Links 15/10/2024: GAFAM Returning the Menace of Nuclear Reactors, More Press Crises Reports
Contents
- Leftovers
- Science
- Education
- Hardware
- Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
- Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Defence/Aggression
- Environment
- Finance
- AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
- Censorship/Free Speech
- Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
- Civil Rights/Policing
- Internet Policy/Net Neutrality Monopolies/Monopsonies
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Leftovers
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Hackaday ☛ Solving A Retrocomputing Mystery With An Album Cover: Greengate DS:3
[Bea Thurman] had a retro music conundrum. She loved the classic Greengate DS:3 sampler, but couldn’t buy one, and couldn’t find enough information to build her own. [Bea’s] plea for help caught the attention of [Eric Schlaepfer], aka [TubeTime]. The collaboration that followed ultimately solved a decades-old mystery.
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Science
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New York Times ☛ NASA and SpaceX Launch Europa Clipper to a Jupiter Moon
The spacecraft lifted off Monday on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, embarking on a nearly six-year journey to Jupiter.
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CS Monitor ☛ Europa Clipper launch: A NASA scientist on probing if life can exist on Jupiter moon
Planetary geologist Erin Leonard of NASA talks about the Europa Clipper mission – and how to see if the icy moon of Jupiter has conditions required to support life.
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Education
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Stanford University ☛ Divorced families face discrimination in financial aid at Stanford and other universities, lawsuit alleges
A lawsuit filed last Monday accuses Stanford and 39 other universities of conspiring in a price-fixing scheme that artificially increases tuition costs for some children of divorced parents.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong construction firm accused of owing subcontractors HK$60 million for university accommodation project
A Hong Kong construction company has been accused of owing HK$60 million to subcontractors working on a university student accommodation project, as workers mounted a protest to call for unpaid wages.
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Hardware
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Hackaday ☛ The Greengate DS:3 Part 2: Putting A Retro Sampler To Use
The Greengate DS:3 had been re-created in the form of the Goodgreat. Now [Bea Thurman] had to put it to use. If the Greengate DS:3 card was rare, the keyboard was nearly impossible to find. After a long search, [Bea] bought one all the way from Iceland. The card of course came courtesy of [Eric].
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Tom's Hardware ☛ Ex-Intel CEO Brian Krzanich gets a new job, igniting a massive backlash — new employer Cerence disables social control media comments after blistering criticism [Ed: The criminal who engaged in insider trading while screwing his staff]
Former defective chip maker Intel CEO Brian Krzanich was recently hired to lead at Cerence Inc., an automotive Hey Hi (AI) technology company based in Burlington, MA. However, Cerence's celebratory statements concerning its new CEO, shared via social control media, have quickly turned sour as comments pour scorn on the firm's top-exec hiring decision.
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Ruben Schade ☛ AMD shelving high-end GPU plans [Ed: They too recognise there is a bubble accompanied by a delirious gold rush]
Graphics cards have been in a weird place for years now. They’ve bucked the trend in price and performance of the rest of the market, and have been integral to the current hype train sweeping the industry. Most surprisingly, a lot of this has had very little to do with graphics at all, which is wild to me.
We don’t need to rewind the clock very far before we were living through Blockchain Tulip Mania, with cards being scalped for twice, sometimes three times their recommended retail price. Cryptocurrencies needed the massive parallel processing of these cards, and manufacturers were happy to supply them. The current GenAI Tulip Mania has substituted wasteful mathematics for inefficient slop, but the lack of a viable business model, and the underlying hardware and resource requirements, have largely remained the same. Give us GPUs to make nonsense, consarnit!
It’s in that environment that we find ourselves reading that interview last month with Paul Halcon of Tom’s Hardware fame, and Jack Huynh from AMD. I’ve been mulling over the implications of AMD conceding the high-end GPU market for weeks now, and I think I see a silver lining.
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CNX Software ☛ LumenRadio’s nRF52840 based Wireless Modbus module aims to simplify Modbus RTU installations
LumenRadio has recently introduced a Wireless Modbus (W-Modbus) module built around Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF52840 SoC. The module can connect up to 100 nodes, integrates a power amplifier with 100mW transmission power, and supports Bluetooth LE for smartphone connectivity. These features simplify Modbus RTU installations by eliminating traditional control cables, making them ideal for building and industrial automation applications.
