Links 24/02/2024: More Sanctions Against BRICS, Software Patents Squashed
Contents
- Leftovers
- Science
- Education
- Hardware
- Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
- Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Security
- Defence/Aggression
- Transparency/Investigative Reporting
- Environment
- Finance
- AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
- Censorship/Free Speech
- Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
- Civil Rights/Policing
- Internet Policy/Net Neutrality
- Movie Monopolies/Monopsonies
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Leftovers
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The Straits Times ☛ At least 15 killed in fire in east China's Nanjing
A preliminary investigation suggested the fire started on the building’s first floor, where electric bikes had been placed.
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Cory Dransfeldt ☛ Weaving music data in and out of my personal website
I started integrating music data into my personal website when I added Last.fm artist and album displays to my now page. Initially, I tried sourcing artist images from a few different services, knowing that Last.fm had updated their API to stop serving them. After a fair bit of searching I found that most services that supplied artist images covered only a small fraction of my library and often supplied the wrong image when there were multiple artists sharing the same name.
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Ruben Schade ☛ Stadiums for art, not just sport [Ed: Sport? Or vanity projects for sportwashing?]
I’ll admit to being one of those people who roll their eyes at billion dollar stadium upgrades, especially given the steep opportunity cost. But Jack Snape may have proved me wrong:
A total of 96,000 people turned up on Friday. Then 96,000 on Saturday. And 96,000 on Sunday, highlighting the increasing popularity of arena spectaculars. Globally, shows in the top 100 stadiums grossed US$3.6bn ($5.5bn) in 2023 according to live music trade publication Pollstar, up 35% on the year before and more than double 2019, the year before the pandemic set in.
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Hackaday ☛ Mirror, Mirror, Electron Mirror…
If you look into an electron mirror, you don’t expect to see your reflection. As [Anthony Francis-Jones] points out, what you do see is hard to explain. The key to an electron mirror is that the electric and magnetic fields are 90 degrees apart, and the electrons are 90 degrees from both.
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Hackaday ☛ Reggaeton-Be-Gone Disconnects Obnoxious Bluetooth Speakers
If you’re currently living outside of a Spanish-speaking country, it’s possible you’ve only heard of the music genre Reggaeton in passing, if at all. In places with large Spanish populations, though, it would be more surprising if you hadn’t heard it. It’s so popular especially in the Carribean and Latin America that it’s gotten on the nerves of some, most notably [Roni] whose neighbor might not do anything else but listen to this style of music, which can be heard through the walls. To solve the problem [Roni] is now introducing the Reggaeton-Be-Gone. (Google Translate from Spanish)
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Hackaday ☛ Op-Amp Drag Race Turns Out Poorly For 741
When it was first introduced in 1968, Fairchild’s 741 op-amp made quite a splash. And with good reason; it packed a bunch of components into a compact package, and the applications for it were nearly limitless. The chip became hugely popular, to the point where “741” is almost synonymous with “op-amp” in the minds of many.
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New York Times ☛ Romeo Gigli Is Planning His Next Act in Marrakesh
The minimalist master of the 1990s, long absent from the fashion fray, is planning his next act in Marrakesh.
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TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Penumbra’s ‘Wine in the Wilderness’ is a vivid depiction of class, gender in 1960s Harlem
When she wrote “Wine in the Wilderness,” playwright Alice Childress seems to have been kind of fed up.
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Enshittification of Everything, Even Your Internet and Energy Provider
I want to combine two issues in this post, based on two very recent anecdotes. I’ve just checked bank accounts (it’s taking a long time because the login processes have become super-cumbersome), having already phoned BT several times, and the issue remained unsolved for several months.
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Science
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The Hill ☛ Odysseus lander tipped over on moon’s surface, now on it’s side
Altemus explained that some antennas on the lander were pointed toward the moon’s surface, therefore restricting data flow. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will try to determine its location.
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Gizmodo ☛ The Odysseus Lander Is Tipped Over on Its Side on the Moon
Odysseus landed on the Moon on Thursday, overcoming a glitch that jeopardized its ability to safely touch down. Although it made it to the surface, Odie’s landing was not so smooth, with the vehicle getting one of its legs caught, causing it to tip over on its side and possibly end up laying on a rock, Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus revealed during a press conference on Friday.
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New York Times ☛ Moon Lander Is Lying on Its Side but Still Functional, Officials Say
The Odysseus spacecraft was drifting horizontally as it set down, and a landing strut may have hit an obstacle on the surface.
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CS Monitor ☛ US back on moon, with difficult landing for first private-sector craft
The first lunar spacecraft landing by a private company – Houston-based Intuitive Machines – is a milestone. But technical challenges highlight the difficulty of space exploration.
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Science Alert ☛ Antimatter Could Unlock a Radical New Future of Interstellar Travel
There's just one problem.
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Science Alert ☛ Physicists Have Figured Out a Way to Measure Gravity on a Quantum Scale
They said it couldn't be done.
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Science Alert ☛ It's Official: Mysterious New Form of Magnetism Finally Confirmed
"In front of our eyes for decades without noticing it."
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Science Alert ☛ Dramatic Image Reveals How Much The Sun Has Changed in Two Years
A remarkable transformation is taking place.
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Education
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Jacobin Magazine ☛ The Internet Archive Provides a Model of Free Knowledge for All
What is the future of the library in times of digital reading? The Internet Archive, a digital library aiming to make knowledge accessible to everyone, was sued by four major publishers in March 2020 — it lost its case in December, although the company is attempting to appeal the result.
In March last year, a judge at the Southern District of New York court ruled that the Internet Archive was breaking the law after four of America’s largest publishers filed a lawsuit against it. They asked the judge to force the Internet Archive to stop all forms of lending and to destroy the digital books. What the ruling means for digital reading remains to be seen. The Internet Archive has appealed the decision. Its founder, Brewster Kahle, called the ruling “a blow to libraries, readers, and authors.” The CEO of the Authors Guild, Mary Rasenberger, on the other hand, called the ruling “a victory not just for publishers, but for all authors.”
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International Business Times ☛ What Role Will Artificial Intelligence Play In Academia? Here's What Experts Have To Say
Dr Caitlin Bentley is a researcher and lecturer in AI education within the Department of Informatics. She says that AI in academia is in "a moment of incredible flux", as its role is different depending on the discipline, university and country. For some areas of study such as computer science, medicine and engineering, AI has been a core aspect of education for some time.
She says the biggest change now is due to a specific type of technology called generative AI, using data to produce new and original content, which has been introduced into education without a lot of forethought.
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Hardware
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Hackaday ☛ Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C Makes It To The Lunar Surface In US Return After Half A Century
Intuitive Machines’ first mission (IM-1) featuring the Nova-C Odysseus lunar lander was launched on top of a SpaceX Falcon 9 on February 15th, 2024, as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS). Targeting a landing site near the lunar south pole, it was supposed to use its onboard laser range finders to help it navigate safely for a soft touchdown on the lunar surface. Unfortunately, it was this component that was found to have malfunctioned as the spacecraft was already in lunar orbit. Fortunately, there was a workaround. By using one of the NASA payloads on the lander, the Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL), the mission could continue.
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David Rosenthal ☛ Competition-proofing
Source Apart from getting started in the midst of one of Silicon Valley's regular downturns, another great thing about the beginnings of Nvidia was that instead of insisting on the "minimum viable product" our VCs, Sutter Hill and Sequoia, gave us the time to develop a real architecture for a family of chips. It enabled us to get an amazing amount of functionality into a half-micron gate array; I/O virtualization, a DMA engine, a graphics processor that rendered curved surfaces directly, not by approximating them with triangles, a sound engine and support for game controllers. As I write, after a three decade-long history of bringing innovations to the market, Nvidia is America's third most valuable company.
I've written several times about how in pursuit of a quicker buck, VCs have largely discarded the slow process of building an IPO-ready company like Nvidia in favor of building one that will be acquired by one of the dominant monopolists. These VCs don't support innovation. Even if their acquisition-bound companies do innovate in their short lives, their innovations are rarely tested in the market after the acuisition.
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Tom's Hardware ☛ US won't restrict exports of 'mature chips' to China — processors using 28nm or older tech will be free from sanctions
A Department of Commerce official stated that sanctions on China wouldn't extend to "mature chips or legacy chips."
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Silicon Angle ☛ Intel pitches ‘systems foundry for the Hey Hi (AI) era,’ but Nvidia steals its thunder
Artificial intelligence once again dominated the news this week, but not so much in the software as the hardware. Despite investor worries about Nvidia’s already high stock price, the Hey Hi (AI) chipmaker knocked its earnings out of the park Wednesday, sending its stock up 16% and dragging the Nasdaq up 3%.
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CNX Software ☛ Semtech AirLink XR60 is the world’s smallest rugged 5G router
Semtech AirLink XR60 is a tiny 5G router powered by a quad-core Cortex-A53 processor with up to two Ethernet ports (1Gbps and 5 Gbps), WiFi 6 connectivity, GNSS navigation, and an optional RJ45 serial port.
