Lithuanian president welcomes US letting Kyiv strike inside Russia

        Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has welcomed US President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use American long-range rockets for strikes inside Russia, calling it “a decisive moment” in the war.

      • LRT ☛ Europe’s Ukraine strategy failed, it needs a new one – Lithuanian FM

        Europe’s de-escalation tactics is no longer effective and it needs a new strategy to support Ukraine, says Lithuania’s outgoing Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.

      • JURIST ☛ US lifts ban on Ukraine using long-range weapons to strike Russia

        On Sunday, the Biden administration lifted a ban that restricted Ukraine’s use of US weapons in its war with Russia, allowing Ukraine to use US weapons for long-range strikes in Russian territory, according to anonymous US officials that spoke to media.

      • JURIST ☛ Russia airstrikes killing and injuring children in Ukraine constitute war crimes: Amnesty International

        Amnesty International condemned Monday the increasing harm inflicted on children in Ukraine due to Russian airstrikes, describing the situation as a grave violation of international law.

      • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China repeats calls for peace in Ukraine after Washington clears Kyiv to use US missiles against targets in Russia

        China reiterated calls Monday for a peaceful settlement to the war in Ukraine, after Washington cleared Kyiv to use long-range American missiles against military targets inside Russia.

      • France24 ☛ Moscow says US is escalating war by allowing Ukraine to hit Russian soil

        The Kremlin said on Monday that any U.S. decision to allow Ukraine to fire American missiles deep into Russia would mean it was directly involved in the conflict, which it accused President Joe Biden's administration of escalating. Russia has been telling the West for months how it would interpret such a decision, and that it would raise the risk of a confrontation with the U.S.-led NATO alliance. Details with FRANCE 24 correspondent in Kyiv, Emmanuelle Chaze.

      • France24 ☛ Musk responds to Zelensky interview, weighs in on US foreign policy

        Joe Biden has given Ukraine the go-ahead to use US missiles to strike Russian targets, just 2 months ahead of his departure. President elect Donald Trump has not reacted to this development from Washington. However, Elon Musk commented on an interview Ukraine’s president did with a Polish media outlet.

      • France24 ☛ Has US authorisation for Ukraine to fire long-range missiles into Russia come too late?

        The Biden administration's decision on Sunday to allow Ukraine to use US-supplied long-range missiles to strike Russian territory could help it defend its foothold in Russia's Kursk region, but may have come too late to be a gamechanger overall in the war, military analysts say.

      • France24 ☛ What does Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to use longer-range US weapons mean?

        The U.S. will allow Ukraine to use American-supplied longer-range weapons to conduct strikes inside Russian territory, a long-sought request by Kyiv. What will this change? Answer by FRANCE 24 journalist and former Moscow correspondent, Elena Volochine.

      • France24 ☛ What are the long-range weapons that the US has allowed Ukraine to hit Russian soil with?

        The Kremlin warned Monday that President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles adds “fuel to the fire” of the war and would escalate international tensions even higher. But what are these long-range weapons? Story by Camille Knight and Ludovic de Foucaud.

      • France24 ☛ Germany still opposed to Ukraine's use of long-range missiles inside Russia

        Germany is sticking with its decision not to provide long-range missiles to Ukraine, a German government spokesperson said on Monday, after Washington shifted course to allow U.S.-made weapons to be used to strike deep within Russia. analysis by FRANCE 24's Armen Georgian.

      • France24 ☛ Long-range missiles against Russia: too late to save Ukraine?

        The U.S. decision to authorise long-range Ukrainian strikes could help Kyiv defend the foothold in Russia's Kursk region that it seized as leverage in any war talks, but may come too late to change the course of the war, analysts said.

      • France24 ☛ Biden's parting shot: US approves long-range missiles for Ukraine

        Major escalation or mere parting shot? Nine weeks before Joe Biden hands the reins back to his precedessor, the US president approving Ukraine’s use of American-made long-range missiles inside Russian territory. The move is in response to Moscow’s deployment of North Korean troops to the frontline in Kursk region. Are the missiles only for that border region? What happens after Inauguration Day in the US on January 20th?

      • Meduza ☛ Putin approves updates to Russia’s nuclear doctrine to allow attacks on non-nuclear ‘proxy’ states — Meduza

      • CS Monitor ☛ Ukraine has been waiting to strike deep into Russia. Is Biden’s approval too late?

        Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can now use U.S.-built long range missiles to strike deep into Russia. The Biden administration gave him permission as North Korean troops come to Russia’s aid and Donald Trump prepares to take over the presidency.