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CNX Software ☛ Infineon XENSIV game controller features PSoC 6 MCU, magnetic sensors, and OPTIGA Trust M security
Infineon Technologies XENSIV game controller is a reference design that integrates XENSIV magnetic position sensors for precise joystick control without sensor drift and XENSIV Hall switch triggers for reliable operation. The controller also features capacitive CAPSENSE buttons, CAPSENSE presence detection, and a SPIDER+ rumble driver. These components work together with the PSoC 6 BLE microcontroller to create a low-power, plug-and-play solution. The onboard display allows users to monitor joystick movements, connection status, configurations, and battery information.
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Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
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New York Times ☛ Why Two Million Children May Starve in Africa
Supplies of a highly nutritious treatment are running out, according to UNICEF.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong health chief vows to strengthen training for intern doctors after medical blunders
Hong Kong’s health minister has vowed to step up training for intern doctors, after public hospitals reported two medical blunders involving trainees in four months. The Hospital Authority will enhance training on inserting nasogastric tubes for intern doctors this month following two medical mishaps at public hospitals, Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said on Sunday.
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France24 ☛ Not the Doliprane: French outcry over plan to sell popular painkiller to US
Politicians from across the political spectrum are up in arms over healthcare giant Sanofi's plans to sell France's best-known medical drug Doliprane to US investors, a move critics say would lead to a "loss of sovereignty" for the country in a sensitive industry.
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New Yorker ☛ A Husband in the Aftermath of His Wife’s Unfathomable Act
Patrick Clancy’s wife killed their children during a postpartum mental-health crisis. Prosecutors describe a clear-headed scheme, but Clancy says, “I wasn’t married to a monster—I was married to someone who got sick.”
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Federal News Network ☛ Choose wisely: Not all healthcare premiums are increasing
Kevin Moss, Consumers' Checkbook senior editor, explains how federal employees can avoid huge increases in their healthcare costs in fiscal 2025.
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The Kent Stater ☛ Milton and Helene are taking a toll on the mental health of Floridians, leaving a trail of anxiety and frayed nerves
In a harsh new world of climate disasters, Amber Henry clutched her four young children as they stood atop the oven in their home in Lakeland, Florida. Transformers exploded outside. The surging floodwaters from Hurricane Milton poured in through the windows late Wednesday and their refrigerator slowly floated away.
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Latvia ☛ Why do Latvian diaspora members come to Latvia for health services?
As usual in autumn, tourist traffic in Rīga has decreased, but there is a group of tourists who visit Riga regardless of the season - medical or health tourists. Diaspora Latvians are among them. Why do Latvians still choose to come to Latvia for medical treatment? Latvian Radio's "Global Latvian" program asked the question October 14.
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Science Alert ☛ Mysterious Tick-Borne Virus in China Uncovered by Scientists
Are new tick-borne diseases on the rise?
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Science Alert ☛ 'Absolutely Wild': Viruses Are Teeming on Your Toothbrush And Showerhead
You've got company.
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Science Alert ☛ Drinking Caffeine May Reduce Alzheimer's Clumps in The Brain, Study Finds
The evidence is mounting.
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Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discover 'Skinny Genes' That Make It Easier to Lose Weight
It's not just about willpower.
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Science Alert ☛ DNA Reveals a Surprise Twist About Christopher Columbus
Could the conspiracy theories be true?
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France24 ☛ Only one-third of Europe's surface water in good health, study warns
Europe's water health is under severe strain, with only 37% of surface waters in good condition, warns the European Environment Agency. Pollution, habitat degradation, climate change, and freshwater overuse are key threats. "Our waters face unprecedented challenges," said EEA Executive Director Leena Yla-Mononen, highlighting risks to Europe's water security.
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NYPost ☛ Children and teens who have contracted COVID are more prone to diabetes, study says
Children were 50% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes around six months after contracting the coronavirus infection compared to those impacted by other respiratory illnesses, the study found.
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Medevel ☛ Mindful - Free App to Take Control of your Digital Routine on Android, Control your Social Control Media Addiction - Your Digital Detox
People now spend ~ 8 hours a day on their smartphones, mainly scrolling through social control media. Our devices have taken control of our lives, increasing our screen time and pulling us deeper into the digital world.