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Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
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Antivax quacks: It’s always (also) about the grifter and grift
One of my favorite sayings about antivax “influencers” and “leaders” is some variant of this: Come for the quackery and ideology, stay for the grift. Alternatively, I like to say something along the lines of: It’s always (als0) about the grift and grifting grifter who engages in the grift. There are exceptions, but the typical leader or influencer in the antivax movement didn’t start out as a grifting quack.
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Pro Publica ☛ Complications for Pregnant Veterans Have Doubled, Report Finds
Over the past decade, the rate of veterans suffering severe pregnancy complications has risen dramatically, a new federal report found.
Veterans have raced to the hospital with dangerous infections, kidney failure, aneurysms or blood loss. They’ve required hysterectomies, breathing machines and blood transfusions to save their lives. Between 2011 and 2020, 13 veterans died after such complications.
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FAIR ☛ Government Gag Rules Keep Vital Info From the Public
Reporting on the government institution charged with saving us from the Covid pandemic was restricted enough to leave real holes in what we knew.
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YLE ☛ Finland sees surge in use of ADHD medication
Social benefits agency Kela paid ADHD medication reimbursements to over 100,000 people last year, a near ten-fold increase on the number in 2013.
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Jack Baty ☛ A short break from social media
Spending some time in my own head is probably good for me, even though I don't always enjoy being there. (Hence the reason I spend so much time online).
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The Hindu ☛ ‘Providing low-cost treatment to patients should be the aim of scientists and researchers’
Vice-Chancellor of Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara (SDM) University Niranjan Kumar has said that providing low-cost treatment to patients should be the aim of scientists and researchers.
He was inaugurating the SDM Bio MedCon 2024 national conference on the theme, Emerging Trends in Biomedical Research, organised by SDM Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences in Dharwad on Friday.
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teleSUR ☛ Nigeria: 72 Killed in Lassa Fever Outbreak
Two health workers have been so far affected by the Lassa fever outbreak in the country, with the predominant age group of victims being 21 years and 30 years of age, the NCDC said in its report.
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Mexico News Daily ☛ Air quality alert in effect for Mexico City metropolitan area
High concentrations of ozone have triggered environmental health restrictions in Mexico City and the Valley of México.
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Latvia ☛ Part of hospital's missing files found
After the termination of the construction contract, the experts of Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital (PSKUS) found a lack of construction documentation when they took possession of the new building. On Thursday evening, the PSKUS reported that part of the documentation had been found.
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NYPost ☛ This ancient Buddhist practice can help to combat stress, burnout in the workplace, experts say
Learn om the job.
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Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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NDTV ☛ Gmail Shutting Down In August? Here's What Google Said
Google on Friday clarified that it is not shutting its popular email service, Gmail, after rumours on social media platforms suggested the service was coming to a close later this year.
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The Verge ☛ A former Gizmodo writer changed his name to ‘Slackbot’ and stayed undetected for months
Hiding on Slack isn’t all that hard, apparently; you just have to pretend you’re a bot. That’s what IT Brew’s Tom McKay did when he left Gizmodo in 2022, and he went undetected by the site’s management for months.
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Gizmodo ☛ AI Is in the Midst of a Fever Dream and It’s Only Getting Worse
AI chatbots made headlines this week with a range of glaring flubs that were hard to look past. Tech companies are rushing to show off their non-offensive, error-free AI chatbots. They’re hoping to show investors that the billions of dollars spent on this technology was a good investment. This week, AI chatbots showed they are not ready for the spotlight just yet.
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Security
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Privacy/Surveillance
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Futurism ☛ Students Horrified When Error Message Appears on Vending Machine, Revealing Something Dark
On its surface, the M&M-branded machines seemed as innocuous as any other snack dispenser. Then, out of the blue last month, an error window appeared on their screens, referring to a facial recognition application that the students had no idea about.
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CTV News ☛ 'Facial recognition' error message on vending machine sparks concern at University of Waterloo | CTV News
A set of smart vending machines at the University of Waterloo is expected to be removed from campus after students raised privacy concerns about their software.
The machines have M&M artwork on them and sell chocolate and other candy. They are located throughout campus, including in the Modern Languages building and Hagey Hall.
Earlier this month, a student noticed an error message on one of the machines in the Modern Languages building. It appeared to indicate there was a problem with a facial recognition application.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong police to install 15 sets of CCTV cameras in Mong Kok
The security cameras would be operated under the city’s privacy laws and the footage would be deleted automatically after 30 days from the date of recording, the bureau said. But if the footage was useful for criminal investigation, the law enforcement officers may duplicate the footage in accordance with police internal procedures and guidelines on the proper preservation and handling of video recordings.
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Techdirt ☛ Data Broker That Trafficked In Abortion Clinic Location Data Also Helps The Air Force With ‘Targeting’
In reality, studies show that anonymization means nothing, and it’s trivial to identify individual users given how many different available datasets are now available in the wild. Our refusal to even modestly regulate these markets creates a treasure trove of surveillance opportunity not just for corporate America, but for global intelligence agencies.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong police to install 15 sets of CCTV cameras in Mong Kok, no mention of face recognition function
Hong Kong police will install 15 sets of security cameras in Mong Kok next month, as part of a trial run for a new surveillance programme targeting crime blackspots in the city.
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Defence/Aggression
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Site36 ☛ Antifascists wanted in Budapest demand trial in Germany: Lawyers and parents oppose extradition to Hungary
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Insight Hungary ☛ Tens of thousands protest following Hungarian president's resignation
Hungarian influencers organized a gathering of over 50,000 protesters in Budapest last Friday, rallying for a shift in the nation's apathetic political attitude following the resignation of the president, Katalin Novak, due to controversy surrounding a pardon granted in a child sexual abuse case.
The demonstrators converged upon Heroes' Square, advocating for reforms within Hungary's child protection system and a change in far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's governing structure.
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Site36 ☛ German combat drones take off on time: Despite Gaza war no change to schedule for first delivery
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Democracy Now ☛ Haitian Asylum Seekers Take Biden Admin to Court for Racial Discrimination, Rights Violations
A federal court in Washington, D.C., heard arguments Thursday in a lawsuit accusing the Biden administration of racial discrimination and rights violations of Haitian asylum seekers. The suit was brought on behalf of 11 Haitian asylum seekers who were abused by U.S. border agents as more than 15,000 people, mostly from Haiti, were forced to stay in a makeshift border encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuña-Del Rio International Bridge in Texas. One of the plaintiffs is Mirard Joseph, the asylum seeker whose image went viral after being photographed while a Border Patrol agent on horseback lashed him with split reins, grabbed his neck and gripped Joseph by the shirt collar. “This is a critical junction in our country here in the United States as we make sure to uphold human rights and understanding seeking asylum is a human right,” says Guerline Jozef, executive director of immigrant advocacy organization Haitian Bridge Alliance, which helped bring the case on behalf of asylum seekers. “We will continue to push forward and make sure that accountability is served but also we have systematic change in the way that we receive people in the United States.”
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FAIR ☛ Shielding US Public From Israeli Reports of Friendly Fire on October 7
Since October, the Israeli press has uncovered damning evidence showing that an untold number of the Israeli victims during the October 7 Hamas attack were in fact killed by the IDF response.
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India Times ☛ World War II bomb found in a garden, 10k residents evacuated
Authorities in Plymouth, England, have safely detonated an unexploded World War II bomb in sea after it was found in a garden, as per officials on Friday.
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Digital Music News ☛ Paul Hourican, TikTok's Global Head of Music Ops, Steps Down
While the former MTV exec didn’t elaborate upon exactly what brought about this decision, it has, of course, arrived as the aforementioned TikTok-Universal Music dispute is in full swing. With the latter company’s catalog still absent from the platform – and with the possibility of a wider industry confrontation taking shape – TikTok is continuing to plow ahead with ambitious expansion initiatives on the music side.
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Kansas Reflector ☛ Moran turns to old-school communication method — a letter — to denounce Biden's use of TikTok
Moran, a Kansas Republican, said Biden’s reelection staff should avoid TikTok because the company was owned by ByteDance, which was required by Chinese law to share information with the government. TikTok has denied transferring data from U.S. consumers to the Chinese government and by extension the Communist Party.
Moran, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, and a group of other Republicans sent a letter to the president that argued the platform presented a threat to the United States, in part, because TikTok had significant appeal among American youth.
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Gannett ☛ Florida social media ban for minors under 16 moves to governor's desk
Florida's bill barring minors from using social media is headed to the governor's desk after approval in back to back State House and Senate votes Thursday.
The bill, known as HB 1, would bar anyone younger than 16 years old from creating new social media accounts and terminate existing accounts for those 16 and younger. It stands out among similar bills introduced around the country as it does not allow for exemptions with parental permission. It passed the House with bipartisan support in January.
