Leftovers

• Ruben Schade ☛ The Duke of Edinburgh Award

  According to the timestamp, I wrote this post in December 2018 but never published. I only just found it in a configuration folder labelled rc.conf; clearly I saved the wrong buffer!

  When I was in high school in the 2000s, a bunch of my cohort participated in the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme. I can’t remember much of what it entailed, though there was a social outreach and community service element.

• Hackaday ☛ An International Hackerspace Map

  If you’re looking for a hackerspace while on your travels, there is more than one website which shows them on a map, and even tells you whether or not they are open. This last feature is powered by SpaceAPI, a standard way for hackerspaces to publish information about themselves, including whether or not they are closed.

• Hackaday ☛ Electrostatic Motors Are Making A Comeback

  Electrostatic motors are now common in MEMS applications, but researchers at the University of Wisconsin and spinoff C-Motive Technologies have brought macroscale electrostatic motors back. [via MSN/WSJ]

• Science

  • Chris ☛ Probability-Generating Functions

  • Stanford University ☛ ‘Picture Perfect Chemistry’ illuminates the science behind photography

    A workshop organized jointly by the chemistry and art departments spotlights how chemical methods enabled the development of modern photography.

  • New Yorker ☛ Could Steampunk Save Us?

    A goofy-seeming sci-fi subgenre holds useful lessons about managing technology in an accelerating age.

  • Science Alert ☛ Nightmares Can Be Silenced by a Single Piano Chord, Study Shows

    Sweet dreams.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discover 'Deep Brain' Genes Linked to Parkinson's And ADHD

    The deep brain is spilling its secrets.

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Impossible' Proofs of Pythagoras' Theorem Published by High School Students

    A mind-blowing accomplishment.

  • Science Alert ☛ Pregnancy Can Awaken Ancient Viruses in Your DNA, Study Reveals

    Something stirs within.

  • Science Alert ☛ We Finally Know Why Ancient Roman Concrete Was Able to Last Thousands of Years

    Mystery solved!

  • Science Alert ☛ Mysterious Secrets of Octopus Arms Revealed in Unprecedented Detail

    The closest thing to an alien on Earth.

• Hardware

  • New York Times ☛ TSMC Chips Ended Up in Devices Made by China’s Huawei Despite U.S. Controls

    The U.S. government has tried to keep Chinese companies from obtaining certain advanced technologies, but concerns have been growing that some products may have been routed to Huawei.

  • Hackaday ☛ Custom Fan Controller For Otherwise Fanless PCs

    Most of us using desktop computers, and plenty of us on laptops, have some sort of fan or pump installed in our computer to remove heat and keep our machines running at the most optimum temperature. That’s generally a good thing for performance, but comes with a noise pollution cost. It’s possible to build fanless computers, though, which are passively cooled by using larger heat sinks with greater thermal mass, or by building more efficient computers, or both. But sometimes even fanless designs can benefit from some forced air, so [Sasa] built this system for cooling fanless systems with fans.

  • Hackaday ☛ Lies, Big Lies And LED Lightbulb Lifespan Promises

    We have probably all seen the marketing blurbs on packaging and elsewhere promoting the amazing lifespan of LED lighting solutions. Theoretically you should be able to install a LED bulb in a fixture that used to hold that incandescent lightbulb which had to be replaced annually and have it last a decade or longer. Yet we seem to replace these LED bulbs much more often than that, with them suffering a range of issues. To get to the root cause of this, [The Doubtful Technician] decided to perform an autopsy on a couple of dead lightbulbs which he got from a variety of sources and brands.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Federal News Network ☛ National Health Safety Network has a mission to protect the patient and the healthcare worker

    "We're particularly excited about where NHSN is going, and this is tremendous leadership from the team that runs NHSN," said Arjun Srinivasan.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia’s ex-PM Mahathir discharged from hospital

    He was hospitalised for almost two weeks due to a respiratory infection.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Ex-Malaysia PM Mahathir says Zahid’s ‘Kutty’ remarks damaged his political image

    Dr Mahathir filed the lawsuit against Mr Zahid for allegedly issuing defamatory statements regarding the “Kutty” issue.

