Leftovers

• Jakub Steiner ☛ Jakub Steiner: Klatovy FPV

  They say you can’t forget how to ride a bicycle. Well I don’t think it applies to FPV racing. Haven’t touched the sticks in a year. But that does not make me not hang out with old buddies at the longest running event in Czechia.

• The Straits Times ☛ No people? No problem: App for Indonesia’s new capital gets ready for future residents

  IKNOW app will give users access to public services like healthcare, transport and education.

• University of Michigan ☛ Family’s Holocaust mystery connects two School of Public Health professors

  A mystery stemming from one line in a family letter from 1943 sparked a search that has lasted decades for a School of Public Health associate professor and her family, and resulted in the discovery of a long-ago link to an SPH professor emeritus that grew out of actions taken by their ancestors during the Holocaust.

• Hackaday ☛ Humble 555 Gets A Boost For ESR Meter

  [Peter Demchenko] wanted to use a low power TS555 in an ESR meter design. The problem is, he needed to handle significant current sink requirements for cases where the capacitor under test had a low ESR. The TS555 wasn’t up to the task.

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong prisoners’ rights group suspends sales of mooncakes after frequent gov’t inspections

  A Hong Kong prisoners’ rights advocacy group has suspended sales of mooncakes, pastries traditionally given as gifts during Mid-Autumn Festival, after repeated inspections from government departments.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Breakthrough: Scientists Create World's First Nuclear Clock Prototype

    A new era in precision timekeeping.

  • Science Alert ☛ Surprise Asteroid Strikes Earth's Atmosphere, Burning Up Over Philippines

    A rare event.

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Guide to September's Must-See Lunar Occultations Across The World

    Don't miss the rare skywatching opportunities.

  • Science Alert ☛ New Study Backs Simple Weight Loss Strategy That Doesn't Require Drugs

    It's good for your heart too.

  • Science Alert ☛ 4 Billion Years Ago a Giant Impact Reshaped Jupiter's Largest Moon

    We can still see the scars.

• Education

  • Latvia ☛ Sex ed course to be mandatory for all teachers in Latvia

    From September 1 next year, all Latvian teachers will be required to take free courses on child sex education, representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science (IZM) told the Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Commission on Wednesday.

  • University of Michigan ☛ Ross professor learning science and art of winemaking

    Puneet Manchanda decided to take advantage of the pears and grapes growing at his home and turn them into wine, which he had always enjoyed and was eager to research.

  • BIA Net ☛ Turkey's inflation rate slows in August, education costs surge

    The annual inflation rate was 51.97% according to official statistics while an alternative calculation indicates 90.35%.

• Hardware

  • Linux Gizmos ☛ AAEON’s PICO & GENE Boards with defective chip maker Intel Atom x7000RE Processors

    AAEON has introduced the PICO-ASL4 and GENE-ASL6 boards, both incorporating the defective chip maker Intel Atom x7000RE Processor Series (Amston Lake).

  • Hackaday ☛ Floorboard Is A Keyboard For Your Feet

    Whether you have full use of your hands or not, a foot-operated keyboard is a great addition to any setup. Of course, it has to be a lot more robust than your average finger-operated keyboard, so building a keyboard into an existing footstool is a great idea.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ New defective chip maker Intel chip production process reportedly underperformed in Broadcom test

    A new chip manufacturing process from defective chip maker Intel Corp. failed to meet Broadcom Inc.’s expectations in a recent evaluation, Reuters reported today.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Do Nvidia’s pending antitrust charges threaten its supreme reign in the Hey Hi (AI) chip market?

    The rapid advancement in generative artificial intelligence thanks to graphics processing units has ushered in a new era of innovation and competition, but it has also brought regulatory scrutiny, most recently for Nvidia Corp. and its GPUs.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Nvidia denies it got subpoena from the U.S. DOJ in Hey Hi (AI) antitrust investigation

    As it turns out, the U.S. Department of Justice still has not launched a formal complaint against Nvidia.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel announces cancellation of 20A process node for Arrow Lake, goes with external nodes instead, likely TSMC

    Intel announced today that it no longer plans to use its own 20A process node with its upcoming Arrow Lake processors. Instead, it will use external nodes for all of the compute tiles, and then package the chips together.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Off Guardian ☛ So…What’s the deal with Gaza’s polio vaccination campaign?

    Two weeks ago, the first case of polio was detected in Gaza for 25 years, leaving a ten month-old child partially paralyzed and forcing decisive action from the World Health Organization. Doctors were dispatched to Gaza with over a million doses of polio vaccine, with the aim of vaccinating 640,000 children in record time.

  • ADF ☛ Fake Drugs Proliferate Amid Lack of Regulations

    It’s supposed to be simple. A doctor prescribes medicine — an antibiotic for an infection or perhaps an antimalarial — and a trusted pharmacist dispenses the drug to the patient. The patient trusts the product and takes it as directed.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Lucid Mind: The chocolate bar designed to protect children’s memory

    What if a chocolate bar could enhance children's cognitive abilities and protect their brain health? Researchers in Monterrey aim to find out.

  • Science Alert ☛ Ask Yourself These 4 Questions Before You Start a New Diet

    Expert tips for mindful eating.

