Leftovers

• Stanford University ☛ Beandon’s Musical Corner: The Dismemberment Plan’s Travis Morrison on Chappell Roan, Sci-Fi and the Internet

  The lead singer and songwriter for the indie rock band dissects songs in an exclusive interview with The Daily.

• LWN ☛ A new release of Raspberry Pi OS

  The Raspberry Pi project has announced a new version of Raspberry Pi OS. It includes a number of significant changes, the most notable of which is that the Raspberry Pi Desktop now uses Wayland by default for all Pi models using the labwc compositor: [...]

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ Some Geologists Argue Earth Has Fewer Than Seven Continents

    Recent earth science developments suggest that how we count our planet’s largest land masses is less clear than we learned in school.

  • New York Times ☛ Two Black Holes are Giving the Cosmos a Fright

    The ghosts of stars are up to their usual mischief.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Moon base to deep space: How China seeks to close gap with US

    The U.S. still dominates in space, but China’s star is rising. As the country’s latest crewed launch highlights a rapidly advancing space program, some say China is catching up.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Three-person crew starts ‘dream mission’ inside China’s Tiangong space station

    The crew includes the country’s only woman spaceflight engineer.

  • Science Alert ☛ This Incredible Supernova Is Expanding Like a Dandelion in Space

    Boom!

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Identify 'Superspreader' Proteins Linked to Alzheimer's

    Caught in the act.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Figured Out Why We Are Terrified of Clowns

    It's not just you.

  • Science Alert ☛ 450 Million-Year-Old 'Golden' Fossil Reveals a Prize Arthropod Ancestor

    Ooooh shiny!

  • Science Alert ☛ Sharing Your Bed Could Significantly Affect Your Health And Wellbeing

    Roll over.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Bogey Six O’clock!: The AN/APS-13 Tail Warning Radar

    Although we think of air-to-air radar as a relatively modern invention, it first made its appearance in WWII. Some late war fighters featured the AN/APS-13 Tail Warning Radar to alert the pilot when an enemy fighter was on his tail. In [WWII US Bombers]’ fascinating video we get a deep dive into this fascinating piece of tech that likely saved many allied pilots’ lives.

  • Peter 'CzP' Czanik ☛ Some more Power t-shirts

    Recently I posted about two of my Power t-shirts. Many people responded. Some wanted to get one of the t-shirts from me, others asked me what else do I have. I cannot give you the t-shirts, but I can show you a few more :-) I must admit that only one of them has Power printed on it, but the other two are also Power-related.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ TSMC is in a heated tussle with a golf course to build the most advanced 2nm chip plant on the planet

    The Central Taiwan Science Park is having some issues with the land acquisition for its phase 2 expansion that will house TSMC's 2nm fab.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel hasn't sold a single Arrow Lake CPU at Germany's largest retailer — Core Ultra 200S sales stagnate after just one week

    One week after its release, Intel's Core Ultra 200S series still has not sold a single unit on Mindfactory, Germany's largest online PC component retailer. While the chips have sold out on most American retailers, Mindfactory's provided numbers show that defective chip maker Intel sales have plummeted to nearly zero on Mindfactory.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ AMD’s guidance leaves investors wanting more, and its stock tumbles

    Advanced Micro Devices Inc. disappointed investors with a tepid sales forecast today, and its stock was heading south during the extended trading session. The company’s stock was down more than 7% after hours, despite solid third-quarter earnings that met expectations and revenue that came in ahead of them.

  • The Next Platform ☛ AMD Will Need Another Decade To Try To Pass Nvidia

    Lisu Su has turned in her first ten years at the helm of AMD, and what a hell of a run it has been.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ UALink Consortium poised to compete with Nvidia's NVLink — AMD and Intel-led group opens doors to contributor members

    The Ultra Accelerator Link, or UALink, Consortium has officially incorporated, becoming a legal entity. The group, made up of AMD, Intel, Meta, Google, and other major tech players, seeks to create a standard to dethrone Nvidia's NVLink for server cluster communication.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Supermicro shares plummet 33% after auditor resigns

    Shares of Super Micro Computer Inc., better known as Supermicro, plunged 33% today after the server maker disclosed that its auditor had resigned. The company hired Ernst & Young LLP to review its finances this past March. The accounting firm informed Supermicro last Thursday that it’s exiting the audit. >

  • CNX Software ☛ MSI MS-CF16 fanless Alder Lake-N/Amston Lake Pico-ITX single board computer features up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM

    MSI MS-CF16 is a fanless single board computer (SBC) in the Pico-ITX form factor powered by low-power defective chip maker Intel Alder Lake-N or Amston Lake series processors. It features up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, offers dual independent display support via HDMI and LDVS/eDP connectors, and integrates other peripherals such as 2.5GbE and 1GbE LAN ports, multiple USB 3.2 and USB 3.0 ports, and two M.2 (B-Key and E-Key) sockets.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ Can John Green Make You Care About Tuberculosis?