A slightly modified HB 1 passed the Senate with a 23-14 vote Thursday morning, with five Republicans breaking from the majority to oppose the bill and two Democrats voting in favor.
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The Guardian UK ☛ Florida advances law banning children under 16 from using social media
The measure prohibits anyone under 16 from creating a new social media account and requires platforms to delete existing accounts held by minors who are younger than 16. It also would require social media companies to delete any personal information from the accounts and for the platforms to use a “nongovernmental, independent, third-party not affiliated with the social media platform” to verify users’ age.
The bill passed the Florida house with a bipartisan 106-13 vote and now heads to the Republican-controlled senate.
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Reuters ☛ Florida lawmakers vote to restrict children's access to social media | Reuters
"We must address the harmful effects social media platforms have on the development and well-being of our kids," said Florida House Speaker Paul Renner. "Florida has a compelling state interest and duty to protect our children, their mental health, and their childhood." The bill would also require firms to permanently delete personal information collected from the terminated accounts and let parents bring civil suits against those failing to do so.
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RNZ ☛ Florida lawmakers pass bill to ban social media for children under 16 | RNZ News
DeSantis, who has not indicated whether he will sign the measure, last month expressed concerns about its potential infringement on privacy rights. A spokesperson for his office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
Supporters have said the legislation would protect children from the harmful effects of social media on the well-being of those who use such platforms excessively, including anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses.
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New York Times ☛ Florida Passes Sweeping Bill to Keep Young People Off Social Media
The new rules in Florida, passed on Thursday, would require social networks to both prevent people under 16 from signing up for accounts and terminate accounts that a platform knew or believed belonged to underage users. It would apply to apps and sites with certain features, most likely including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.
Last year, Utah, Arkansas, Texas and Ohio enacted laws that would require social media platforms to get permission from a parent before giving an account to a minor under 18 or under 16.
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WGCU ☛ Teens say Florida's proposed ban on social media may have effect ahead of Senate's vote | WGCU PBS & NPR for Southwest Florida
The bill is a top priority for the House speaker, Rep. Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast. It would prohibit in Florida anyone under 16 years old as account holders of any social media platform. It instructs social media companies to implement age verification technology to determine the user’s age and further instructs all current accounts of minors under 16 be deleted.
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The Scotsman ☛ Shamima Begum loses Court of Appeal challenge over removal of British citizenship
In a summary of the decision, Baroness Carr, sitting with Lord Justice Bean and Lady Justice Whipple, said: “It could be argued the decision in Ms Begum’s case was harsh. It could also be argued that Ms Begum is the author of her own misfortune.
“But it is not for this court to agree or disagree with either point of view. The only task of the court was to assess whether the deprivation decision was unlawful. Since it was not, Ms Begum’s appeal is dismissed.”
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Digital Music News ☛ TikTok Rubs It In UMG's Face With 'Add to Music App' Expansion
Earlier, we noticed that TikTok’s algorithms appeared to de-emphasize muted content previously featuring UMG music. Taken together, we may be witnessing a tried-and-true negotiation tactic designed to weaken UMG’s position in its protracted licensing standoff.
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JURIST ☛ US federal judge sentences Texas man to 3 months prison for threatening Boston doctor affiliated with LGBTQ+ health center
A Massachusetts federal judge sentenced a Texas man to serve three months in federal prison on Thursday for threatening a Boston, Massachusetts doctor affiliated with the national LGBTQIA+ health education center.
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RFA ☛ North Korea assumes control of border industrial zone
Pyongyang is using factories and equipment in the Kaesong Industrial Complex without Seoul’s permission.
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YLE ☛ Treaty on Nato troops will require supermajority approval in Finnish Parliament
The Constitutional Committee decided on Friday that two-thirds of MPs will have to approve the agreement on Nato forces for it to pass.
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LRT ☛ Lithuania must insist on regional NATO air defence exercises – Hodges
Unable to buy enough air defence systems, Lithuania must insist on NATO air defence exercises in the region, Lieutenant General (Ret.) Ben Hodges, former Commanding General of US Army Europe, said at the Vilnius Security Forum on Friday.
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Defence Web ☛ Fighting in eastern DR Congo “worrisome” – Keita
Fighting between M23 and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) armed forces (FARDC – Forces Armees de la Republic Democratique du Congo) in the east of the country where a Southern African regional force is deploying, has “further compounded a dire humanitarian situation” the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) heard this week.
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The Kent Stater ☛ Sinking ship hit by Houthi missile leaves 18-mile oil slick in Red Sea, US officials say [Ed: Iran is filling the sea with oil, an act of ecocide]
A cargo ship that was struck by a Houthi ballistic missile on Monday has created an 18-mile long oil slick in the Red Sea as it continues to take on water, two US officials said Friday.
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New York Times ☛ Ship Attacked by Houthis in Red Sea Is Still Afloat, Its Operator Says
The ship, called the Rubymar, will be towed to a port city in Yemen after what appeared to be the Houthis’ most damaging attack yet.
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teleSUR ☛ Yemen's Houthis Launch Attacks on Israeli City and Two Ships
The Western coalition's warplanes launched four airstrikes on Thursday, hitting Houthi sites.
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Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine
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Meduza ☛ Help us support Ukrainians affected by Russia’s war A new fundraising campaign from Helpdesk, TV Rain, and Meduza — Meduza
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Latvia ☛ STRATCOMCOE podcast discusses Belarus
The Rīga-based NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence (STRATCOMCOE) has a new podcast available, this time on the subject of current events in Belarus.
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Meduza ☛ ‘I just want to follow the law’: One week after Navalny’s death, his mother refuses to cave to the Russian authorities’ intimidation tactics — Meduza
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Meduza ☛ Russian authorities give Navalny’s mother ultimatum: agree to secret burial within three hours or he’ll be buried at prison — Meduza
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Meduza ☛ ‘We’re afraid they’ll storm the morgue’: Fearing what public mourning could bring, the Kremlin wants to bury Navalny in secret — Meduza
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Meduza ☛ Russia launches overnight drone and missile attack on Ukraine, civilians reportedly killed and wounded — Meduza
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Meduza ☛ Russia is killing Ukrainians every day. We refuse to turn a blind eye. But to continue our work, Meduza needs your help. — Meduza
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Meduza ☛ White House announces over 500 new sanctions against Russia over war in Ukraine and Navalny’s death — Meduza
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Meduza ☛ Dispatch from Margara One year after ‘earthquake diplomacy’ opened the Armenian-Turkish border, a newly rebuilt checkpoint remains closed — Meduza
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Ruben Schade ☛ Euromaidan, and Alexei Navalny
This week marked the one decade anniversary of the end of the Euromaidan protests in Ukraine, and the Revolution of Dignity that ended the corrupt Yanucovych regime. Having lost his puppet, Putin began his invasion of the country in Crimea, which he accelerated in 2022 with his lie of a “special military operation”.
We’ve also had the news recently that Alexei Navalny died while in custody in Russia. If you believe the official narrative, you probably bought the lie of WMDs in Iraq too.
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France24 ☛ US slaps sweeping new sanctions on Russia for Ukraine war anniversary, Navalny’s death
The US on Friday issued sweeping sanctions on Russia to mark the second anniversary of the Ukraine invasion, targeting more than 500 people and entities, including Russian officials linked to the death in custody of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
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France24 ☛ Fake news about Kremlin critic Navalny aims to discredit him after his death
Since news broke on February 16, 2024 that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny had died while incarcerated in the Russian Arctic, there has been a resurgence of doctored images and fake news aiming to discredit Navalny and his family. We took a look at three of the most widely spread fake news items about Navalny. None of them are true.
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JURIST ☛ US announces over 500 new sanctions against Russia as second anniversary of Ukraine invasion approaches
President Biden announced in a statement on Friday over 500 new sanctions on Russian entities, one day before the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and less than a week after the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
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RFERL ☛ Navalny's Mother Given Three Hours To Agree To Secretly Bury Him, Associate Says
Russia's Investigative Committee gave Aleksei Navalny’s mother an ultimatum that she immediately agree to bury his body without a public ceremony or they would inter him on a site at the Arctic prison where he died a week ago, Kira Yarmysh, the ex-press secretary of the Kremlin critic, said.
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New Yorker ☛ Ty Cobb on Trump, Putin, and Navalny, and Lily Gladstone on Holding the Door Open
According to Cobb, an ex-Trump White House attorney, the former President’s preoccupation with Russia is about jealousy, not conspiracy. Plus, Gladstone talks about making Oscar history.
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RFERL ☛ Putin Fears Navalny Funeral Could Trigger Mass Demonstrations, Khodorkovsky Says
Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely refusing to release the body of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, who died in prison on February 16, because it fears a massive outpouring of grief and support just ahead of a presidential election, Mikhail Khodorkovsky said.
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RFERL ☛ Public Figures Urge Russia To Release Navalny's Body To His Family
A group of leading Russian public figures has urged the authorities to immediately release the body of outspoken Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny to his family after he died in prison a week ago.