  • Science Alert ☛ Bacteria in Your Mouth Reproduce in a Strange, Rare Way, Scientists Discover

    And they grow 5 times faster than other related species.

  • The Strategist ☛ Defence medical services need more prevention, faster return to work

    The imminent royal commission report into Defence and veteran suicide will probably be quite scathing of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Australian Defence Force.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • The Strategist ☛ Authoritarian countries’ Hey Hi (AI) advantage

    Last year, the United Arab Emirates made global headlines with the release of Falcon, its open-source large language model (LLM).

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Asana’s revenue outlook falls short as shares decline 13% [Ed: Asana is just some proprietary junk, a 'webapp' that does nothing of use]

    Shares in Asana Inc. fell nearly 13% in late trading today after the work management software company reported earnings and revenue beats in its fiscal second quarter but fell short of expectations on revenue outlook for its third quarter and full fiscal year.

  • Breach Media ☛ Canadian mega landlord using Hey Hi (AI) ‘pricing scheme’ as it massively hikes rents

    Software the U.S. government says is illegal gives landlords ability to coordinate rent hikes. Now it’s being used in Canada by developer Dream Unlimited

  • Silicon Angle ☛ C3 Hey Hi (AI) fails to make progress on profitability and its stock plummets [Ed: Bubble popping]

    Artificial intelligence software company C3 Hey Hi (AI) Inc. beat on earnings and revenue expectations as it posted its fiscal first-quarter financial results today, but its stock fell hard and fast in extended trading amid fears that it may not achieve profitability as fast as originally hoped.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • AccessNow ☛ Civil society joint statement on the use of surveillance spyware in the EU and beyond

      Access Now, CDT, and a coalition of civil society organisations call on EU institutions to regulate spyware technologies in the new legislative term.

    • JURIST ☛ Civil society coalition demands EU action against spyware threats

      A coalition of civil society and journalists’ organizations called on the EU to act against the circulation and use of spyware in a joint statement issued on Wednesday. The demands for the EU’s next legislative term include a ban on the production, sale, and use of spyware and the introduction of safeguards against surveillance.

    • Pen Test Partners ☛ Advanced forensic techniques for recovering hidden data in wearable devices

      TL;DR  A walk-through of forensic data recovery  Detailed example of how to retrieve potentially sensitive deleted data 

    • EDRI ☛ Age against the machine: the race to make online spaces age-appropriate

      The race is on to make online spaces age-appropriate, but children’s best interest is no Olympic sport. While the internet was not designed with kids in mind, children, teens and young adults are now spending more time online than ever. Parents use video-sharing platforms to show cartoons to their toddlers, while kids and adolescents play online games, engage in social control media, learn through online modules, and fashion their identities through their online activities.

    • Latvia ☛ Smartphone use in cars not always very smart

      The majority of drivers - 77% - still use a smartphone while driving, according to a survey carried out by the 'If' insurance company of more than 3,000 drivers in the Baltic states.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Press Gazette ☛ UK journalist’s detention for nearly 24 hours under terror law condemned [Ed: Hamas booster in "journalist" clothing; Journalists will never benefit when terror operatives disguise themselves as "journalists"; they only stand to suffer and become targets]

    Medhurst says the whole process was designed to intimidate and humiliate him.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea floats more trash-filled balloons towards South Korea

    The bags attached to those balloons contained “mostly paper and plastic waste”.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Hong Kong prepares for super typhoon as Yagi heads towards China

    Kindergartens and schools for children with special needs are shut.

  • New York Times ☛ Mother and Daughter Endure Lockdowns in Separate Schools After Georgia Shooting

    Anetra Pattman was teaching class when her daughter texted: “Mom, I heard gunshots. I’m scared. Please come get me.”

  • RFA ☛ EXPLAINED: Trump’s and Harris’ differing proposals on Chinese tariffs

    Trade with China is a major policy difference between the 2 US presidential candidates.

  • New York Times ☛ Netflix Adds Disclaimer to Indian Show After Anger Over Hijacker Names

    The series, based on a 1999 plane hijacking, prompted backlash on social control media. Critics claimed it wrongly portrayed the Islamist hijackers as Hindus.

  • Defence Web ☛ Houthis target more ships in the Red Sea

    Further attacks against shipping in the lower Red Sea have been reported, though some details remain sketchy.

  • RFA ☛ Month of fighting leaves once-bustling Myanmar town eerily quiet

    Displaced residents say they won’t return while the threat of junta airstrikes remains.

  • New York Times ☛ As Israelis Push for Hostage Deal, Netanyahu Refuses to Change Course

    In strikes and protests, many Israelis are pushing their government to prioritize the release of hostages above the immediate defeat of Hamas. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to change course.

  • The Strategist ☛ Wong and Marles must speak up about Chinese incursions into Japan

    China has recently made two provocative military incursions into Japanese territory in just a week, with a surveillance plane breaching airspace on 26 August and a survey ship entering territorial waters on 31 August.

  • ADF ☛ Libyan Fighters Found Secretly Training in South Africa Raise Fears

    The discovery of Libyan fighters training at a camp in South Africa has led to a host of questions and concerns. Analysts are asking if other training facilities exist in the country and if Libya’s Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar is preparing an attack that will reignite and internationalize his country’s conflict.