We've lost the ability to manage how much time we spend looking at
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Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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Bryan Lunduke ☛ The Road to Skynet: Nuclear Powered, CAPTCHA Solving AI
Teach Al systems to beat CAPTCHAs and pretend to be people, then give them nuclear reactors.
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Science Alert ☛ Google Pivots to Nuclear Reactors to Power Its Artificial Intelligence [Ed: Killing the planet to fake their "valuation" with hype waves]
Here's what we know.
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Silicon Angle ☛ Google to buy nuclear energy from small modular reactor startup Kairos Power [Ed: GAFAM finishing off what's left of energy]
Google LLC has signed an agreement to purchase nuclear power from the small modular reactor startup Kairos Power LLC. The deal should provide about 500 megawatts of carbon-free electricity to power Google’s data center operations in the U.S.
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Videogame company behind Candy Crush to lay off 47 employees in Barcelona
Video game company King, creator of the hit game Candy Crush, plans to lay off 47 employees at its Barcelona offices, more than 7% of its workforce.
The company was taken over by tech giant Microsoft last October, when, according to the CGT union, the layoffs began.
The union denounces that the company wants to "dismantle entire departments" of King's operations in Barcelona and subcontract the work to other companies within the group.
"The jobs, far from disappearing, will be transferred to subcontractors or other offices within the group, which makes this dismissal a disguised relocation operation," CGT said.
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Report: Bandai Namco Laying Off Hundreds of Employees; One Piece and Naruto Games Canceled or Paused
As reported by Bloomberg (paywalled), Bandai Namco is allegedly using a tactic known as “Oidashi beya” or “expulsion rooms” to pressure employees into resigning voluntarily. In these rooms, employees are reportedly given little to no work-related tasks, while knowing that poor performance could be used as grounds to reduce severance when they leave. Many employees often use this time to look for other jobs. So far, about 200 employees have been moved to these rooms, with around 100 having already resigned.
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Tom's Hardware ☛ Microsoft will end backdoored Windows 10 support in exactly one year [Ed: So move to GNU/Linux, don't waste time on a sinking boat]
Microsoft will officially end support for its backdoored Windows 10 operating system on October 14th, 2025.
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Defence/Aggression
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RFA ☛ North Korea says border units ready to shoot amid drone dispute with South
The North appears to be preparing to blow up cross-border roads as early as Monday, South Korea’s military said.
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France24 ☛ South Korea military says ‘fully ready’ amid dispute with Pyongyang over drone flights
South Korea said Monday it was "fully ready" to respond after North Korea ordered army units on the border to be "ready to open fire" amid a dispute over drone flights into the North. Tensions between the neighbouring countries grew as the North accused the South of sending drones to scatter a "huge number" of anti-North leaflets over Pyongyang, in what it called a political and military provocation that could lead to armed conflict.
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RFA ☛ North Koreans pray to Buddha statues for good luck
The country is officially atheist, but allows for religious freedom under certain conditions, at least on paper.
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RFA ☛ China completes large-scale drills around Taiwan
The US called on China to act with restraint after Taipei said Beijing should ‘face up’ to Taiwan’s existence.
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France24 ☛ China vows never to renounce 'use of force' to retake Taiwan as drills end
China deployed planes and ships around Taiwan in military drills on Monday, issuing a "stern warning" to "separatist" forces. The drills marked the fourth large-scale exercise in two years as Beijing refuses to rule out force in its efforts to control Taiwan. Washington said the drills risked "escalation", calling on China to act with restraint.
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New York Times ☛ China Holds War Games Encircling Taiwan in Warning to Island’s Leader
Scores of Chinese aircraft and dozens of ships surrounded Taiwan, after President Lai Ching-te rejected Beijing’s claim over the island.
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The Straits Times ☛ China urges caution in Israel-Iran tensions, calls for ceasefire
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on all parties involved in tensions between Israel and Iran on Monday to exercise caution and avoid escalating the situation.
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RFERL ☛ Top Chinese Communist Official Visits Serbia, Highlighting Growing Belgrade-Beijing Cooperation
Another Chinese Communist party official is visiting Serbia in the latest sign of close cooperation between the two countries.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China deploys fighter jets and warships to encircle Taiwan in drills meant to send ‘stern warning’ to island
China deployed fighter jets and warships to encircle Taiwan on Monday, in drills Beijing said were aimed at sending a “stern warning” to “separatist” forces on the self-ruled island.