      • France24 ☛ 'Conflicts not always won by tactical battles': Putin doesn't know how to respond to US policy shift

        The US decision to authorise long-range Ukrainian strikes could help Kyiv defend the foothold in Russia's Kursk region that it seized as leverage in any war talks, but may come too late to change the course of the war. As military analysts warn the shift was unlikely to be a gamechanger overall,

      • Atlantic Council ☛ Putin got into Biden’s head about ‘red lines’ in Ukraine. Trump must not be as timid.

        News that the Biden administration will allow Kyiv to use Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) against military targets in Russia is welcome but overdue.

      • Meduza ☛ ‘A qualitatively new situation’: The Kremlin’s past warnings and first reaction to Biden’s approval of long-range missile strikes by Ukraine — Meduza

      • Meduza ☛ More exasperation than anything: Nuclear expert Mariana Budjeryn assesses Ukraine’s rumored capacity for a ‘rudimentary bomb within months’ — Meduza

      • Meduza ☛ Falling dominoes As Ukraine’s foothold in Kursk shrinks, the Russian army is capturing towns in Donbas once far out of reach — Meduza

      • Meduza ☛ Biden administration doesn’t confirm new missile authorization for Ukraine but does blame Russia for ‘lighting the fire’ — Meduza

      • Meduza ☛ St. Petersburg court suspends criminal case against accused contract killer so he can go fight in Ukraine — Meduza

      • Meduza ☛ Turkey’s Erdoğan’s pushes ‘peace plan,’ Russia strikes Ukrainian homes, and U.S. clears Ukraine to hit Russian territory with ATACMS — Meduza

      • France24 ☛ Russia vetoes UN Security Council resolution on Sudan ceasefire

        Russia on Monday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan, where General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s regular army has been fighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces led by his one-time deputy. An unnamed diplomat told AFP that Russia seemed to have become “visibly more aligned” with Burhan during the resolution's drafting.

      • JURIST ☛ Mass protests in Georgia against confirmation of pro-Russia party election win

        Georgian demonstrators rallied in protest Sunday over parliamentary election results which saw the “Russian friendly” Georgian Dream Party win the majority vote by 53.93 percent. The election was initially disputed and deemed “illegitimate” by President Salome Zurahishvila and the opposition parties until the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) confirmed Georgian Dream’s victory on Saturday.

        
        

      • Russia claims first Su-57 fighter jet export contracts

        Defense analysts say the advanced combat Su-57’s capabilities have been exaggerated by its maker.

      • RFERL ☛ Separatist Leader Says No Compromise Reached With Abkhaz Protesters

        The situation remained tense on November 17 in Georgia’s Russia-backed breakaway region of Abkhazia with the self-styled president saying no compromise had been reached with the opposition.

      • The Straits Times ☛ Germany's Scholz to address drones for Russia with China's Xi

        German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday he would discuss the delivery of dual-use goods with Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping at the G20 summit, following a report that a Chinese factory is producing military drones for Russia.

      • New York Times ☛ How Tulsi Gabbard Became a Favorite of Russia’s State Media

        President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pick to be the director of national intelligence has raised alarms among national security officials.

      • Meduza ☛ Russian opposition’s antiwar march in Berlin draws 1,800–5,000 demonstrators (depending on who’s counting) — Meduza

      • Meduza ☛ Russia sees record-breaking retail alcohol sales in 2024 — Meduza

      • Meduza ☛ E.U. foreign policy chief confirms U.S. authorized Kyiv to use American weapons for strikes up to 300 km inside Russian territory — Meduza

      • Meduza ☛ There can be no sexual abuse in Ingushetia Russia’s military forcibly enlisted a suspect in a four-year-old girl’s murder to conceal an Ingush community’s shame — The Insider — Meduza

      • Meduza ☛ Russia vetoes U.N. resolution calling for ceasefire in Sudan war — Meduza

      • Meduza ☛ Over 1,000 soldiers from Russia’s 20th Motorized Rifle Division have reportedly gone AWOL during full-scale war — Meduza

      • Meduza ☛ Russian publishers demand to review study claiming 60 percent of children's literature contains ‘destructive content’ — Meduza

      • Meduza ☛ Protests drive Abkhazia’s separatist president from office — Meduza

      • Meduza ☛ Two undersea cables in Baltic Sea cut, raising suspicions of ‘intentional damage’ — Meduza

  • Environment

    • The Strategist ☛ To work with US on climate, focus on national security and economic ‘value propositions’

    • Energy/Transportation

      • Green Party UK ☛ Greens welcome £1bn in funding for buses but challenge scrapping £2 fare cap and call for bus priority measures

        Responding to £1bn in funding which the government says will deliver a London-style bus service across England [1], co-leader of the Green Party, Carla Denyer MP, said:  “It is encouraging to hear that councils will be empowered to take control of bus services.