    With a forthcoming nonfiction book and an online army of Nerdfighters, the young-adult author aims to eliminate an entirely curable global scourge.

  • New York Times ☛ Heart-Valve Patients Should Have Earlier Surgery, Study Suggests

    The results of a new clinical trial have overturned the “wait and see” approach that cardiologists have long favored for symptom-free patients.

  • University of Michigan ☛ U-M receives $50M gift for pancreatic cancer care, research

    With a $50 million gift from Richard and Susan Rogel, U-M Health's Rogel Cancer Center aims to revolutionize how the world detects, treats and ultimately cures pancreatic cancer.

  • Grant to fund study of school-based firearm storage campaign

    Researchers from the School of Public Health and Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention recently secured a nearly $1 million grant from the National Institute of Justice to evaluate a safe firearm storage campaign program.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Million Were Struck by This Mysterious Disease Before It Vanished

    Based on a true story.

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ US health officials identify more E. coli cases linked to McDonald’s and inspect an onion grower in Washington

    US federal officials on Wednesday reported more cases of E. coli poisoning among people who ate at McDonald’s, as government investigators seeking the outbreak’s source identified an “onion grower of interest” in Washington state.

  • The Straits Times ☛ From superstars to ‘privileged and spoilt’: South Korean doctors struggle with souring public image

    The conflict over a proposed increase in medical student quotas continues to disrupt medical services.

  • France24 ☛ Shift toward more plant-based foods will drastically reduce emissions: expert

    A new report from medical and health experts is warning that climate change - driven by fossil fuel emissions - is raising heat levels to dangerous new heights, while also worsening drought and food security. About a third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions is linked to food, mostly via agriculture and land use. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks to Sparsha Saha, lecturer at Harvard University's Department of Government.

  • Science Alert ☛ Private Hot Tubs on Cruise Ships Pose a Dangerous Risk, CDC Warns

    Not so luxurious after all.

  • Science Alert ☛ Forgotten Antibiotic From Decades Past Could Be a Superbug Killer

    "It is time to revisit."

  • Digital Music News ☛ Brazil Files $500 Million Lawsuit Against Meta & Fentanylware (TikTok) Over Harm to Minors

    Meta and Fentanylware (TikTok) are facing hot water in Brazil for failing to protect minors on their platform. The Brazilian consumer rights group The Collective Defense Institute has launched two lawsuits against Meta, TikTok, and Kwai—another Chinese owned short-video platform. The lawsuit seeks three billion Brazilian reals ($525.8 million).

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Pete Zaitcev: Microsoft's Surveillance Arm LinkedIn Asked You To Train Their AI

    They pushed the "You're one of a few expert invited to answer" notifications for a long time - maybe a year, I don't remember. When I had enough and started to capture them with the intent of mockery, they stopped. So sad.

  • RFERL ☛ Iran Lifts Ban On Buying Latest iPhone Models

    More than 19 months after Iranians were barred from buying the latest iPhone models, authorities announced on October 30 that the ban was being lifted.

  • Block CEO Jack Dorsey Announces Another Round Of Layoffs At Tidal

    Dorsey informed Tidal employees on Wednesday that the company will undergo another significant round of layoffs, reported Fortune. The CEO stated that Tidal needs to function “like a startup again,” necessitating a much smaller team across the organization.

    “So we're going to part ways with a number of folks on our team,” Dorsey wrote in the note. “We're going to lead with engineering and design, and remove the product management and product marketing functions entirely. We're reducing the size of our design team and foundational roles supporting TIDAL, and we will consider reducing engineering over the next few weeks as we have more clarity around leadership going forward.”

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Legal barriers complicate justice for spyware victims

      Some recent court rulings show the difficult road of anti-spyware litigation, but those in the fight also see signs of promise.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Simpson Garfinkel on Spooky Cryptographic Action at a Distance

      Excellent read. One example:

      Consider the case of basic public key cryptography, in which a person’s public and private key are created together in a single operation. These two keys are entangled, not with quantum physics, but with math. [...]

    • Cloudbooklet ☛ Dolphin Ayan Video Leak Goes Viral: Protect Your Data Now!

      Dolphin Ayan video leak raises serious concerns about online privacy and get tips on how to protect your personal information.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia to ramp up missile production as Indo-Pacific enters new ‘missile age’

    China test-fired an ICBM in September, landing near Australia’s north-east.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China, queried on Trump comments, says he could ‘discard’ Taiwan

    The US is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.

  • The Straits Times ☛ India, China complete troops pull-back from border face-off points, Indian official says

    The nuclear-armed neighbours reached a deal last week on patrolling the border.