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The Strategist ☛ What we can tell from China’s ICBM test
China’s decision to test an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean on 25 September 25 was unusual—but not very unusual, because the country has similarly tested shorter-range ballistic missiles over [...]
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwanese businessman Robert Tsao and lawmaker Puma Shen hit with Chinese sanctions over alleged ‘separatism’
China imposed sanctions on two prominent Taiwanese on Monday over alleged “separatism”, after it launched large-scale military drills around the self-ruled island.
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Mexico News Daily ☛ What’s President Sheinbaum’s plan for trade with China? Former Ambassador Jorge Guajardo weighs in
The new administration has unequivocally chosen its side in the current U.S.-China trade conflict, the former ambassador told Mexico News Daily in an exclusive interview.
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Haaretz ☛ Trump Boat Parade in Florida Features Nazi Flags, White Supremacist Chants
Video footage from the event showed men chanting slogans, such as 'Heil Trump' and 'Make America White Again,' joining the parade in a boat flying Nazi flags
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New York Times ☛ Survivors of Al Aqsa Hospital Fire in Gaza Say They Are Living a ‘Recurring Nightmare’
Scores of families sheltering outside Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital say they have survived a string of Israeli strikes on the compound and feel trapped with nowhere to go.
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New York Times ☛ Tent Camp in Gaza Engulfed by Flames After Israeli Strike
At least four Palestinians taking shelter by a hospital were killed in a strike Israeli officials said was targeting a Hamas command center.
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New York Times ☛ Deadly Israeli Strike Hits Central Gaza Hospital Complex
Israel said it targeted Hamas fighters inside the hospital compound, where displaced people were living in tents. A separate strike killed several people at a Gazan school turned shelter.
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JURIST ☛ Canada expels Indian diplomats over violent criminal activity linked to India
Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, announced on Monday the expulsion of six Indian consular officials and diplomats, following a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) investigation into organized crime allegedly connected with the Indian government.
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RFERL ☛ Pakistan Steps Up Security Ahead Of SCO Summit
Pakistan's capital was under strict security lockdown starting October 14 ahead of the arrival of Chinese Premier Li Qiang for a four-day bilateral visit and a heads-of-government gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) this week.
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JURIST ☛ Philippines suppresses young activists’ rights using Facebook: Amnesty International
Philippines intensified the use of Facebook (Farcebook) to undermine young activists’ rights to free speech and protest, Amnesty International reported on Monday. The report documents a coordinated campaign of state-sponsored harassment and intimidation. The group contended that government officials and security forces are weaponizing social control media platforms [...]
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The Strategist ☛ Australia should attach no security strings to PNG NRL backing
If Australia’s offer to support a National Rugby League (NRL) team in Papua New Guinea is contingent on PNG promising not to host Chinese forces, as reported on Monday [...]
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Defence Web ☛ Global piracy at a 30 year low
Piracy incidents worldwide continue to show a downward trend with the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reporting the lowest number of attacks and armed robbery at sea in 30 years.
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Defence Web ☛ Houthis strike again at two ships
Drones and missiles fired from nearby Yemen caused some damage but no injuries to crew on board the products tanker Olympic Spirit (IMO 9327097) on Thursday of last week. The Liberian-flagged tanker was sailing about 70 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port of Hodeida when attacked on 10 October.
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France24 ☛ 🔴 Live: UN Security Council voices 'strong concerns' over Lebanon peacekeepers attacks
The United Nations Security Council voiced "strong concerns" Monday after incidents in which UN peacekeepers in Lebanon have been injured, as Israel presses its campaign against Hezbollah militants in its northern neighbor.
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France24 ☛ Israeli attacks on UN forces in Lebanon must stop, say France, UK, Italy and Germany
Israeli attacks on the United Nations' peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, are contrary to international humanitarian law and must stop at once, Italy, Britain, France and Germany said in a joint statement on Monday. Earlier, an Israeli strike on a village in northern Lebanon killed at least 21 people, local officials said, in one of the northernmost strikes since Israel began its offensive in late September. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.