      • CS Monitor ☛ Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy as it struggles to recover from pandemic losses

        Spirit Airlines, known for its rock-bottom fares and hidden fees, is filing for bankruptcy following a heavy decline in revenue. In the coming months, it says customers can continue to book and fly as it navigates the bankruptcy process.

    • Wildlife/Nature

      • The Straits Times ☛ China pet owners mask their pooches after suspected poisoning of 40 dogs

        The pet association urged the public to report clues of the poisoning to authorities.

    • Overpopulation

      • The Straits Times ☛ More young South Koreans support having kids without marriage: Study

        But while societal attitudes are evolving rapidly, policy support has not kept pace.

  • Finance

    • EXPLAINED: How much hidden debt do local governments in China carry?

      Beijing launches a 6 trillion yuan (US$840 billion) plan to help cash-strapped local governments with hidden debt.

    • New York Times ☛ How Trump’s Plans for Mass Deportations, Tariffs and Fed Could Affect the Economy

      Economists are trying to guess at how Trump policies could affect growth and inflation. The uncertainties are huge.

    • Green Party UK ☛ Farmers are feeling abandoned, but taxing wealth is right, say Greens

      Reacting to planned protests this week by farmers over changes to Inheritance tax [1], Green Party Food, Agriculture & Rural Welfare spokesperson, Emily O’Brien, said:  “Farmers are feeling abandoned. They have suffered badly from Brexit, both via detrimental trade conditions and reduced subsidies.

  • AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

    • North Korean taekwon-do to change name of ‘unification’ pattern for political reasons

      The name does not align with Kim Jong Un's recent shift away from South Korea.

    • JURIST ☛ South Korea court issues campaign finance arrest warrant for former lawmaker

      A local court in South Korea issued a pretrial arrest warrant on Friday for a former lawmaker and political consultant in a high-profile campaign finance scandal that has implicated President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China and Britain enjoy vast space for cooperation, Pooh-tin tells Starmer

      Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer Monday that the two countries enjoy a vast space for cooperation, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Trade flows in focus as Australia's Albanese meets China's Xi

      Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met China's President Pooh-tin Jinping in Brazil on Monday, as Beijing seeks to promote Australia as a model for trading with China in a Trump era, even as Canberra draws closer defence ties with Washington.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong 47: A timeline of the landmark national security case as dozens of democrats await sentencing

      More than three years since they were arrested under the national security law, dozens of Hong Kong’s most prominent democrats will be sentenced over their participation in an unofficial primary election in 2020. Most have been detained since being taken into police custody in February 2021 ahead of being charged.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong 47: Dozens queue for 5 seats in courtroom to witness sentencing of democrats in landmark security law case

      A line of at least 60 people had formed on Monday outside a Hong Kong courthouse where 45 pro-democracy advocates are set to face sentencing in a landmark national security trial the following day.

    • EXPLAINED: Who are the Hong Kong 47?

      The Hong Kong High Court will hand down sentences to 47 democracy activists in the city's first political trial.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s leader Pooh-tin Jinping seeking to ‘enhance’ ties with Brazil as he arrives for G20

      Chinese leader Pooh-tin Jinping said he was seeking to “further enhance” ties with Brazil as he arrived Sunday for a state visit and a G20 summit, state media said. Pooh-tin is due to meet Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the visit, which will last until Thursday.

    • Defence Web ☛ Foreign Nationals account for 11% of the incarcerated population says DCS

      The increase in arrests of foreign nationals has seen a noticeable impact on resources for the Department of Correction Services (DCS).

    • New York Times ☛ School Battles May Help Explain Why Democrats Declined in Some Suburbs

      Voters in the Virginia suburbs shifted toward Trump. Some said they were still frustrated by pandemic closures and fights over gender, race and testing in schools.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Nomination of RFK Jr. reflects a broader shake-up in the politics of health

      The pandemic turned many people against public health experts – creating the opening that has resulted in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Cabinet nomination.

  • Censorship/Free Speech

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Jails Former Sakharov Center Director In Absentia For Anti-War Posts

      A Russian court on November 18 sentenced Sergei Lukashevsky, the former director of the Sakharov Center in Moscow, to eight years in prison.

    • The Straits Times ☛ In stifling voices after Zhuhai car attack, China recycles crisis playbook

      The country's well-oiled censorship machinery had quickly gone to work after the attack.