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RFERL ☛ Biden Announces More Than 500 Fresh Russia Sanctions, Warns House 'History Is Watching'
U.S. President Joe Biden has announced a fresh package of more than 500 sanctions against Russia for its war on Ukraine and for the death of Kremlin opponent Aleksei Navalny, while urging the House of Representatives to pass a desperately needed aid package for Kyiv.
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New York Times ☛ Russian Authorities Threaten to Bury Navalny on Prison Grounds, Aides Say
Lyudmila Navalnaya was given an ultimatum to agree to a secret funeral, a spokeswoman for Aleksei A. Navalny said, but she refused to negotiate.
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New York Times ☛ Biden Announces Major New Sanctions on Russia After Navalny’s Death
The Biden administration, responding to the death of Aleksei A. Navalny, unveiled its largest sanctions package to date as the war in Ukraine enters its third year.
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New York Times ☛ U.S. to Hit Russia With Sanctions on Over 500 Targets
A package of economic restrictions to be rolled out on Friday will be the largest since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago.
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Techdirt ☛ Free Speech Absolutist ExTwitter Suspends Navalny’s Widow’s Account After She Speaks Out, Blames Spam Tools
Look, we all like to point out that when dealing in content moderation, mistakes are inevitable. But, I always find it amusing when people insist that mistakes must have been for nefarious purposes. Over the last few years, people, including ExTwitter owner Elon Musk, have insisted that stories like Twitter’s decision to restrict the sharing of the NY Post article on Hunter Biden’s laptop were some nefarious plot, rather than a mistake.
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Atlantic Council ☛ The toll on Russia from its war in Ukraine, by the numbers
Our experts quantify the staggering self-inflicted wounds Russia has suffered since Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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RFERL ☛ Latvia's Hockey Federation Suspends Licenses Of 7 Who Took Part In Tournament In Russia
Latvia's Hockey Federation said on February 22 that it had suspended the licenses of several ice hockey players who took part in the Games of the Future tournament, which was officially opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 21 in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan.
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New York Times ☛ Two Years Into Ukraine War, Putin Embraces Strongman Image
Vladimir Putin is drawing on history to position himself in the realm of Russian rulers of the past. Critics say his grip on power is not as strong as it seems.
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European Commission ☛ Joint Statement by the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Parliament
European Commission Statement Brussels, 23 Feb 2024 Today marks a tragic anniversary: that of Russia's full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine in manifest violation of international law and the UN Charter.
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European Commission ☛ EU Solidarity with Ukraine at a glance
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European Commission ☛ EU adopts 13th package of sanctions against Russia after two years of its war of aggression against Ukraine*
European Commission Press release Brussels, 23 Feb 2024 The Commission welcomes the Council's adoption of a 13th package of sanctions against Russia. Two years since Russia brutally invaded Ukraine, EU's support for Ukraine and its people remains as strong as ever. Europe is united and determined to continue defending its values and founding principles.
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Latvia ☛ Ukrainian musician Oksana Nikitiuk's busy life in Latvia
Ukrainian musician Oksana Nikitiuk, who has been away from her homeland for two years, calls music, the friends she has made in Latvia and like-minded people her sources of strength. Latvian Radio spoke to the accomplished artist February 23 about her life and music in Latvia.
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Latvia ☛ Latvia joins European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian Films
The Latvian National Film Center (NKC) has joined the organization of 19 European film institutions “European Solidarity Fund for Ukrainian films” which has also announced two financial support tenders for Ukrainian films and co-productions this year, the representatives of the NKC said on Friday, February 23.
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Latvia ☛ President: Public opinion shows long-term effects of propaganda
The poll, which shows that a third of the Latvian population believes that Ukraine should accept compromises, reflects the fragmentation of Latvian society and the influence of long-term Russian propaganda, President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs said in an interview on Latvian Television Friday morning.
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Latvia ☛ Three for the Weekend: Supporting Ukraine
This weekend is a tragic one for millions, as two years pass since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Here are a few events taking place in solidarity of Ukraine.
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Latvia ☛ Business pledges support for Ukrainian kids' camps
In response to an appeal by the "Entrepreneurs for Peace" foundation to support holiday camps for children of Ukrainian soldiers this summer, Draugiem Group company Printful has announced it will fund two camps, allowing more than 60 children to enjoy time away from the war.
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Latvia ☛ Latvian reporters in Ukraine: Ina Strazdiņa of Latvian Television
In Latvian media, several reporters have become familiar voices reporting from the war in Ukraine. Ieva Vārna from TV3, Ina Strazdiņa from Latvian Television (LTV) and Indra Sprance from Latvian Radio have all filed moving and powerful reports from the front lines as well as telling stories about those behind the front lines in Ukraine. Over three days LSM will profile these excellent, brave journalists.
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Latvia ☛ UN ambassador: Latvia must be a loudspeaker for Ukraine
As Russia's war in Ukraine continues, Latvia's task is to help not only materially, but also diplomatically by carrying Ukraine's messages internationally, said Katrīna Kaktiņa, Ambassador to the UN, OSCE, and other international organizations in Vienna, in an interview on Latvian Television's "Morning Panorama" program February 23.
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Latvia ☛ Latvia's donations to Ukraine estimated at over €650 million
Latvia has been one of the biggest supporters of Ukraine since the Russian war began. The State Chancellery has estimated that the Latvian government, public and non-governmental organizations, and associations have contributed at least €650 million to Ukraine over the two years of the war, Latvian Radio reported February 23.Latvia's aid to Ukraine is approaching 1% of gross domestic product. Egita Diure, spokesperson for the State Chancellery, said that of the 650 million, most of the money - more than 370 million - has been invested in military equipment.
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Latvia ☛ Survey: Latvians give politicians poor grades for security decisions
On average, people rate the achievements of politicians in strengthening Latvia's external and internal security since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine at 4.46 on a ten-point scale, according to a poll by "What's Happening in Latvia?/KNL" and SKDS poll conducted in February.
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AntiWar ☛ Selecting Syrsky: The Untold Half of the Zaluzhny Story
There were probably many reasons why Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky fired Ukraine’s popular commander in chief of the armed forces, Valerii Zaluzhny, on February 8, but one of the biggest seems to have been a disagreement over how to go forward in a war that seemed to have overwhelmingly turned against them.
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NYPost ☛ America must take the world’s new Axis of Evil much more seriously — or else
China's approval of supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine and with it almost being 2 years since the beginning of the war, it is only a matter of time before a bigger conflict possibly emerges.
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Atlantic Council ☛ Making Russia pay for the invasion of Ukraine
Using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine's resistance and recovery is morally justified and would also ease the financial burden on Western economies, writes Paul Grod.
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France24 ☛ Two years after Russia’s invasion, Ukraine reorients its strategy to focus on defence
Two years after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the lack of troops and ammunition and the depth of Russia's field fortifications are forcing Kyiv to adopt a more defensive strategy. As it waits for more Western support, the Ukrainian army is holding out for better days.
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France24 ☛ Two years of Russia's war in Ukraine: Growing up in the midst of conflict
How to plan the future when you're young and Ukrainian? Two years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Maksim still lives in Kyiv despite the daily bomb alerts. Mariya fled to Brussels in the aftermath of the invasion, joining the millions of displaced Ukrainians seeking refuge across Europe. In interviews with ENTR, both explained their very different daily lives, mixed with fears and hopes.
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France24 ☛ In Spain, Ukrainian civilians prepare for battle at a training centre near Madrid
Located one hour from Madrid, the Toledo Training Command centre is one of the largest military training centres in Europe. Hundreds of Ukrainian civilians who have volunteered to head to the front are training there as part of the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM), set up in October 2022. Spain is one of the EU's key training providers, having already trained 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers. FRANCE 24's Rémi Cadoret, Armelle Exposito and Bertrand Aguirre report.
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LRT ☛ First Lithuanian troop killed in war in Ukraine
The first Lithuanian soldier, fighting on the Ukrainian side against the Russian invasion, was killed on Friday when a Russian drone hit a moving car,
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LRT ☛ Lithuania calls international competition to design schools for Ukraine
The Central Project Management Agency (CPVA) and the Lithuanian Union of Architects have announced an international open competition to select the best architectural proposal for the Future School for Ukraine project.
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RFERL ☛ Head Of UN Atomic Watchdog Calls For 'Restraint' After Blasts Near Ukrainian Nuclear Plant
UN atomic watchdog chief Rafael Grossi called on February 23 for "maximum military restraint" after a string of powerful explosions occurred near Ukraine's Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant this week.
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RFERL ☛ Ecuador Calls Off Arms Exchange With U.S. Over Plan To Send Weapons To Ukraine
Ecuador has canceled a plan to trade outdated Soviet weapons for new arms from the United States, President Daniel Noboa said on February 23 after learning that the old weapons would have been sent to Ukraine.