  • REVEALED: Inside the CIA’s (largely) secret role in the Tibetan resistance

    The last surviving CIA officer who trained Tibetan fighters in Camp Hale, Colorado in 1958-64 speaks to RFA

  • Indonesia’s response to Chinese incursion shows Prabowo’s assertiveness, analysts say

    During Prabowo Subianto’s first week as president, Indonesian ships chased away a Chinese vessel three times.

  • The Strategist ☛ Under Prabowo, military-security apparatus will have more say in foreign policy

    As Jakarta geared up for the Indonesian armed forces’ 79th anniversary on 5 October, there seemed to be an added frisson in the air.

  • EXPLAINED: What’s Hong Kong’s role in China’s hi-tech military plans?

    The city is named in a U.S. ban on AI, semiconductors and quantum computing investments in ‘countries of concern.’

  • Defence Web ☛ Guterres likens Sudan to a nightmare

    United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres did not hold back on Monday when he addressed ambassadors at the Security Council (SC) on what some commentators have labelled “the world’s forgotten war” in Sudan.

  • North Korea boosting Kim’s security amid assassination fears: Yonhap

    North Korea boosts Kim's security

  • Myanmar villagers protest against Europe’s Airbus after airstrikes

    Anti-junta forces want foreign governments, in particular China, and companies to stop supporting the military.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. Says It Killed Islamic State Militants in Syria

    Airstrikes on Monday targeted people who the military said were senior leaders of the group, which has sharply stepped up its attacks in Iraq and Syria.

  • New York Times ☛ Satellite Images Suggest Israel Struck a Major Iranian Missile Plant

    Analysts said the Shahroud Space Center was likely used to produce intermediate-range ballistic missiles that could be used to target Israel.

  • New York Times ☛ Israel Demolished Hundreds of Buildings in Southern Lebanon, Videos and Satellite Images Show

    At least 1,085 buildings have been destroyed or badly damaged since Israel’s invasion targeting the Hezbollah militia, including many in controlled demolitions, a New York Times analysis shows.

  • The Strategist ☛ The case for Taiwan: observer status at Interpol’s world congress

    Interpol’s vision statement is ‘connecting police for a safer world’. Yet it isn’t connecting all police and is leaving some people less safe.

  • France24 ☛ ‘I just want by dignity back: 20 years on, Abu Ghraib detainees seek justice

    It was 20 years ago that graphic images of torture by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq circulated around the world. Today, two decades later, a trial is opening in the United States in which three former detainees are suing a private military contractor for torture. Our Iraq correspondents travelled to Abu Ghraib to speak to several former detainees who say they experienced abuse at the hands of American soldiers to hear how they feel about this long fight for justice.

  • New Yorker ☛ Is the Backlash to a Racist Joke Trump’s October Surprise?

    “It’s not just that the comments can change the minds of some Puerto Rican voters. It’s that it might also shape the ultimate decision of Latinos broadly,” the New Yorker contributing writer Geraldo Cadava says.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Ex-Malaysian PM Najib will have to mount defence in 1MDB corruption case

    The charges include receiving RM2.28 billion in gratifications deposited into his bank accounts.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia Edition: Najib to answer for 1MDB graft charges | Siblings in iconic Penang mural reunite with artist

  • JURIST ☛ Malaysia High Court orders former PM to enter defence in 1MDB corruption case

    The High Court in Malaysia decided on Wednesday that the prosecution gathered sufficient evidence to proceed with the trial of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea fires long-range ballistic missile, South Korea says

    The launch, at a sharply raised angle, was from an area near the North's capital, Pyongyang.

  • France24 ☛ North Korea fires 'long-range' ballistic missile towards the sea, Seoul says

    North Korea launched a "long-range ballistic missile" Thursday, South Korea’s military confirmed, marking Pyongyang's first test since allegations it sent troops to Russia. This comes after South Korea warned of potential North Korean ICBM or nuclear tests, possibly timed ahead of the upcoming US elections.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea may test ICBM around the time of US presidential election in Nov: S. Korean lawmakers

    It could potentially be around the time of the US presidential election.

  • North Korea completes preparations for ICBM and nuclear tests: Yonhap

    North Korea completes preparations for ICBM and nuclear tests

  • North Korea says analysis ‘proved’ South Korea to blame for drones

    The North said the South had sent drones over its capital 3 times this month, but Seoul denied the accusation.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea marks 2nd anniversary of Itaewon tragedy

    South Korea's President ordered his Cabinet to complement safety measures.

  • Stanford University ☛ ‘Institutions matter’: Condoleezza Rice and Michael McFaul condemn global assaults on democracy ahead of election

    Rice and McFaul examined global democracy, urged decisive action on Ukraine and analyzed Middle East dynamics in a pre-election discussion.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ Will Russia's war against Ukraine go global?

