Science

• Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discover a Speech Trait That Foreshadows Cognitive Decline

  A hidden signal.

• Science Alert ☛ Amazing Theory Accidentally Reveals The Precise Shape of a Photon

  An unprecedented discovery.

• Hackaday ☛ Life Found On Ryugu Asteroid Sample, But It Looks Very Familiar

  Samples taken from the space-returned piece of asteroid Ryugu were collected and prepared under strict anti-contamination controls. Inside the cleanest of clean rooms, a tiny particle was collected from the returned sample with sterilized tools in a nitrogen atmosphere and stored in airtight containers before being embedded in an epoxy block for scanning electron microscopy.

Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

• New York Times ☛ Drug Companies Face Hostility as They Hope for Allies Among Trump’s Health Picks

  Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other candidates for top health posts are at odds with the drug industry, setting the stage for tense battles over regulatory changes.

• CS Monitor ☛ In Delhi, life beats on under toxic smog. But residents say this year is different.

  Delhi's air pollution is among the worst in the world, far exceeding World Health Organization safety limits. Residents share what that feels like for them on the ground.

• Latvia ☛ State takes over Daugavpils Regional Hospital

  In order to prevent financial problems in Daugavpils Regional Hospital, the State, through the Ministry of Health (VM), has acquired the majority of the capital shares and has thus taken over the hospital under its supervision, Health Ministry said in a statement on November 26.

• France24 ☛ Plastic pollution: Chinese island’s plastic waste turned into artworks

  As storm clouds gathered on a forgotten beach in China's Miaodao islands, artist Fu Junsheng picked his way through piles of plastic waste washed up along the shoreline, looking for inspiration.

Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Doug Brown ☛ The capacitor that Fashion Company Apple soldered incorrectly at the factory

  There have been some past rumblings on the internet about a capacitor being installed backwards in Apple’s Macintosh LC III. The LC III was a “pizza box” Mac model produced from early 1993 to early 1994, mainly targeted at the education market.

• IT Pro ☛ Everything you need to know about the Abusive Monopolist Microsoft outage

  Life is getting back to normal for users of Abusive Monopolist Microsoft 365, Outlook, and Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Teams after significant outages yesterday that affected users worldwide.

• Pen Test Partners ☛ BEC-ware the Phish (part 3): Detect and Prevent Incidents in M365 [Ed: Microsoft 365 breaks on its own; it's better not used at all]

  TL;DR Take lessons learned from investigation, such as reviewing how emails evaded existing phishing controls to update anti-malware policies.  

• Silicon Angle ☛ Artists briefly leak access to OpenAI’s Sora video generator

  A group of artists has leaked access to Sora, an Proprietary Chaffbot Company artificial intelligence model designed for video generation that is currently in private alpha. The artists made Sora’s application programming interface accessible via Hugging Face, Quartz reported today. Proprietary Chaffbot Company blocked access to the API after about three hours.

Security

• Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

  • WhichUK ☛ Beware of social control media and Surveillance Giant Google ads for fake glamping sites

    Accommodation advertised at £99 a night doesn’t exist - here is how to spot the scam

• Privacy/Surveillance

  • Bruce Schneier ☛ NSO Group Spies on People on Behalf of Governments

    The Israeli company NSO Group sells Pegasus spyware to countries around the world (including countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, Mexico, Morocco and Rwanda). We assumed that those countries use the spyware themselves. Now we’ve learned that that’s not true: that NSO Group employees operate the spyware on behalf of their customers.

  • The Strategist ☛ As China tries harder to collect data, we must try harder to protect data

    China is stepping up efforts to force foreign companies to hand over valuable data while strengthening its own defences.

Defence/Aggression

• The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian who claims to be a pastor charged with murder of mother; allegedly stuffed body in freezer

  He allegedly committed the offence in March 2021.

• The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia’s public prosecutors under fire after court discharges Najib in 1MDB-linked case

  The prosecutors' competence have been questioned after the latest court decision.

• The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia drops 1MDB-linked charges against ex-PM Najib, Treasury official

  The Kuala Lumpur High Court granted their bid for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.

