Leftovers

• University of Michigan ☛ I love street photography, but it’s probably evil

  In street photography, there is “the moment.” It could be the instant a crowd looks off in the distance or when a couple kisses by a subway. It could be a man rushing by with a peculiar hat or a woman walking through the morning mist.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Hack On Self: Headphone Friend

    In the last two articles, I talked about two systems relying on audio notifications. The first one is the Alt-Tab annihilator system – a system making use of my window monitoring code to angrily beep at me when I’m getting distracted. The other is the crash prevention system – a small script that helps me avoid an annoying failure mode where I run out of energy before getting myself comfortable for it.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Scarlett Gately Moore: Hacked and tis the season for surgeries

    I am still here. Sadly while I battle this insane infection from my broken arm I got back in July, the hackers got my blog. I am slowly building it back up. Further bad news is I have more surgeries, first one tomorrow. Furthering my current struggles I cannot start my job search due to hospitalization and recovery.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Federal authorities intercept more than 20 million fentanyl doses in Sinaloa

    The Sinaloa security operation, completed in two separate actions, was the largest fentanyl bust in Mexican history.

  • France24 ☛ Bird flu in the US: What is the risk of human-to-human transmission?

    In today’s Science segment, we tell you about the latest cases of the bird-flu detected in North America. Three people were diagnosed without experts being able to identify the source of contamination. First a teenager in Canada then a child in California which follows a first contamination in Missouri. None of those patients have been in direct contact with animals which is sparking fear that the virus could be mutating. Until now, however, there have been no cases of human-to-human transmission.

  • New York Times ☛ Kelly Powers, Fox News Commentator Who Shared Her Health Crises With Viewers, Dies at 45

    She was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in 2020, and used her platform to talk about cancer research.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Created The Thinnest Spaghetti The World Has Ever Seen

    Unlike any spaghetti ever made before.

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Poop Schedule Says a Lot About Your Overall Health, Study Finds

    There's an optimal frequency.

  • Science Alert ☛ Neurons Don't Look Like We've Long Thought, Controversial Study Says

    Wait, what?

  • Science Alert ☛ Toasted Skin Syndrome Just One Risk of Using Hot Water Bottles For Warmth

    There are safer ways.

  • Science Alert ☛ Alarming Rise in Cancers of The Gut Linked With These Deadly Diets

    Make a healthy change today.

  • Science Alert ☛ Roman Era Barbarians Carried Tiny Spoons That May Have Helped in Battle

    If you know, you know.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • WhichUK ☛ Delivery text scams: how to spot this common scam

      Check for telltale signs of fake text messages impersonating delivery companies this Christmas

• Defence/Aggression

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s Pooh-tin Jinping vows to deepen infrastructure cooperation with Nepal – state media

    President Pooh-tin Jinping on Tuesday told Nepali Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli that China will offer more support to develop the country’s infrastructure, Chinese state media reported.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Nepal, China sign deal on Belt and Road plan, paving way for progress on projects

    Nepal has signed a framework agreement with China on the Belt and Road initiative, after an initial pact was signed seven years ago but no progress made since, paving the way for cooperation on projects, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania’s new govt vows to host German brigade in 2027, calls China ‘growing challenge’

    Despite concerns about the timeline for the German brigade’s deployment, Lithuania’s new government is committed to meeting the late 2027 deadline. It also calls China a “growing challenge”.

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania’s govt programme: new China direction, social economy policy – key points

    Lithuania’s incoming Social Democrat-led government has revealed its draft programme, outlining the key priorities over the next four years. Here are the key points.

  • Defence Web ☛ Tunisia seeking Javelin anti-tank missiles

    Tunisia is looking to buy nearly 200 Javelin anti-tank missiles from the United States in a deal worth over $100 million. The US State Department on 3 December announced that it had approved the possible Foreign Military Sale, and the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) had accordingly notified Congress.

  • New York Times ☛ A Storied New York Hilton Adds a Grim Chapter to Its History

    The hotel, on West 54th Street, was where journalists examined the Pentagon Papers and where Donald Trump delivered a 2016 victory speech.

  • New York Times ☛ A Health Insurance C.E.O. Was Gunned Down in Manhattan

    Also, the Supreme Court appeared inclined to uphold a Tennessee law on trans care. Here’s the latest at the end of Wednesday.