      Ukraine’s president warns it could lead to "a world war." Is Volodymyr Zelensky overreacting by sounding the alarm over the deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia—soldiers that NATO believes may be destined for Russian-occupied areas near Ukraine, specifically in the Kursk region?

    • France24 ☛ Inside Ukraine's secret train, evacuating wounded soldiers

      It looks like an ordinary train waiting to depart an ordinary station. But through its fogged windows you can see the injured hands and faces of Ukrainian servicemen stretched out on hospital beds. Operated by the military, the train transports wounded soldiers to hospitals far away from the frontline. AFP was granted rare media access to the train. Its points of departure and arrival are not being disclosed for security reasons.

    • France24 ☛ Russian drone attack wounds nine in Kyiv

      An overnight Russian drone attack on Kyiv wounded nine people, including an 11-year-old girl, authorities said Wednesday, as Moscow steps up aerial bombardments on the Ukrainian capital.

    • France24 ☛ Russian army says it has seized east Ukraine town of Selydove in latest advance

      Russia's defence ministry said Tuesday that its forces had captured the eastern Ukrainian town of Selydove as Moscow's troops advance closer to the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk. The Russian army took 478 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory in October, a record since the first weeks of the conflict in March 2022, according to an AFP analysis of data from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

    • JURIST ☛ Russia bid for North Korean troops in Ukraine faces major legal hurdles

      On Monday, October 28th 2024, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s asserted that a North Korean troop deployment to Ukraine could align with international law. That statement stands in stark contrast to several foundational legal principles, particularly those outlined in the United Nations Charter and the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969) (VCLT).

    • LRT ☛ International investigation: Russian special forces change tactics in the Baltics

      Russia is enlisting the help of thousands of North Koreans on its bleeding front in Ukraine, while satellite images of Russian military bases in Kaliningrad and on the Estonian and Latvian borders show they have been emptied of not just military personnel but also of heavy equipment. However, data gathered by investigative journalists suggest that the Russian bases are only empty temporarily and special units in Kaliningrad are organising sabotage operations in Lithuania, the other Baltic states, and Poland.

    • LRT ☛ IOM Lithuania to offer €176 benefits to Ukrainian refugees

      The International Organization for Migration’s office in Vilnius (IOM Lithuania) will provide one-off payments of 176 euros to newly arriving refugees from Ukraine, the organisation said on Wednesday.

    • North Korea hunting for source of reports on soldier deployment to Ukraine conflict

      Government urges university students to snitch on each other for talking about troops in Russia

    • Ukraine war stirs memories of North Korea’s long-secret Vietnam venture

      In the 1960s, North Korea wanted its pilots to get combat experience in the battle against ‘imperialism’.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia's Deployment Of North Korean Troops 'Dangerous And Destabilizing,' Austin Says

      U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has called the deployment of North Korean troops by Russia to aid its war against Ukraine a "dangerous and destabilizing escalation" and said it could lengthen the conflict.

    • RFERL ☛ Hundreds Targeted In New U.S. Sanctions For Supporting Russia's War In Ukraine

      The United States imposed sanctions on October 30 against almost 400 entities and individuals in more than a dozen countries that Washington says have been supplying Russia with advanced technology used in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    • RFERL ☛ Norway Gives Romania $127 Million For Patriot Missile System Sent To Ukraine

      Norway has announced it will give fellow NATO member Romania $127 million to partially cover the cost of a new Patriot missile-defense system to replace the one donated by Bucharest to Ukraine.

    • Meduza ☛ Mayor outside Chelyabinsk resigns following taxi driver’s murder and anti-Roma riot — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Kremlin Denies Talks Under Way With Kyiv On Halting Energy Strikes

      The Kremlin has denied a report in the Western media that Moscow and Kyiv have been engaged in secret negotiations to curb strikes on each other's energy infrastructure as casualties caused by Russian attacks continued to pile up in Ukraine on October 30.

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korean and Russian foreign ministers to meet as Western concerns mount

      MOSCOW - North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui will hold strategic consultations in Moscow with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Russia said on Wednesday, amid growing Western concern that North Korea may be about to join the Ukraine war on Russia's side.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russia’s deputy foreign minister meets China’s foreign minister in Beijing, Russia’s RIA reports

      The visit takes place as Russia’s war in Ukraine appeared to take a dangerous new turn.

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea considers sending team to Ukraine to monitor North Korean troops

      SEOUL - South Korea is considering sending a team of military monitors to Ukraine to observe and analyse the expected deployment of North Korean troops by Russia on the frontlines of the conflict there, a presidential official said on Wednesday.

