Leftovers

• The Straits Times ☛ Starbucks cafe offers view of village in North Korea, stirring up bittersweet feelings

  Some visitors feel sad as they look at the North and reflect on the disparity in living standards between both sides.

• Hardware

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia says Fashion Company Apple to offer $1.34 billion to lift iPhone ban

    If confirmed, that would be a tenfold increase from Apple’s last offer of US$100 million.

  • Cloudbooklet ☛ US Cracks Down on China Hey Hi (AI) Chip Access

    Discover the latest updates on China Hey Hi (AI) Chip Access and its implications.

  • France24 ☛ US - China chip war heats up as Beijing bans export of key minerals

    A day after the US government announced new export restrictions hitting China's chip industry, Beijing retaliated with a ban on the sale of key minerals like gallium and germanium to the United States.

  • New York Times ☛ China Announces a Ban on Rare Minerals to the U.S.

    The move escalates supply chain warfare and comes a day after the Biden administration expanded curbs on the sale of advanced American technology to China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China to curb exports of key chipmaking components to US

    Among the materials banned from export are metals gallium, antimony and germanium.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Chinese chip firms say a new round of US sanctions won’t stop China’s chip industry — Chinese government responds with its own export restrictions anyways

    The US and China trade blows yet again on semiconductor products and minerals, but Chinese companies say they’ll survive.

  • The Next Platform ☛ US Curbs HBM Exports To China – More For The Rest Of Us

    Current US president Joe Biden and once and future president Donald Trump do not agree on much.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Pro Publica ☛ Formaldehyde Increases Your Cancer Risk No Matter Where you Live

    In a world flush with hazardous air pollutants, there is one that causes far more cancer than any other, one that is so widespread that nobody in the United States is safe from it.

    It is a chemical so pervasive that a new analysis by ProPublica found it exposes everyone to elevated risks of developing cancer no matter where they live. And perhaps most worrisome, it often poses the greatest risk in the one place people feel safest: inside their homes.

  • ProPublica Cancer Risk Map

    In most of the country, formaldehyde contributes more to outdoor cancer risk than any other toxic air pollutant. Look up your address to see risks from the chemical on your block and where it comes from.

  • Science Alert ☛ Lockdowns Did Something to Teen Brains, And We Need to Talk About It

    This might not be over.

  • New York Times ☛ McDonald’s E Coli Outbreak Declared Over

    Federal health agencies closed their investigations into the bacterial outbreak that sickened 104 people and was linked to onions on the fast-food chain’s signature Quarter Pounders.

  • LSA professor studies anti-aging interventions, diseases

    An LSA professor is studying how to extend the healthy years of human life by building biological resistance against the many diseases that we face as we get older.

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Michaud, Todd: How St. Paul can find a good way forward from its fiscal ailments

    In$ight St. Paul is a group of St. Paul residents who are very concerned about the financial health of the city. We span the political spectrum,

  • JURIST ☛ Historic UN plastic pollution treaty negotiation to reconvene in 2025

    The fifth session of negotiations on a historic, legally binding global plastic pollution treaty concluded on Sunday, with countries agreeing to reconvene in 2025.

  • The Straits Times ☛ When necessity becomes luxury: Many torn over keeping insurance policies in Malaysia

    Rising premiums have prompted some people to cancel their health insurance policies.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Consumer group calls for Bank Negara Malaysia to tighten controls over insurance premium hikes

    Many may be forced to discontinue their policies, leaving them without essential medical coverage.

  • JURIST ☛ US Supreme Court hears oral arguments over FDA refusal to approve flavored e-cigarettes

    The US Supreme Court on Monday heard oral arguments in a case in which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused to approve flavored e-cigarettes, citing public health concerns. The FDA denied applications from two companies — Triton Distribution and Vapetesia — to sell flavored liquids for use in e-cigarettes, also known as vapes.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Bruce Schneier ☛ Algorithms Are Coming for Democracy—but It’s Not All Bad

    In 2025, Hey Hi (AI) is poised to change every aspect of democratic politics—but it won’t necessarily be for the worse.

    India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has used Hey Hi (AI) to translate his speeches for his multilingual electorate in real time, demonstrating how Hey Hi (AI) can help diverse democracies to be more inclusive. Hey Hi (AI) avatars were used by presidential candidates in South Korea in electioneering, enabling them to provide answers to thousands of voters’ questions simultaneously.