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Exclusive: Emails reveal how health departments struggle to track human cases of bird flu

    Despite health officials’ arduous efforts to track human infections, surveillance is marred by delays, inconsistencies, and blind spots.

  • Federal News Network ☛ How Medicare Part D will work in upcoming USPS insurance program

    OPM’s final regulations for the Postal Service Health Benefits program locked in rules on Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage for USPS annuitants.

  • New York Times ☛ Part-Time Farmers, Part-Time Rock Stars: A Chinese Band’s Unlikely Rise

    The band, Varihnaz, has gained fans by offering an alternative to China’s hyper-polished, fast-paced modern life, with songs about pesticides and poultry raising.

  • Science Alert ☛ Less Than 30 Minutes of Exercise Does Something Wonderful For Your Brain

    Mind, meet body.

  • European Commission ☛ “Towards sustainable agriculture in Europe and Worldwide”, lecture delivered by Mr Janusz Wojciechowski at IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia.

  • New York Times ☛ Amid Climate Crisis, Svalbard Global Seed Vault Gets a Huge Deposit

    A storage facility in Norway built to safeguard crop diversity recently received more than 30,000 samples as concerns grow about climate change and food insecurity.

  • New York Times ☛ The New Threat to Brazil’s Forests: Chemicals

    Authorities use satellites to track deforestation caused by chain saws or fire. Now criminals are using chemicals to degrade trees — and evade detection.

  • New York Times ☛ Despite Covid ‘Amnesia,’ the Pandemic Simmers Beneath the 2024 Race

    Dueling Trump and Harris rallies outside Atlanta offer a case study in how anger and anxiety over Covid-19, a proxy for the larger debate over trust in government, have shaped the 2024 race.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Fewer Australians will accept lockdowns in future pandemics, report says

    A third of the respondents believe the government overreacted to the pandemic.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Cloudbooklet ☛ Deepfake Attack on Wiz: CEO’s Voice Misused in Scam

    Discover how a deepfake attack on Wiz exploited the CEO’s voice to deceive employees and the lessons learned from this incident.

  • Cloudbooklet ☛ British Man Jailed 18 Years for Hey Hi (AI) Child Abuse Images

    British man Jailed 18 years for creating Hey Hi (AI) Child Abuse Images. The case highlights rising concerns over Hey Hi (AI) misuse in criminal activities.

  • Brendan Gregg ☛ Brendan Gregg: Hey Hi (AI) Flame Graphs

    Imagine halving the resource costs of Hey Hi (AI) and what that could mean for the planet and the industry -- based on extreme estimates such savings could reduce the total US power usage by over 10% by 2030¹.

  • Reuters ☛ Microsoft’s Hey Hi (AI) demand under scrutiny as investors seek payday [Ed: Just pure bubble and lies; Contributing to the bubble are some interesting things that are falsely described as "AI" but have nothing to do with it, falsely attributed to keep the bubble from popping sooner.]

    Microsoft is expected to report its slowest quarterly revenue growth in a year on Wednesday, while investors await signs of AI demand amid growing worries about the slow payoff from hefty investments in the technology.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • WhichUK ☛ Five ways to spot a fake freebie on Facebook [Ed: Better to just altogether avoid Facebook (Farcebook)]

      How to stop scammers luring you in with bogus competitions

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Privacy International ☛ Non-fitted devices in the Home Office’s surveillance arsenal: Investigating the technology behind GPS fingerprint scanners

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Privacy watchdog signs global joint statement calling on social control media firms to guard against mass scraping of data

      Hong Kong’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner (PCPD) for Personal Data has joined data protection authorities from the UK, Australia and other countries to sign a global statement calling on social control media platforms to guard against the mass scraping of personal data.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Sikhs living in US, UK and Canada fear surveillance by Indian agents, informants

      They have been warned by the police that they may be targeted for attacks.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Law Enforcement Deanonymizes Tor Users

      The German police have successfully deanonymized at least four Tor users. It appears they watch known Tor relays and known suspects, and use timing analysis to figure out who is using what relay.