    • Meduza ☛ Serbian president says he spoke to his Russian counterpart for the first time in 2.5 years, and Putin showed no interest in a ceasefire in Ukraine — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ U.S. Treasury sanctions another 275 individuals and entities (including Putin’s second cousin) for helping Russia’s ‘war machine’ — Meduza

    • European Commission ☛ Commission adopts 2024 Enlargement Package

      European Commission Press release Brussels, 30 Oct 2024 Today, the European Commission adopted its annual Enlargement Package, providing a detailed assessment of the state of play and the progress made by Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Türkiye

    • New York Times ☛ Torture Is a Russian Tactic in Occupied Ukraine, Civilians Say

      Moscow is employing a variety of tactics, including torture and forced Russian citizenship, to try to obliterate Ukrainian identity, former detainees and human rights groups say.

    • New York Times ☛ Music and Morale in a Country at War

      In Ukraine, where war feels omnipresent, music is helping lift spirits and raise money for the military.

    • Meduza ☛ Ukraine and Russia reportedly return to negotiating table for partial ceasefire to halt attacks on energy facilities — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia’s second-largest state-controlled bank unveils new preferential mortgage loans in occupied Ukraine — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Zelensky denies Ukrainian occupation of critical infrastructure in Kursk and reproaches U.S. for leaking Tomahawk missiles request — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Chechen ruler Ramzan Kadyrov claims drone attack on Ukrainian General Staff building in Kyiv, calling it ‘retaliation’ for strike on training school — Meduza

    • Defence Web ☛ Russian air force delegation visiting South Africa, but Tu-160 bombers postponed

      A Russian Aerospace Forces delegation is currently in South Africa on a goodwill visit, five years after a similar tour brought two Tu-160 strategic bombers to Air Force Base Waterkloof. At the same time, the Chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is visiting Moscow.

    • LRT ☛ Russia intensifies hybrid attacks in EU neighbourhood, says Lithuanian president

      Russia is intensifying its hybrid operations in the European Union’s neighbourhood as seen from the recent election in Georgia and the referendum in Moldova, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has said.

    • INTERVIEW: Ex-North Korean diplomat warns against sending troops to Russia

      Thae Yong Ho, who defected in 2016, says the next couple of months ‘could be crucial’ for North Korea’s future.

    • US urges China to use influence amid ‘destabilizing’ action by North Korea, Russia

      Washington confirmed the North had sent about 10,000 troops to eastern Russia.

    • RFERL ☛ Guided Bomb Attack On Kharkiv Ignites Fire In Residential Building

      Russian guided bombs targeted a multistory residential building in Kharkiv late on October 30, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said.

    • RFERL ☛ Soviet Terror Victims Commemorated In Russia Amid Challenging Political Climate

      Russia approached the Day of Remembrance of Victims of Political Repression on October 30, amid a troubling landscape marked by a mix of solemn commemorations and unsettling governmental shifts.

    • RFERL ☛ Georgian Election Commission To Conduct Partial Recount Of Disputed Vote

      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.

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korean troops, generals in Russia may be deployed to front lines: South Korea’s spy agency

      North Korea has been 'struggling to devise internal security measures in light of the spreading leak about troop deployments'.

    • Meduza ☛ Nine injured, including 11-year-old girl, in Russian drone attack on Kyiv — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Moscow vows retaliation after Russian film crew is held for questioning at Washington airport — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Belarus, Serbia Sign Cooperation Agreement On Security Forces

      Belarus and Serbia have signed a cooperation agreement on fighting organized and hi-tech crime as well as on the joint training of police, special forces, and counterterrorism units, Serbia's government said on October 30. T

    • Meduza ☛ It’s time for the Kremlin to start planning Russia’s next State Duma elections. But with the war’s future uncertain, many elites find 2026 hard to imagine. — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia’s largest state-controlled bank raises mortgage interest rates again — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Military spokespeople and defense experts debate whether North Korean soldiers will be more than Moscow’s ‘cannon fodder’ — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian authorities carry out multiple raids in crackdown on anti-torture group, accusing suspects of ‘propagating’ prison violence — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia’s Gosuslugi portal urges users to ditch Gmail amid Moscow’s fight with Google — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian military recruiters charged with stealing contract soldiers’ benefits — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ New youth society in Russian Far East city will task students with studying North Korea’s official ideology — Meduza

    • Atlantic Council ☛ From Stoltenberg to Rutte: Italy’s hopes and concerns with NATO’s new leadership

      Rome should seek clarity from the new NATO secretary general and Italy’s allies on the Alliance’s plans to ensure southern flank security.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian govt approves ‘diaspora plan’: focus on education and national security

      The Lithuanian government on Wednesday approved a three-year action plan on diaspora policy. It focuses on Lithuanian education, culture and national security.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian troops take part in NATO’s joint deterrence operation in Baltic Sea

      Lithuania’s Land Force, Special Operations Force (SOF) and Naval Force troops are taking part in NATO’s Neptune Strike 2024-2 joint deterrence operation in the Baltic Sea.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Putin is making the most of a distracted and divided United States

      American neglect couldn’t come at a more perilous time. The Kremlin is causing problems from the Korean peninsula to Georgia, Moldova, and beyond.