• Security

  • Latvia ☛ 'CyberBazaar' events start Tuesday in Rīga

    From December 3 to 5, the first cyber security innovation forum in the Baltic States dubbed "CyberBazaar 2024" is being held in Rīga, organized by the Latvian National Cyber ​​Security Center in cooperation with Estonian and Lithuanian colleagues.

  • Scoop News Group ☛ Inside a new initiative to lend cybersecurity volunteers to organizations that need it most

    The idea behind the initiative, details of which CyberScoop is first reporting, is that too much cyber expertise doing volunteer work is uncoordinated.

  • CNCF Graduates Cert-Manager to Help Streamline Certificate Workflows

    The cert-manager project has officially been graduated by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) at a time when managing certificates has become more challenging than ever.

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  • Qubes Canary 041

    We have published Qubes Canary 041. The text of this canary and its accompanying cryptographic signatures are reproduced below. For an explanation of this announcement and instructions for authenticating this canary, please see the end of this announcement.

  • Scoop News Group ☛ U.S. government says Salt Typhoon is still in telecom networks

    The United States and other Western nations released guidance Tuesday designed to evict the China-linked group in the wake of the high-profile hack.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • NYOB ☛ noyb is now qualified to bring collective redress actions

      noyb is now approved as so-called "Qualified Entity" to bring collective redress actions in courts throughout the European Union

    • Scoop News Group ☛ CFPB proposes new rule to regulate expansive data broker industry

      The rule would force data brokers to adhere to the same standards as established credit agencies.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ Read President Yoon’s Speech Declaring Martial Law in South Korea

    President Yoon Suk Yeol made the extraordinary declaration in an unannounced speech to the nation on Tuesday night.

  • The Strategist ☛ Avoiding downstream consequences: Australia’s role in promoting water security in the Middle East

    Australia can partner with Middle Eastern countries on something we both really understand: how to manage scarce water.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ NATO exercises: The guarantee of Alliance security and test of readiness

    To ensure regional security, NATO must continue enhancing its capabilities and remain as a combat-ready force.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ The “other” US election and what it means for transatlantic security

    US allies and partners have better grounds to expect continued US leadership—
    and alliance commitment—than is commonly appreciated.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ NATO in an evolving geopolitical landscape

    The fourth issue of the Defense Journal by Atlantic Council IN TURKEY explores the future of NATO in the context of changing transatlantic relations and regional security issues.

  • New York Times ☛ Google Worried Israeli Contract Could Enable Human Rights Violations

    The tech giant, which has defended the deal to employees who oppose supplying Israel’s military with technology, feared the project might damage its reputation.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan launches hotlines for managing ‘safety risks’ when travelling to Hong Kong, Macau and China

    Taiwan has launched hotlines for travellers seeking information about their “safety risks” while in China, which recently published tough criminal sentencing guidelines for supporters of the island’s independence.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan launches hotlines to help navigate China travel ‘safety risks’

    The hotlines will address concerns over new guidelines from Beijing for supporters of Taiwanese independence.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan President Lai Ching-te arrives in Marshall Islands as China fumes

    Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te arrived in the Marshall Islands on Tuesday, after visiting the United States on the first stop of a Pacific tour that has angered Chinese leaders.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan’s President Lai kicks off Marshall Islands visit as China fumes

    Taiwan sends significant climate change and infrastructure aid to the Marshall Islands.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Canada says Pacific trade pact open to new members after Taiwan complains

    Taiwan has few international trade agreements due to its diplomatic isolation because of pressure from China.

  • LRT ☛ Ball is in China’s court regarding diplomatic relations with Lithuania – FM candidate

    China should initiate the restoration of full diplomatic representation with Lithuania, says Kęstutis Budrys, the candidate for Lithuania’s foreign minister, currently serving as an adviser to President Gitanas Nausėda.

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania’s PM-designate says he didn’t know about Chinese mission staff expulsion

    Lithuania’s Social Democrat Prime Minister-designate Gintautas Paluckas says he was not informed about the decision to expel three employees of China’s diplomatic mission from Lithuania.