      Tor has written about this.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ The U.S. Army Prepares for War With China: New Vehicles, Face Paint and a 1,200-Foot Fall

    The big and cumbersome Army is trying to transform itself to deploy quickly to Asia, if needed. It is an inherently dangerous business.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China warns of deep-sea spying devices, underwater ‘lighthouses’ that guide foreign submarines

    The devices were reportedly sending back information that could “preset the field for battle”.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin pressed Biden to alter language on Taiwan, sources say

    The US has declined to make the change.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia's Prabowo to visit China and US in first foreign trip, newspaper says

    JAKARTA - Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto will visit China and the United States during a five-country trip just a few weeks after taking office, Kompas newspaper reported on Tuesday, signalling his intent to pursue an active role on the international stage.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China detains South Korean on suspicion of espionage

    The case could deter investment and operations in the country by South Korean firms.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Slovak PM Fico to visit China as he seeks ties beyond western partners

    Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will visit China from Oct. 30 to Nov. 5 to meet its leaders and foster closer bilateral and economic ties, his government said on Tuesday, as Slovakia aims to build alliances outside its European Union and NATO partners.

  • The Straits Times ☛ India, China nearly done removing troops, guard posts from friction points of disputed border

    The two countries had agreed to keep lines of communication open at different levels of the army, sources said.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Three-person crew blasts off for China’s Tiangong space station

    Three Chinese astronauts including the country’s only woman spaceflight engineer blasted off on a “dream” mission to the Tiangong space station in the early hours of Oct 30.

  • ADF ☛ Local Groups Look to Promote Reconciliation in Ethiopia, Somalia

    Neighboring countries Somalia and Ethiopia are trying to put an end to violence that has affected the Horn of Africa for decades. Some experts believe the healing must begin at the community level and spread from person to person.

  • ADF ☛ Years of Budget Cuts Leave South Africa’s Navy Struggling to Stay Afloat

    South Africa’s Navy, once the continent’s most powerful, is now struggling after years of financial belt-tightening forced it to forego needed maintenance and recruitment. The Navy’s recorded sea hours have dropped by more than 75% since 2018, reaching just over 2,700 hours this year.

  • ADF ☛ Learning Peacekeeping Lessons From Force Commanders

    With almost half of all United Nations peacekeeping operations located in Africa, the continent has been the site of many successes, challenges and hard-earned lessons.

  • ADF ☛ Tension in Guinea as Junta Cracks Down on Critics, Opposition

    Three members of Guinea’s National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (FNDC) were planning a demonstration against the country’s military junta when soldiers dressed as civilians arrived in armored vehicles and arrested them on July 9.

  • ADF ☛ Ghana Receives Two Defender Patrol Boats to Address Maritime Threats

    The Ghana Navy in September received two Defender patrol boats that will enhance its capacity to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, arms smuggling, piracy, armed robbery at sea and other maritime crimes. The U.S. government donated the boats and also provided a storage facility.

  • ADF ☛ Rwanda Credits Preparation and Innovation for Controlling Marburg Outbreak

    Public health officials say Rwanda’s response to its recent Marburg virus outbreak demonstrates the benefit of preparedness and quick response. Rwanda’s outbreak, which began in late September, is the latest surge of the virus after episodes last year in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania that killed 17 people.

  • New York Times ☛ Trump Family Members and Biden Aides Among China Hack Targets

    Phones used by Jared Kushner and Eric Trump were among those that hackers sought access to as part of a counterintelligence effort carried out by a hacking group associated with China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Kim Jong Un’s daughter Ju Ae clearly in line to rule, says South Korean intelligence agency

    Kim Ju Ae has been increasingly visible at Workers’ Party of Korea events.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Despite US sanctions, China has enough Hey Hi (AI) processors to build the world's largest Hey Hi (AI) training cluster: Report

    Despite export restrictions, enough Hey Hi (AI) processors have been smuggled into China to build world-class Hey Hi (AI) supercomputers. Workarounds including proxies and imports via other countries haven't stopped China from procuring large quantities of modern equipment.

  • New York Times ☛ Israel’s Parliament Passes Bills Banning UNRWA, Agency That Aids Palestinians

    Most of the provisions of the laws, which could threaten UNRWA’s work by barring its operations in the country, will not take effect for three months.