    • Meduza ☛ Russian dissidents led by Yashin, Navalnaya, and Kara-Murza to stage antiwar march in Berlin next month — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Opposition Leaders Announce Anti-War Demonstration In Berlin

      Russian opposition figures Ilya Yashin, Yulia Navalnaya, and Vladimir Kara-Murza have called for a major antiwar demonstration in Berlin on November 17 to demand the resignation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

• Environment

  • Science Alert ☛ Rare December Cyclone Possible as Surge of Seasonal Storms Forecast

    Hurricane season isn't done.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ Clean Energy Is Booming in the U.S. The Election Could Change That.

      Trump has suggested he would dismantle the Inflation Reduction Act, which has reshaped America’s energy landscape. It won’t be easy.

    • Hackaday ☛ An Electric Vehicle Conversion With A Difference

      For a first try at an electric vehicle conversion we’re guessing that most would pick a small city car as a base vehicle, or perhaps a Kei van. Not [LiamTronix], who instead chose to do it with an old Ferguson tractor. It might not be the most promising of EV platforms, but as you can see in the video below, it results in a surprisingly practical agricultural vehicle.

  • Overpopulation

    • China's bid to boost births doesn't make sense for many young women [Ed: The problem is too many people, not too few]

      Chinese authorities have announced incentives to encourage married couples to have children.

    • University of Michigan ☛ Defeating the endless doom cycle

      The world is ending, nothing is going right and we’re all doomed. Sometimes it feels impossible not to feel this way. The glaciers are melting, and we are slowly approaching that deadline of irreversible climate change damage. The political state of the United States is bleak. We had to survive a global pandemic.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Home ownership beyond the reach of most Malaysians

    Workers aged 24 to 30 typically have lower incomes and cannot afford properties in central areas.

  • CS Monitor ☛ The economy has improved. Here’s why it’s still a top issue in crucial Pennsylvania.

    Perceptions of the economy loom large as the Harris and Trump campaigns compete for every last vote. Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley is a window on Americans’ lingering anxiety around inflation, even as wages catch up.

  • University of Michigan ☛ The United States’ campaign finance race is spiraling out of control

    The 2024 election cycle is on pace to set new records in campaign spending, breaking 2020’s record of roughly $18.3 billion. Aside from Cornel West, small donors make up less than half the donations for all major presidential candidates, indicating a disproportionate representation of big money special interests in national politics.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Guardian endorsement of Harris reaps it near $2m boost after editor’s email

    Email from Guardian US editor capitalised on Washington Post spiking election endorsement.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Coinbase and Robinhood miss earnings estimates and shares drop

    Shares in Coinbase Global Inc. and Robinhood Markets Inc. both fell in after-hours trading today after they each fell short of expectations in their most recent quarter.

  • New York Times ☛ How Fentanylware (TikTok) Saved Its E-Commerce Business in Indonesia

    When the government effectively forced Fentanylware (TikTok) to shut down its Shop feature, the company quickly struck an unusual deal with a local company to bring it back.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian minister jokes about inviting Harris to come home after US show host calls her ‘Malaysian’

    Ms Kamala Harris was born to an Indian mother and a black Jamaican father.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Great expectations as Malaysia is set to head Asean in 2025

    Malaysia has been bullish on making great strides while heading Asean in 2025 but resolution of key issues is unlikely.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ST Picks: What does a Malaysia chairmanship herald for Asean?

  • France24 ☛ US-China tech rivalry continues ahead of election

    China is a top priority for US foreign and economic policy, and the trade tensions between the world's largest economies are set to continue, regardless of who wins the US presidency. France 24's Beijing correspondent Yena Lee reports on the state of the US-China tech rivalry. Also in the show - the UK government outlines £40 billion in tax hikes, in the first Labour budget in nearly 40 years.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Sheinbaum’s first month in office marked by mixed security landscape

    President Sheinbaum's security chief on Tuesday reported fewer homicides and more arrests in October, but intense violence continues in some states.

  • New York Times ☛ The Symbolism and Spectacle of Harris and Trump’s Closing Arguments

    The candidates saved their closing messages for the biggest possible symbolic locations, in front of the largest crowds.

  • New York Times ☛ Biden’s ‘Garbage’ Comment Complicates Harris Campaign, Worrying Insiders

    President Biden did not attend Vice President Kamala Harris’s speech on Tuesday night, but his ill-timed flub in a video interview caused headaches for her campaign.

  • JURIST ☛ US District Court prohibits Florida DOH from blocking ads supporting abortion rights measure

    A US District Judge extended a temporary injunction on Tuesday prohibiting the Florida Department of Health (DOH) from censoring or blocking televised ads in support of an abortion rights amendment. The extension allows the injunction to continue past US election day on November 5.