  • New York Times ☛ Shooting of Brian Thompson, UnitedHealthcare CEO, in NYC: What We Know

    Mr. Thompson was on his way to an investors’ gathering when he was killed by a masked shooter who fled on an electric Citi Bike, the police said.

  • New York Times ☛ Who Was Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare?

    Mr. Thompson managed a division that employs about 140,000 people and offers insurance plans to employers and individuals.

  • France24 ☛ Police hunt for US healthcare executive's masked killer after New York attack

    The chief executive of one of the United States's largest health insurance companies, UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed outside a New York Hilton hotel in an apparently targeted hit Wednesday. Brian Thompson was shot just before 7 am outside the hotel in the Midtown district of Manhattan. Police are searching for the killer.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippine V-P Sara Duterte faces second impeachment complaint

    Dec 4 complaint alleged Sara Duterte betrayed public trust with misuse of millions of dollars in public funds.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s Yoon names new defence minister after botched martial law

    It is the President's first official move since rescinding martial law on Dec 4.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Explainer: How to impeach a South Korean president

    A motion needs a two-thirds majority vote by the members of the single-chamber Parliament to pass.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Martial law debacle revives painful memories in South Korea

    Many recall the trauma of the early 1980s, when South Korea was periodically placed under harsh laws.

  • New York Times ☛ President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea Declares Martial Law, Then Backs Down

    Soon after President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration on Tuesday, lawmakers voted to defy him, prompting the president to say he was lifting his order.

  • New York Times ☛ South Korean History Is Scarred by Martial Law

    The president’s short-lived declaration of a military emergency late Tuesday was young South Koreans’ first exposure to a state of affairs their elders remember well.

  • New York Times ☛ South Korea Stock Markets Wobble After Martial Law Turmoil

    Officials pledged “unlimited” support to markets as traders digested the implications of South Korea’s brief declaration of martial law.

  • New York Times ☛ Nearly 300 Troops Stormed South Korea’s National Assembly, Official Says

    The National Assembly’s secretary general, Kim Min-ki, condemned what he called the “illegal, unconstitutional actions of the military.”

  • New York Times ☛ For Some Koreans, Martial Law Stirs Harrowing Memories of Gwangju Uprising

    “I immediately thought of 1980, and the fear and desperation we felt,” said a 60-year-old lawmaker who lived through the massacre of protesters in Gwangju.

  • New York Times ☛ Who Would Replace South Korea’s President Yoon?

    Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would take over if President Yoon Suk Yeol steps down or is impeached.

  • New York Times ☛ Thursday Briefing: An Impeachment Motion in South Korea

    Plus, what’s your favorite holiday tradition?

  • New York Times ☛ South Korea’s Defense Minister Steps Down Over Martial Law Decree

    President Yoon Suk Yeol accepted the resignation of Kim Yong-hyun, who said he considered himself responsible for the short-lived decision to impose military rule.

  • New York Times ☛ South Korea’s Martial Law Turmoil Threatens Pacific Alliance With U.S. and Japan

    Donald J. Trump had been seen as the main risk factor for the partnership between Tokyo, Seoul and Washington. Then came martial law in South Korea.

  • New York Times ☛ South Korean Lawmakers Move to Impeach President Yoon After Failed Martial Law Bid

    President Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempt to break a political deadlock by imposing military rule collapsed within hours, leaving him with few defenders. A vote to impeach him could come as soon as Friday.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Martial law for a moment: What just happened in South Korea

    South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s surprise declaration of emergency martial law lasted only six hours. But it has plunged South Korea – a key Asian economy and U.S. ally – into a political crisis that could last much longer.

  • CS Monitor ☛ South Korea’s swift rescue of freedom

    An unpopular president’s martial law was no match for a people with an inner strength born of repelling despots and invaders.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Recap: South Korean opposition, protesters demand impeachment of President Yoon

    The protests are set to continue every weekday evening until their demand for Mr Yoon to resign is met.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US ‘relieved’ South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol reversed course on martial law

    Mr Yoon had shocked his country and the world by imposing martial law late on Dec 3.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean ruling party leader says martial law attempt ‘tragic’, demands accountability

    President Yoon is a member of the People Power Party.