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Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine
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LRT ☛ ‘Putin does not want to invade the Baltics’ – interview
Since the Second World War, Moscow has been paranoid that the West has plans to attack Russia. Ultimately, this fear has fed into the Kremlin's current policy. “They are paranoid and always will be, because they think the West is technically better, richer, so why not attack the weaker one?” said John Hughes-Wilson, a military intelligence expert, historian and a retired British colonel.
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Latvia ☛ Hands-free crutch donation campaign launched in Latvia
Every day, soldiers in Ukraine suffer critical leg injuries. The Entrepreneurs for Peace Foundation invites Latvian companies and every supporter of Ukraine to participate in the "Help Get Back on Your Feet" donation campaign to send hands-free crutches to Ukrainian soldiers who have suffered in the war, the Foundation said October 14.
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France24 ☛ UK foreign secretary to join EU ministers for talks on Mideast and Ukraine
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy will attend the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Monday following an invitation from EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, marking the first time a British foreign secretary has attended the council in two years. Talks will focus on the Middle East and Ukraine. Lammy's attendance comes after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to reset relations with the EU after Brexit.
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RFERL ☛ Threatening E-Mails Sent To Hundreds Of Ukrainian Organizations After RFE/RL Investigation
Several state institutions in Ukraine on October 14 were evacuated after hundreds of schools, businesses, embassies, and media outlets received e-mails threatening a terrorist attack that appeared to be linked to an RFE/RL investigation into Russian security services' activities in Ukraine.
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RFERL ☛ EU Approves New Sanctions On Iran Over Missile Transfers To Russia
Foreign ministers from the European Union have approved new sanctions against seven individuals and seven entities linked to Iran after Kyiv's Western allies accused Tehran of sending ballistic missiles to Russia to aid in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy Claims North Korea Sending Soldiers, Weapons To Russia
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says he had been briefed by Ukrainian intelligence services about what he described as North Korea's effective involvement in Russia's war in his country.
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RFERL ☛ Ukraine Alleges New Killings Of POWs By Russian Forces
Ukrainian officials accused Russian forces of executing nine captured troops in the Kursk border region, denouncing Moscow for violating "all the rules and customs of war," while Kyiv said at least two people were killed and 22 others injured in Russian attacks in Ukraine over the past 24 hours.
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New York Times ☛ Russia Is Winning Back Territory Taken by Ukraine in Its Summer Offensive
Moscow’s forces have been recapturing some villages and land taken in a Ukrainian incursion into Russia. The advances could undermine Kyiv’s hopes of pushing Russia to the negotiating table.
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LRT ☛ Funding military with patriotism? Lithuania’s ‘defence bonds’ leave investors unimpressed
Offering investors to lend for Lithuania’s military spending may make little financial sense, but it draws on patriotic feelings, observers say.
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Environment
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Energy/Transportation
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H2 View ☛ Study urges location-based criteria for blue hydrogen’s IRA tax credit eligibility
Blue hydrogen’s eligibility for production tax credits under the US’ Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) should be project-specific and location-dependent to ensure true emissions reduction, according to a new study.
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Wildlife/Nature
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Gov’t launches probe after 8 monkeys found dead at Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens [Ed: Humans sucks at guarding other humans, so why entrust them to look after other species?]
Hong Kong authorities are investigating the deaths of eight monkeys found dead at a Hong Kong zoo, which was partly closed on Monday for disinfection, with necropsies launched to ascertain the cause of the animals’ deaths.
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Finance
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France24 ☛ 'Nobel economics prize' awarded to trio for work on links between institutions and prosperity
Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James A. Robinson won the 2024 Nobel memorial prize in economics "for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity", the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said on Monday.
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Tom's Hardware ☛ TSMC could build more fabs in Europe - Chairman of Taiwan's National Science Council
Head of Taiwan's National Science Council says TSMC is planning additional fabs in Europe. TSMC denies that such a decision has been made.
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The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian govt used S$12.07 billion in grants to repay 1MDB loans
The grants were for principal repayment and other expenses, including bond interest and coupon payments.
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RFA ☛ PRC at 75: Did Hu’s bailout cause China's current economic woes?
Former President Hu Jintao's economic legacy, steered by Premier Wen Jiabao, is still making waves today.