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Israel must step in if it bans the UN agency that is a lifeline for Gaza, UN says

    Israel passed two laws Monday that could prevent UNRWA from continuing its work, which isolated it among the U.N.’s 193 member nations.

  • New York Times ☛ What Are the Implications of Israel Banning UNRWA?

    Humanitarian agencies fear the new Israeli laws could have catastrophic effects for Gazans. They are already drawing sharp criticism from Israel’s allies.

  • New York Times ☛ Hezbollah Names Naim Qassem as Its New Leader

    Mr. Qassem had been the Lebanese militant group’s longtime deputy. He replaces Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike last month.

  • New York Times ☛ Dozens Killed in Israeli Strikes in Eastern Lebanon, Lebanese Officials Say

    The barrage of Israeli airstrikes in the Bekaa Valley on Monday night killed at least 60 people, officials said. It appeared to be the deadliest attack in the area since the war escalated last month.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Uyghur rights body meets in Bosnia under tight security over threats

    SARAJEVO - A body fighting for Uyghur people's rights in China and abroad had to meet in virtual secrecy with police protection in the Bosnian capital after threats and pressure to cancel, it said.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China confirms South Korean man detained for alleged spying under revised anti-espionage law

    China confirmed on Tuesday it had detained a South Korean citizen for alleged spying, as Beijing ramps up vigilance against perceived threats to national security. South Korea’s Yonhap news service, citing diplomatic sources in Seoul, reported Monday that Chinese authorities had held the man in his 50s since late last year.

  • France24 ☛ India's female healthcare workers seek protection following murder of trainee doctor

    Indian is still reeling from the rape and murder of 31-year-old trainee doctor Moumita Debnath in a Kolkata hospital on August 9. The horrific crime is a reminder of the lack of security for women in the country, but it also highlights the worrying situation faced by women working in the medical sector, who face trivialised patient violence and unsafe facilities. In India, 60 percent of medical school students are women, but these future doctors fear for their future. Some are taking matters into their own hands by signing up for self-defence classes. Our correspondents report.

  • JURIST ☛ Myanmar forces arrest son-in-law of country’s former military ruler

    Myanmar’s security forces arrested Nay Soe Maung, son-in-law of former longtime military ruler Than Shwe, for allegedly posting inflammatory statements on his Facebook (Farcebook) account, state-run media reported Thursday. Nay Soe Maung is currently the head of Mingalardon Hospital and a retired military general. His father is General Tin Sein.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ White House limits Hey Hi (AI) and chip investments to China over national security concerns

    The Treasury Department today issued a final rule which serves to restrict and monitor U.S. tech investments in China in an effort to bolster national security.

  • JURIST ☛ UN official ‘deeply appalled’ at human rights violations by paramilitary in Sudan conflict

    The UN humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, expressed concern on Saturday over severe human rights violations committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), after the Sudan Doctors Network and the United Nations confirmed major attacks launched by the paramilitary group.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Putin is creating the conditions for Russian victory in Ukraine

      Whoever wins the US presidential election, they will inherit a war in Ukraine that requires their urgent attention to prevent a Russian victory that would signal the decline of the West and transform the geopolitical landscape, writes Mykola Bielieskov.

    • New York Times ☛ Putin Oversees Nuclear Training Exercises at Delicate Moment for Ukraine War

      The Russian leader’s emphasis on nuclear prowess has been seen as an attempt to deter Western military aid to Kyiv.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russian drill simulates "massive" response to a nuclear strike

      Russia held a training exercise on Tuesday to simulate a "massive nuclear strike" in response to a first strike by an enemy, Defence Minister Andrei Belousov said.

    • France24 ☛ Russia test-fires missiles to simulate 'massive' response to nuclear first strike

      Russia on Tuesday held nuclear drills that involved firing missiles from the ground, sea and air, the defence ministry said. President Putin, who recently approved changes to rules on the use of nuclear weapons, had multiple times alluded to resorting to using such force since the start of Russia's war with Ukraine 2-1/2 years ago.

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea and Russia send political shockwaves with Ukraine war moves

      Russian President Vladimir Putin has not denied the presence of North Korean troops in the country.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Putin’s war on Ukrainian heritage: Russia bombs first Soviet skyscraper

      This week's targeted Russian bombing of Kharkiv's iconic Derzhprom building was the latest in a series of attacks on Ukrainian heritage sites that many regard as evidence of a deliberate Kremlin campaign to erase Ukraine’s national identity, writes Peter Dickinson.