  • The Straits Times ☛ How polarised politics led South Korea to a plunge into martial law

    The events that led to martial law were set in motion well before Yoon's 2022 victory.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s President Yoon faces impeachment after martial law debacle

    Voting is set for Dec 5 or Dec 6.

  • The Straits Times ☛ How martial law has been used over South Korea’s turbulent history

    Martial law was last introduced in 1979 following the assassination of then President Park Chung-hee.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Martial law turmoil unsettles South Korean entertainment schedules

    Dua Lipa's concert organiser has not issued any statement, suggesting that the shows will proceed as planned.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s short-lived martial law: A timeline

    The crisis unfolded over 157 tense minutes before lawmakers voted to revoke the martial law.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Martial law in South Korea tests Biden and a key US alliance

    Yoon’s move to call martial law has appeared to catch the Biden administration by surprise.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea Cabinet ministers offer to resign en masse

    The People Power Party’s leader told reporters he also suggested Mr Yoon be kicked out of the party.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Leading contenders who might replace South Korean President Yoon

    The president’s term runs to 2027 but if he leaves office sooner, it would trigger an election.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Video of South Korean woman clashing with soldiers after martial law declaration goes viral

    President Yoon declared martial law late on Dec 3, only to rescind it six hours later.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Martial law decree sparks international backlash for South Korea

    Leaders from Japan and Sweden have cancelled visits to South Korea.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Nearly 300 troops stormed South Korean legislature, official says

    Troops smashed windows, and some aides and protesters sprayed them with fire extinguishers.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean media calls for Yoon Suk Yeol’s resignation, arrest

    Most alarming to press freedom advocates were provisions placing all media under direct military control.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Soldiers vs office chairs: South Korea’s martial law standoff

    Soldiers in the compound attempted to enter the building while police tried to bar MPs from entering.

  • The Straits Times ☛ For some South Koreans, martial law brings back frightening memories

    “After democratisation, I didn’t think this would happen again in our lifetime," says a 68-year-old man.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s ex-PM and other politicians accused of ‘supporting’ martial law

    Former prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and Busan city councilman Park Jong-cheol showed their support.

  • The Straits Times ☛ How concerned should you be about South Korea’s martial law turmoil?

    Expect to see large protests in some parts of Seoul, such as Gwanghwamun, Yongsan or near City Hall.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s day of rage as President Yoon’s martial law flounders

    The streets of Seoul teemed with protesters and police throughout the day.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Uptick in sales at S. Korea convenience stores following martial law declaration

    One convenience store chain saw sales of canned goods surge by 337.3 per cent.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US was not aware in advance of South Korea martial law decision, Blinken says

    BRUSSELS - The United States was not aware that South Korea's president intended to declare martial law, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Reuters on Wednesday, adding that he anticipated speaking to his South Korean counterpart in the coming days.

  • The Straits Times ☛ S. Korean President Yoon ‘gravely and extensively violated Constitution’: Impeachment motion

    The motion said Yoon's declaration of martial law was aimed at evading criminal investigations.

  • The Straits Times ☛ From decree to defeat: Inside South Korea's failed martial law attempt

    The shock move on Dec 3 unleashed six hours of political chaos in South Korea.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Martial law decree ignites anti-president rallies across South Korea

    The largest demonstration took place near Gwanghwamun Square in northwestern Seoul.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean ruling party to oppose President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment

    If successfully introduced to Parliament, lawmakers could vote on the Bill as early as Dec 6.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ST Picks: How S. Korea’s botched martial law move is sending shockwaves across Asia

  • The Straits Times ☛ US says South Korea’s Yoon badly misjudged martial law declaration

    Almost all US interlocutors in South Korea were “deeply surprised” by Mr Yoon’s move.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea's Yoon names new defence minister after botched martial law

    It is the President's first official move since rescinding martial law on Dec 4.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Parents of S. Korean soldiers spent sleepless night worrying about sons after martial law declared

    Some apologised to their sons for the state of the nation.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Teachers across South Korea field martial law questions from kids

    Some schools ran separate educational programs on the crisis.

  • New Yorker ☛ A Coup, Almost, in South Korea

    President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law, then backed off, in a matter of hours. He now faces impeachment and mass protests.