• EXPLAINED: What is Myanmar’s Arakan Army?

  Spotlight on fate of Rohingya Muslims, China investments as guerrillas consolidate control.

• France24 ☛ UN Resolution 1701 is the linchpin of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire. Will it hold in 2024?

  The ceasefire deal agreed to by Lebanon and Israel aims to reinvigorate a UN Security Council resolution adopted in 2006 after a previous war between Hezbollah and Israel. Observers say that circumstances are now more complicated than they were nearly two decades ago, with a weakened Lebanese state and changing leadership in the United States.

• The Straits Times ☛ China defence minister Dong Jun’s fate unclear as differing accounts emerge on corruption probe

  When asked about the FT report, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said it was “chasing shadows”.

• New York Times ☛ China Has a New Playbook to Counter Trump: ‘Supply Chain Warfare’

  A series of swipes at American companies show how China could take the initiative in a new trade war, using its economic dominance to exact pain.

• The Straits Times ☛ China state media warns Trump against mutually destructive tariff war

  Economists have begun downgrading their growth targets for China’s US$19 trillion economy for 2025 and 2026.

• Trade and tariffs to dominate US-China ties under Trump

  The president-elect seems more focussed on ‘Made in China’ stickers than Taiwan or the South China Sea.

• The Straits Times ☛ China defence minister placed under investigation for corruption, FT reports

  He is the third consecutive serving or former Chinese defence minister to be probed for corruption.

• The Straits Times ☛ China could launch military drills near Taiwan over Lai’s Pacific visit: Sources

  Mr Lai will start a visit to Taipei's three diplomatic allies in the Pacific on Nov 30.

• Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

  • Meduza ☛ Euro exchange rate climbs above 120 rubles on Forex — Meduza

Environment

• New York Times ☛ Record Snowfall Hurls Seoul Into Winter

  The heaviest November snowstorm on record in the South Korean capital was a nuisance to commuters, and a delight to tourists, children and dogs.

• The Straits Times ☛ South Korean capital hit by record November snowfall: Weather agency

  It was also the first snow of the season in Seoul.

• Energy/Transportation

  • European Commission ☛ Speech by Commissioner Simson in the European Parliament's plenary session on the rise of energy prices and fighting energy poverty

    It is an honour for me to address you in my last plenary session as EU Commissioner for Energy.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ German car giant Volkswagen announces sale of operations in China’s Xinjiang region

    German car giant Volkswagen said Wednesday it would sell its operations in China’s Xinjiang region, where Beijing has been accused of widespread human rights abuses including forced labour.

Finance

• Scoop News Group ☛ Appeals court tosses sanctions on Tornado Cash crypto mixer

  The mixer was sanctioned after a North Korea hacking group used the software to launder more than $455 million.

• Bosch China Responds to Global Layoffs: Not Affecting China Region

  On November 27, BOSCH announced that it will lay off 5,500 employees globally, including cutting 3,800 positions in Germany. BOSCH China responded today that the layoffs will not affect the Chinese region.

  According to Bloomberg, Bosch’s move comes at a time when the automotive industry is facing multiple challenges: slow progress in the transition to electric vehicles and consumer budgets being squeezed by rising living costs. Ford Motor Company has just announced plans to cut 4,000 jobs in Europe, accounting for 14% of its local workforce, while Volkswagen is considering unprecedented measures including closing factories in Germany.

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

• Latvia ☛ President Rinkēvičs visits border zone in Korea

  During his working visit to South Korea on November 27, President Edgars Rinkēvičs visited the Korean demilitarized zone, his office said, and published numerous pictures.

• RFERL ☛ Toqaev Welcomes Putin On Visit To Kazakhstan During 'Difficult Time'

  Russian President Vladimir Putin has been warmly received in Kazakhstan, where he and Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev discussed boosting energy and industry ties.

• Daniel Pocock ☛ Why you should follow my RSS or Atom feed, Irish elections, everybody wins

  The word "ELIMINATED" has appeared in capital letters high in the search results, but that actually refers to the process of eliminating candidates one-by-one during counting in the last elections. No candidates have been eliminated in this election.