    • France24 ☛ 'Vast majority of North Korean troops will become cannon fodder': analyst

      North Korea's foreign minister arrived in Russia on Tuesday for talks as the Russia-Ukraine war appeared to take a dangerous new turn, with NATO and South Korea expressing alarm that North Korean troops could soon be joining in on Moscow's side. FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks to Dr Samuel Ramani from the Royal United Services Institute. He says that the vast majority of North Korean troops will become 'cannon fodder' on the Ukrainian front.

    • France24 ☛ Kyiv announces new drive to mobilise 160,000 troops as Moscow advances

      Ukraine is planning to draft another 160,000 troops into its army over the next three months, Kyiv officials said on Tuesday. The announcement came as Moscow said it had captured the mining hub of Selydove in the Donetsk region where Russian forces made rapid advances in recent weeks.

    • JURIST ☛ UK sanctions Russian agencies and officials for Ukraine disinformation campaigns

      The UK imposed sanctions on three Russian agencies and senior figures for orchestrating disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining Ukraine’s democracy on Monday.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania urges more NATO aid to Ukraine as North Korean troops train in Russia

      Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has called on NATO to allow Ukraine to target military sites in Russia and provide Kyiv with long-range missiles in response to the presence of North Korean troops in Russia.

    • RFERL ☛ Finland Seizes Russian State Beach Property Amid Ongoing Legal Disputes

      Finnish authorities have seized a beach section owned by the Russian state that was previously used by diplomats for recreation, media reports in Finland say.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukrainian Jailed For Murdering Ex-Commander Of Russian Submarine

      The Krasnodar regional court in Russia's southwest has sentenced Serhiy Denysenko, a Ukrainian-Russian dual citizen, to 25 years in prison for killing the former commander of a Russian submarine implicated in the shelling of Ukrainian territories in 2022.

    • RFERL ☛ Drones Attack 'Spetsnaz University' In Russia's Chechnya

      For the first time since Moscow launched its full-scale of invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the territory of Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya has been targeted by drone attacks.

    • RFERL ☛ 'Small Number' Of North Korean Troops Are In Kursk, Pentagon Says

      The Pentagon said on October 29 that a "small number" of North Korean troops have been deployed in Russia's Kursk region and expressed concern that they will be used in combat against Ukrainian troops.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Finland warns Pooh-tin of 'provocation' by N Korea in Ukraine war

      BEIJING - Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he told China's President Pooh-tin Jinping that North Korean activities with Russia were an escalation and provocation in a message on behalf of NATO and the EU during talks in Beijing on Tuesday.

    • New York Times ☛ Zelensky, With Limited Options, Seeks a Path Forward for Ukraine

      A muted response to Ukraine’s “victory plan” and steep challenges on the battlefield leave Kyiv searching for a Plan B.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Ukraine, South Korea to enhance cooperation to counter North Korea: Zelensky

      The leaders of the two countries agreed to strengthen exchanges of intelligence and expertise.

    • Latvia ☛ Three found guilty and sentenced in Latvia's notorious Bunkus murder case

      On Tuesday, October 29, the Riga City Court found three defendants guilty of the murder of insolvency administrator Mārtiņš Bunkus, with businessmen Mihails Uļmans and Aleksandrs Babenko being sentenced to 15 years each in prison for ordering the murder, and Russian citizen Viktor Krivoshey given life imprisonment for three years for carrying it out at their behest.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ US charges Russian national for developing RedLine infostealer

      Maxim Rudometov, who is believed to reside in southern Russia, is not likely to be extradited.

    • France24 ☛ Russia behind viral video of ripped-up Pennsylvania Donald Trump ballots

      A viral fake video, produced by Russian influence actors, purports to show a man ripping up Donald Trump mail-in ballots in Buck County, Pennsylvania. Intelligence agencies have found that Russia has increased its election meddling efforts in favor of former President Donald Trump. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

    • New York Times ☛ How Russia, China and Iran Are Interfering in the Presidential Election

      Eight years after Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, foreign influence with American voters has grown more sophisticated. That could have outsize consequences in the 2024 race.