  • JURIST ☛ South Korea president lifts martial law following parliamentary unanimous opposition

    South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced Tuesday that he would lift martial law and that troops deployed following the shocking declaration would be withdrawn, succumbing to united Parliamentary and public pressure against the declaration.

  • JURIST ☛ South Korea parliament to vote on presidential impeachment motion

    A motion to impeach President Yoon Seok-yeol was reported to the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea on Thursday and is due to be voted on by an anonymous ballot within 72 hours of the session. The motion, filed by the opposition, follows President Seok-yeol’s brief imposition of martial law on Tuesday.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Gov’t advises 300+ Hongkongers to exercise caution in S.Korea, after martial law declared, lifted in one night

    Hongkongers in South Korea have been advised to attend to their personal safety after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday, a move that was unanimously overturned by lawmakers, and later lifted by the government in a matter of hours.

  • The Strategist ☛ South Korean leader’s rash move spells upheaval at home and risk abroad

    President Yoon Suk Yeol’s decision to rescind his declaration of martial law, in the face of embattled opposition from South Korea’s parliament, has at least spared the country a disastrous return to military rule.

  • The Strategist ☛ More than innovation: Australia needs fast, low-cost defence production

    Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have shown that mass and asymmetry characterise modern warfare. The challenge is to deliver affordable mass—weapons in great numbers—while ensuring technology is evolving ahead of rapidly changing threats.

  • RFERL ☛ Syrian Troops Reportedly Thwart Rebel Advance Near Russian Air Base

    A war monitor and state media say that Syrian government forces have launched a counterattack against Islamist-led rebels who were getting close to a Russian-operated airbase after capturing a string of towns and closing in on the key city of Hama.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Russia strongly backs Syrian leadership, says rebels are getting outside help

    MOSCOW - Russia said on Wednesday that it strongly backs the actions of the Syrian leadership to counter an offensive by what it said were terrorist groups receiving support, including drones and training, from outside the country.

  • New York Times ☛ Syrian Forces Battle Rebels Outside Government Stronghold

    The rebels have set their sights on the city of Hama, where President Bashar al-Assad’s government has long maintained strength.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • RFERL ☛ Police Secure Area After Mystery Drone Crash Near Tajik Capital

      Police and security officials have cordoned off a large area near Dusanbe after a drone resembling a military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed in a nearby town in a region where there are both Tajik and Russian military bases.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russia supporting North Korea nuclear programme in exchange for troops: Nato chief

      This could destabilise the Korean Peninsula and threaten the United States, said the Nato chief.

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea-Russia treaty comes into force: KCNA

      The treaty includes a mutual defence pact for immediate military assistance if either faces armed aggression.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russia says it's watching 'tragic' situation in South Korea with concern

      Russia is following events in South Korea with concern after the president briefly declared martial law, but there are no threats to Russian citizens there, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

    • New York Times ☛ Georgia Tumbles Deeper Into Crisis as Government Detains Opposition Figures

      In a sign of a widening crackdown, security agents have searched the offices and homes of prominent activists and opposition leaders who are furious about the government’s position on Europe.

    • Meduza ☛ Russian ship reportedly fired signaling ammunition at German military helicopter in Baltic Sea — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Malta revokes Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova’s visa ahead of OSCE meeting — Meduza

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania rejects Belaruskali claims in arbitration lawsuit

      After Belarusian potash fertiliser giant Belaruskali filed a lawsuit against Lithuania to the International Court of Arbitration, Lithuania says it does not agree with the allegations.

    • Meduza ☛ Armenia considers itself ‘outside of’ Russian-led CSTO military alliance, prime minister says — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Even after doubling its sign-on bonus payment, the Russian army’s recruitment rate is falling. Losses may now outpace new enlistments. — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian Defense Ministry says it’s received 48,000 applications for DNA testing from relatives seeking missing soldiers — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian Security Service urges prosecution for memorial desecration

      On November 29 this year, the Latvian State Security Service (VDD) urged the Prosecutor's Office to prosecute a dual citizen of Estonia and Russia for helping the Russian special services to act against Latvia by desecrating a memorial important to Latvia.

