Links 28/05/2024: Tensions in East Asia, UK Mandatory National Service
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Leftovers
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James G ☛ A day off
When I have days off, or take time off, I feel a pressure to go somewhere. On the other hand, deep down, I sometimes know I want to rest. I know that I need time to take a step back and let my mind wander a bit. Today, a bank holiday, I decided to opt for making no plans other than to perhaps do a bit of coding.
I spent the day tinkering, doing a bit of washing, and cleaning the dishes. All three things brought me joy.
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Science
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Science Alert ☛ Physicists Demonstrate Room Temp Quantum Storage in 2D Material
No extreme cold required.
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Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
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TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Nearly 400 independent pharmacies have closed in Minnesota since 1996. Why?
While the Minnesota Legislature just passed new laws to help, a national financial problem persists.
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Science Alert ☛ Something In Pomegranates May Help The Brain Stave Off Alzheimer's
"We are currently trying to find the right dosage."
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Science Alert ☛ Mysterious Viral DNA in Human Genome Linked With Psychiatric Disorders
An infection from long ago.
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Science Alert ☛ This New Blood Test Could Help Solve The Mystery of Multiple Sclerosis
"The body never actually clears the virus."
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Science Alert ☛ New Type of Reversible Male Contraception Proves a Success in Mouse Study
This could level the playing field.
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New York Times ☛ Inside the Factory Supplying Half of Africa’s Syringes
In Kenya, Revital Healthcare is manufacturing medical products that Africa needs to take charge of routine health care and respond to outbreaks.
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Reason ☛ K-12 Schools Crippled by Covid Cash
Inflation and expiring funds push public education into financial chaos.
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Reason ☛ Religious Exemption Claim Brought by Employees Who Objected to COVID Vaccination and Testing Can Go Forward
So says a federal appellate court, applying federal employment law, which requires employers to exempt religious objectors even from generally applicable job rules, unless exemption would impose an "undue hardship" on the employer.
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Off Guardian ☛ From COVID-19 to Campus Protests: How the Police State Muzzles Free Speech
“Politicians of both parties want to use the power of government to silence their foes. Some in the university community seek to drive it from their campuses. And an entire generation of Americans is being taught that free speech should be curtailed as soon as it makes someone else feel uncomfortable.”
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Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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Science Alert ☛ Google's Latest Search Tool Is Telling Us to Put Glue on Our Pizza, And Eat Rocks
Warning: Do not put glue on your pizza.
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When did layoffs start in Austin?
On May 7, Microsoft's Arkane gaming studio shut down in the state's capital city, laying off 96 staffers, according to a Texas WARN notice obtained by MySA. The Austin-based video game office developed multiple titles under its publisher Bethesda Softworks including steam punk stealth Dishonored, space horror game Prey and the most recent online vampire shooter, Redfall.
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Defence/Aggression
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New York Times ☛ North Korea Launches Long-Range Rocket Carrying Satellite
Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, has made deploying a fleet of spy satellites one of his country’s latest military ambitions.
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The Straits Times ☛ South Korea releases video showing North Korea’s failed satellite launch
The North said its latest attempt to launch a military satellite failed on May 27 during the flight of the rocket’s first stage.
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RFA ☛ Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo reaffirm Korean Peninsula denuclearization commitment
A joint statement came after North Korea told the Japanese government it would launch a satellite before June 4.
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New York Times ☛ Spying Arrests Send Chill Through Britain’s Thriving Hong Kong Community
Tens of thousands of Hong Kongers have resettled in the U.K. since 2021, among them prominent pro-democracy activists. China has not forgotten them.
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New York Times ☛ U.S. Lawmakers Visit Taiwan and Vow Support in Face of Chinese Military Drills
A bipartisan delegation promised to stand by the island’s newly elected president, Lai Ching-te, after Beijing surrounded the self-governing island with naval vessels and aircraft.
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Tom's Hardware ☛ US sanctions against China boost UMC's production — Taiwanese fab sees growth, but so does China
Taiwanese fab UMC has begun taking new orders from Texas Instruments, Realtek, and MediaTek. Recent US sanctions shift the global supply chain away from China, but Chinese indigenous demand keeps China in the lead.