  • JURIST ☛ US Supreme Court allows Virginia to keep removing voters from election rolls amidst pending lawsuit

    The US Supreme Court issued an order on Wednesday permitting the state of Virginia to continue to remove voters from its election rolls with just five days until the federal election. >

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea court jails man for 10 years over deepfake porn

      A user screen-captured a woman’s profile images on popular messenger app KakaoTalk to create porn.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Chinese police detain cosplayers as many defy Halloween ban

    People walk the streets of Shanghai in costumes from Buddha to Batman, with some making political points.

  • New York Times ☛ China’s Latest Security Target: Halloween Partygoers

    Last year, the Shanghai government said Halloween celebrations were a sign of “cultural tolerance.” This year, the police rounded up people in costume.

  • China imprisons rights lawyer couple who planned to meet EU officials

    Yu Wensheng is jailed for three years and Xu Yan for 1 year, 9 months for ‘subversion’

  • Activists fasting to support jailed dissident Xu Zhiyong’s hunger strike

    Dozens of U.S.-based supporters join a relay fast amid calls for an end to prison surveillance, communication ban.

  • Chinese transgender celebrity is refused permission to stage play

    Controversy over the ban has shone a light on the status of the LGBT community and attitudes to culture.

  • EFF ☛ Triumphs, Trials, and Tangles From California's 2024 Legislative Session

    EFF monitored nearly 100 bills in the state this session alone, addressing a broad range of issues related to privacy, free speech, and innovation. These include proposed standards for Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems used by state agencies, the intersection of AI and copyright, police surveillance practices, and various privacy concerns. While we have seen some significant victories, there are also alarming developments that raise concerns about the future of privacy protection in the state.

    This legislative session brought some wins for privacy advocates—most notably the defeat of four dangerous bills: A.B. 3080, A.B. 1814, S.B. 1076, and S.B. 1047. These bills posed serious threats to consumer privacy and would have undermined the progress we’ve made in previous years.

  • EFF ☛ Sorry, Gas Companies - Parody Isn't Infringement (Even If It Creeps You Out)

    Modest Proposals is an activist collective that uses parody and culture jamming to advance environmental justice and other social causes. As part of a campaign shining a spotlight on the environmental damage and human toll caused by the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry, Modest Proposals invented a company called Repaer. The fake company’s website offers energy companies the opportunity to purchase “life offsets” that balance the human deaths their activities cause by extending the lives of individuals deemed economically valuable. The website also advertises a “Plasma Pals” program that encourages parents to donate their child’s plasma to wealthy recipients. Scroll down on the homepage a bit, and you’ll see the logos for three (real) LNG companies—Repaer’s “Featured Partners.” 

  • Hong Kong rejects amnesty for thousands arrested for 2019 protests

    Security chief Chris Tang shoots down suggestions that the authorities could drop cases against 6,000 protesters.

  • Meduza ☛ Police in Crimea charge mother of TikToker with negligence over child’s video insulting Russia’s flag — Meduza

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Adspend growth shows why publishers are going big on video

    New IAB UK and Media Sense data reveals why publishers are investing more into video.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Culture Secretary Nandy promises ‘level playing field for local media online’

    Lisa Nandy promises support for "peer-reviewed journalism" versus AI-generated stories.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • British Foreign Secretary under fire for failing to raise Uyghur genocide in China

    Opposition MPs and a Uyghur advocacy group blast David Lammy for a missed opportunity to broach the issue.

  • JURIST ☛ Vatican urged to leverage extension of agreement with China to protect religious freedoms

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday that the extension of a formal agreement between The Holy See and the People’s Republic of China should aim to facilitate human rights and the immediate freedom of “forcibly disappeared Catholic bishops” in China.

  • Defence Web ☛ ISS backs Fivaz call to completely restructure, re-purpose declining SAPS

    The Pretoria-based Institute for Security Studies (ISS) has fully backed the call by first National Commissioner of the new South African Police Service (SAPS) George Fivaz to fundamentally “restructure and redirect” policing to halt more than a decade of steep and accelerating decline.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Megan Thee Stallion Sues Social Media Provocateur Over Alleged ‘Campaign of Harassment’ Executed on Tory Lanez’s Behalf

    Megan Thee Stallion is suing social control media commentator Milagro Cooper for allegedly acting on behalf of Tory Lanez “as an online rumor mill churning out falsehoods.” Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan-repped Megan Thee Stallion submitted the straightforward complaint to a Florida federal court, naming Cooper as the sole defendant.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • EFF ☛ The Frightening Stakes of this Halloween’s Net Neutrality Hearing

    But the lure of making more money without investing in better service or infrastructure is hard for broadband services like Comcast and AT&T to resist. So the big telecom companies have challenged the FCC’s rules in court—and their case has now made its way to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. 