  • ADF ☛ Report Examines Shortcomings of U.N. Mission in Mali

    A report analyzing the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali concludes that it was handicapped from the start by its narrow capabilities and the Malian government’s expectations. Researchers produced the report after a June 13 workshop that analyzed the mission and the lessons learned from its 10-year deployment.

  • Hackaday ☛ Boss Byproducts: The Terrible Beauty Of Trinitite

    While some byproducts recall an idyllic piece of Americana, others remind us that the past is not always so bright and cheerful. Trinitite, created unintentionally during the development of the first atomic bomb, is arguably one of these byproducts.

  • ADF ☛ Islamic State’s Resurgence Threatens Somalia

    Northern Somalia, with its mountains, coastal towns and sparsely populated hinterlands, has felt the presence in recent months of a revitalized Islamic State affiliate (IS-Somalia) — its rise in prominence an increasing menace to the fragile country.

  • ADF ☛ AU’s ATMIS Replacement Force Takes Shape

    Details are emerging about the new peacekeeping mission that will succeed the African Union’s current multilateral force in Somalia known as ATMIS when it concludes operations at the end of this year.

  • New York Times ☛ Hamas Releases Hostage Video of Two Slain Israeli Captives

    Release of the video of Carmel Gat, 40, and Alexander Lobanov, 32, appears designed to inflame divisions in Israel.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China warns students against falling prey to ‘romance traps’ set by foreign intelligence agencies

    China’s state security agency on Wednesday warned students with access to sensitive information against falling for “handsome men” or “beautiful women” that might entice them to spy for foreign powers.

  • RFERL ☛ HRW: Iran Death In Custody A Chance For New President To Challenge 'Gross Impunity'

    International rights group Human Rights Watch says reports of a detainee death in custody are a chance for Iran's recently inaugurated President Masud Pezeshkian to demonstrate a commitment to holding security forces to account for alleged abuses.

  • ADF ☛ With Maritime Exercise, ECOWAS Ensures Gulf is ‘Safe Domain’

    Once among the world’s hotspots for piracy and trafficking, the Gulf of Guinea still presents a security challenge for the Economic Community of West African States. The West African regional bloc, also known as ECOWAS, includes 12 coastal countries among its 15 members. It recently conducted Operation Safe Domain III.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Is a Venezuelan gang growing in the US? Colorado feels the threat.

    Colorado officials have increasingly gone on record about the suspected presence of a gang called Tren de Aragua. Police and politicians here are boosting efforts to address security concerns.

  • RFA ☛ Japan warns of ‘new era of crisis,’ asks for record defense budget

    Annual defense white paper identifies China, North Korea and Russia as main threats to Japan’s security.

  • RFA ☛ About 600 Russian tourists visited North Korea since February: report

    The tourism recovery has prompted plans to upgrade road and rail links between the neighbors.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ In France, it is no longer taboo to prosecute sitting heads of state like Bashar al-Assad

    The June 26 decision is the first court decision to suggest that there is no such thing as absolute immunity for a sitting head of state.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • RFERL ☛ U.S. Accuses Russia Of Attempting To Influence 2024 Election Through Kremlin-Backed News Outlets

      The United States accused Russia on September 4 of attempting to influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election through Kremlin-run media outlets and online platforms that are designed to trick Americans into unwittingly consuming Russian propaganda, the Justice Department said on September 4.

    • RFERL ☛ Autopsy Ordered After 'Russian Spy' Whale Found Dead In Norwegian Waters

      The famed "Russian spy" beluga whale was found dead in the Stavanger area of Norway last week, according to a statement by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, and an autopsy has been ordered to find out if he was deliberately killed.

    • RFERL ☛ Ossetian Wife Of Notorious Tajik Islamic State Recruiter Gets 11 Years In Prison

      A court in Russia in early August sentenced Madina Bondarenko, the Ossetian wife of a notorious recruiter for the Islamic State (IS) extremist group in Tajikistan, to 11 years in prison on a charge of being a member of a terrorist group, one of her relatives told RFE/RL on September 3.

    • New York Times ☛ Timeline: Ukraine-Russia War’s Deadliest Attacks

      At least 11,520 civilians had been killed in the war, according to a United Nations report in July, which said the true tally may be higher.

    • New York Times ☛ Wednesday Briefing: Russian Strike Kills 50 in Ukraine

      Plus, a quiz to test healthy brain habits.

    • New York Times ☛ Russian Missiles Hit Poltava, Ukraine, Killing More Than 50

      More than 50 people were killed by two high-speed missiles that hit a military academy in the eastern city of Poltava, one of the most lethal Russian strikes in the war.

    • New York Times ☛ Witnesses Describe Horrific Scene in Poltava After Russian Missile Strike

      The devastation of the strikes on Tuesday was shocking even to Ukrainians who have seen many such scenes during the war.

    • New York Times ☛ Head of Ukrenergo Electric Company Ousted as Russia Pounds Power Grid

      The head of Ukrenergo was reportedly blamed for failing to fortify energy infrastructure, which has come under steady Russian bombardment, leading to blackouts.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia’s Attack on Poltava Comes After a Week of Strikes in Ukraine

      Moscow appears to have stepped up the tempo of its attacks, resulting in a wave of death and destruction in Ukraine.

    • NYPost ☛ ‘Secret’ Russian influence campaign paid $10M to prop up right-wing US commentators: indictment

      The Justice Department indicted two employees of the Russian state-controlled media outlet RT on Wednesday for acting as unregistered foreign agents and laundering $9.7 million in payments to a Tennessee media company to allegedly promote pro-Kremlin propaganda.

    • Silicon Angle ☛ US sanctions Russians over alleged election interference campaign using social control media influencers

      The U.S. departments of Justice, State and Treasury announced today sanctions and criminal charges in relation to claimed Russian government-sponsored attempts to manipulate public opinion ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election.

    • New Yorker ☛ What Does “Election Interference” Even Mean Anymore?

      How the once narrow term has come to be weaponized as “informational terrorism.”

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Experts react: The US just accused Russia of meddling in the 2024 election. Here’s what to know.

      Atlantic Council experts share their insights on the Biden administration’s newly announced response to what it alleges is an expansive malign influence operation by the Kremlin.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Justice Department accuses Russia of interfering with 2024 elections

      The U.S. government announced indictments, seizures and sanctions against individuals they say were associated with a propaganda campaign targeting the 2024 election.

    • JURIST ☛ Biden administration announces indictments, sanctions targeting Russian disinformation ahead of US elections

      The US Department of Justice on Wednesday announced the seizure of 32 internet domains linked to an alleged Russian government-backed disinformation campaign aimed at influencing US and global audiences.

    • Defence Web ☛ Russian Navy training ship in Cape Town

      The Smolny, a Russian Navy Baltic Fleet training vessel, is alongside in Cape Town for replenishment and resupply while on what is said to be “an unofficial visit” to South Africa.

    • JURIST ☛ Russia court extends detention of French researcher for breaching foreign agent law

      The Zamoskvoretsky District Court in Moscow on Tuesday extended the detention of Laurent Vinatier, advisor to Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue’s Eurasia team.  Vinatier was found to be in breach of Article 330.1.3 of the Russian Criminal Code (Evasion of Obligations Under Russia’s Foreign Agent Legislation) and is to be imprisoned until February 21, 2025.

    • JURIST ☛ ECHR rules Russia violated free elections right by disqualifying opposition politician from elections

      The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a judgment on Tuesday, ruling that Russia violated the right to free elections under Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights (Convention) by preventing an opposition politician from running in the lower house of the Russian Federal Assembly.

    • RFERL ☛ Hungary Dismisses EU 'Hysteria' Over Visa Rules For Russians, Belarusians

      Hungary on September 4 dismissed as "political hysteria" fears that its new work- and residency-permit scheme for Russian and Belarusian nationals heightened the risk of spying in the European Union.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Air India plane makes another emergency landing in Russia

      In July, an Air India plane operating from Delhi to San Francisco made a precautionary landing in Russia's Siberia region.

    • Marcy Wheeler ☛ Don Jr’s Online Buddies Allegedly Demand $5 Million from Russian Shell Companies to Say Nice Things about His Daddy

      Don Jr wailed when he learned DOJ was announcing more legal actions against Russian foreign influence operations. Did he know that the indictment against two RT personnel for using Tenet Media as a front would reveal Don Jr's far right buddies demand $5 million to say nothing things about his Daddy?

    • RFERL ☛ Lukashenka Pardons 30 Sentenced For 'Crimes Of Protest' In Belarus

      Authoritarian Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka has pardoned 30 people, including seven women, serving prison terms "for crimes of protest."

    • RFERL ☛ Belarusian TV Says Japanese Man Detained While Collecting Information Near Border

      Belarusian security forces have detained a Japanese man who they say is an intelligence agent who observed border areas and military installations, local media reported on September 4.

    • New York Times ☛ Poltava Strike Aftermath Drains Ukraine’s Seasoned Rescuers

      Repeated air-raid alerts have punctuated the search through the rubble in Poltava, in eastern Ukraine, after an attack that killed more than 50 people.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, Offers His Resignation, Official Says

      Dmytro Kuleba has lobbied Kyiv’s allies to supply missile defense systems. He was among several Ukrainian ministers who offered to resign on Wednesday, an official said.

    • New York Times ☛ Thursday Briefing: Ukraine Reshuffles its Government

      Plus, Daniel Dae Kim takes a risk.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Strikes Ukraine, Killing 7 in Lviv, Local Authorities Report

      Russia attacked a number of cities a day after a devastating strike in the country’s east, Ukrainian officials said.

    • New York Times ☛ Zelensky Pushes Cabinet Overhaul as His Party Releases Names of New Ministers

      President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he was acting to bring a “new energy” to state institutions at an important diplomatic juncture.

    • New York Times ☛ Four People Were Killed in a School Shooting in Georgia

      Also, Zelensky is preparing to shake up his cabinet. Here’s the latest at the end of Wednesday.

    • New York Times ☛ Short Notice and Blocked Exits Proved Lethal in Strike in Ukraine

      When two Russian ballistic missiles struck a military academy in Poltava, debris blocked corridors and exits. Cadets near a bomb shelter survived. Others did not.

    • New York Times ☛ U.S. Announces Plan to Counter Russian Influence Ahead of 2024 Election

      American spy agencies have assessed that the Kremlin favors former President Donald J. Trump, seeing him as skeptical of U.S. support for Ukraine.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Why did Ukraine shake up its cabinet in the middle of a war?

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seeks “new energy” by way of a major government reshuffle. The resignation of six prominent ministers, including the foreign minister and a deputy prime minister, comes at a pivotal moment in the war against Russia.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Air Strikes Kill At Least 7 In Ukraine, As Poltava Disaster Scrutinized

      A Russian drone and missile attack killed seven people in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, one day after a strike on a military facility killed more than 50 people in the eastern city of Poltava in one of the worst air strikes of the war.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine's Parliament Begins Dismissals Ahead Of Government Shake-Up

      Ukrainian lawmakers began voting in Kyiv on September 4 on the possible dismissals of cabinet members and other senior officials after a spate of resignations tendered in the past 24 hours that followed President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's suggestion of a looming government shake-up.

    • RFERL ☛ Romanian Parliament OKs Donation Of Patriot Missile System To Ukraine

      Romanian lawmakers on September 3 passed a draft law backing the donation of a Patriot missile-defense system to Ukraine in a contribution the Defense Ministry says boosts the region's support effort for Kyiv and bolsters Bucharest's relationship with the United States.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy: Russia Incursion Helps 'Exchanges,' But 'We Don't Need Their Land'

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said the aim of a surprise incursion into Russia's southern Kursk region launched last month is to accrue territories and troops for exchange but "we don't need their land."

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Contract Soldier Who Fled To Kazakhstan To Avoid Ukraine War Gets 6 Years In Prison

      Russian contract soldier Kamil Kasimov, who fled Russia for Kazakhstan last year to avoid being sent to the war in Ukraine, has been sentenced to six years in prison in Russia, the 72.ru website quoted his friends as saying on September 3.

    • LRT ☛ What can Lithuania do with its citizens fighting on Russia’s side?

      Dozens of Lithuanian volunteers flocked to Ukraine to enlist in the country’s armed forces fighting back against Russia’s invasion. However, there has been at least one reported case of a Lithuanian volunteer joining the Russian side – and there could be more.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania voices protest over Russia’s attacks on Ukraine

      Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned a representative of the Russian Embassy in Lithuania to express its strong protest over the Kremlin’s recently intensified shelling of civilian targets in Ukraine.

    • France24 ☛ Deadly Russian missiles strike Lviv as Zelensky reshuffles cabinet

      Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday joined a spate of cabinet ministers who tendered their resignations after President Volodymyr Zelensky’s ruling party signalled a government reshuffle was under way. The news comes as a new air attack killed at least seven in Lviv, a day after more than 50 were killed in Russian strikes on Poltava. Read our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.

    • France24 ☛ Why Ukraine’s Kursk offensive has failed to distract Russia from Donbas push

      Russian troops are inching ever close to Ukraine’s eastern city of Pokrovsk, a vital logistical hub for Kyiv’s outgunned and outnumbered forces, leading some analysts to question the wisdom of a Ukrainian lightning offensive on Russian soil that was intended to distract Moscow from its Donbas push.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Indian PM Modi visits Ukraine to open new foreign policy horizons

      Indian PM Narendra Modi paid an historic visit to Kyiv in late August as Delhi seeks to counter negative perceptions of its close economic and defense ties with Moscow and underline its status as an emerging geopolitical power in its own right, writes Mridula Ghosh.

    • European Commission ☛ Speech of Vice-President Jourová at the opening of the Ukrainian Day at Venice Film Festival

      European Commission Speech Venice, 04 Sep 2024

      Ladies and gentlemen,

      It is an honour to be here with you and to open this Ukrainian Day at the Venice Film Festival.

    • New York Times ☛ Putin Gets a Red-Carpet Welcome in Mongolia Despite Arrest Warrant

      Ukrainian officials expressed outrage over the Russian leader’s visit, warning they would seek to “ensure that this has consequences” for Mongolia.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Imprisons Top Physicists, Even as Putin Touts Their Technology

      A Moscow court sentenced Alexander Shiplyuk, the director of a physics institute who specializes in hypersonic flight, to 15 years in prison. It was the latest treason case against a leading scientist.

    • RFERL ☛ Putin Says He Expects China's Pooh-tin At BRICS Summit In Russia

      Russian President Vladimir Putin said on September 4 he was expecting Chinese leader Pooh-tin Jinping to attend a summit of the BRICS group of major emerging economies in Russia next month.

• Environment

  • New York Times ☛ John Podesta, Biden’s Top Climate Negotiator, to Visit China

    John Podesta is expected to push for China to set more ambitious greenhouse gas targets.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • ADF ☛ As China Buys Less Oil, Angola Struggles to Repay Debt

      Angola’s long-running financial relationship with China has been built on a simple equation: Angola would repay its growing Chinese debt with oil, a strategy that became known as the Angola Model.