    • Public Knowledge ☛ Public Knowledge Concerned Carr Chairmanship Threatens Free Speech, Proposes Arbitrary Authority

      Recently, President-elect Donald Trump confirmed that he has selected Brendan Carr to lead the Federal Communications Commission. Public Knowledge is deeply concerned with this selection which seems to mark a potential departure from the public interest mission of the agency.

    • LRT ☛ LRT cuts ties with media personality Ramanauskas amid hate speech probe

      
      

  • Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

    • Press Gazette ☛ Young UK adults read average of six news stories per day, research finds

      Tracking data suggests young adults in UK are more interested in news than they say they are.

    • Press Gazette ☛ News media job cuts 2024 tracked: Dotdash Meredith lays off 53 people while AP plans buyouts

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong gov’t defends custody of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai amid claims of ‘unlawful’ detention

      A team of foreign lawyers who criticised the “unlawful” detention of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai had acted “completely contrary” to the ethics demanded of the profession, the Hong Kong government has said.

    • Press Gazette ☛ Essex Police action against Allison Pearson is misguided and chills press freedom

      Media law expert David Banks says Essex Police should have done its homework.

  • Civil Rights/Policing

    • Press Gazette ☛ Telegraph calls for change in law after Allison Pearson accused of Public Order offence

      Year-old deleted Allison Pearson message on X has surfaced via the internet archive.

    • BIA Net ☛ Arrested lawyer Dilek Ekmekçi begins hunger strike

      Ekmekçi was remanded in custody last month. She claims that she was imprisoned because of her fight against the sexual exploitation of children in state care.

  • Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

    • APNIC ☛ Event Wrap: 42nd TWNIC IP Open Policy Meeting

      Che-Hoo Cheng delivered a keynote presentation at the 42nd TWNIC IP Open Policy Meeting, held in Taipei on 23 October 2024.

    • APNIC ☛ Event Wrap: KRNOG 2.0

      Shane Hermoso presented on RPKI at KRNOG 2.0, held in Seoul, South Korea on 24 October 2024.

  Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Digital Music News ☛ PRS for Music Sues Live Nation Over VIP Ticketing Payment Calculations, Calls for Live Sector ‘Transparency’

    PRS for Music is suing Live Nation over the promoter’s alleged failure to properly account for and make payments on revenue from VIP packages. London-based PRS’ litigation, spearheaded specifically via the U.K. High Court’s Intellectual Property division, entered the media spotlight in reports across the pond.

  • Patents

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Patent Claim Count

      The updated patent monopoly claim count data through 2024 reveals a continuing trend toward standardization in claim counts, with both the median and mean hovering around 16-17 claims per patent. The perhaps the most striking feature of this longitudinal data is the dramatic reduction in variance – from a standard deviation of about 15 claims in the mid-2000s to just about 7 claims today. This compression suggests that patent monopoly drafting has become increasingly standardized, likely driven by USPTO fee structures that discourage exceeding 20 claims and the professionalization of patent monopoly prosecution practice that pushes up on the claim count.

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ The Team-Based Reality of Modern Innovation: Average Patent Now Lists More Than Three Inventors

      by Dennis Crouch

      New data from the USPTO shows that the amazing transformation in patent monopoly inventorship continues: the average number of inventors per utility patent monopoly has reached 3.2 in 2024, nearly double the 1.7 inventors per patent monopoly seen in 1976. This steady rise in team-based inventing reflects fundamental changes in how innovation occurs and how the patent monopoly system operates.

    • JUVE ☛ Edwards deals a severe blow to Meril with regular advisors

      Meril Life Science infringes Edwards Lifesciences’ important EP 3 646 825 with its current Myval Octacor Transcatheter Heart Valves, the UPC local division Munich under presiding Judge Matthias Zigann ruled on Friday (case ID: ACT_459987/2023).

  • Trademarks

    • TTAB Blog ☛ Precedential No. 27: TTAB Dismisses Empresa Cubana's Pan-Am Article 8 Claim, But With Leave To Re-Plead

      In a precedential decision of interest to the many aficianados of the Pan-American Convention, the Board granted a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss Petitioner Empresa Cubana's claim for cancellation under Article 8 of the Convention. Empresa's allegations fell just short of stating a proper claim, but the Board gave Empresa twenty days to re-plead. Empresa Cubana del Tabaco d.b.a. Cubatabaco v. Kretek International, Inc., Cancellation No. 92082877 (November 14, 2024) [precedential].

    • Anna Delvey sends cease-and-desist to Walmart over allegedly unlicensed T-shirts and sweatshirts featuring her name

      She's successfully reinvented herself as a fashion insider, and it turns out that she trademarked her criminal alias just before she left prison.