    A similar challenge was soundly rejected by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2016. Unfortunately the FCC, led by a new Chair, repealed those hard-won rules in 2017—despite intense resistance from nonprofits, artists, tech companies large and small, libraries, and millions of regular internet users. A few years later, FCC membership changed again, and the new FCC restored net neutrality protections. As everyone expected, Team Telecom ran back to court, leading to this appeal. 

    A few things have changed since 2017, however, and none of them good for Team Internet. For one thing, the case is being heard in the Sixth Circuit, which is not bound by the D.C. Circuit’s earlier reasoning, and which has already signaled its sympathy for Team Telecom in a preliminary ruling. 

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Ubisoft quietly launches blockchain RPG with playable NFTs priced up to $63K

    Ubisoft launches free PvP blockchain RPG with NFTs priced as high as $63,000.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Public Knowledge ☛ Is the Australian Bargaining Code Over?

  Declaring the Mandatory Bargaining Code "broken," Australian regulators have recommended a digital tax and a dedicated digital regulator to support local news.

• Ars Technica ☛ Google accused of shadow campaigns redirecting antitrust scrutiny to Microsoft [Ed: That's an exact description of what Microsoft did to Google for decades already]

  On Monday, Abusive Monopolist Microsoft came out guns blazing, posting a blog accusing Surveillance Giant Google of “dishonestly” funding groups conducting allegedly biased studies to discredit Abusive Monopolist Microsoft and mislead antitrust enforcers and the public.

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Federal Circuit Vacates Denial of Anti-Suit Injunction in FRAND Dispute, Clarifying “Dispositive” Analysis

    The Federal Circuit has vacated the E.D.N.C. Judge Boyle’s denial of an anti-suit injunction in a major FRAND licensing dispute between Ericsson and Lenovo. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson v. Lenovo (United States), Inc., No. 24-1515 (Fed. Cir. Oct. 24, 2024). The decision provides important guidance on when U.S. courts should issue anti-suit injunctions to prevent SEP holders from enforcing foreign injunctions while FRAND obligations are being adjudicated domestically.  Importantly, the Federal Circuit adopted the Ninth Circuit test from Microsoft Corp. v. Motorola, Inc., 696 F.3d 872 (9th Cir. 2012), and added some further refinement making anti-suit injunctions easier to obtain.

  • JUVE ☛ Ones to Watch Germany 2024: Andreas Duensing [Ed: Spam disguised as an article. This publisher takes bribes to lie, peddle illegal things, and then do some marketing too.]

    Every year, JUVE Patent carries out extensive research in the German patent monopoly market, culminating in the publication of the German patent monopoly rankings.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Five months for PI decision at UPC local division Munich [Ed: This is a totally illegal and unconstitutional fake kangaroo 'court'. JUVE played a role in promoting it. It got paid to do it and it still does it.]

      It took the UPC local division Munich five months to accept the withdrawal of the PI by the plaintiff. The reason it took so long to reach a decision was the high workload of the Munich local division with PI cases.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Is PHYSICIANCARE Merely Descriptive of Software and Services Enabling Manufacturers to Deliver Information to Healthcare Providers?

    The USPTO refused registration of the mark PHYSICIANCARE under Section 2(e)(1), finding it merely descriptive of services that enable the management and delivery, on behalf of pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, of clinically relevant communications to physicians and other healthcare providers. Applicant LDM Group argued that its mark cannot be descriptive because "it is not providing a medical service," pointing to the Examining Attorney’s “concession” that Applicant’s services “do[] not appear to be a medical service but rather some technological service.” How do you think this appeal came out? In re LDM Group, LLC, Serial No. 97184496 (October 24, 2024) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Jessica B. Bradley).

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Virgin Music Group Acquires Beijing-Based Outdustry, Adds Founder Ed Peto As International Strategy Head

    A little over one month following the launch of Universal Music China Greater Bay Area, Virgin Music Group (VMG) has scooped up Beijing-headquartered Outdustry.

  • Digital Music News ☛ IFPI, IMPALA, GESAC, 20+ European Orgs Call for ‘Meaningful Implementation of the Hey Hi (AI) Act’

    More than 24 organizations representing creators and rights holders have signed a joint statement seeking ‘meaningful implementation of the Hey Hi (AI) Act.’ Organizations like GESAC, IMPALA, IFPI, and several others seek the ability for creators and rights holders to enforce their rights when it comes to ingesting and copying copyright-protected works for training by Hey Hi (AI) models.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Drake, Chris Brown, Sony Music, YouTube Slapped with $5 Million Copyright Infringement & Defamation Suit

    Chris Brown, Drake, Sony Music, and YouTube face a copyright monopoly infringement and defamation lawsuit over the track ‘No Guidance.’ Chris Brown has been slapped with a $5 million copyright monopoly infringement and defamation suit over his track “No Guidance,” featuring Drake, who is also named in the filing, alongside Sony Music and YouTube.