  • New York Times ☛ From Chinese Patriot to American Spy: The Unusual Life of John Leung

    He had been hailed by Chinese state media as a model for his efforts to promote Beijing’s interests in the United States. He was in fact an F.B.I. informant.

  • Defence Web ☛ Understanding US-Angola security cooperation and military partnership

    US President Joe Biden is visiting Angola in a historic milestone that underscores a strengthening partnership, with a particular emphasis on security cooperation. This unprecedented visit reflects the Biden administration’s commitment to enhancing bilateral relations and addressing shared security challenges.

  • New Yorker ☛ How the Syrian Opposition Shocked the Assad Regime

    A historian explains why U.S. sanctions and Iran and Russia’s entanglements in other wars helped create an opening for rebel groups to overrun the Syrian Army.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Syrian civil war: What rebels’ lightning gains say about Assad regime

    Syria’s devastating civil war, responsible for more than 300,000 deaths, was never officially resolved. Lightning gains by rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad were opportunistic, but also indicated years of patient preparations.

  • Meduza ☛ The Syrian civil war is suddenly unfrozen. How much can Russia afford to support the Assad regime this time? — Meduza

  • New York Times ☛ Amid Syria’s Rebel Offensive, a Geopolitical Cauldron Simmers

    Iran and Russia, both stretched by conflicts of their own, have experienced setbacks in Syria after a rebel offensive in the northwest of the country.

  • New York Times ☛ Martial Law in South Korea Tests Biden and a Key U.S. Alliance

    The Biden administration has hailed South Korea as a model democracy and bolstered military ties as it relies on the country as a bulwark against North Korea, China and Russia.

  • Meduza ☛ Moscow urges Russian citizens in South Korea to avoid public gatherings amid anti-martial law protests — Meduza

  • The Straits Times ☛ Live: South Korean president makes U-turn on martial law

    President Yoon said he would lift martial law after lawmakers voted to oppose the unexpected declaration.

  • France24 ☛ Yoon 'created the rhetoric of a national security crisis' in South Korea, analyst says

    South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s government early Wednesday lifted the martial law he imposed during a tense night of political drama in which troops surrounded parliament and lawmakers voted to reject military rule. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks to Professor Katherine Moon of Wellesley College in Boston. She says that President Yoon created the rhetoric of a national security crisis and has likely signalled his own downfall.

  • The Straits Times ☛ What next for South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol after failed martial law attempt?

    Botched martial law declaration spells end of political career, say analysts.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea President Yoon declares martial law, but Parliament votes to lift declaration

    He said the measure was necessary to protect the country from “communist forces”.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Live: South Korea lawmakers block president’s martial law decree

    President Yoon said he would lift martial law after lawmakers voted to oppose the unexpected declaration.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Can’t believe I’m seeing martial law declaration in my lifetime’: Shock, confusion among S.Koreans

    The financial markets have responded with panic, exacerbating the public’s distress.

  • The Straits Times ☛ In full: South Korea’s martial law decree

    All media and publications are subject to the control of the Martial Law Command.

  • The Straits Times ☛ What next for South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol?

    Botched martial law declaration spells end of political career, say analysts.

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

    Nearly 30,000 US troops are stationed in South Korea.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol, embattled conservative

    Mr Yoon took office with some of the lowest approval ratings of any democratically elected South Korean president.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol says martial law decree will be lifted

    He had imposed the order hours earlier in a bid to quell what he called “anti-state forces”.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s martial law declaration: What we know so far

    South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late on Dec 3 - then reversed course just hours later.

  • France24 ☛ South Korea's President Yoon rescinds declaration of martial law after parliament votes to block it

    President Yoon Suk Yeol said he was rescinding his declaration of martial law after South Korea's parliament voted Tuesday to block it as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the building, calling for Yoon's arrest.

  • France24 ☛ 🔴 South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declares martial law

  • France24 ☛ 'Against will of people': President Yoon's 'miscalculation' in declaring Martial Law 'crossed line'

    Troops surrounded South Korea's parliament overnight after the president declares martial law. He accused pro-North Korean forces of plotting to overthrow one of the world’s most vibrant democracies. As lawmakers voice outrage, and hastily vote to end the declaration, FRANCE 24's François Picard welcomes Peter Han, Gates Cambridge Scholar at the University of Cambridge and member of the National Unification Advisory Council UK.