    • France24 ☛ Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgia’s billionaire puppet master of the pro-Russia vote

      Bidzina Ivanishvili is widely perceived to be the big winner of Georgia’s weekend parliamentary election. Although the results are bitterly contested, with tens of thousands of protesters flooding the streets of Tbilisi on Monday, Georgia’s richest man is credited with – almost single-handedly – having served his country to Russia on a silver platter.

    • RFERL ☛ Georgian Election Commission To Conduct Partial Recount

      Georgia's Central Electoral Commission on October 29 said it would recount ballots at five randomly selected polling stations in each of Georgia's 84 electoral districts after a disputed parliamentary election.

    • RFERL ☛ Western Countries Reassess Ties With Georgia Following Disputed Vote

      The United States, Canada, and Sweden have voiced criticism following parliamentary elections in Georgia that pro-Russian ruling Georgian Dream party claimed it won amid reports of widespread irregularities and mass protests by opposition supporters.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Imposes Sanctions On Australians, New Zealanders

      The Russian Foreign Ministry on October 29 announced sanctions against 131 Australian citizens, banning them from entering the country. The list includes representatives of the defense industry, broadcast journalists, and public figures, whom Russia accuses of promoting an "anti-Russian agenda."

    • RFERL ☛ Tajikistan-Born IT Expert Jailed In Russia On Treason Charge

      The Moscow City Court on October 29 sentenced a Tajikistan-born IT specialist, Firuz Dadoboev, to 13 1/2 years in prison on high treason charge.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Russian court reportedly fines Surveillance Giant Google 2 undecillion roubles for blocking 17 state TV channels — equates to $20.5 decillion USD, Russian media report

      RBC reports (Russian language) that the court fined Surveillance Giant Google "2 undecillion roubles" for blocking access to 17 Russian TV channels.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia and Russia to hold first joint naval drills

      The exercise will take place from Nov 4 to 8 in the Java Sea near a naval base in Surabaya.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russia-North Korea military cooperation a ‘significant security threat’: South Korea’s Yoon

      He said Seoul will thoroughly examine all possibilities and prepare countermeasures.

    • The Straits Times ☛ N. Korea military officials, troops in Russia might go to front line: Seoul’s spy agency

      The comments come as Nato confirms Pyongyang’s dispatch of troops to Russia.

    • ADF ☛ Tricked by Online Ads, African Women Face Abuse in Russian Drone Factories

      The young woman was enticed by social control media ads promising a job, good pay and a new life in Russia. The advertising photos showed women smiling as they cleaned floors and wearing hard hats while directing cranes at a factory in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia.

    • Meduza ☛ How getting out of the Russian army became all but impossible — even for soldiers severely disabled in combat — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Freed Russian Activist Yashin Resumes Work To End Ukraine War, Oust Putin

      Ilya Yashin, a Kremlin opponent who was exchanged in a historic prisoner swap between Russia and the West, says he is working with colleagues -- including fellow activists Yulia Navalnaya and Vladimir Kara-Murza -- to unite Russians abroad with the goal of removing President Vladimir Putin.

    • Latvia ☛ Riga Security Forum podcast: 'The UN in a Fractured World'

      As previously reported, the Riga Security Forum podcast makes a welcome return with the start of a new discussion cycle October 29.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • Federal News Network ☛ VA reinstated 100 employees fired under widely challenged law, paid $134M to hundreds more

    VA officials said only 3% of the 4,000 employees fired under the 2017 VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act have returned to work.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s ‘Hawaii’ underwater as tropical storm Trami dumps record rainfall

    Hainan, including the island resort of Sanya, remains waterlogged as at Oct 29.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Five killed in attack on dam construction site in Pakistan's Balochistan

    QUETTA, Pakistan - Five people were killed in an attack by armed men on the construction site of a small dam in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, officials said on Tuesday, underscoring a worsening security situation in the mineral-rich area.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Australian PM Albanese defends criticisms over Qantas flight upgrades

      He said all flight upgrades he received from Qantas were declared.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China to send 14th crewed mission to space on Shenzhou-19

      China will send three astronauts into low-Earth orbit on Wednesday in the country's 14th crewed mission to space, where dozens of scientific experiments will be conducted.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s only female spaceflight engineer Wang Haoze to join crew to Tiangong space station

      China’s only woman spaceflight engineer will be among a fresh crew of three astronauts sent to its Tiangong space station this week, Beijing announced Tuesday.