    • RFERL ☛ U.S. Urges 'Dignity' After Georgian Protests Marred By Police Brutality

      A standoff between pro-EU Georgian protesters and security forces continues in Tbilisi amid accusations of excessive use of force by police that have prompted international condemnation including from a group of influential U.S. lawmakers.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ To help Georgians, the West must drive a wedge between Georgia and the Russia-China-Iran camp

      Despite strong support among Georgians for their country to join the European Union, the governing Georgian Dream party has taken big steps to break with the West in favor of the “axis of evasion.”

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Russian-linked Turla caught using Pakistani APT infrastructure for espionage

      Both Abusive Monopolist Microsoft and Lumen’s BlackLotus Labs found Turla spying on Afghanistan and India via Pakistani infrastructure.

    • RFERL ☛ 'Foreign Agents' Bill Puts Serbia's EU Aspirations Under Question

      Serbian lawmakers have begun deliberating a bill submitted to parliament that would establish a "foreign agents" registry, a move that may alienate Serbia from its EU ambitions.

    • RFERL ☛ Pashinian Suggests Armenian Rift With Russia Widening

      Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian declared on December 4 in parliament that Yerevan had effectively passed the "point of no return" regarding its reintegration into a Russian-led military alliance.

    • France24 ☛ ‘Aggressive' Russian cyber attacks boosted Romania's pro-Moscow presidential candidate

      Calin Georgescu, the pro-Russian outsider candidate now leading in Romania's presidential elections, was "aggressively" promoted on social control media platform Fentanylware (TikTok) through coordinated accounts and paid promotion, according to documents declassified Wednesday from Romania's security services.

    • JURIST ☛ Romania court validates first round of presidential election

      The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) unanimously validated the results of the first round of the presidential elections on Monday. The country’s constitutional court requested a re-verification and recount of all ballots by the Central Electoral Bureau amid allegations that Fentanylware (TikTok) provided coverage in favor of Călin Georgescu following his surprise victory on November 24 [...]

    • Latvia ☛ Offroad vehicles on their way from Latvia to Ukraine

      On Wednesday, December 4, the third shipment of donations raised by the Latvian public media campaign will go to Ukraine, Latvian Radio reported.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian professor to lead big study on attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees

      A €2 million study on public attitudes towards refugees from Ukraine in Central and Eastern Europe will be conducted and led by sociologist Inta Mieriņa, a tenured professor at the University of Latvia, for the next five years, Latvian Radio reported December 4.

    • Dispatches from Europe – No. 12 – December 3, 2024 – Dispatches After the Election of Trump

      Dispatches After the Election of Trump

      My last dispatch was almost a month ago, on November 6, the day after Trump won the American presidential election. The main reason for the pause in dispatches is that my hosts in Ukraine, and then Poland, Germany, Czechia, and now the U.K., have kept me too busy meeting with leftwing activists.

    • PHR ☛ Russian Bombardment of Ukraine’s Power Grid Forces Health Care Workers to Operate in the Dark: Report

      Russia’s widespread and systematic attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid have harmed health care workers and endangered patients, according to a first-of-its-kind report published today by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and Truth Hounds.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ A winning strategy to end Russia’s war against Ukraine

      More than a dozen experts from the United States and Europe share their recommendations to the incoming Trump administration about how best to end Russia's war against Ukraine.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Georgian protests escalate amid fears over mounting Russian influence

      The outcome of the current protests in Georgia will likely define the country's future and shape the geopolitical climate in the southern Caucasus and beyond for years to come, writes Ana Lejava.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukrainian Official Says Regional Mayor Died After Torture In Russian Captivity

      The head of Zaporizhzhya Region's Military Administration, Ivan Fedorov, has alleged the mayor of the Ukrainian town of Dniproprudne died after being tortured while in Russian custody.

    • RFERL ☛ NATO Agrees To Prioritize Protecting Ukraine's Infrastructure

      NATO members have agreed to make protecting Ukraine's infrastructure a top priority, alliance chief Mark Rutte said on December 4, as Russia continues to pound Ukrainian cities and towns with drone and missile strikes.

    • MIT Technology Review ☛ How the Ukraine-Russia war is reshaping the tech sector in Eastern Europe

      At first glance, the Mosphera scooter may look normal—just comically oversized.