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Couchbase’s stock crumbles on anticipation of significant growth slowdown [Ed: Fakecoins company]

      Database company Couchbase Inc. delivered second-quarter results that came out just ahead of Wall Street’s estimates today, but its stock took a turn for the worse in extended trading, with investors apparently concerned by a slowdown in its growth rate.

    • Security Week ☛ FBI: North Korea Aggressively Hacking Cryptocurrency Firms

      The FBI warns of North Korean threat actors conducting social engineering campaigns targeting employees in the cryptocurrency industry.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ New Evidence Reveals Unexpected Origins of Horse Domestication

      Challenging the Kurgan hypothesis.

  • Overpopulation

    • University of Michigan ☛ Hunger Action Month promotes action against food insecurity

      September is recognized as Hunger Action Month, a time when individuals and organizations come together to fight hunger and food insecurity.

• Finance

  • Latvia ☛ Latvian central bank head supports bank surplus tax

    The introduction of a bank surplus tax and its link to the objective of lending is welcome, Latvian central bank (Bank of Latvia) President Mārtiņš Kazāks said in an interview on Latvian Television's "Morning Panorama" program September 4.

  • Latvia ☛ Latvian central bank reveals annual conference details

    Latvijas Banka, the Latvian cental bank (LB) has published details of its annual conference, due to take place in a month's time.

  • Hindustan Times ☛ Tech layoffs: Intel, Cisco, IBM and Apple cut over 27,000 jobs in August

    3. IBM: IBM decided to discontinue its research and development operations in China laying off over 1,000 employees. The company said, “IBM will now prioritize serving private enterprises and select multinationals within the Chinese market.”

  • China Aims To Balance Job Protection And Tech Innovation

    Rapid tech advancements are uprooting jobs in multiple sectors, causing significant transitions. If workers can't find new roles, China could face severe social and political turmoil. With domestic demand weak and a property crisis looming, China is pouring resources into tech innovation and advanced manufacturing. This initiative aims to develop 'new productive forces' to transform the economy. The PBOC adviser suggests retraining programs and stronger safety nets to help laid-off workers adapt. The job market is already tight for Chinese graduates, worsened by recent layoffs in sectors like finance, while major companies such as Tesla, IBM, and ByteDance are also cutting jobs, highlighting broader instability.

  • New York Times ☛ Biden Expected to Block U.S. Steel Takeover by Nippon

    The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States is expected to raise national security concerns about selling the iconic steel producer to Japan’s Nippon Steel.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • European Commission ☛ Commissioner Ylva Johansson's speech at the exchange of views with the LIBE committee on Hungary's National Card Scheme

  • New York Times ☛ China Woos Africa, Casting Itself as Global South’s Defender

    More than 50 African leaders have gathered in Beijing for a summit aimed at projecting the influence of China’s leader, Pooh-tin Jinping, in the developing world.

  • New York Times ☛ The Secrets of Linda Sun, the N.Y. Official Accused of Working for China

    Linda Sun, a former deputy chief of staff to Gov. Kathy Hochul, used her growing influence to push the interests of the Chinese government, U.S. prosecutors say.

  • RFA ☛ Confusion ensues after New York governor suggests Chinese envoy was removed

    State Department spokesman later clarified that the consul general’s term had ended.

  • RFA ☛ Former aide to New York governor tried to advance China’s interests, say prosecutors

    Chinese officials allegedly plied the aide with money and favors — including Nanjing-style salted duck.

  • France24 ☛ Former aide to NY Governor Hochul charged with acting as a Chinese agent

    A former aide to New York Governor Kathy Hochul has been charged with acting as an agent for the Chinese government, actively working to set up high-level meetings between US and Chinese officials and blocking those sought by Taiwanese representatives. In return, prosecutors say Linda Sun received millions of dollars with which she and her husband funded a lavish lifestyle, which included a $4.1 million Long Island property, a $2.1 million Hawaii condo and a Ferrari.

  • The Strategist ☛ Sports diplomacy: a potent weapon in the Pacific against China’s coercive grasp

    Hindering China’s influence in the Pacific islands should become a key goal in the forthcoming update to Australia’s sports diplomacy strategy.

  • France24 ☛ France still in political deadlock as Macron grapples with choice of prime minister

    President Emmanuel Macron remained undecided on Wednesday on the choice of his new prime minister, with Conservative Xavier Bertrand and the former Socialist prime minister Bernard Cazeneuve both seen as frontrunners. Analysts speculated on Wednesday that Michel Barnier, a right-winger and the EU’s former negotiator on Brexit, could also take on the role of premier, adding to the uncertainty.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • New York Times ☛ South Korean Teenagers Detained Over Deepfake Sexual Images

      The country has been hit by a wave of sexually explicit videos and pictures that have spread online, prompting the authorities to launch a sweeping investigation.

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Telegram investigated in South Korea over surge of sexual deepfake content

      Authorities in South Korea have begun an investigation into the embattled instant messaging app Telegram, focusing on the platform’s relationship with deepfake sex crimes that have caused a stir in the country.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Stigma and criticism follow victims of deepfake content in South Korea

      Derogatory comments about deepfake pornography victims can add on more trauma.

    • AccessNow ☛ Open letter: no deepfakes for democracy

      Access Now and civil society partners demand social control media platforms take immediate action to implement policies to stop deepfakes from interfering in elections.