    • H2 View ☛ Hangyang launches 9,000kg/day hydrogen refuelling station in China

      Hangyang has successfully commissioned its “Hydrogen Comprehensive Energy Island Project” in China, which is reportedly capable of supplying nine tonnes per day of hydrogen.

    • Hackaday ☛ Boss Byproducts: Fulgurites Are Fossilized Lightning

      So far in this series, we’ve talked about man-made byproducts — Fordite, which is built-up layers of cured car enamel, and Trinitite, which was created during the first nuclear bomb test.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Tech companies are showing a new, strong interest in nuclear power. Here’s why.

      Recent announcements by Surveillance Giant Google and Amazon demonstrate a willingness to finance the development and deployment of advanced reactors for their own energy requirements.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Brazil's military to reinforce Rio security during G20 summit, security official says

      Brazilian armed forces will be used to reinforce security during the meeting of the Group of 20 leading economies in Rio de Janeiro next month, the city's state secretary for security said on Tuesday.

    • Latvia ☛ Suspenseful bird livestream season in Latvia

      The 13th season of the Latvian Fund for Nature (LDF) nature livestreams is over. This year, observers had the opportunity to follow 11 pairs of birds and observe the departure of 23 chicks. Overall, it was a successful season, as eggs were laid in all nests except the black stork nest in Riga forests, and chicks could be seen hatching and fledging in all nests except the white-tailed eagle nest in Durbe, LDF said.

• Finance

  • Meduza ☛ Russia’s key interest rate is now at a record high — what does this mean for the country’s economy? — Meduza

  • The Strategist ☛ China sharpens the BRI with better risk management, ESG focus

    China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for investment abroad has been revamped with a greater focus on risk management and governance, and it is on the cusp of winning important new members.

  • European Commission ☛ EU imposes duties on unfairly subsidised electric vehicles from China while discussions on price undertakings continue

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 29 Oct 2024 Today the European Commission concluded its anti-subsidy investigation by imposing definitive countervailing duties on imports of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from China for a period of five years.

  • The Hindu ☛ Visa to lay off around 1,400 employees and contractors: Report

    Visa is planning to lay off about 1,400 employees and contractors by the end of the year, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, as the card giant looks to streamline its international business.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New York Times ☛ Harris’s Closing Argument: Turn the Page on Trump, and Avert Chaos

    In a speech in Washington where organizers are planning for up to 40,000 attendees, she will argue that she represents generational change. But her rival will remain at the spine of her case.

  • New York Times ☛ Harris Is Trying to Win Voters by Laying Out the Alternative

    Also, Teri Garr found the soul in memorable ditsy blondes. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.

  • JURIST ☛ Philadelphia district attorney sues Elon Musk for PAC money giveaways as illegal lottery

    Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner filed a civil lawsuit against Elon Musk and his America PAC on Monday. The lawsuit alleges that the PAC’s petition, with an offer to pay some Pennsylvania registered voters who sign $1 million, amounts to an illegal lottery.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Election shock in key US ally Japan could embolden China, other rivals

    A shock election result in Japan, Washington's key Asian security ally, and the United States' potentially destabilising presidential election next week could provide an opportunity for China and other rivals to test Western resolve in East Asia.

  • France24 ☛ Endorsement for cash: how influencers are being paid to court US voters

    Influencers are getting offered millions to support US presidential candidates… and they’re under no legal obligation to disclose it. Indonesia is trying to become a major player across the electric vehicle supply chain, but a wealth in raw materials might not be enough.  The EU has given a final green light to steep tariffs on Chinese electric cars. Plus, JPMorgan Chase customers who thought they could get “free” cash from ATMs after Fentanylware (TikTok) videos went viral might have to pay a hefty price.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Mill Media follows launch of Glasgow title The Bell with ‘The Londoner’

    The new titles have initially launched outside a paywall.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Washington Post’s non-endorsement could cost title $20m+ in lost online subs

    The move is a setback to Bezos and Will Lewis' plans to turn the Post's subscriptions business around.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Spiked Washington Post election leader leaves CEO Will Lewis in a deep hole

    Telling readers how to vote insults their intelligence - but Washington Post election neutrality has been badly handled.