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RFERL ☛ Poland Opts Not To Meet Ukrainian Delegation Sent To Border To Discuss Farmers' Blockade
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said a meeting with Polish government officials on the border between the countries did not take place on February 23 as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had requested.
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RFERL ☛ Poland Extradites Ukrainian Citizen Accused Of Drug-Related Crime To Kazakhstan
Kazakh authorities said on February 23 that Poland extradited a Ukrainian citizen, whose identity was not disclosed, to the Kazakh capital, Astana, where he is wanted for allegedly organizing the illegal production and distribution of psychotropic drugs.
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RFERL ☛ Hungary Blocks Common EU Statement To Mark Second Anniversary Of Ukraine Invasion -- Sources
Hungary has blocked a statement that the European Union had been supposed to issue on February 23 to mark the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, EU sources told RFE/RL.
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RFERL ☛ EU Announces 13th Russia Sanctions Package On Eve Of Second Anniversary Of Ukraine Invasion
The European Union announced a fresh package of sanctions against Russia on February 23, on the eve of the second anniversary of its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
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teleSUR ☛ New Sanctions Against Russia on Ukrainian Conflict Anniversary
Since the Russian military operation started on Feb. 24, 2022, U.S. authorities have imposed sanctions on over 4,000 entities and individuals.
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YLE ☛ The story of Kasper Alhoniemi — the first Finnish soldier to die fighting for Ukraine
Yle obtained extraordinary footage from the front lines in Ukraine to tell the story of a young man from Tampere who swapped a regular life in Finland for war in a foreign land.
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YLE ☛ IS: Finnish volunteer soldier dies in Ukraine
The 21-year-old man from eastern Finland is the third Finnish citizen known to have died in Ukraine since Russia's invasion almost exactly two years ago.
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CS Monitor ☛ What has two years of war cost Ukraine and Russia?
The war in Ukraine has tallied massive costs in lives, money, and materiel not just for the combatants, Ukraine and Russia, but for much of the world. It will take years before restoration is even within reach.
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CS Monitor ☛ Ukraine: After two years of war, the abnormal is the new normal
How has Lyman, a battered community in eastern Ukraine, endured two years of a war that never feels far away? Children need a secure routine. Services need to be restored. Yet everywhere, still, is uncertainty.
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New York Times ☛ For Many Ukrainians, It’s a 10-Year Anniversary of War
Russia’s invasion came in two phases, many Ukrainians say: the first a decade ago, when it sent soldiers over the border in an unacknowledged military intervention, and the second when it began its full assault two years ago.
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New York Times ☛ Inside the Hospitals Treating Brain Injuries in Ukraine
Two years of war have resulted in thousands of combat-related brain injuries. We followed surgeons and soldiers on the road to recovery.
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New York Times ☛ Visiting Ukraine, Schumer Pushes GOP to Fund War Effort
The top Senate Democrat warned that the fate of its war against Russia will turn on whether Republicans drop their opposition to sending more U.S. aid to Kyiv.
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New York Times ☛ Friday Briefing
Two years of war in Ukraine.
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European Commission ☛ EU sanctions - putting a price on Russia's war of aggression
European Commission Factsheet Brussels, 23 Feb 2024 EU sanctions - putting a price on Russia's war of aggression EU sanctions
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Atlantic Council ☛ Russia’s blocked assets: A ‘non-collateral collateral’ plan could be the way forward
Instead of seizing Russia’s immobilized sovereign assets outright, G7 members seem instead to be aligning around “unlocking their value.”
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France24 ☛ France blames Russia’s FSB for anti-Semitic Star of David graffiti campaign
France believes that Russia's security service FSB was behind a campaign in which Star of David graffiti were daubed on buildings in and around Paris last autumn, a French source said Friday.
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RFERL ☛ Residents Of Russia's Ingushetia Mark 80th Anniversary Of Deportation To Central Asia
Residents of Russia's North Caucasus region of Ingushetia have been marking the 80th anniversary of the deportation of Ingush and Chechens from the North Caucasus to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
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RFERL ☛ Russian Appeal Against Olympic Suspension Rejected
The Court of Arbitration for Sport says it has dismissed an appeal by the Russian Olympic Committee against its suspension by the International Olympic Committee.
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RFERL ☛ Pashinian Says Armenia Freezes Membership In Russian-Led Security Alliance
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has said his country has frozen its membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) as Yerevan continues to distance itself from Moscow amid a souring of bilateral relations.
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YLE ☛ Prosecutor demands fine over rifle peace symbol near Russian consulate
In court, the defendant had the support of nearly ten friends who also join him in daily protests by the consulate in Åland.
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YLE ☛ Friday's papers: New border law, anti-Roma discrimination, flood warning
Finnish media reports on Friday that the government is preparing a "drastic" new law aimed at further tightening security on the eastern border with Russia.
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Marcy Wheeler ☛ Ken Vogel Covers Up Rudy Giuliani and His Alleged Russian Spies
In a story struggling to explain how Alexander Smirnov relates to the side channel Bill Barr set up to launder dirt from Rudy Giuliani, Giuliani mouthpiece Ken Vogel covers up the role of Rudy and the alleged Russian spies from whom he solicited dirt on Hunter Biden.
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New York Times ☛ The U.S. Unveiled Major New Sanctions on Russia
Also, Netanyahu released his plan for postwar Gaza. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.
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Meduza ☛ ‘The threat to his life is off the charts’: Ilya Yashin calls on world leaders to secure release of his fellow Russian political prisoner Vladimir Kara-Murza — Meduza
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LRT ☛ Belarus slams Lithuania’s border checkpoint closures, threatens retaliation
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry has reacted to Lithuania’s decision to close two border checkpoints by saying the move is politically motivated and part of an “election campaign”, reports the Belarusian state news agency BelTa.
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Meduza ☛ Workers at prison where Navalny died reportedly tried to pass off inmate’s death from torture as suicide in 2022 — Meduza
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Transparency/Investigative Reporting
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EFF ☛ EFF Urges Ninth Circuit to Reinstate X’s Legal Challenge to Unconstitutional California Content Moderation Law
While we are enthusiastic proponents of transparency and have worked, through the Santa Clara Principles and otherwise, to encourage online platforms to provide information to their users, we see the clear threat in the state mandates. Indeed, the Santa Clara Principles itself warns against government’s use of its voluntary standards as mandates. California’s law is especially concerning since it appears aimed at coercing social media platforms to more actively moderate user posts.
In a brief filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, we asserted—as we have repeatedly in the face of state mandates around the country about what speech social media companies can and cannot host—that allowing California to interject itself into platforms’ editorial processes, in any form, raises serious First Amendment concerns.
At issue is California A.B. 587, a 2022 law requiring large social media companies to semiannually report to the state attorney general detailed information about the content moderation decisions they make and, in particular, with respect to hot button issues like hate speech or racism, extremism or radicalization, disinformation or misinformation, harassment, and foreign political interference.
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Environment
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DeSmog ☛ In Rochdale By-Election, Climate Policy is Also on the Ballot
Amid February’s record-breaking temperatures, climate is emerging as a battleground – and faultline – between the UK’s two biggest political parties in the run up to the next general election.
In the past weeks, the Labour Party has dramatically scaled back its £28 billion green investment plans, while the Conservative government has committed to annual licensing rounds in the North Sea in a new oil and gas bill.
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DeSmog ☛ Scientists Condemn Last Minute Push to Overturn EU Nature Law
At the eleventh hour, right-wing politicians have launched a bid to block the passing of the EU’s flagship nature protection law, which scientists have described as a “cornerstone of food security and human health”.
The pro-nature plan, which could see as much as 90 percent of damaged ecosystems repaired across the bloc, is due for final sign off in Parliament on Tuesday (27 February).Usually a formality, the vote follows six months of intense – and at times bitter – negotiation of the law between the European Commission, Parliament and EU member states that saw an agreement reached in November last year.
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Energy/Transportation
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Grist Magazine Inc ☛ The growing popularity of degrowth - Grist | Grist
If you like the idea of a perpetual three-day weekend, you might be one of a growing cadre that supports the concept of degrowth: a school of thought aimed at shrinking economies and moving away from GDP growth as a metric of success, while instead emphasizing universal basic services and social well-being. The idea is gaining followers, especially in Europe and especially among young people. But it’s not just a fringe theory. A Beyond Growth conference hosted by the European Parliament last May saw 7,000 attendees, including the president of the European Commission.
Akielly Hu, Grist’s news and politics fellow, discussed the growing popularity of degrowth with Kohei Saito — a Marxist author whose 2020 degrowth manifesto quickly turned into a bestseller in Japan and beyond. (The English translation, called Slow Down, was just released last month.)
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The Register UK ☛ Nokia wants cell base stations to sell power to the grid
The telecoms infrastructure giant says the tool can switch cell base stations from grid power to backup batteries at times of peak demand to lower energy costs. Alternatively, it can provide energy back to the grid to generate revenue for the mobile operator.