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Latvia ☛ New Latvian collector coin honors modernist architect Marta Staņa
On Thursday, 17 October, the Latvian central bank, Latvijas Banka (LB), will issue a new collector coin with the title "Building the Unbuilt", dedicated to Marta Staņa, a distinguished architect known for her work in the modernist style.
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Press Gazette ☛ Evening Standard losses grew to £21m in 2023
Revenue also hits low point for Evening Standard's free era.
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AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
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RFA ☛ China, Vietnam talk business during Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Hanoi
Hanoi also called for the ‘peaceful resolution’ of territorial disputes after a recent clash in disputed waters.
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JURIST ☛ Mexico judges end strike and vow job action against judicial reforms
Federal judges and magistrates in Mexico voted to end their nearly two-month long strike on Friday against judicial reforms implemented by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador which made judges elected rather than appointed.
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Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda
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Off Guardian ☛ Disinformation Isn’t the Problem. Government Coverups and Censorship Are the Problem [Ed: Disinformation is also a problem; it's not a x or y thing, x and y can both be bad.]
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Censorship/Free Speech
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RFA ☛ China launches crackdown on ‘unauthorized’ use of language
The move comes as younger social control media users develop a new set of code words and abbreviations.
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RFA ☛ Facebook censoring more political content in Hong Kong< [Ed: Do not use Facebook; Facebook itself is doing activism, mostly Facebook's activism against the users, on behalf of Facebook's clients (advertisers, which include political groups); users doing activism in Facebook is like babies in potty training]
The social control media giant is increasingly acting on takedown requests from police and officials, citing security laws.
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Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
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Press Gazette ☛ Diversification and acquisitions fuels revenue growth for PA Media
Group to "protect" the 156-year-old news agency by diversifying revenues from outside traditional media.
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New York Times ☛ A Reporter’s Shield Law Is Vital to Prevent Abuses of Power
The PRESS Act has unanimous support in the House, but a few senators are blocking it.
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Press Gazette ☛ Former Scott Trust member speaks out over plan to sell Observer to Tortoise
Observer has always been vulnerable says former Manchester Evening News editor.
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Civil Rights/Policing
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Digital Music News ☛ Here’s More Evidence of Child Exploitation Rings on Roblox
Roblox has a child exploitation problem on its hands that seems impossible to moderate. Short-seller Hindenburg Research has highlighted just how much child exploitation takes place on the platform—with some sickening examples.
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RFA ☛ EXPLAINED: Xinjiang’s largest cotton producer turned 70; not everyone is celebrating
The XPCC is involved in everything from governance to commerce. Evidence points to its oppression of Uyghurs.
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Digital Music News ☛ R. Kelly’s Daughter Accuses Singer of Sexually Abusing Her When She Was a Child
The daughter of disgraced singer R. Kelly accuses him of sexually abusing her when she was a child. Buku Abi, the 26-year-old daughter of disgraced singer R. Kelly, has accused the singer of sexually abusing her when she was a child.
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France24 ☛ Music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs accused of sexual abuse in six new lawsuits
Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs faces new federal lawsuits, including allegations of molesting a minor, according to Rolling Stone. Filed in Manhattan, the suits include claims from two women and four men, spanning incidents from 1995 to 2021. Combs, now 54, is accused of serious misconduct.
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Digital Music News ☛ Kanye West Accused of Drugging and Raping Former Assistant at a Diddy Party
Kanye West’s former assistant has accused the rapper of drugging and raping her at a Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs party in a new lawsuit. An assistant to the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, Lauren Pisciotta, has filed a lawsuit accusing West of drugging and raping her at a party he co-hosted with Sean “Diddy” Combs.
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JURIST ☛ Singapore to criminalize ‘egregious abuses’ of the court process
The Singapore Ministry of Law introduced the Administration of Justice (Protection) (Amendment) Bill, 2024, to Parliament on Monday. The bill aims to safeguard the process of administering justice and prevent the misuse of court procedures.
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Latvia ☛ Concerns about information void in Latvian border area
The border region of Ludza has become an information void of sorts, as the municipal newsletter and the local newspaper Ludza Zemes were closed down a few months ago. Latvian Radio reports October 14 that a large part of the rural population, where the internet is not available, no longer receives information about what is happening in the municipality.
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Internet Policy/Net Neutrality
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APNIC ☛ Event Wrap: APTLD 86
Joyce Chen presented at APTLD 86, held in Da Nang, Viet Nam from 17 to 20 September 2024.