  • France24 ☛ 🔴 South Korean President Yoon rescinds martial law after parliament votes to block it

  • France24 ☛ No, these images don’t show tanks and protests in the streets of Seoul

    Following the declaration of martial law in South Korea by President Yoon Suk Yeol, images of tanks and alleged massive protests in Seoul started to circulate online. We tell you which images are fake and which are real, in this edition of Truth or Fake.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea President Yoon’s failed attempt at martial law may put his position in peril

    Mr Yoon's shocking late-night declaration of martial law has thrown his political future into doubt.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US says it is watching events in South Korea with grave concern

    South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in a surprise late-night TV address, before the opposition-led Parliament overturned it.

  • New York Times ☛ Chaos Plays Out at South Korea’s Legislature Building After Declaration of Martial Law

    Soldiers wearing helmets and carrying long guns pushed back against people who tried to enter the National Assembly, after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law.

  • New York Times ☛ Who Is Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea’s President?

    A conservative, Mr. Yoon won the presidency in 2022 by a slim margin, promising a more confrontational stance against North Korea. He quickly became unpopular and divisive at home.

  • New York Times ☛ Who is Lee Jae-myung, South Korea’s Opposition Leader?

    The opposition leader rallied lawmakers to vote down President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law decree.

  • New York Times ☛ Live Updates: South Korean President Backs Down From Martial Law

    President Yoon Suk Yeol formally lifted martial law in a cabinet meeting early Wednesday, six hours after he declared it, and after protesters filled the street, calling for his removal from office.

  • New York Times ☛ Timeline: How Yoon’s Presidency in South Korea Led to Martial Law Order

    Yoon Suk Yeol’s decree, and his reversal under pressure from lawmakers, were the culmination of years of feuding between the country’s two main political camps.

  • New York Times ☛ Why Was Martial Law Declared in South Korea?

    President Yoon Suk Yeol has been locked in a bitter fight with the opposition, which controls Parliament.

  • The Straits Times ☛ 38 Vietnamese tourists reported missing in South Korea’s Jeju island

    The missing tourists were part of a group of around 90 tourists who arrived in Jeju on Nov 14.

  • France24 ☛ Domino effect? Assad's allies stretched thin as Syrian rebels pounce

    It took years for Bashar al-Assad’s forces to take back Syria’s second city.

    It took days for jihadist-led rebels to overrun Aleppo. Why has a conflict that has been effectively frozen for four years suddenly spring back to life? What to make of Hezbollah, pinned down at home by a precarious truce with Israel, saying it won’t be sending help for now.

  • France24 ☛ The ruins of Paris through the lenses of Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre

    Two photographers whose images look like something you might see in a Hollywood high budget film have spoken to FRANCE 24 about their work. They take pictures of Paris, and then use artificial intelligence to adapt them to take viewers to a post-apocalyptic world where humans are perhaps no more. Their photography has been made into a book Les Ruines de Paris, or the ruins of Paris. Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre spoke to us in perspective.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ Chernobyl's mutant wolves: A case study of adaptation and cancer resistance

      In the Science segment, we tell you more about the so-called "mutant wolves of Chernobyl". 38 years after the nuclear disaster, animals roaming the exclusion zone are still exposed to high levels of radiation but researchers have also found that part of their genetic information appears to be resilient to increased risk of cancer.

    • Meduza ☛ Swapping rainbows for war anthems: How the Kremlin’s anti-LGBTQ+ crackdown is reshaping queer clubs in Russia — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Riga Security Forum podcast: 'China and Russia: A Special Relations Operation'

      The Riga Security Forum podcast is back with another topical discussion.

    • RFERL ☛ Erdogan Calls For More Diplomacy In Talks With Putin On Revived Conflict In Syria

      Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed the need for diplomacy to resolve the conflict in northern Syria in a phone call on December 3 to discuss the renewed fighting.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Vladimir Putin does not want a peace deal. He wants to destroy Ukraine.

      Donald Trump has vowed to end the war in Ukraine, but there is no sign that Vladimir Putin has any interest in a peace deal that would prevent him from achieving his goal of extinguishing Ukrainian statehood, writes Yuliya Kazdobina.