    • CS Monitor ☛ On Ukraine’s homefront, a DIY drone industry helps fill military’s needs

      Ukrainians are assembling drones at home to help supply the military with the thousands it uses every month in the war with Russia.

    • New York Times ☛ Russian General Calls U.S. Chairman of Joint Chiefs

      In a highly unusual call, the two men “discussed a number of global and regional security issues, to include the ongoing conflict in Ukraine,” a spokesman said.

    • New York Times ☛ Zelensky Offers $24 One-Off Payment to Win Over War-Weary Ukrainians

      Citizens will be entitled to a $24 one-off payment this winter, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced, in a move apparently intended to soften the blow of a tax rise to help fund the war effort.

    • Meduza ☛ Ukrainian mayor dies in Russian captivity — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Washington says Ukraine needs to begin drafting younger men — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Introducing the Oreshnik What Russia’s ’new’ ballistic missile means for Ukraine and nuclear security — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Closer now than ever’: Historian Sergey Radchenko assesses Tucker Carlson’s claim that U.S.-Russian tensions in Ukraine risk nuclear war more than the Cuban Missile Crisis — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Trump advisers ‘pitch ideas’ as Ukraine peace plan materializes, and all proposals exclude NATO membership — Reuters — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Report: Putin, Other Russian Officials Directly Involved In Transfer, Deportation of Ukrainian Children

      Senior Russian authorities, including President Vladimir Putin, were directly involved in ordering the forcible transfer, fostering, and later adoption of Ukrainian children moved out of war-zones and occupied regions of Ukraine, U.S. researchers found.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ China reports warmest autumn since records began

    Most regions experienced temperatures 1 deg C to 2 deg C above average.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Barry Kauler ☛ Planning to affix solar panel to trike

      Continuing the custom solar-assisted recumbent trike project, here are recent posts:

      • How to look after your LFP battery — November 09, 2024
      • IEC C13 versus Anderson connectors — November 06, 2024

      I completed the electrical wiring; motor, junction-box, speed sensor, display panel, etc., and with some trepidation flicked the "motor" cicuit breaker on the junction box to "on" and then pressed the power-on button on the Bafang control panel ...and it worked. had the rear wheel propped up on blocks of wood and was able to test the pedal assistance levels. Looking good.

      The Bafang control panel mystifies me though. I mounted it right in the middle, between the legs:

• Finance

  • Latvia ☛ Employers: 2025 budget increases gap between households with and without children

    The draft budget law for next year will increase inequality between households with and without children, as it does not raise the tax relief for a dependent, said Pēteris Leiškalns, Social Security and Healthcare Expert at the Employers' Confederation of Latvia (LDDK), in an interview on Latvian Radio program "Good Morning" December 4.

  • Federal News Network ☛ IRS warns about identity theft scams this holiday season

    Giving out your address, Social Security number, bank account number or credit card number can lead to tax-related theft and fraud.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ SentinelOne shares fall 13% as loss expands despite revenue beat

    Shares in SentinelOne Inc. were down around 13% in late trading today after the cybersecurity company reported a widening loss in its most recent quarter and gave a cautious outlook despite reporting beats in other core metrics in its fiscal 2025 third quarter.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ The IMF and World Bank did well under the first Trump administration. Will they again?

    The geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China has become more intense since Trump’s first term, which could affect how the incoming administration approaches the Bretton Woods institutions.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • France24 ☛ French parliament topples PM Barnier's government in no-confidence vote

    France's parliament voted to oust the government of French Prime Minister Michel Barnier in a no-confidence vote Wednesday evening. The left-wing New Popular Front alliance and far-right National Rally party both vowed to topple Barnier's government after he pushed an unpopular social security budget bill through parliament without a vote. President Emmanuel Macron's office said he will address the nation Thursday evening.

  • France24 ☛ Vote to oust French Prime Minister Michel Barnier a ‘forgone conclusion’

    FRANCE 24 journalist Clovis Casali, reporting from the lower house National Assembly, said the decision by MPs to oust French Prime Minister Michel Barnier was a “forgone conclusion”. “His speech was very much a goodbye speech, stressing what he had achieved,” Casali remarked.