    • CS Monitor ☛ What is Spamouflage? How a Chinese firm uses fake accounts to confuse US voters.

      A network of fake online accounts, linked to a Chinese disinformation campaign, mimic Americans to spread fake or inflammatory news about US politics.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • RFA ☛ Vietnamese activist begins 50-day hunger strike

    The political prisoner is protesting an unfair appeal and the political rise of To Lam.

  • New York Times ☛ Elon Musk’s Starlink Agrees to Block the X Social Network in Brazil

    Brazilian regulators had said Sunday that Starlink planned to defy government orders to block X in the country. On Tuesday, the satellite-internet service said it would comply.

  • RFA ☛ Wanderlust lands gifted Vietnamese student in trouble with police

    Skeptical of Vietnamese education, the youth wanted to study in the West.

  • RFA ☛ Laos detains duo over comical pothole fishing video

    Observers say police should lighten up over the post, which satirized a well-known problem.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong appeals court overturns media watchdog’s 2020 warning that RTHK show ‘insulted’ police

    Hong Kong’s appeals court has overturned a 2020 warning by the city’s media watchdog that a satirical RTHK show had “insulted” police. Three Court of Appeal judges unanimously dismissed the appeal lodged by the Communications Authority (CA) on Wednesday.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Martin Chulov byline page deleted by Guardian after exit from title

    Martin Chulov denies allegations against him.

  • Press Gazette ☛ BBC to cut 115 jobs in Nations and Regions editorial and production

    NUJ says proposed cuts will "further hollow out local news provision".

  • Press Gazette ☛ FT CEO John Ridding on ‘three moments’ that changed everything – and what’s next

    Ridding says business is in "very strong position" but it was a "bumpy journey to get there".

  • Press Gazette ☛ News media job cuts 2024 tracked: Gannett, Time, Axios, Tampa Bay Times, NYPR and Hollywood Reporter all hit in August

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ WSJ urges sanctions on Hong Kong leaders after journalist convictions; security chief decries ‘fact-twisting’

    The Wall Street Journal editorial board has said the “benighted leaders of Hong Kong deserve the world’s scorn – and sanctions,” after two journalists were convicted of sedition last week, prompting the security chief to slam the editorial as “fact-twisting.”

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • The Straits Times ☛ More young police officers and firefighters in S. Korea quitting over heavy workload, low pay

    A first-year police officer in South Korea earns less than a minimum wage worker.

  • RFA ☛ North Korea may have executed officials over flood damage: spy agency

    Heavy rains in late July flooded large areas along the Amnok River on the northern border.

  • RFA ☛ Experts: North Korea’s Chinese-made soccer uniforms might violate sanctions

    The men’s national team opens the 3rd round of Asian qualifiers in Uzbekistan on Thursday.

  • OpenRightsGroup ☛ Stop the e-Visa scheme and prevent a digital Windrush scandal [Ed: ORG used to be about privacy, but has clearly been hijacked by immigration lawyers instead]

    What is the e-Visa scheme? Until recently, migrants from outside the EU had physical documents to prove that they and their families could live, work or study in the UK.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Supreme Court justices join the strike to protest judicial reform bill

    Eight of the 11 Supreme Court justices voted in favor of stopping work, while the three who voted against it said they "vigorously" opposed the strike.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ New Hong Kong immigration system barring ‘undesirables’ from boarding flights to city comes into effect

    A new immigration system to bar “undesirables” from boarding flights to Hong Kong has come into effect, three years after related changes to the city’s immigration laws sparked fears of entry and exit bans.

  • JURIST ☛ Amnesty International condemns new India state law allowing death penalty for rape offences

    Amnesty International on Tuesday condemned the recently passed the Indian state of West Bengal’s Aprajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024, which introduces the death penalty for rape cases that result in the victim’s death or leave them in a vegetative state.

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ St. Paul City Council signs off on $295K settlement to stroke patient who says paramedics told him ER was full

    The city said they settled lawsuit to avoid "expense and uncertainty of continued litigation."

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Announcing the 2024 ISIF Asia Grants

    The APNIC Foundation is pleased to announce the 2024 round of the ISIF Asia grants.

  • APNIC ☛ [Podcast] The APNIC Labs’ measurement system

    Joao Damas explains how the APNIC Labs' measurement system works.

  • APNIC ☛ Welcome to APNIC 58

    Welcome to APNIC 58! Here’s how to get the most from your conference experience.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Silicon Angle ☛ Nvidia faces increased antitrust pressure as Justice Department sends subpoena requests

  The U.S. Department of Justice has reportedly sent subpoenas to Nvidia Crop. and other companies as part of an antitrust investigation into the company that appears to be ramping up.

• Patents

  • Digital Music News ☛ BMG Slapped with Patent Infringement Lawsuit Over Song-Selection Methodology

    BMG is being sued by a company called Muvox LLC over patent monopoly infringement stemming from BMG Synch song-selection methodology. A company called Muvox LLC is suing BMG and technology giant I.C.B.M. in a separate filing for alleged patent monopoly infringement in the US.

  • Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ BRPTO publishes new workflow for patent monopoly examination in appeal stage

    The BRPTO published on August 28, 2024, Appeal Board Ordinance #4, a rule intended to provide internal guidelines for the examiners responsible for analyzing appeals of patent monopoly applications, the so called “second instance” in Brazil.

  • RESTORE Act Leaves District Courts Vulnerable to NPE Abuse

    As I discussed in Patent Progress back in July, the RESTORE Act, introduced in July by Senators Chris Coons and Tom Cotton, would bring back automatic injunctions to U.S. district courts. RESTORE is a solution no one is asking for, that claims to address a problem that doesn’t actually exist.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ From Knobs to Pixels: UI Patent Eligibility on Trial

    For over 150 years, “user interfaces” have been a staple of patent monopoly protection, evolving from the physical realm of tool handles and knobs to today’s digital screens. Although tangible interface elements continue be patented as components of larger systems, the market shift towards on-screen interfaces has been paralleled with the anti-eligibility shift in Mayo and Alice. The Federal Circuit recently waded into these murky waters in Broadband iTV, Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc., No. 23-1107 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 3, 2024), examining the patent monopoly eligibility of electronic programming guides and content recommendation systems.

  • Failed Disclosure Request Shows the Lingering Threat of Undisclosed Litigation Finance

    In August, Delaware Chief District Judge Colm Connolly denied Apple’s request for access to details on the litigation funding arrangement between the Finnish company MPH Technologies, which is suing Fashion Company Apple for alleged patent monopoly infringement, and the litigation financing entity Omni Bridgeway LLC, its third-party funder.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Hindsight 20/20: Federal Circuit Okays Retroactive Expertise

    In patent monopoly litigation, we continue to see enhanced focus on qualifying (i.e., disqualifying) expert witnesses. Skilled expert testimony can be so convincing for a jury while also laying the foundation to win on appeal.  And, expert testimony is a legal necessity in most patent monopoly cases both for damages calculations (damages expert) as well as for validity and infringement (technical expert).  Having your expert knocked-out just before or in the midst of trial is a nightmare situation.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Initial judgments indicate tendency of UPC to restrict patents [Ed: Nope, UPC is not even legal and is operating in violation of constitution; it should just be abolished ASAP and EPO come under investigation for corruption that enabled this]

      As the UPC is well into its second year, one of the most interesting questions is how plaintiff-friendly the court will turn out to be. Although it is not possible to compile statistics from the few published judgments, initial rulings show that the divisions are analysing patents critically.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Are Mascara and Clothing Related for Section 2(d) Purposes?

    The USPTO refused to register the mark CHEAT CODE for "mascara," finding confusion likely with the registered mark CHEAT CODES for, inter alia, various clothing items (including hats and shirts). The marks are essentially identical and therefore the first DuPont factor weighed heavily in favor of affirmance. But what about the goods? Are they related? Do they travel in the same trade channels? How do you think this came out? In re The Lip Bar, Inc., Serial No. 97546404 (August 30, 2024) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Robert H. Coggins).

• Copyrights and Music

  • Public Domain Review ☛ Antiquities of Mexico (1831–48)

    A nine volume series that faithfully reproduced virtually all pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican books in European collections at the time.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Breaking: Trump Campaign Moves to Postpone Deposition on Isaac Hayes Infringement Litigation

    Following a judge-ordered preliminary injunction against the Trump campaign from using Isaac Hayes’ music, the campaign has sought an emergency motion to postpone the deposition. The Trump campaign played “Hold On, I’m Coming” regularly before his speeches, including one at the Republican National Convention in July.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Musician Indicted Over Years-Long Streaming Fraud Scheme After Allegedly Making Over $10 Million on Hey Hi (AI) Tracks

    A North Carolina-based musician is facing criminal charges for allegedly racking up millions in royalties on AI-generated tracks as part of a massive music streaming fraud scheme. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York today announced this “first criminal case involving artificially inflated music streaming.”

  • Book Publishers Win at Second Circuit: Internet Archive’s Free Library is Not Fair Use

    The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit today affirmed a district court judgment that granted a group of book publishers’ motion for summary judgment that  the Internet Archive (IA) infringed their copyright monopoly in 127 books via IA’s “Free Digital Library.” As predicted by author Devlin Hartline in a February article for IPWatchdog, the Second Circuit agreed with the publishers—Hachette Book Group, Inc; Harper Collins Publishers LLC; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; and Penguin Random House LLC— that it is not a fair use for IA to scan copyright-protected print books and distribute them for free without permission from the publishers or authors.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Second Circuit Decision Limiting Book Lending Harms Libraries, Public

    Decision undermines a library's ability to serve its patrons in the digital age.

  • Jonathan Dowland ☛ Jonathan Dowland: loading (unintended consequences?)

    For their 30^th anniversary (ish; the Covid pandemic pushed the date out a bit) British electronic music duo Orbital released the compilation 30 something. The track list mostly looks like a best hits list, which — given their prior compilation celebrating 20 years looks much the same — would appear superfluous. However, they’ve rearranged and re-recorded all their songs for 30, to reflect their live arrangements. The reworkings are sufficiently distinct from the original versions (in some cases I prefer them) and elevate the release. The couple of new tracks are also fun, and many of the remixes on the second disc are worth a listen too.