    • New York Times ☛ Investigation Into Forced Adoptions From Ukraine Points Finger at Putin

      Yale researchers traced hundreds of children taken to Russia in the war, finding what they described as “a higher level of crime than first understood.”

    • Latvia ☛ Rules for Ukrainian children going to Latvian schools stuck in debate

      In the summer, the government decided that starting the next school year, children - war refugees from Ukraine - will have to study in Latvian schools in person. The Saeima's support is needed for this requirement to come into force. However, the idea is currently stuck in the Saeima, Latvian Radio reported on December 3.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ The EU needs a Russia strategy

      The new European Commission should prioritize the development of an EU Russia strategy aimed at creating a more forward-thinking, ambitious, and cohesive European approach toward Moscow, write Ian Cameron and James Batchik.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Political-military lessons for a NATO-Russia conflict

      NATO should learn these three lessons from the Ukraine-Russia conflict to win a potential NATO-Russia war.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine pushes NATO for membership ahead of Trump presidency

      Ukraine insisted Tuesday that NATO membership was the only "real guarantee" for its security, but foreign ministers from the alliance sidestepped Kyiv's push for an invite ahead of Donald Trump's return to the US presidency. FRANCE 24's speaks to Dr Gavin Hall from the University of Strathclyde. He says that although the formal position of NATO is to be open to a Ukrainian membership, it's uncertain whether every member is willing to accept it into the alliance.

    • LRT ☛ Number of Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians with residence permits in Lithuania drops

      The number of Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians holding residence permits in Lithuania has declined by over 20,000 since the start of this year, figures from the Interior Ministry show.

    • LRT ☛ Driving tests in Lithuania to take place only in EU languages

      From January next year, driving tests in Lithuania will take place only in Lithuanian or other official EU languages. However, an exception will be made for Ukrainians, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Again Calls For Full Membership As NATO Ministers Meet In Brussels

      Ukraine has again called for membership in NATO, saying that only joining the alliance in full would guarantee its future security as it fights to stave off Russia's nearly three-year invasion.

    • New York Times ☛ NATO Chief Urges More Weapons for Ukraine Ahead of Any Peace Talks

      Mark Rutte said it was up to Ukraine to decide when it was ready to begin negotiations with Russia — and that the West should help strengthen Kyiv’s position beforehand.

    • Meduza ☛ France and U.K. might send peacekeepers if Russia and Ukraine reach ceasefire — RFE/RL — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia’s college aptitude exam reportedly to include Ukraine war veterans alongside historical figures — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Government okays banning Russian language from transport signage

      On Tuesday, December 3, the government approved the cabinet regulations prepared by the Ministry of Justice, which state that in transport and related infrastructure, signs and information must be provided in Latvian and if needed, another official language of the European Union (EU).

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Pacing scenarios

      Here are some scenarios that NATO should be prepared for against the possibility of a generational conflict with Russia.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ How prepared is NATO?

      Is NATO ready to respond to a possible expansion of Russian aggression to assure Europe's safety?

    • France24 ☛ Kirill Serebrennikov’s poetic take on Russian punk outsider Eduard Limonov

      Eduard Limonov was a poet, a punk, a Russian “émigré” and provocateur whose anti-system politics eventually saw him embrace fascist tendencies. Filmmaker Kirill Serebrennikov tells Olivia Salazar-Winspear why he chose to make a “ballad” of Limonov’s life and not a biopic, revealing that British actor Ben Wishaw even had the Russian crew members fooled with his impressive embodiment of the character. Serebrennikov tells us how Limonov’s political arc follows the far right movements within contemporary Russia and mirroring the geopolitical situation around the world. And, as an immigrant himself, the award-winning director tells us why he thinks Moscow’s attempts to silence Russian artists means the government has little influence over those who criticise it.

    • France24 ☛ 'Russia believes it should control Georgia'

      Georgia has been locked in a political crisis since its contested October election, with tens of thousands of pro-EU protesters taking to the streets in recent days against the increasingly authoritarian Eurosceptic government. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on Georgia's Russian-friendly pivot away from the EU, FRANCE 24's Eve Irvine is joined by Dr. Natasha Lindstaedt, Author, Professor of Government at the University of Essex and the Deputy Dean of Education in Social Sciences.