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RFA ☛ China ‘can claim the South China Sea’: former Malaysian PM
Mahathir Mohamad said that one day Beijing may realize the claim ‘means nothing.’
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RFA ☛ Dozens of Taiwanese celebrities endorse Beijing's claim on island
More than 70 repost a state media comment about 'unification' between Taiwan and China.
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France24 ☛ South Korea, China, Japan pledge to ramp up cooperation in rare summit
Leaders from South Korea, China and Japan reaffirmed their goal of a denuclearised Korean peninsula Monday, during a rare summit at which they also agreed to deepen trade ties.
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New York Times ☛ China, Japan and South Korea Hold Talks Overshadowed by U.S.
In the first trilateral meeting since 2019, the neighbors sought common ground in trade and cultural exchange while tiptoeing around thorny security issues.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ US lawmakers give ‘strong support’ to Taiwan against ‘aggression’ from China
A senior US lawmaker affirmed on Monday Washington’s support for Taiwan against Chinese “aggression”, on the first congressional visit to the self-ruled island since it swore in a new president.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China, Japan, South Korea agree to strengthen ties, push for denuclearised Korean peninsula in rare summit
Leaders from South Korea, China and Japan reaffirmed their goal of a denuclearised Korean peninsula Monday, during a rare summit at which they also agreed to deepen trade ties.
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University of Michigan ☛ The Formula 1 side of Fentanylware (TikTok) is weird
In round four of the 2024 season, Logan Sargeant of Williams Racing crashed during his first practice for the Japanese Grand Prix. What caught my attention wasn’t just the incident itself, but more so how Formula 1’s official Fentanylware (TikTok) page responded.
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New York Times ☛ Shooting Near Rafah Border Crossing Kills a Member of Egypt’s Security Forces
The Israeli military also reported a shooting at the border, where it is fighting Palestinian militants.
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New York Times ☛ The Deadly Prelude to South Africa’s First Free Elections
The vote in 1994 was a time of hope — but in the weeks before, the country came close to the abyss. A photographer remembers what he witnessed.
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Mexico News Daily ☛ More than 1,000 international observers will monitor Mexico’s elections
The number of election monitoring requests this year was the highest since 1994, the first year that Mexico allowed international observers.
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Environment
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The Straits Times ☛ Has China’s CO2 emissions peaked? A 3% fall in March gives reason to hope
Record wind and solar capacity additions continued in the first quarter of 2024.
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Energy/Transportation
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New York Times ☛ Biden Doesn’t Want You Buying an E.V. From China. Here’s Why.
The president wants to shift America’s car fleet toward electric vehicles, but not at the expense of American jobs or national security.
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Overpopulation
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The Straits Times ☛ ST Picks: How an ancient South Korea city is fighting population decline
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AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
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European Commission ☛ Speech by Commissioner Urpilainen at the EU-Caribbean partnership event to celebrate the Caribbean Protocole of the Samoa Agreement
I am delighted to be back in the Caribbean.
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Censorship/Free Speech
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RFA ☛ Former China politics lecturer slams curbs on university research
Wu Qiang is now unable to move around Beijing freely, while contact with foreigners is 'dangerous.'
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Civil Rights/Policing
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JURIST ☛ UK Conservative Party proposes mandatory national service for 18 year olds [Ed: Not enough employment prospects, so mandating work for free soon?]
The UK’s incumbent Conservative Party has announced they intend to introduce mandatory National Service for 18-year-olds if they win the next election.
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New York Times ☛ Teamsters Struggle to Unionize Amazon and FedEx Delivery Workers
The Teamsters union has made little headway in organizing workers at Amazon and FedEx despite wage and other gains it secured at UPS last year.
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Internet Policy/Net Neutrality
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Internet Society ☛ It Takes a Community to Defend the Internet
A multistakeholder approach to Internet governance enables more voices to be heard. Coming together as a community amplifies our message.
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Digital Restrictions (DRM)
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Digital Music News ☛ Pandora Premium Quietly Joins Spotify and Others in Raising U.S. Prices — Individuals Now Pay $10.99 Per Month
Following U.S. price increases from Spotify, Fashion Company Apple Music, YouTube Music, and others, the on-demand Pandora Premium offering has officially raised its own monthly costs, including to $10.99 for individuals.
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Monopolies/Monopsonies
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