  One of the main highlights of this campaign was the distribution of a leaflet to every home in the region. Forty thousand households received the leaflet. Several people have spoken to me about electricity bills but not one has a bill as big as mine, €17,000.

  Regardless of whether I win or lose, in the next few days I'm going to publish fresh details about the secret expulsions in GNOME Foundation and more about the social engineering attacks in Debian, especially the cases where some kind of privilege escalation has been successful.

The Straits Times ☛ Singapore-China cooperation ‘especially valuable’ in troubled world, SM Lee tells President Xi

‘You are the Chinese people’s old friend, a good friend,’ President Pooh-tin tells SM Lee.

New York Times ☛ Meet One of Hong Kong’s Last Few Pro-Democracy Activists

For Chan Po-ying, a labor rights leader, life is one of constant police surveillance, even on hikes. But she finds solace from tiny gestures of support.

The Straits Times ☛ China declines comment on marriage of son of jailed official Bo Xilai

China said the government “was opposed to maliciously hyping" the matter up.

The Straits Times ☛ Latest graft probe on China defence minister a blow to foreign engagement

Admiral Dong Jun, the international face of the PLA, has been in the job for just 11 months.

Chinese defense minister under investigation: media

Defense minister Dong Jun’s two immediate predecessors were probed for alleged corruption.

Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

• The Strategist ☛ Beijing’s online influence operations along the India–China border

  The Chinese government is likely conducting influence operations on social control media to covertly dispute territorial claims and denigrate authorities in India’s northeastern states.

Press Gazette ☛ Six former editors urge Scott Trust not to ‘gamble’ with future of Observer

New plea for Scott Trust to pause negotiations with Tortoise over Observer sale.

JURIST ☛ UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan highlights deterioration of press freedom under Taliban rule

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) published a report on Tuesday highlighting the worsening condition of press freedom in Afghanistan, with journalists encountering increasing limitations, arbitrary detentions, and a widespread atmosphere of fear and self-censorship, since the Taliban seized power in August 2021.

France24 ☛ 'My father stayed to defend his people': Son of jailed Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai

FRANCE 24 spoke to Sebastien Lai, the son of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon, pro-democracy activist and founder of the now-defunct tabloid Fashion Company Apple Daily newspaper, Jimmy Lai. The elder Lai, in prison since December 2020, is currently on trial in Hong Kong for alleged collusion with foreign forces.

AccessNow ☛ When “cybercrime” laws infringe human rights: lessons from the Arab region

Governments across the Arab region already use cybercrime laws to violate human rights, and the UN cybercrime convention risks making this even easier.

Fates of Uyghur refugees deported from Cambodia in 2009 revealed

One woman suffered a miscarriage after torture, while another man who is sick has been subjected to forced labor.

Ruben Schade ☛ Motivating good and bad comments

Friend of the blog Josh has a locked account, so I’ve paraphrased:

I’ve wanted to leave comments on your posts before, but I’ve probably only been able to muster it 10% of the time. It floors me that some people want to take the time to do this via email to sent something rude, rather than positive.

AccessNow ☛ Ghana must uphold its record of no shutdowns — during upcoming elections, authorities must #KeepItOn

Ahead of the general elections in Ghana on December 7, 2024, the #KeepItOn coalition urges President Nana Akufo-Addo to publicly commit to unhindered access to the internet...

AccessNow ☛ #KeepItOn: government of Ghana and internet service providers must ensure open and secure internet access throughout the 2024 elections

The #KeepItOn coalition urges authorities in Ghana to publicly commit to ensuring that people have unfettered access to the internet throughout the 2024 general elections.

XDA ☛ More tech needs to be easily repaired

There are so many pieces of tech that we use which, when it breaks, we simply have to stop using. It can be incredibly prohibitive to try and fix them, and sometimes, it can cost more to buy the parts and get it fixed than it would cost to just buy a new device. This goes for phones, laptops, and more, but there are companies out there that are starting to realize how important it is to keep tech sustainable. Companies like Framework build upgrade paths into their laptops, so that you can upgrade your laptop or fix problems as they arise, rather than buying a whole new device.