    • RFERL ☛ Georgia's Abkhazia Lawmakers Reject 'Enslaving' Investment Deal With Russia

      De facto lawmakers of Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia on December 3 rejected an investment deal with Russia, a document that has caused political turmoil and mass protests, highlighting the region’s fraught relationship with Moscow.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania downgrades OSCE representation over planned Lavrov attendance

      Lithuania is downgrading the level of its representation at the upcoming Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) ministerial meeting in Malta as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov plans to attend it, the Foreign Ministry told BNS on Tuesday.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Woman Arrested In U.S. For Alleged Ties To Russian Intelligence

      The FBI has charged Russian national Nomma Zarubina with providing false information to U.S. law enforcement and maintaining connections with Russian intelligence services, linking her to another suspected spy who fled the United States while being pursued by authorities.

    • Meduza ☛ Top Russian bank executive publishes ‘letter to Santa’ asking for stabilized ruble and help with inflation — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian city quietly replaces blue and yellow ornaments on central public Christmas tree — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Small asteroid lights up Siberian sky — Meduza

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia floods: Six months’ worth of rain fell in five days across east coast, says PM Anwar

    PM Anwar also said the government is preparing for the forecast monsoon surge.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysians return to devastated homes as flood waters recede; more rain expected

    The number of people in temporary shelters in Malaysia fell to just under 95,000 on the morning of Dec 3.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Top emitter China tells World Court that UN treaties cover states’ climate obligations

    The UN has asked the court to issue an opinion on countries' legal responsibility for the negative impact of climate change.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • LRT ☛ From ‘doctors’ plane’ to fatalities in the sea – history of Lithuanian aviation disasters

      The last decades have been relatively quiet in Lithuania’s aviation sector. The 20th century, however, was marked by far more fatal crashes. The largest Lithuania-related disaster occurred in 1973 when a passenger plane flying from Vilnius crashed near Moscow, killing 51 people, says Lithuanian Aviation Museum curator Eugenijus Raubickas.

• Finance

  • Latvia ☛ KNAB to take over tax service's anti-corruption tasks

    On Tuesday, December 3, the Cabinet of Ministers (MK) approved the draft order on the transfer of the functions of the Internal Security Department of the State Revenue Service (VID) to the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB).

  • Atlantic Council ☛ There’s a more effective way forward than “maximum pressure” for Venezuela

    Following the fraudulent outcome of Venezuela's July election, there is growing pressure on the United States to reintroduce sanctions to expel Western firms from the nation’s oil sector.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Corruption cases in China rise amid deeper crackdown, poorer economy

    For the first nine months of 2024, China has logged 642,000 corruption cases, higher than the 626,000 for the whole of 2023.

  • The Straits Times ☛ In pivot from India, Nepal PM seeks economic support from China

    Mr K.P. Sharma Oli has so far been greeted by familiar pledges of assistance, but no new investment.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Who is David Mayer? Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot faces scrutiny over censorship of public figures

    Who is David Mayer? A month after Proprietary Chaffbot Company added a search engine to its highly popular Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot service, users are unable to get answers to anything relating to David Mayer in a mystery that swept the internet over the last week.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Jimmy Lai tells trial it was his ‘honest belief’ Western sanctions on China could stop Beijing from imposing security law

    Jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has said it was his “honest belief” that the West could force Beijing to halt the enactment of a national security law in Hong Kong in 2020 by imposing sanctions on top Chinese officials.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • OpenRightsGroup ☛ Home Office must use e-visa delay to change flawed scheme [Ed: ORG got taken over by Muslims and now has "ORG’s Migrant Rights Digital Justice Programme Manager". They used to be about privacy and tech, not immigration.]

    Open Rights Group has welcomed reports that the government is set to delay the rollout of its e-visa scheme, which was due to come into effect on January 1, 2025.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Hackaday ☛ A Month Without IPV4 Is Like A Month Without…

    Recently, there was a Mastodon post from [nixCraft] challenging people to drop their NAT routers for the month of November and use only IPv6. What would it be like to experience “No NAT November?” [Alex Haydock] decided to find out.

  • MWL ☛ My Social Media in 2024

    I left Ex-Twitter right after Elon Musk bought it.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ Silimed sucessfully claims invention for breast implant technology [Ed: EPO monopoly for fake boobs. Not unusual for giver of fake patents. The bribed press conflates patents with "invention".]]