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Patents
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Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ USPTO Tweaks PTAB AIA-Trial Counsel Rules; NO Major Overhaul
The USPTO has issued final rules aimed at expanding opportunities for practitioners to appear before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). The rules, which go into effect on November 12, 2024, make several changes to the requirements for counsel in AIA-trial proceedings. However, the final rules do not go as far as some had proposed in allowing non-registered practitioners to take lead roles. In other words, lead counsel must be a registered patent monopoly practitioner.
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Unified Patents ☛ Adamson & Partners and Unified host over 200 for 2024 Munich IP Forum
Annual Event Drew an International Crowd and Prominent IP and Legal Speakers
Adamson & Partners and Unified Patents, a member-based organization whose goal is promoting innovation by protecting against frivolous patent monopoly litigation and reducing the number of non-practicing entity patent monopoly assertions, hosted over 200 IP and legal practitioners in Munich. The annual event, which is in its eighth year, was held on September 23 and 24, 2024.
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Unified Patents ☛ HPCF entity, Piranha, ad related patent monopoly challenged
On October 11, 2024, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 11,463,768, owned and asserted by Piranha Media Distribution, LLC, an NPE and entity funded by HPCF Litigation Finance US I LLC. The ‘768 patent monopoly relates to providing advertisements in digital media. It has been asserted against Hulu.
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Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ Radiotherapy and cancer treatment: IP challenges in Brazil
Despite the availability of therapeutic options that extend life expectancy, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. A key reason for this persistently high mortality rate is the limited effectiveness of conventional treatments in overcoming acquired tumor resistance.
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Unified Patents ☛ Oso IP entity, USTA Technology, Wi-Fi 5 patent monopoly challenged
On October 14, 2024, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent RE 47,720, owned by USTA Technology LLC, an NPE and entity of Oso IP, LLC. The patent monopoly relates to a method of spectrum-adaptive networking using the 802.11 standard.
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JUVE ☛ Astellas defends cancer drug patent monopoly against generics manufacturers in UK
UK High Court judge James Mellor has upheld EP 1 893 196 and the SPC in its entirety. The patent monopoly is owned by The Regents of the University of California, Astellas is the licensee. EP 196 covers enzalutamide, the active ingredient in Astella’s major prostate cancer drug Xtandi.
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Software Patents
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Unified Patents ☛ Express Mobile website-builder claim cancelled
On October 3, 2024, the Patent Office issued a reexamination certificate cancelling claim 1 of U.S. Patent 6,546,397, owned and asserted by Express Mobile, Inc. In May 2024, the Federal Circuit affirmed the Patent Office's final decision confirming that claim 1 was unpatentable. The ’397 patent monopoly generally relates to website building software. Express Mobile has asserted this patent monopoly over 100 times in district court against companies employing both proprietary website-building platforms and open-source platforms like WordPress and Magento. >
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Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ The Substance of OpenAI’s Patent Pledge? [Ed: Software patents ought not be granted in the first place!]
OpenAI’s new patent monopoly pledge promises to use their patents only for defensive purposes, as long as other parties do not assert claims against them or engage in harmful activities. The move echoes Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s 2014 declaration that “all our patent monopoly … belong to you” – a pledge that garnered significant attention but left many questions unanswered. OpenAI’s pledge suffers from similar ambiguities and limitations that may ultimately render it more of a PR move than a meaningful commitment to open innovation.
OpenAI’s pledge states in part: “We support the efforts of others in the use and development of Hey Hi (AI) model technology. We pledge to only use our patents defensively, so long as a party does not threaten or assert a claim, initiate a proceeding, help someone else in such activities against us, or engage in activities that harm us or our users.”
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Gemini* and Gopher
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Personal/Opinions
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Technology and Free Software
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🪦RIP RX580
So the day has finally come. My thrusty RX580 8GB gave up on life :-( It was still going strong in my old setup used by my girlfriend for playing some games.
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Nuclear artificial intelligence
When my wife was a kid, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster happened. The next year, she had leukaemia, spent months in a clean room, spent years with chemo and recovery. Nuclear energy will always be personal.
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Monopolies/Monopsonies
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* Gemini (Primer) links can be opened using Gemini software. It's like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter.