Leftovers

• Wired ☛ The New Hatred of Technology

  Tech critics are more sophisticated than ever. They’re still wrong.

• CBC ☛ 2024-11-10 [Older] Overwhelmed by your kid's mess? You might just be a 'living-room family'

• Science

  • The Kent Stater ☛ Kent community gathers to analyze election results alongside political science professors

    On Wednesday at the Kent Free Library, multiple political science professors were invited by Kent State University’s Retiree Association to share their research on this year’s presidential election results.

  • The Kent Stater ☛ From stitch to stage: The science behind costuming

    Productions are brought to life through costuming, but there is more than meets the eye.  Costuming involves more than just fabric, often dealing with math and sciences. Grace Cochran Keenan, associate professor of costume technology, has one stand-out moment aiding in each theatre production.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discover Lasers Can Block Light And Cast a Shadow

    A bizarre optical twist.

  • Science Alert ☛ First-Ever Amber Discovered in Antarctica Shows Rainforest Existed Near South Pole

    "This discovery allows a journey to the past."

  • Science Alert ☛ Otherworldly 'Pet Cloud' Above New Zealand Captured by NASA

    What is it doing there?

• Hardware

  • Silicon Angle ☛ AMD to cut about 1,000 jobs, 4% of staff, so it can double down on Hey Hi (AI) opportunity

    Chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. says it will lay off 4% of its staff, which works out to be about 1,000 jobs based on its headcount of 26,000 employees at the end of last year.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel’s postponement of the Magdeburg fab was made in “close coordination” with the German state — the company will reevaluate the project in two years to decide its final fate

    Intel still keeps close ties with the German government despite putting its Magdeburg fab on hold.

  • Hackaday ☛ Repairing The Questionable £25,000 Tom Evans Audiophile Pre-Amp

    It’s not much of a secret that in the world of ‘audiophile gear’ there is a lot of snake oil and deception, including many products that are at best of questionable value. The Tom Evans Mastergroove SR mkIII preamplifier is one example of this, as [Mark] from the Mend it Mark YouTube channel found in a recent video when he got one to repair which the manufacturer claimed ‘could not be fixed’. This marvel of audio engineering provides amplification for record players, for the low-low price of only twenty-five thousand quid, or about 29.000 US bucks. So what’s inside one of these expensive marvels?

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel Arrow Lake loses DLVR bypass "Power Gate" profile in latest 0x112 microcode — chipmaker says the change will prevent "accidental misuse"

    Intel has quietly removed the DLVR bypass "Power Gate" mode for Arrow Lake CPUs in its latest 0x112 microcode.

  • Hackaday ☛ Microfluidic Motors Could Work Really Well For Tiny Scale Tasks

    The vast majority of motors that we care about all stick to a theme. They rely on the electromagnetic dance between electrons and magnets to create motion. They come in all shapes and sizes and types, but fundamentally, they all rely on electromagnetic principles at heart.

  • Hackaday ☛ Bluetooth Dongle Gives Up Its Secrets With Quick Snooping Hack

    There’s a lot going on in our wireless world, and the number of packets whizzing back and forth between our devices is staggering. All this information can be a rich vein to mine for IoT hackers, but how do you zero in on the information that matters? That depends, of course, but if your application involves Bluetooth, you might be able to snoop in on the conversation relatively easily.

  • Hackaday ☛ Retro Calculator Build Proves The Space Age Isn’t What It Used To Be

    The common wisdom these days is that even if we wanted to get back to the Moon the way we did in the 1960s, we’d never be able to do it. Most of the blame for that usually falls on the loss of institutional knowledge thanks to skilled minds and hands that have been stilled by the passage of time, but the real kicker would be finding replacements for all the parts that we used back then that just aren’t made anymore. A similar problem exists for those seeking to recreate the circuits that graced the pages of the many magazines that catered to electronics hobbyists back in the day.

  • CNX Software ☛ STMicro STSPIN32G0 3-phase motor controllers support up to 24V for portable appliances, up to 600V for industrial automation

    STMicro STSPIN32G0 is a new series of advanced 3-phase motor controllers with variable voltage ranging from 45V to 600V that extend STMicro’s portfolio of devices with an integrated MCU and motor driver. The new series combines a triple-half bridge gate driver with the Arm Cortex-M0+-based STM32G0 microcontroller and is capable of handling six-step and field-oriented control (FOC) algorithms. The integrated design of the STSPIN32G0 series offers cost-savings and “significant BOM area reduction without compromising performance and robustness.” There are two main versions of the STSPIN32G0 series, low-voltage and high-voltage.

  • CNX Software ☛ EDATEC ED-GWL1010: Amlogic S905X4-based PoE-enabled LoRaWAN gateway targets Smart Buildings and IoT applications

    The AMLogic S905X4 SoC is typically found in TV boxes, but EDATEC has integrated the quad-core Cortex-A55 SoC into its ED-GWL1010 LoRaWAN IoT gateway designed for smart buildings and industrial IoT networks requiring long-range, low-power connectivity.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • BIA Net ☛ 2024-11-06 [Older] Turkey remains Europe’s top dumping ground for plastic waste

  • France24 ☛ Study shed lights on the real sex lives of the French

    France, home of the "City of Love", burlesque, and sex symbols such as Bridgitte Bardot. But what are the sex lives of everyday French people like today? That's what a new study published Wednesday aimed to decipher. The study by the French Institute of Health takes a deep dive into the sexual habits of French people and the way that culture has changed them.

  • France24 ☛ Toxic smog smothering India's capital smashes WHO limit

    Residents of India's capital New Delhi choked in a blanketing toxic smog Wednesday as worsening air pollution surged past 50 times the World Health Organization's recommended daily maximum. Many in the city cannot afford air filters, nor do they have homes they can effectively seal from the misery of foul smelling air blamed for thousands of premature deaths.

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Trump chooses anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary

    Kennedy abandoned his presidential bid after striking a deal to have a role in health policy in the administration.

  • New York Times ☛ Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s FDA Wish List: Raw Milk, Stem Cells, Heavy Metals

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s advisers on health, is taking aim at the agency’s oversight on many fronts.

  • France24 ☛ Trump picks vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy to lead health department

    Donald Trump named anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy as health secretary, marking another bold choice in his rapid post-election cabinet appointments. Announcing on Truth Social, Trump expressed enthusiasm for Kennedy's nomination, signaling his intent to disrupt and reshape the US government with controversial picks.

  • New York Times ☛ Kennedy Could Save Gaetz

    Trump doesn’t really care about Kennedy’s issues, but would like to look as if he does.

  • Grandparents and grandkids: Poll suggests two‑way benefit

    A new poll based at U-M suggests that having grandchildren and seeing them regularly may have a link to older adults' mental health and risk of loneliness, and that many grandparents support their younger grandchildren in various ways.

  • New York Times ☛ NASA Says Astronaut Suni Williams Is in ‘Incredible Health’

    The agency’s top medical official was responding to rumors that Suni Williams had lost an unusual amount of weight during an extended stay in orbit.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Patients upset over rising fees at private hospitals in Malaysia

    The health minister has urged the private healthcare sector to control costs.

  • New York Times ☛ Mike Tyson’s Inspiration for Jake Paul Fight: Smoking Toad Venom.

    The former heavyweight champion told Interview magazine his experiences with a hallucinogenic poison played a role in his agreeing to fight the YouTuber Jake Paul.

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Doing an impromtu coffee taste testing

    It might shock some of you to know I spend time in coffee shops. Apothecary Coffee is my favourite on Sydney’s North Shore, tucked away next to the Zenith building in Chatswood. They do great espresso, but I’m a particular fan of their pour-overs. This is opposed to a pour-on, which I’ve thankfully only performed at this coffee shop twice. Unfortunately, I was wearing khaki chinos both times.

  • Science Alert ☛ Memory Is Not Confined to Our Brains, Scientists Discover

    Even kidney cells learn better by taking breaks.

  • Science Alert ☛ Zombie Caterpillar Fungus Could Be Used to Save Human Lives

    A new way to treat cancer.

  • University of Michigan ☛ Donia Human Rights Center hosts panel on international reproductive rights

    The Donia Human Rights Center, a University of Michigan forum focused on intellectual exchange related to human rights around the world, hosted a panel discussing reproductive rights from an international perspective Wednesday evening at Lane Hall.

  • Science Alert ☛ 44% of Warm-Water Coral Faces Extinction as Temperatures Rise

    It's more than we ever expected.

  • Science Alert ☛ India's Capital Chokes on Toxic Smog 50 Times Above WHO Limit

    Affecting more than 30 million people.

  • Science Alert ☛ World First: Stem Cell Transplant Restores Vision in Multiple People

    "A promising future treatment option."

• Blobs/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • The IT sector in Serbia grapples with challenges amid mass layoffs

    The IT sector in Serbia is navigating increasingly complex challenges, with signs of a global industry crisis continuing to manifest sporadically through extreme cases such as mass layoffs and abrupt office closures.

    The root causes—unstable economic conditions, poor business decisions, and profit declines—are forcing companies to rapidly rethink their strategies to adapt to shifting market demands. Recent developments involving companies like Playstudios Europe and Better Collective serve as stark examples, with hundreds of jobs unexpectedly terminated in Belgrade and Niš.

  • Tedium ☛ The Network Serves Us [Ed: No, it does not serve you and it is proprietary, it serves its owners]

    Thoughts on the sudden surge of success Bluesky has seen this week—without a network-dampening algorithm in sight.

  • New York Times ☛ Spy Agency Memo Sets Rules for Artificial Intelligence and Americans’ Private Data

    The administration held back the guidance last month when unveiling a presidential directive pushing security agencies to use the technology.

  • Medevel ☛ Running LLMs as Backend Services: 12 Open-source Free Options - a Personal Journey on Utilizing LLMs for Healthcare Apps

    As both a medical doctor, developer and an open-source enthusiast, I've witnessed firsthand how Large Language Models (LLMs) are revolutionizing not just healthcare, but the entire landscape of software development.

  • Meduza ☛ At the Margaritas of madness: How Russia Today’s editor-in-chief embraced AI while writing a novel about Judgment Day — Meduza

  • EDRI ☛ The International Hey Hi (AI) Summit 2024

    This conference comes at an opportune time, following the recent UN Summit for the Future, the union of GPAI with AIGO, and amidst the ongoing Hiroshima Process. It also coincides with the emergence of the EU Hey Hi (AI) Office and takes place just ahead of the French Hey Hi (AI) Summit, making it an ideal moment for the global Hey Hi (AI) governance community to take stock of developments and examine how these various initiatives interact, reinforce each other, and contribute to forming a cohesive Hey Hi (AI) governance ecosystem.

  • NYPost ☛ Warren Buffett reveals craving for Domino’s, while cutting back on Fashion Company Apple — on Berkshire’s investment portfolio

    Berkshire Hathaway also owned 404,000 shares of Pool, a distributor of swimming pool supplies.

• Pseudo-Open Source

  • Openwashing

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Intel embraces open-source ethos with Hey Hi (AI) microservices platform [Ed: Well, "vendor-neutral project with the 'Linux' Foundation" is just openwashing as a service, in this case promoted by a bribed publisher of theirs]

      Open-source artificial intelligence projects are gaining popularity, and defective chip maker Intel Corp. is taking advantage of the momentum with their composable Hey Hi (AI) platform. Open Platform for Enterprise AI, or OPEA, was launched by defective chip maker Intel this year as a vendor-neutral project with the 'Linux' Foundation.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • OpenRightsGroup ☛ Briefing: Data (Use and Access) Bill HL

      Briefing to the House of Lords Second reading Author: Mariano delli Santi mariano@openrightsgroup.org 0. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The new Data (Use and Access) Bill drops several concerning aspects of the previous Data Protection and Digital Information Bill. Open Rights Group welcomes this as a positive development and a step in the right direction.

    • OpenRightsGroup ☛ ICO’s failure to enforce is putting the public at risk

      Digital rights campaigners have published the Alternative ICO Annual Report, an analysis of the actions taken by the ICO against companies and organisations that have breached data protection law. The report finds that the ICO’s overly cautious approach to enforcement is putting government and corporate preferences before the needs of the public.

    • OpenRightsGroup ☛ ICO Alternative Annual Report 2023-24

      In this report the Open Rights Group offers our perspective on the Information Commissioner’s Office’s (ICO) 2023-24 Annual report, and recently published data on the enforcement action it has taken (or not) over the most recent financial year.

    • France24 ☛ Benefit fraud: Amnesty accuses Denmark of using Hey Hi (AI) to build 'system of surveillance'

      Amnesty International is accusing Denmark of using artificial intelligence in a way that targets people with disabilities, low-income families, migrants and anyone who is marginalised in society. The NGO is voicing deep concern about a new welfare system in the country that uses AI. The algorithm tools are used to flag people for potential social benefit fraud investigations. Amnesty says the situation is already creating an atmosphere of fear through mass surveillance, as it warns against the use of Hey Hi (AI) in similar situations around the world.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ After Deadly Car Rampage, Chinese Officials Try to Erase Any Hint of It

    Flowers left at the site of the attack, which killed at least 35 people, were quickly removed. Censors deleted videos, articles and comments about it.

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-11-10 [Older] Iran and Saudi Arabia pursue cautious rapprochement

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-11-10 [Older] Soldier With Yemen's Exiled Government Opens Fire, Killing 2 Saudi Troops and Wounding Another

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-11-09 [Older] Saudi-Led Coalition in Yemen Says Two Members of Its Forces Killed

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-11-11 [Older] Turkey Pressing U.S. to Rethink Kurdish Alliance in Syria

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-11-08 [Older] Israeli 'Aggression' Injures Syrian Soldiers Near Aleppo, State Media Says

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-11-10 [Older] Syria Says Seven Civilians Killed in Israeli Strike Near Damascus

  • Breach Media ☛ 2024-11-08 [Older] The feds refused to repatriate a Canadian citizen detained in Syrian prison. Then she died.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesian President Prabowo vows to safeguard sovereignty in South China Sea

    He has repeatedly said he will pursue a non-aligned foreign policy.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Safety, educational videos resurface online in China after deadly car attack

    One video, originally posted in 2022, taught children how to avoid being rammed by a car.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China battles rare wave of violent crime as economic woes bite

    China has experienced a spate of violent attacks, challenging its proud reputation for public order.

  • New York Times ☛ Explosions Outside Brazil’s Supreme Court Leave 1 Dead

    Police officials say two blasts near Brazil’s Supreme Court on Wednesday night are being treated as terrorist acts by a lone suicide bomber.

  • France24 ☛ Brazil authorities link Supreme Court bomb attack to extremist discourse

    A Supreme Court Justice has linked a failed bomb attack on Brazil's Supreme Court on Wednesday with far-right hate speech while the country’s police chief said it is being investigated as an act of terrorism. The police director also said the Supreme Court has received fresh threats since the blasts.

  • France24 ☛ 'Unprecedented': Trump's "America First" agenda was 'slogan of Nazi sympathisers in 1930s America'

    Among Donald Trump's totally unexpected cabinet choices, none has been greeted with more shock and bafflement -- from Republicans as well as Democrats -- than the nomination of right-wing firebrand Matt Gaetz to head the Justice Department. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on Trump's unorthodox cabinet appointments, FRANCE 24's Mark Owen welcomes Andrew Yarrow, Journalist, Historian and former speechwriter in the Clinton administration.

  • Defence Web ☛ SANDF upgrading security at 93 Ammunition Depot

    Action is being taken to eliminate security shortcomings, highlighted by civil society grouping AfriForum, at 93 Ammunition Depot in Jan Kempdorp. Centurion headquartered AfriForum brought the security issues to the attention of Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga by way of a letter, with action indicated by her in response to a Parliamentary question.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China and Philippines spar over new maritime laws, baseline drawings in South China Sea

    The Philippines' Foreign Ministry said on Nov 13 it had summoned China's ambassador.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia to protest new Philippine maritime laws over Sabah claims

    The laws touch upon Philippine claims to Sabah, says Deputy Foreign Minister Mohamad Alamin.

  • AccessNow ☛ Global coalition of NGOs call for immediate ceasefire in Lebanon

  • NYPost ☛ Daily Hezbollah strikes begin to dwindle as Israel closes in on cease-fire deal: officials

    The number of daily Hezbollah rocket strikes against Israel have fallen by nearly half as officials say they are as close as they'll ever be to reaching a cease-fire deal in Lebanon.

  • New York Times ☛ How the Mideast War Has Shaken America’s Cultural Institutions

    In the last year, museums, book festivals, arts journals and other organizations have experienced bitter discord over what qualifies as tolerable speech about the conflict and its combatants.

  • Defence Web ☛ Successful US strikes on Houthi facilities and weapons systems

    The weekend of 9 and 10 November saw the United States (US) Central Command (CENTCOM) “execute precise strikes” on multiple Houthi weapons storage facilities in Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong nurse warns of mental health crisis in Gaza after returning from second deployment

    A Hong Kong nurse who has just returned from war-torn Gaza has warned of a deepening mental health crisis among Palestinians, especially children.

  • New York Times ☛ Israel Strikes Humanitarian Zone in Gaza

    The Israeli military said it had been targeting a loaded weapons launcher in the area, where thousands of displaced people are sheltering in a tent camp.

  • New York Times ☛ Israel Bombs Targets in Syria, and Keeps Up Strikes in Lebanon

    The attack occurred on the same day that Israel bombed sites in the Syrian capital that the Israeli military said were affiliated with a militant group. At least 15 people were killed, Syrian state media reported.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Hong Kong protest bomb plot mastermind jailed for nearly 24 years

    The sentence came amid a protracted national security clampdown by China in the city.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexico’s ‘hugs, not bullets’ security strategy has failed, says US Ambassador Ken Salazar

    The American diplomat is on his way out, and not afraid to speak his mind.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea leader Kim orders mass production of suicide drones: KCNA

    Mr Kim said the competition for using drones for military purposes is accelerating around the world.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • NYPost ☛ Putin cuts payouts for wounded Russian soldiers as casualty counts surge

      Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is slashing payments to Russian soldiers wounded in Ukraine in the face of rising casualties and mushrooming war costs.

    • Stanford University ☛ ‘Another chance for change’: Russian activist released in prisoner swap condemns country’s botched democratization

      Three months after his release from a Siberian prison, Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza discussed the future of Russia at a Monday lecture. His remarks come shortly after the 35th anniversary of fall of the Berlin Wall and before the 25th anniversary since Vladimir Putin came to power in Russia.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Forcing Ukraine to cede land will only increase Putin’s imperial appetite

      If Ukraine is forced to cede land to Russia in exchange for peace, Vladimir Putin’s entire invasion will be legitimized and his imperial appetite will only grow, writes Peter Dickinson.

    • France24 ☛ What next for Ukraine? Trump election could redefine the war

      Ukraine is at a crucial point in its existential fight against the Russian invasion launched by Vladimir Putin in February 2022.

    • NYPost ☛ Putin slashes $30K payouts for wounded Russian soldiers to include only those severely injured as casualty counts surge

      Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is slashing payments to Russian soldiers wounded in Ukraine in the face of rising casualties and mushrooming war costs.

    • Meduza ☛ Russian authorities rush out new ‘patriotic’ lesson for high schoolers based on Putin’s recent statements about ‘sovereign AI’ — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Monitoring stats show Russians’ YouTube access abruptly rebounded following Putin’s promise to ‘look into’ throttling reports — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Apple suddenly disables Russians’ access to numerous podcasts from independent journalists — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Anti-War London-Based Russian Chef Found Dead In Belgrade

      Russian celebrity chef and restaurateur Aleksei Zimin, an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine who ran a restaurant in central London, has been found dead in Belgrade.

    • Meduza ☛ Two Russian city officials quietly return to desk jobs just a month after drawing headlines for enlisting as volunteer soldiers — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Held captive by his own side’: Russian military officers ran a ‘torture prison’ for soldiers under their command, beating and extorting them for money, relatives say — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Why is Trump’s pick for national intelligence director, Tulsi Gabbard, on Ukraine’s unofficial ‘enemies’ database? — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Former governor confirms Russian soldiers looted homes in Kursk region, days after state media blamed Ukrainians — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ FSB agents impersonating Ukrainians online to entrap anti-war Russians, human rights group says — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ South Korea less likely to send weapons to Ukraine after Trump election victory — Bloomberg — Meduza

• Taiwan and Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ Former Taiwan president Tsai to visit Canada next week, sources say

    Ms Tsai is planning to visit Nova Scotia and deliver a speech at a security conference.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan has no arms shopping list for Trump but keen to discuss, Taiwan security officials say

    The US is Taiwan's biggest arms supplier.

  • EDRI ☛ EU DisinfoLab Webinar – Building FIMI resilience through models of practice: Taiwan’s 2024 elections

    The ultimate aim is to reach beyond the information integrity community and provide strategic fuel for decision-makers to envision goals for whole-society resilience. This webinar will discuss the findings and consider the long-term direction of global FIMI resilience.

  • EDRI ☛ Global Voice Summit 2024

    An international gathering on digital media, knowledge and activism from a Global Majority perspective.

• Environment

  • The Local SE ☛ 2024-11-07 [Older] Sweden's government reported to EU Commission for 'destructive' climate policy

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-11-07 [Older] Developing World Faces Multi-Billion Climate Adaptation Cash Gap, U.N. Report Says

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-11-07 [Older] EU Climate Chief Holds Firm on CO2 Deadlines for Cars

  • Green Party UK ☛ 2024-11-06 [Older] US Elections: Trump is a “climate change denier, a proud racist and misogynist”

  • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-11-06 [Older] Climate Refugees and Agriculture: Why Diplomacy Must Address Migration Caused by Failing Crops

  • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-11-06 [Older] EU Greens: Europe must strengthen climate action and democracy to counter far-right autocrats

  • TruthOut ☛ 2024-11-06 [Older] With Control of White House and Senate, GOP Poised to Upend Climate Policy

  • CBC ☛ 2024-11-06 [Older] Most opposition parties ditch UN climate change conference in Azerbaijan, citing human rights concerns

  • Renewable Energy World ☛ 2024-11-06 [Older] Washington voters uphold landmark climate law against challenge from conservatives

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-11-06 [Older] Climate Activists Spray-Paint US Embassy in London After Trump Election Win

  • The Straits Times ☛ US tourist arrested for defacing Tokyo shrine

    An unprecedented number of tourists are flocking to Japan after the Covid-19 pandemic.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thousands flee as Typhoon Usagi hits north of Philippines

    Usagi is fifth storm to strike the country in just three weeks.

  • New York Times ☛ Typhoon Usagi Slams Into the Philippines

    The storm made landfall on the island of Luzon. Forecasters warned of torrential rain and landslides in the north of the country.

  • France24 ☛ Senegal heads to the polls

    In tonight's edition, Senegal is on the home stretch of Sunday's parliamentary elections, a decisive moment for the ruling party PASTEF, in its quest for a majority in the National Assembly.

    Also, an Amnesty International report discloses that French-manufactured military technology was found in Sudan.

  • France24 ☛ Senegal grapples with floods, economy ahead of parliamentary elections

    Seeking shelter in a tent of sticks and rags after floods devastated her village in northeastern Senegal, Khardiatou Sy says she feels abandoned by the government days ahead of snap parliamentary elections. The 28-year-old is one of tens of thousands to have been displaced when torrential rains caused the Senegal River to burst its banks in October. The scale of the destruction is one of the many challenges facing Senegal's new government, which took office in April and is heading into legislative elections on November 17.

  • Defence Web ☛ Mozambique’s last stand for democracy?

    When Southern African Development Community (SADC) ministers and heads of state meet from 15-20 November in Harare, the crisis in Mozambique should top their agenda. The country is facing its worst-ever post-election violence, with the opposition leading deadly nationwide protests against what domestic observer groups have called highly fraudulent polls.

  • France24 ☛ Somaliland presidential election: Breakaway region in quest for statehood

    Voting was underway Wednesday in Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland in a key presidential election that was delayed for two years. More than 1 million people are expected to cast votes at more than 2,000 polling stations, with some 28 international observers spread across the country. President Muse Bihi Abdi of the ruling Kulmiye Party is seeking a second term after seven years in office, during which he has pushed for Somaliland’s international recognition.

  • Defence Web ☛ Slaughter in Sudan condemned by top UN official

    In the wake of yet another round of violence in Sudan’s Gezira, the senior United Nations (UN) political affairs official echoed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres who a fortnight ago said the east African country was “a nightmare of violence, hunger, disease and displacement”.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ HK Express offers one-way flights from HK$2 for Hongkongers 65 and over

      Low-cost carrier HK Express has launched limited HK$2 one-way fares for residents of Hong Kong and Macau aged 65 and over to celebrate Senior Citizens Day, which this year falls on Sunday.

    • Modern Diplomacy ☛ 2024-11-11 [Older] ASEAN Must Address Financing Gaps and Institutional Challenges for Energy Transition

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-11-08 [Older] Biden Administration to Restrict Drilling, Renewables in the US West to Help Struggling Bird

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-11-08 [Older] US Federal Energy Revenue Falls 10% in 2024, but Still Among Biggest Years Ever

    • Mexico News Daily ☛ 2024-11-06 [Older] Electricity plans and no election fears: Sheinbaum’s mañanera recapped

    • University of Michigan ☛ 2024-11-06 [Older] Small modular nuclear reactors can aid energy, emission goals

    • The Local DK ☛ 2024-11-06 [Older] Danish energy stock prices plummet amid expected Trump victory

    • Copenhagen Post ☛ 2024-11-06 [Older] Green energy stocks crash after Trump victory

    • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-11-06 [Older] Trump Return Will Slow, Not Stop, US Clean Energy Boom

    • TruthOut ☛ 2024-11-05 [Older] In the 2024 Election, the Race for Clean Energy Is Local

    • Myanmar’s Kachin rebels stop rare earth exports to China

      The insurgents have sealed the border in response to China’s closures as it presses anti-junta groups to negotiate

    • Hackaday ☛ US DOE Sets New Nuclear Energy Targets

      To tackle the growing electrification of devices, we’ll need to deploy more generation to the grid. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has unveiled a new target to triple nuclear generating capacity by 2050.

    • Hackaday ☛ Desert Island Acetylene From Seashells And Driftwood

      [MacGyver] would be proud of [Hyperspace Pirate]’s rough and ready method of producing acetylene gas from seashells and driftwood.

    • Hackaday ☛ Nebraskan Farmers Were Using Wind Turbines Before Environmentalism Was Invented

      To a casual observer of public discourse here in 2024 it seem extremely odd that the issue of replacing coal fired power stations with wind turbines is a matter of controversy, whether in America or Europe it’s an issue which causes some sparks to fly. The Atlantic has a recent article with a set of pictures from a gentler time in which the industrious nature of Nebraskan farmers in the 1890s receives praise as they create a wide variety of home-made wind turbines.

    • LG Energy Solution Denies Large-Scale Layoffs at Nanjing Factory

      On November 14th, several employees of LG Energy Solution posted on the social media platform Maimai (Chinese workplace community and job search platform software) that their employer, LG Energy Solution (Nanjing) Co., Ltd. (referred to as LG Energy Solution Nanjing Factory), started laying off employees in November.

      In response to this, LG Energy Solution stated that the information circulating online recently regarding employee movements within the company is part of normal operational adjustments and not a large-scale layoff as rumored online.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • BIA Net ☛ 2024-11-09 [Older] Turkey's Nemrut Caldera closed to visitors as bears fed by humans 'losing instincts'

    • NYPost ☛ The $50,000 dog-cloning business is booming — and has a five-month waitlist

      "Cloning is growing as fast as we can effectively manage the growth,’’ said Blake Russell, the president of ViaGen and ViaGen Pets.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ The threat from wildfires is growing. The US needs a unified response.

      Congress should create a modern, centralized wildfire intelligence system that can serve firefighters nationwide.

• Finance

  • Night bike rides ‘chance to make memories’ for young, poor Chinese

    Night cyclists 'sought safety in numbers' to break away from highly restrictive lives, lack of hope for the future.

  • CBC ☛ 2024-11-10 [Older] Port of Montreal lockout underway after dockworkers overwhelmingly vote to reject employer offer

  • BIA Net ☛ Treasury covered social security premiums for TurkStat personnel, audit finds

    While the labor minister complains about opposition municipalities not paying premiums for their personnel, the Court of Accounts report has revealed the Turkish statistical authority also failed to make these payments.

  • Scripps Media Inc ☛ General Motors lays off about 1,000 workers in latest cost-cutting effort

    General Motors is laying off about 1,000 workers worldwide, shedding costs as it tries to compete in a crowded global automobile market.

  • GM laying off nearly 1,000 workers

    General Motors is laying off nearly 1,000 workers worldwide, most in the US, as it looks to streamline operations, a source told Reuters on Friday.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Head of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party says members have faced harassment in run-up to internal election

    Members of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, as well as their families and employers, have received harassing messages and letters in the run-up to an internal election, party chair Lo Kin-hei has said.

  • BIA Net ☛ 2024-11-07 [Older] Who is Akın Gürlek, the top judicial official dubbed as ‘mobile guillotine’ by Turkey’s opposition?

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-11-07 [Older] Leaders of Turkey, Cyprus Have Coffee in Rare Encounter

  • JURIST ☛ ICJ to hear competing racial discrimination claims by Armenia and Azerbaijan

    The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Tuesday ruled that it has jurisdiction to hear competing racial discrimination allegations raised by Armenia and Azerbaijan against each other under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

  • France24 ☛ Xi Jinping set to inaugurate China-backed megaport in Peru

    The APEC summit is kicking off in Lima, Peru, ahead of the G20 Summit in Brazil next week. Among world leaders attending is Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping.  His first order of business in Peru is to attend the inauguration of the Chancay port, a majority Chinese-owned megaport that's expected to become a major shipping hub for the Belt and Road initiative.

    Plus, slumber business is booming in Japan as sleep-deprived workers increasingly turn to improving the quality of their sleep.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin arrives in Lima for Apec, to open Pacific megaport

    The massive Chancay deep-water port is one of Beijing's most ambitious infrastructure investments in Latin America.

  • Biden heads to Peru for APEC and final Pooh-tin meeting

    Biden and Pooh-tin meet almost exactly a year after their high-profile summit in San Francisco eased US-China ties.

  • The Strategist ☛ Downsides of China’s port investments go beyond immediate security risks

    Chinese companies own or operate at least one port on every continent except Antarctica.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ China’s advances in Latin America should concern Trump

    As Chinese leader Pooh-tin Jinping and US President Joe Biden visit Peru and Brazil this week, the contrast between the US and Chinese approaches to the region is stark.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Trump’s choice of China hawks signals rough seas ahead for Sino-US ties

    China needs to brace itself for a relationship that will be marked by greater confrontation and decoupling.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Xi’s key players to lead China in another Trump trade fight

    They include officials from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Agriculture Ministry.

  • Latvia ☛ Latvia and China talk about the United Nations

    On November 13, political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Latvia and China were concluded in Beijing. They were chaired by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia, Andžejs Viļumsons, and the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Deng Li, according to the Latvian Foreign Ministry.

  • New York Times ☛ Haiti’s Gang Violence Worsens as FAA Suspends Flights From the U.S.

    The country’s security situation has deteriorated even further since Monday when at least three planes were shot at, forcing the closure of its main airport.

  • France24 ☛ 'A legitimate job': Influencer degree launches in Ireland

    It's a job that didn't exist until recently but becoming an influencer is an ever more popular career path among Gen-Z youth in the modern era of social control media. Now a first-of-its-kind course at an Irish university is teaching wannabe influencers how to convert online presence and content on platforms such as Instagram, Fentanylware (TikTok) and YouTube into revenue streams.

  • EDRI ☛ Digital Methods Winter School 2025

    The Digital Methods Initiative (DMI), Amsterdam, is holding its annual Winter School on 'Chatbots for Internet Research?'. The format is that of a (social control media and web) data sprint, with tutorials as well as hands-on work for telling stories with data.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • EDRI ☛ EMIF Winter Event 2024 – Disinformation: Systemic Challenges, Structural Solutions

      This event will bring together leading experts and practitioners from across the European information ecosystem to discuss structural solutions to counter disinformation at various societal levels. The conference will also highlight EMIF’s projects, their impact, and their relevance to current disinformation challenges.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • BIA Net ☛ Nude painting mistaken for Picasso seized in art trafficking raid in Turkey, later censored

    News about an “18th century painting by Picasso” dated 1875 rapidly circulated in Turkish media following the raid.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Man charged with insulting China’s national anthem during World Cup qualifier in Hong Kong

    A Hong Kong man has been charged with insulting China’s national anthem during  a 2026 World Cup Asian qualifier in Hong Kong in June.

  • Vietnam tightens controls on social control media users

    Foreign social control media services like YouTube now have to authenticate users by phone number or ID card.

  • Internet Society ☛ No Power = No 1s and 0s. Internet Resilience Requires Electrical Resilience

    In the last three months, Ecuador, Kenya, Senegal, and Venezuela have all experienced nationwide power outages related to infrastructure, all of which have disrupted most or all Internet connectivity within the country. The reality is that without electrical power, the Internet we all rely on will not work.

  • France24 ☛ Two Ugandan held for insulting Museveni on TikTok

    Two Ugandan men have been detained for allegedly insulting President Yoweri Museveni, as FRANCE 24's Clément di Roma reports. In July, another 21-year-old TikToker was sentenced to six years in prison for insulting Museveni, who has ruled Uganda with an iron fist since he toppled president Milton Obote in 1986.

  • Meduza ☛ Russia's federal censorship agency plans 'routine' tests disconnecting the Russian Internet from the global Internet — Meduza

  • Meduza ☛ Jailed Russian anti-war sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky vows to sue any foreign government that includes him in prisoner swap — Meduza

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Fresh auction looms for Telegraph as Dovid Efune yet to secure financing [Ed: Just circling down the drain]

    Key backer has left the deal, with two weeks remaining for Dovid Efune to secure financing.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Podcast 78: Generative Hey Hi (AI) in the newsroom at The Telegraph [Ed: Sloproom]

    Telegraph director of technology Dylan Jacques explains how the brand got serious with gen AI.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Scott Trust appoints 13th member as it nears crucial Observer sale decision

    Scott Trust will need 75% agreement to go ahead with Observer sale.

  • EDRI ☛ Save the date: The European Investigative Journalism Conference

    Dataharvest – The European Investigative Journalism Conference is a meeting point where networks are established and nurtured, data and documents shared, cross-border projects conceived and teams established. The conference days are all about learning, inspiration and getting some work done.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • JURIST ☛ ECHR rules Azerbaijan violated free speech by disbarring lawyer after corruption complaint

    The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Thursday that Azerbaijan violated the freedom of expression of a lawyer that was disbarred for filing a corruption complaint against the director of a legal consultancy.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Ownership Used to Mean Something

    In the Digital Age, sometimes the things you buy aren't actually yours to own.

  • HRW ☛ 2024-11-08 [Older] Saudi Arabia: 2034 World Cup Risks Widespread Labor Abuse

  • CS Monitor ☛ In top-notch Indian film, three Mumbai women encounter what makes a life worth living

    With “All We Imagine as Light,” an Indian filmmaker draws our attention to personal stories – and the many ways a life can have meaning.

  • US News And World Report ☛ 2024-11-11 [Older] Soccer-FIFA Must Halt Saudi World Cup Bid Due to Human Rights Issues, Says Amnesty

  • ACLU ☛ Biden Must Use Final Months in Office to Commute Federal Death Sentences

    President-elect Donald Trump has chilling plans to use his second term to expand the federal death penalty. This expansion continues the killing spree he initiated in the final six months of his first presidency when Trump oversaw more executions than any president in the past 120 years. His plans for a second term include sentencing more people to die, expanding the category of crimes punishable by death, and killing all 40 people currently on federal death row.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian authority accuses firm in child abuse probe of slavery

    Police have rescued more than 600 children, some of whom were found to have been abused.

  • EDRI ☛ Glitter Meetup: What is happening in digital rights around the world?

    Come to share emerging and existing digital rights conversations happening around the world and in your region at this Glitter Meetup! There is something new, specific or special that you would like to bring to the technology and human rights table? Join the meetup and let's talk about it!

• Korea

  • The Straits Times ☛ Over 10,000 police officers deployed for S. Korea’s annual college entrance exam

    For each exam site, two officers and one patrol car will oversee the transportation of test papers.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea exam sees record number of retakes after medical reforms

    Nearly a third of those sitting the exam in 2024 are retaking it – the highest percentage ever.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea top court upholds conviction of ‘comfort women’ activist over embezzlement

    She was able to secure a seat in Parliament and finish her term as the case wound its way through the courts.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Man convicted twice for rape in South Korea, gets 15 years’ jail for 3rd rape

    The most recent crime took place just five months after he was released from jail for one of the previous attacks.

  • The Straits Times ☛ In shadow of new Trump term, Japan and South Korea join US in Asian naval drill

    In his first term, Trump pressured Tokyo and Seoul to pay more for the US forces they host.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea cracks down on wedding industry amid consumer complaints

    Couples reported spending an additional 1.44 million won (S$1,400) beyond their initial budget due to hidden fees.

  • RFERL ☛ Uzbek Man Held In South Korea Over 'Attempted Murder' Of Politician Close To President Mirziyoev's Daughter

    Independent sources in South Korea and Uzbekistan told RFE/RL on November 14 that South Korean authorities detained Uzbek citizen Javlon Yunusov, on suspicion of involvement into an attempted murder of Komil Allamjonov, a close associate of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev's family.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Let the K-Pop Drama Continue: Hybe’s Ador Faces NewJeans Ultimatum Demanding the Return of Ousted CEO

    Let the K-pop drama continue: A showdown between Hybe and the ousted CEO of its Ador subsidiary has prompted a firmly worded ultimatum from rising girl group NewJeans. This latest development came to light in reports from regional outlets including the Korea Times.

• Net

  • [Old] Baldur Bjarnason ☛ Our obligation as makers of software, as explained by the collapse of the blogosphere

    The problem with the Bandwagon Effect and the anti-Bandwagon Effect online is that it leads to escalation. Everything keeps escalating unless you specifically take measures to prevent it, right at the beginning, which this group didn’t (out of ideological opposition to content moderation) until it was too late. The tech industry is filled with well-meaning enablers of abuse and 2007 wasn’t any different.

    These events were well documented at the time. This take, by Joseph Reagle, is as good as any.

    The man who escalated the furthest was Andrew “Weev” Auernheimer who has since confessed several times to not only spreading lies about Kathy Sierra but also publishing her home address and social security number, encouraging people to send her ‘presents’ that showed what they thought of her.

    And they did. Some of them were death threats.

    So, Kathy stopped speaking publicly and stopped blogging. She retreated from the public web while Weev rose to stardom as a ‘hacktivist’. Many people in tech adored him for fighting against unfair laws that ‘stifled’ progress in the industry.

    This is when I lost faith in blogs and online social media. This dynamic, repeated endlessly since then, is why distributed social media like the ‘blogosphere’ collapses; why Twitter is a hellsite; why Facebook is the place that turns Granddad into a nazi; why federated social media like Mastodon breaks apart into smaller isolated clusters.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Digital Music News ☛ US Government’s Lawsuit Against Live Nation and Ticketmaster May Go Kaput Under Trump

  President-elect Trump has chosen Matt Gaetz to serve as his Attorney General. Speculation about the possibility of ending the U.S. Government’s antitrust action against Live Nation has already begun. Gaetz has been a fierce supporter of the former President throughout his tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives.

• New York Times ☛ Meta Fined $840 Million in Europe for Boosting Marketplace Unfairly

  Meta said it would appeal the decision by the European Union, which said the company had abused its dominance in social networking to strengthen its shopping and classified ads service.

• European Commission ☛ Commission fines Meta €797.72 million over abusive practices benefitting Facebook (Farcebook) Marketplace

  European Commission Press release Brussels, 14 Nov 2024 The European Commission has fined Meta €797.72 million for breaching EU antitrust rules by tying its online classified ads service Facebook (Farcebook) Marketplace to its personal social network Facebook (Farcebook) and by imposing unfair trading conditions on other online classified ads service providers.

• Digital Music News ☛ Do You Have AirPods Pro With a Crackling Issue? Now There’s a Lawsuit for That

  Apple is now facing a class action lawsuit over its AirPods Pro model and its crackling issue. DMN has reported on the issue over the years—with the plaintiffs alleging Fashion Company Apple has done nothing to resolve the issue.

• WhichUK ☛ Which? files £3bn legal claim against Fashion Company Apple for competition law breach

  Which? seeks compensation on behalf of UK consumers for Apple’s ‘abuse of dominance’ with its integrated iCloud service

• Silicon Angle ☛ FTC reportedly eyeing Microsoft’s cloud practices for potential anti-competitive behavior

  The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is reportedly preparing to launch an investigation into claims that Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Corp. uses anti-competitive practices in its cloud business. The Financial Times, referencing unnamed “people with direct knowledge of the matter,” claims that the FTC is examining allegations that Abusive Monopolist Microsoft is abusing its market power...

• Patents

  • Unified Patents ☛ Bandspeed Bluetooth patent monopoly held invalid

    On November 5, 2024, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) entered a notice of intent to issue a reexamination certificate canceling all claims of U.S. Patent 7,903,608, owned and asserted by Bandspeed, LLC, an NPE. The ‘608 patent monopoly is generally directed to communication devices for adaptive frequency-hopping based on channel performance.

  • Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ Patent case: Judgment no. 403/2024 of Barcelona Court of Appeals, UPC

    A case concerning an automated verification system offers us a glimpse of that rare species of patent monopoly litigation: the declaratory non-infringement action. The case demonstrates the need to carefully draft this type of action, as well as the need to choose the right evidence to support declarations that go beyond specific models.

  • Software Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ CNCF launches Cloud-Native Heroes Challenge with Unified Patents

      On November 13, 2024, the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) announced the Cloud Native Heroes Challenge at their KubeCon+CloudNativeCon North America 2024 conference. This challenge will be a series of crowdsourced prior art contests utilizing Unified Patents’ PATROLL website. To learn more, visit www.cncf.io/heroes and read about the inaugural contest here.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Is AGAVE BLACK Confusable with BLACK AGAVE ESPECIAL for Skin Care Preparations?

    The USPTO refused to register the mark AGAVE BLACK for cosmetics and various skin care preparations containing agave as an ingredient [AGAVE disclaimed], finding confusion likely with the registered mark BLACK AGAVE ESPECIAL for skin care products [BLACK AGAVE disclaimed]. Applicant argued that, in the cited mark, BLACK AGAVE will be seen as a reference to the plant, whereas in its mark, the word BLACK would be seen as a laudatory term, as in Johnnie Walker "Black Label." How do you think this appeal came out?

• Copyrights

  • BBC ☛ Elon Musk adds Microsoft to lawsuit against ChatGPT-maker OpenAI

    Elon Musk has stepped up his ongoing feud with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI with a revived lawsuit against the firm, adding Microsoft as a defendant.

    Mr Musk, a co-founder of the artificial intelligence (AI) company, accused it and the tech giant of operating a monopoly in an amended legal complaint on Thursday.

    It follows previous lawsuits accusing the firm of breaching the principles he agreed to when he helped found it in 2015.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Raw Story v. OpenAI: The Constitutional Hurdle That Tripped Up Raw Story’s Hey Hi (AI) Lawsuit

    In my view, some of the weakest anti-AI copyright monopoly claims have fallen under 17 U.S.C. § 1202(b)(1) – an element of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that prohibits intentional removal or alteration of copyright monopoly management information (CMI).  The statute broadly defines CMI to include not just copyright monopoly notices, but also titles, author information, owner information, terms of use, and other identifying information conveyed with copies of works.  Any violation also requires proof that the CMI-remover had “reasonable grounds to know” that such removal would enable or conceal copyright monopoly infringement.

  • Walled Culture ☛ Now the copyright industry wants to apply deep, automated blocking to the Internet’s core routers

    A central theme of Walled Culture the book (free digital versions available) and this blog is that the copyright industry is never satisfied. Now matter how long the term of copyright, publishers and recording companies want more. No matter how harsh the punishments for infringement, the copyright intermediaries want them to be even more severe.