  • France24 ☛ Barnier govt on chopping block: 'Very surprising alliance between left-wing coalition and far right'

    France's government is facing no-confidence votes that could spell the end of the administration of Prime Minister Michel Barnier. For deeper insight and perspective, as France plunges into uncharted waters of political chaos, FRANCE 24's Genie Godula welcomes Dr. Anna McKeever, Political Scientist, Lecturer in Political Science at the University of the West of Scotland and author of 'Immigration Policy and Right-Wing Populism in Western Europe'.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China curbs exports of key chipmaking components to US

    Beijing said Tuesday it would restrict exports to the United States of some key components in making semiconductors, after Washington announced curbs targeting China’s ability to make advanced chips. Among the materials banned from export are metals gallium, antimony and germanium, Beijing’s commerce ministry said in a statement that cited “national security” concerns.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Stanford University ☛ Behind the nationwide rise of book bans

    Stanford experts dive into the recent increase in incidents of book banning and what it means for teachers, librarians, students and freedom of speech.

  • New York Times ☛ Iran Releases Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Laureate, From Prison for 21 Days

    The activist, whose health has deteriorated, had bone surgery last month. She was just 19 when Iran’s morality police detained her.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Post-security law Hong Kong ‘beyond redemption,’ ‘useless to fight,’ Jimmy Lai tells court

    Jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai has said that Hong Kong “is beyond redemption” and that “it is useless to fight” in the city after a national security law imposed by Beijing came into effect in 2020.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong sees rise in residents trafficked to SE Asia, with 12 still held overseas – security chief

    Hong Kong has seen a rise in local residents lured to Southeast Asia to engage in illegal work, with 12 Hongkongers still being held overseas, security chief Chris Tang has said.

  • JURIST ☛ Global rights groups demand Egypt lift ban on human rights defenders

    34 rights organizations on Wednesday called on the Egyptian government to immediately lift the travel bans and asset freezes imposed on three directors of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), an Egyptian human rights organization.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Computers Are Bad ☛ 2024-12-04 operators on the front

    At the very core of telephone history, there is the telephone operator. For a lot of people, the vague understanding that an operator used to be involved is the main thing they know about historic telephony. Of course, telephone historians, as a group, tend to be much more inclined towards machinery than people. This shows: websites with information on, say, TD-2, seldom tell you much about the operators as people.

    Fortunately, telephone operators have merited more than just a bit of discussion in the social sciences. It was a major field of employment, many ideas in management were tested out in the telephone companies, and moreover, telephone operators were women.

  • APNIC ☛ How to boost geolocation accuracy with Geofeed

    A friendly how to guide for network operators.

  • Inside Towers ☛ FCC Modifies Emission Limits for Mobile Devices in the 23.6-24.0 GHz Band

    The FCC has modified unwanted emissions limits for mobile operations for the 24.25-24.45 GHz and 24.75-25.25 GHz bands to prevent interference with passive systems in the 23.6-24.0 GHz band. The changes align with decisions made at the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19).

    In the Report and Order, the Commission says the 23.6-24.0 GHz band is critical for passive sensors that measure weak natural radio emissions vital for meteorology, climatology, and satellite radar operations. The limits apply to both current and future mobile devices, with stricter limits coming into effect after September 1, 2027.

  • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

    • Sean Conner ☛ Ice ice baby

      The following week the technician showed up again, bitched that we failed to answer his messages. I explained that I set my phone to have a silent default ring tone due to spam, and a default text tone of silence, again due to spam (and man, the amount of text spam I recieved from politicians during election season was staggering! Damn you policitians and exempting yourselves from spam laws! Damn you all to hell!). The technician was nonplussed and said I should do something about that. We gave him Bunny's phone number as she doesn't have a silent default ring tone.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• JURIST ☛ Australia proposes new regime to fine tech companies for anti-competitive practices

  The Australian government on Monday unveiled a proposed competition scheme to introduce new laws that would allow global technology companies to be fined up to $50 million AUD for anti-competitive behavior and obstructing consumer choice.

• Copyrights

  • Creative Commons ☛ Welcoming Angela Oduor Lungati as CC Board Chair

    “Yellow Chair, The High Line” by Shawn Hoke is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Creative Commons (CC) has—and continues to be—fortunate to have an expert and passionate board of directors, many of whom have been instrumental to the success of CC at both the organizational level, as well as nationally and regionally.