  • Press Gazette ☛ NUJ voices Local Democracy Reporter concern over pay and working outside their brief

    In response to a Press Gazette enquiry the BillBC said it will shortly be announcing a new LDR funding model.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Stanford University ☛ Strawser | Why undergraduate solidarity with the grad workers union matters

    It is precisely because of my experience with TAs being such amazing advocates that the Stanford Graduate Workers Union is a cause near and dear to my heart, Strawser writes.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Citizen Lab ☛ Empty Promises? Ron Deibert on the U.S. decision to remove Sandvine from blacklist following promises of “transformative change”

    In an interview with CTV Kitchener, The Citizen Lab’s director Ron Deibert discusses the U.S. Department of Commerce’s decision to remove Sandvine from the Entity List.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Digital Music News ☛ Musi Clones Popping Up In Wake of App Store Removal

    After Fashion Company Apple removed the YouTube wrapper app Musi from the App Store, several other apps have popped up to take its place. Musi fans lament the loss and share new apps as Musi developers sue Fashion Company Apple for the removal.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • New Reporting Shines Light on Litigation Funding Giant

    In October, Bloomberg Law conducted a deep dive into the litigation financier Fortress Investment Group, amid growing calls to address undisclosed third-party litigation funding (TPLF). The reporting raises concerns around Fortress, which reflect broader issues with the litigation funding industry and reaffirm the need for reforms to increase transparency.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ The Enduring Patent Owner/Licensee Standing Distinction

    In Zebra Technologies Corporation v. Intellectual Tech LLC, No. 24-114, IT has filed its brief in opposition to Zebra's petition for writ of certiorari. The case focuses on patent-owner standing in situations where multiple entities share patent monopoly rights — particularly whether a patent monopoly owner loses Article III standing when because of a patentee default that provides a third party (here, a security interest holder) the right to license the patent.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ Precedential No. 26: TTAB Denies Motion to Compel: Responding without Objection to First Set of Discovery Requests does not Preclude Excessiveness Objection to Second Set

    The Board denied Opposer 1661's motion to compel discovery responses premised on the unsupported and dubious notion that, once a party responds to a first set of interrogatories or document requests, it cannot object to a second set on the ground that the total number of interrogatories or documents requests exceeds the maximum limit of 75. 1661, Inc. v. TF Intellectual Property Pty Ltd, 2024 USPQ2d 1719 (TTAB 2024) [precedential] (Interlocutory Attorney Jennifer Krisp).

• Copyrights

  • Public Domain Review ☛ “To Eat This Big Universe as Her Oyster”: Margaret Fuller and the First Major Work of American Feminism

    “As a nature to grow, as an intellect to discern, as a soul to live freely and unimpeded” — this is the kind of life envisioned by Margaret Fuller in Woman in the Nineteenth Century (1845). With an ear attuned to the transcendentalist’s inimitable voice, Randall Fuller revisits the intellectual context, interviews with female prison inmates, and personal longing that informed this landmark feminist work.

  • Public Domain Review ☛ Sabine Baring-Gould’s Book of Were-Wolves (1865)

    Landmark study collecting global tales relating to lycanthropes and other human-animal transformations.

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Will teens save the movies? Here’s what a surprising new study says about youth and Hollywood

    Good news for theaters still recovering from the pandemic and other industry disruptions: A new UCLA study has found that teenagers' favorite thing to do is going to the movies.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Long Live the Album: Fentanylware (TikTok) Tests Bolstered ‘Add to Music App’ Feature Including Full-Album Pre-Saves

    Long live the album: Fentanylware (TikTok) is seemingly expanding its Add to Music App feature, through which users can save music to standalone services like Spotify, to include album pre-saves. The Add to Music App buildout was first spotted by Music Ally, and Fentanylware (TikTok) subsequently confirmed ongoing tests of a full-album pre-save option.