Called Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Controller, the software creates "a new purpose and function" for the base station backup battery storage as this will mostly be sitting idle because power cuts are rare, Nokia claims.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ How cheap mini-electric vehicles took off in China’s smaller, poorer cities
By Matthew Walsh Tiny electric cars weave through traffic in southern China, their cheap and cheerful designs bringing a touch of colour to the EV revolution in the country’s overlooked cities.
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YLE ☛ Espoo plans 2 new Metro lines; population set to exceed half-million
Finland's second-biggest city is preparing for rapid population growth in the coming decades.
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Scoop News Group ☛ Utilities trade association releases baseline cyber standards for distributed renewable energy
The DOE-funded initiative provides voluntary guidance to electric distribution systems and distributed energy resources companies.
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Silicon Angle ☛ Intel report highlights continued security assurance investments, growing bug bounty program [Ed: PR stunt while they continue to manufacture defective chips and refuse to recall and replace with fixes (real ones)]
Intel Corp. today released its 2023 Product Security Report, highlighting its continued security assurance investments and a year-in-review of the vulnerabilities and mitigations that it uncovered over the last year.
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Wildlife/Nature
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New York Times ☛ Africa’s Donkeys Are Coveted by China. Can the Continent Protect Them?
Governments are seeking to curb donkey skin exports to China, where demand for traditional medicine and other products is threatening animals that rural households need.
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RFA ☛ China to send giant pandas back to US
San Diego Zoo will be the first beneficiary of the bears that China's president has called ‘envoys of friendship.’
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Pro Publica ☛ Here’s What the Survivors of the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Wildfire Want You to Know
Survivors of the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire have lessons for the rest of the country.
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Overpopulation
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The Kent Stater ☛ Flashes Fighting Hunger takes on food insecurity
Normally the university is against fighting, except when it comes to the fight against hunger. Since 2017, the university has operated Flashes Fighting Hunger, a food pantry for students and community members.
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Finance
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RFA ☛ No quick recovery for China’s falling home prices
Experts say the property sector has a structural issue that may take as long as 20 years to rectify.
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NYPost ☛ Gen Z and Millennials rush to claim tax refunds amid cost of living crisis
Show them the money.
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Latvia ☛ Frankfurt foils Rīga's effort to become EU anti-money laundering capital
An attempt by Latvia to lure the headquarters of a new European Union anti-money laundering authority to Rīga failed February 22 with confirmation that it will instead be located in Frankfurt, Germany.
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CS Monitor ☛ Do you carry credit card debt? Why Capital One is betting on it.
Swelling American credit card debt has Capital One Financial counting on a $30 billion merger with credit-lending heavy hitter Discover Financial. Since the pandemic, American consumers have relied more on credit card usage to support increased spending.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong Budget 2024: What to look for as city expects over HK$100 billion deficit for second consecutive year
Hong Kong’s finance chief Paul Chan will face some tough choices plugging a deficit expected to exceed HK$100 billion for the second consecutive year when he unveils his budget on Wednesday.
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AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
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EPIC ☛ Summary: What does the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act Actually Say? – EPIC – Electronic Privacy Information Center
Note that the AI Act does not yet have an official, public final draft of the text. The AI Act finished its lengthy negotiations phase between the EU Parliament and Council and is now in the final stages of adoption. On January 22, 2024, Luca Bertuzzi, an independent journalist, leaked a post-negotiation draft of the AI Act text, which is the most recent version of the proposal available to the public.[1] This blogpost was based off of this version of the AI Act.
Below is a detailed summary of the key components of the AI Act.
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India Times ☛ How employees saved Elon Musk from breaking US FTC rules |
In December 2022, the FTC initiated an investigation into X after a group of journalists published the “Twitter Files”. These files offered insights into the company's activities before it appointed Musk as CEO soon after he took over it. Despite Musk's orders, X workers decided not to comply with his demand to provide unrestricted access to the company data to journalists. The FTC letter claims that this act of defiance may have saved Musk from potential legal consequences from the regulatory watchdog.
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European Commission ☛ How to master Europe’s digital infrastructure needs?
The White Paper “How to master Europe’s digital infrastructure needs?” analyses the challenges Europe currently faces in the rollout of future connectivity networks and presents possible scenarios going forward. The challenges are multiple: technology, investment needs, lack of single markets for telecoms, lack of a level playing field, dependency, fragmented approach to radio spectrum management, need for more innovation and industrial capabilities across the telecom value chain, sustainability and security.
There are several possible scenarios to address those challenges, attract investments, foster innovation, increase security, and achieve a true Digital Single Market. The Commission aims to collect views on the scenarios outlined in the White Paper and provide all stakeholders: Member States, civil society, industry, and academics alike, an opportunity to contribute to the Commission’s future proposals in this domain.
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JURIST ☛ China Communist Party ex-official arrested on bribery charges
Chinese authorities arrested former Communist Party of China (CPC) Guizhou Provincial Committee secretary Sun Zhigang over alleged bribe-taking, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) announced Thursday. According to the National Supervisory Commission (NSC), the investigation into allegations of Sun’s corruption started in August 2023.
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Atlantic Council ☛ Inside the United States’ plan to compete with China in the Global South
China "is advancing an alternative vision for global governance," Daniel J. Kritenbrink, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs warned.
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France24 ☛ 'This cannot go on': Scandal over presidential child sex abuse pardon rocks Orban's Hungary
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is facing his biggest political crisis since returning to power in 2010, following the shock resignations of two of his allies over a child sex abuse case.
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France24 ☛ Hungarian President Novak resigns over child sexual abuse pardon
Hungarian President Katalin Novak, a close ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, announced her resignation Saturday following outrage over a pardon granted to a man implicated in a child sexual abuse case.
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New Yorker ☛ Does Impeachment Mean Anything Anymore?
House Republicans managed to impeach the Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas; meanwhile, their investigation into President Joe Biden is on the verge of collapse.
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Censorship/Free Speech
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EFF ☛ EFF Opposes California Initiative That Would Cause Mass Censorship
When it comes to online (or offline) content, people simply don’t agree about what’s harmful. And people make mistakes, even in content moderation systems that have extensive human review and appropriate appeals. The systems get worse when automated filters are brought into the mix–as increasingly occurs, when moderating content at the vast scale of the internet.
Recently, EFF weighed in against an especially vague and poorly written proposal: California Ballot Initiative 23-0035, written by Common Sense Media. It would allow for plaintiffs to sue online information providers for damages of up to $1 million if it violates “its responsibility of ordinary care and skill to a child.”
We sent a public comment to California Attorney General Rob Bonta regarding the dangers of this wrongheaded proposal. While the AG’s office does not typically take action for or against ballot initiatives at this stage of the process, we wanted to register our opposition to the initiative as early as we could.
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L D Stephens ☛ So you’re monetizing your blog – ldstephens
These bloggers seem to be adjusting their writing styles and content strategy, likely in pursuit of pleasing subscribers or attracting advertisers. And the frequency of their posts has increased, but the substance has dwindled.
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Techdirt ☛ Thanks To Swedish Court Ruling, Google No Longer Notifying Publishers About ‘Right To Be Forgotten’ Removals
This extension of EU data privacy laws gives people the power to delist and/or remove content published by others about themselves. Anyone could immediately see how this would be abused. People wishing to remove unflattering content would send Google and others removal requests. Those not confident enough to perform these acts of forgetfulness themselves would pay entities in the “reputation management” business to do this for them. This was on top of the usual tools used to censor negative content, including bogus takedowns backed by intellectual property law.
But this is what the people wanted, apparently, at least according to the EU legislators who represented them. There was really only one way to prevent abuse of this “right.” That was publishers subjected to bogus requests calling them out when they received them — something that has happened at this very site repeatedly.
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The Guardian UK ☛ Google stops notifying publishers of ‘right to be forgotten’ removals from search results
Google has quietly stopped telling publishers when it has removed websites from its search results under European “right to be forgotten” rules after a ruling in a Swedish court which the search engine is applying globally.
Previously, when an individual applied to have records about them expunged under EU data protection laws, Google would notify the publisher of the original articles.
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RTL ☛ Blasphemy versus freedom of belief: Thousands protest Pakistan Supreme Court minorities ruling
Thousands of Pakistanis protested against the Supreme Court's top judge on Friday, after he issued a ruling related to blasphemy that sparked online backlash and thinly veiled death threats.
A campaign targeting Supreme Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa began after he ordered the release of a man from the Ahmadi religious sect, considered heretical by hardline Muslim scholars.
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EFF ☛ As India Prepares for Elections, Government Silences Critics on X with Executive Order
This isn’t the first time that the Indian government has gone after X users. In 2021, when the company—then called Twitter—was under different leadership, it suspended 500 accounts, then first reversed its decision, citing freedom of speech, and later re-suspended the accounts, citing compliance with India’s Information Technology Act. And in 2023, the company withheld 120 accounts critical of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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International Business Times ☛ Russian Blogger Who Disclosed War Losses In Ukraine Dies By Apparent Suicide
He wrote that Russia lost 16,000 personnel and 300 pieces of armour during its assault on the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka. The city fell to Russia on Saturday. The fall of Avdiivka is being termed as Russia's first major success in Ukraine in more than nine months.
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The Register UK ☛ X protests forced suspension of accounts in India
The global government affairs team at X (née Twitter) has suspended some accounts and posts in India after receiving executive orders to do so from the country's government, backed by threat of penalties including significant fines and imprisonment.
The team revealed its actions on Thursday, writing "In compliance with the orders, we will withhold these accounts and posts in India alone; however, we disagree with these actions and maintain that freedom of expression should extend to these posts." X has appealed the order and notified impacted users.
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NPR ☛ Leaked document trove shows a Chinese hacking scheme focused on harassing dissidents
The majority of the operations appear to be focused on surveilling and harassing dissidents who publicly criticize the Chinese government, including on global social media platforms like X, formerly known as Twitter.
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RFA ☛ Shanghai director set to face trial over 'white paper' protest film
Chen Pinlin was detained soon after uploading his film to YouTube in a tribute to the 2022 protests.
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RFA ☛ China arrests more than 1,000 Tibetans protesting Chinese dam project
Detainees are told to bring bedding and food, suggesting they will not be released soon, sources say.
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Techdirt ☛ Protect Yourself From Sen. Mike Lee’s Anti-Porn PROTECT Act
If you work for a living, do you feel coerced into doing your job? According to Senator Mike Lee, if you have anything to do with pornography, and need to earn money in the industry, it must be coercion at play.
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France24 ☛ Tunisian imam expelled from France vows to appeal decision
A Tunisian imam expelled from France for alleged hate speech said on Friday he would take legal action in a bid to overturn the decision.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Chinese filmmaker charged over documentary about Covid-19 ‘white paper’ protests
A mainland Chinese filmmaker has been charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” over a documentary about the rare nationwide protests against the government’s strict Covid-19 restrictions in late 2022.
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Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
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Democracy Now ☛ “Governments Are Trying to Frighten Journalists”: Fmr. Guardian Head Alan Rusbridger on Assange Case
As Julian Assange awaits a decision from a British court on his possible extradition to the United States, Democracy Now! speaks with Alan Rusbridger, former editor-in-chief of The Guardian, who worked with Assange to publish hundreds of thousands of classified records from the U.S. acquired by WikiLeaks that document war crimes in the Middle East. “What the governments are now trying to do is to frighten journalists off,” says Rusbridger. “I think the world should wake up as to what the nature of the threat is going to be to mainstream journalism if this extradition is successful.”
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Democracy Now ☛ Press Freedom on Trial: Julian Assange’s Lawyer on Extradition Case & Criminalizing Journalism
At a critical hearing this week in London, lawyers for imprisoned WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange asked the British High Court of Justice to grant him a new appeal in what is likely his last chance to avoid extradition to the United States, where he faces a 175-year prison sentence for publishing classified documents that exposed U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. Assange’s lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, says the judges were receptive to their arguments that Assange could face the death penalty in the U.S. and that an extradition would set a dangerous precedent for press freedom. “If Julian is extradited and goes on trial under the Espionage Act, this is a case which is going to set precedent which criminalizes journalistic activity and will be used against the rest of the media.” A ruling in the case is not expected until next month at the earliest.
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teleSUR ☛ Verdict on Assange Appeal to Be Announced at Later Date
Assange, 52, is wanted in the United States on allegations of disclosing national defense information following WikiLeaks's publication of thousands of documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, which included an Apache helicopter video footage documenting the U.S. military gunning down Reuters journalists and children in Baghdad's streets in 2007.
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CPJ ☛ Zimbabwe’s The NewsHawks freezes military story over fears for journalists’ safety
Zimbabwean authorities must end the intimidation and surveillance of journalists working for The NewsHawks online newspaper and ensure they can report safely about the military, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Friday.
The NewsHawks, a privately owned investigative online newspaper, announced on Tuesday that it had halted further reporting on its February 12 story that three army generals were dismissed following allegations of corruption, citing fears for the safety of its journalists, according to news reports and The NewsHawks’ managing editor Dumisani Muleya, who spoke with CPJ.
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The Verge ☛ When is journalism hacking?
On Thursday, federal law enforcement arrested journalist Tim Burke and arraigned him in court in handcuffs. Twelve of the 14 charges levied against him in the since-unsealed indictment are under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), the federal anti-hacking statute.
The story begins with Tucker Carlson’s extremely cursed interview of Kanye West in 2022. Most interviews are edited for clarity; in this case, the interview was cut to exclude a rambling, antisemitic rant. That unaired clip and others made their way to Vice and Media Matters through Burke, who downloaded them from LiveU, a streaming service that media companies use to share video files. The FBI raided Burke’s home last year, seizing phones, laptops, hard drives, and notes.
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The Verge ☛ Yahoo lays off the leaders of Engadget
The nearly 20-year-old tech publication Engadget is laying off staff and restructuring editorial teams today with a new focus around traffic and revenue growth. The changes are designed to give the outlet a stronger emphasis on commerce revenue, while removing key editorial leaders from its newsroom, including its editor-in-chief.
Engadget, which is operated by Yahoo, will lay off 10 employees, according to people with knowledge of the situation who say staff were “blindsided” by the decision. In addition to cutting staff, the editorial team will split into two sections: “news and features” and “reviews and buying advice.” The news teams will focus on traffic growth, while the reviews teams will report to commerce leaders.
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VOA News ☛ Cuba Cuts Internet, Surveils Calls of Journalists, Report Finds
Journalist Henry Constantin says his access to the [Internet] was cut suddenly after La Hora de Cuba, the media site for which he works, began criticizing the Cuban government.
La Hora de Cuba publishes through Facebook and Instagram and is not aligned to the communist government. Its team of around 15 journalists has an audience of between 46,000 and 48,000 on social media.
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Scheerpost ☛ Chris Hedges: Julian Assange’s Grand Inquisitor
The prosecuting attorneys, under questioning from the judges, were knocked off balance when challenged about the veracity of several of the claims which Kromberg made in support of the indictment against Julian. This was especially the case when the attorneys argued that the classified documents Julian released in 2010 — known as the Iraq and Afghan war logs — were not redacted. These unredacted documents, they told the court, jeopardized the lives of those named in the documents and caused some to “disappear.”
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[Repeat] Press Gazette ☛ Julian Assange must wait for outcome of last-ditch hearing
At the end of Wednesday’s hearing, Dame Victoria Sharp and Mr Justice Johnson said they would give their decision at a later date.
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Techdirt ☛ Maybe Your Lawyers Shouldn’t Tell Reporters You Did Not Engage In ‘Conspiracy To Or Complicity In Murder’ When No One Was Claiming Otherwise
Sometimes my “I have not participated in any conspiracy to or complicity in murder” t-shirt raises a lot of questions already answered by my shirt.
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Off Guardian ☛ “Wiki-Gate”: How Julian Assange was Framed by His Supporters
We must act decisively in support and in solidarity with Julian Assange. In this regard, we must understand the history: On how Assange was betrayed and misled by those who allegedly supported him.
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JURIST ☛ Florida freelance journalist indicted for hacking media companies
Federal prosecutors indicted freelance journalist Tim Burke on Thursday for allegedly illegally accessing computer servers of several media companies.
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RFERL ☛ Iran Tries To Tighten Grip On Internet By Officially Outlawing VPN Use
Iran has officially outlawed the use of tools such as virtual private networks (VPNs) designed to bypass Internet censorship following a directive from the country's Supreme Council of Cyberspace that was endorsed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
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Press Gazette ☛ Government backs crackdown on lawsuits used to silence journalists
News Media Association says two "small changes" needed to Bill to protect freedom of speech for all.
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Press Gazette ☛ Byline Times, Vorderman and Maitlis face threat of legal action from Dan Wootton
Wootton's lawyer cites privacy precedent from Bloomberg vs ZXC Supreme Court judgment.
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Tedium ☛ Create For Yourself
With disruption hitting the media industry acutely in 2024, now is the time to lean into owning your creative work. Have a say in your creative destiny.
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Civil Rights/Policing
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JURIST ☛ Judge rules in favor of Texas school after student claimed race-based hair discrimination
A Texas judge ruled in favor of Barbers Hill Independent School District on Thursday, finding that the school district did not violate a new state law prohibiting race-based hair discrimination when it punished a black student for refusing to change his hairstyle.
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Digital Music News ☛ British Grime MC Wiley Stripped of MBE Following Antisemitic Rant, Action By CAA
British grime MC Wiley has been stripped of his Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) honor four years after an antisemitic rant in 2020. Here’s the latest. Known as the ‘Godfather of Grime,’ Richard Kylea Cowie performs under the name Wiley.
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Reason ☛ Albuquerque Cops Allegedly Got Paid To Make DWI Cases Disappear
The story of what happened next is just one facet of an ongoing corruption scandal at the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). Allegations that cops helped DWI defendants avoid conviction in exchange for payoffs have resulted in the dismissal of some 200 DWI cases, an internal probe, administrative leave for Montaño and four other officers, an FBI investigation, and the execution of search warrants at cops' homes and the office of a local defense attorney.
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Techdirt ☛ Fifth Circuit Un-Sticks It To The Man (Again) Says Cops Can’t Be Sued For Raiding The Wrong House
The latest free pass handed to cops involves something that happens far too often in the United States: the guns-out raid of the wrong residence. (h/t Courthouse News Service)
This was not as careless (or as horrific) as some of the other wrong-house raids we’ve covered, but a blown call at the last second resulted in innocent people being confronted by officers pointing guns and (presumably) shouting contradictory instructions.
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RFA ☛ Exclusive: More than 100 Tibetans arrested over dam protest
Chinese officials arrested more than 100 Tibetan monks and other ethnic Tibetans in China’s southwestern Sichuan province on Thursday to quell protests against a massive dam project that would destroy six Buddhist monasteries and force the relocation of two villages, three sources told Radio Free Asia.
In a rare act of defiance, residents have taken to the streets of Wangbuding township in Dege County in Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture since Feb. 14 to oppose the plan to build the 2,240-megawatt Gangtuo hydropower station on the Drichu River (Jinsha in Chinese), which is located on the upper reaches of the Yangtze, one of China’s most important waterways.
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JURIST ☛ ACLU claims South Carolina prison policy banning interviews violates First Amendment
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and ACLU of South Carolina filed a lawsuit against the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) on Thursday, claiming the department’s ban on news media interviews for incarcerated people violates the First Amendment to the US Constitution.
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JURIST ☛ US Supreme Court vacates pause of Boy Scouts of America sexual abuse cases
The US Supreme Court vacated an order by Justice Samuel Alito on Thursday that paused the dispute between the terms of a $2.46 billion settlement between sexual abuse victims and the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). BSA declared bankruptcy in 2020 amid thousands of lawsuits for sexual abuse against Scout Leaders.
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Reason ☛ Brickbat: You Can Never Be Too Careful
Officials in Aurora, Colorado, have agreed to pay $1.9 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Brittney Gilliam, her daughter, her sister, and her two nieces. In 2020, the five were pulled out of their SUV at gunpoint and handcuffed.
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The Kent Stater ☛ NRA found liable in corruption case as jury says longtime leader Wayne LaPierre should repay $4.3 million
A jury in a lawsuit brought by the New York Attorney General’s Office against the National Rifle Association found Friday that the gun rights group mismanaged charitable funds when it failed to stop top executives — including longtime leader Wayne LaPierre — from diverting millions of dollars for lavish personal trips, no-show contracts [...]
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Reason ☛ Court Strikes Down California Ban on Possessing Billy Clubs
From Judge Roger Benitez's decision in Fouts v. Bonta(S.D. Cal.): This case is about a California law that makes it a crime to simply possess or carry a billy. This case is not about whether California can prohibit or restrict the use or possession of a billy for unlawful purposes….
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Internet Policy/Net Neutrality
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Canion dot Blog ☛ The Sad State of Fibre Internet in Australia
I could pay even _more_money to get 1000 down and 50(!) up, but they only guarantee 600/40. Nah, I’ll keep my money.
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Movie
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Hackaday ☛ MovieCart Plays Videos On The Atari 2600
The original Xbox and PlayStation 2 both let you watch DVD movies in addition to playing games. Seldom few consoles before or since offered much in the way of media, least of all the Atari 2600, which was too weedy to even imagine such feats. And yet, as covered by TechEBlog, [Lodef Mode] built a cartridge that lets it play video.
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Digital Music News ☛ Apple Fires Back Against Spotify Claims As Massive EU Fine Nears: ‘Trying to Get Limitless Access to All of Apple’s Tools Without Paying Anything’
As the European Commission reportedly prepares to slap Fashion Company Apple with a $541 million fine stemming from an antitrust complaint levied by Spotify, the Fashion Company Apple Music developer has publicly addressed the subject.
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Patents
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Unified Patents ☛ OptiMorphix network services patent monopoly challenged
On February 22, 2024, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 7,586,871, owned by OptiMorphix, Inc. The ‘871 patent monopoly relates to providing services in a data communications system. It has been asserted against Amazon, Broadcom, Cisco, F5, Google, Microsoft, Oracle, and VMware.
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Kangaroo Courts
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JUVE ☛ EPO new battleground in Nevro and Boston Scientific medical device dispute [Ed: Kangaroo Courts of the EPO kicking into action, still beholden to the dictatorship of the corrupt Office. You can put a bunch of human beings ("smarter" apes) in robes and gowns with special wigs on, but that won't make them unbiased, moral and independent, it might set expectations based on movies and pop cultures references. Even "judges" poo, pee and fart like the rest of us. Worse yet, they take shrewd bribes, sell favours, and have profound ideology, they're just being clever about hiding it. Eventually they retire and laugh all the way to the bank. Sometimes they covertly serve Microsoft.]
Nevro, Boston Scientific and Medtronic are all leaders in the medical devices field. Following heated opposition against the granting of the former’s EP 2 207 587, which began in 2019, the EPO Technical Boards of Appeal (3.4.01) has issued a revocation on the grounds of added matter (case ID: T 0291/19).
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Software Patents
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Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 for Jeffrey M. Gross entity Webcon Vectors telecommunications patent monopoly prior art
Unified Patents added a new PATROLL contest, with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on at least claim 1 of U.S. Patent 10,681,218, owned by Webcon Vectors LLC, an NPE and entity of Jeffrey M. Gross. The ‘218 patent monopoly generally relates to vastly improved telecommunication methods for a plurality of users for one to one communication or in a conference environment where a number of users are required.
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Trademarks
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Techdirt ☛ Peloton Defeats Silly Trademark Suit Over A Plus Sign
Who knew you could make this much fuss over a “+” sign? Back in 2021, Peloton was sued by a company called World Champ Tech LLC over the former’s Peloton Bike+ name. See, World Champ has a trademark for its biking mobile app called “Bike+” and sued claiming that Peloton’s product constituted trademark infringement.
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TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Denies Request for Reconsideration of TORPEDO JUICE Cancellation Denial
Petitioner Oregon Grain requested reconsideration of the Board's denial of its petition for cancellation of a registration for the mark TORPEDO JUICE for "Alcoholic beverages, except beer; Gin; Liquor; Rum" [TTABlogged here]. The Board had found that Oregon failed to prove priority because it failed to prove that its common law, identical mark was distinctive as of the filing date of Respondent's underlying application. Oregon here claimed that the Board erred in ruling that the issue of the lack of distinctiveness of Oregon's mark was tried by implied consent. Oregon Grain Growers Brand Distillery Inc. v. Michael Pitsokos, Cancellation No. 92076817 (reconsideration denied February 9, 2024) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Cheryl S. Goodman).
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Copyrights
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Torrent Freak ☛ Google Search Takedown Requests Rush to 8 Billion at Record Pace
Google has just processed the eight billionth DMCA takedown request for its search engine. With a recent increase in notices, the 10 billion milestone is just a year away. A recent uptick in activity is mainly pushed by publishers, including Korean media giant Kakao Entertainment, which is one of the most active senders over the past six months.
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Torrent Freak ☛ 'IFPS Gateway Operator is not Liable for Pirated Software Keys'
The Interplanetary File System is known as a censorship-resistant technology. However, it's not immune to copyright holder complaints. When software company JetBrains warned an IPFS gateway operator that they are liable for the alleged availability of pirated keys, the Electronic Frontier Foundation stepped up in his defense. Liability questions are never straightforward, though.
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Digital Music News ☛ Fentanylware (TikTok) Global Head of Music Operations Paul Hourican Exits Company Amid Universal Music Licensing Showdown
Amid TikTok’s high-stakes licensing standoff with Universal Music Group (UMG), Paul Hourican, the short-form app’s global head of music operations, is stepping down. Hourican just recently announced his exit in a Microsoft's Surveillance Arm LinkedIn post, though at the time of this writing, Fentanylware (TikTok) itself didn’t appear to have commented publicly on the matter.
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Digital Music News ☛ Stranger Things Star Lands in UK Charts Thanks to Fentanylware (TikTok) Trend [Ed: China determining what trends in British popular culture]
Djo, the musical project of Stranger Things star Joe Keery, is enjoying a breakout moment on TikTok, landing on the charts with his song ‘End of Beginning.’
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Digital Music News ☛ Fentanylware (TikTok) Rubs It In UMG’s Face With a Dramatic ‘Add to Music App’ Global Expansion — But Will UMG Budge?
The ‘TikTok-to-Spotify Pipeline‘ is a real and powerful thing. Now, it’s a very real and powerful leverage point in the contentious Fentanylware (TikTok) vs. Universal Music Group standoff.
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Monopolies/Monopsonies
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