    The two parties have been in dispute for years over EP 2 581 193, which protects a process for manufacturing implants. In 2011, Polytech registered the basic patent monopoly but Silimed claims to be the inventor of this technology and filed an entitlement action in 2017.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ USPTO Withdraws Controversial Terminal Disclaimer Rule – But Core Issues Remain

    As I previously suggested, the USPTO has now announced that it is withdrawing its proposed rule that would have made terminal disclaimers far more noxious by tying patent monopoly enforceability to the validity of claims in related patents. While this is undoubtedly the right move given the questionable legal authority and overwhelmingly negative public response (over 300 comments, with 256 unique submissions), the underlying concerns that drove the proposal deserve attention because they will likely arise in other forms. [Read the Fed. Reg. Notice Cancelling the Proposal: 2024-28263]

  • The PREVAIL Act Would Perpetuate Unjust Monopolies, Deter Innovation, and Violate the Founders’ Patent Principles

    The Federalist Society on its website quotes former President Ronald Reagan as saying “The Federalist Society is … returning the values and concepts of law as our founders understood them to scholarly dialogue.”

  • CAFC Affirms Obviousness Ruling Invalidating KPN’s Network Access Management Patent Claims

    The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Monday, December 2, issued a ruling in Koninklijke KPN N.V. v. Vidal affirming the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s (PTAB) invalidation of several patent monopoly claims to technologies for managing access to telecommunications networks. In so ruling, the Federal Circuit held that KPN’s plausible alternative understanding of a prior art reference did not require a finding that the PTAB’s obviousness ruling was unsupported by substantial evidence.

  • Software Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 awarded for Payvox e-commerce patent monopoly prior art

      Unified is pleased to announce PATROLL crowdsourcing contest winners, Andrei Gilya, Mani Manikandan, Ritu Tyagi, and Ramesh Varadharaj, who split a cash award of $2,000 for their prior art submissions on U.S. Patent 8,788,360, owned by Payvox LLC, an NPE. The ‘360 patent monopoly relates to wireless commerce systems. More particularly, the invention involves a point of advertising wireless commerce system to enable pervasive commerce with mass media publications.

    • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 awarded for Big Will messaging patent monopoly prior art

      Unified is pleased to announce PATROLL crowdsourcing contest winners, Mani Manikandan and Dinesh Swami, who split a cash award of $2,000 for their prior art submissions on U.S. Patent 10,521,846, owned and asserted by Big Will Enterprises Inc., an NPE. The ‘846 patent monopoly relates to electronic messaging technologies, and more particularly, to systems, methods, and apparatus for accurately identifying a mobile thing (MT) and/or a motion activity associated with the MT using sensor data.

    • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 for Empire IP entity, Dynamic Data Innovations, dataset patent monopoly prior art

      Unified Patents added a new PATROLL contest, with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on at least claim 1 of U.S. Patent 9,632,676, asserted by Dynamic Data Innovations LLC, an NPE and entity of Empire IP LLC.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Which of These Three Section 2(d) Refusals Was/Were Overturned on Appeal?

    The TTAB affirmance rate for Section 2(d) appeals this year continues to hover around 90%. Here are three recent Board decisions, at least one of which reversed the refusal. How do you think they came out? [Answer in first comment].

    In re Vermutería de Galicia, S.L., Serial No. 90385649 (November 29, 2024) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Cynthia C. Lynch). [Section 2(d) refusal of the word-and-design mark shown below, for "vermouth" in view of the registered mark PETRONI for "wine."]

• Copyrights

  • Public Domain Review ☛ Fantastic Planet: The Microscopy Album of Marinus Pieter Filbri (1887–88)

    Micrographs that make the minuscule world as alien as outer space.

  • Public Domain Review ☛ The Launch of Our End-of-Year Fundraiser!

    Our End-of-Year Fundraiser is launched, and the new postcards theme will be Home.

  • Michael Geist ☛ Canadian Media Companies Target Proprietary Chaffbot Company in Copyright Lawsuit But Weak Claims Suggest Settlement the Real Goal

    Canada’s largest media companies, including the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Postmedia, CBC, and Canadian Press, came together last week to file a copyright monopoly infringement lawsuit against OpenAI, the owners of ChatGPT.