Links 18/01/2024: Microsoft's Xbox Sales Collapse, Big YouTube Layoffs
Contents
- Leftovers
- Science
- Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
- Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Security
- Defence/Aggression
- Transparency/Investigative Reporting
- Environment
- Finance
- AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
- Censorship/Free Speech
- Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
- Civil Rights/Policing
- Internet Policy/Net Neutrality
- Digital Restrictions (DRM) Monopolies/Monopsonies
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Leftovers
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong official arts council cuts support for annual drama awards, warns organisers not to breach laws
Hong Kong’s official arts council has withdrawn support for an annual drama awards ceremony, citing “inappropriate” arrangements last year and warning the organisers they must not breach the law.
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Science
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Science Alert ☛ Physicists Design a Way to Detect Quantum Behavior in Large Objects, Like Us
This might transform physics.
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Science Alert ☛ Drinking This Carbon Monoxide-Infused Foam Supercharges Cancer Therapy in Mice
A surprising treatment path?
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JURIST ☛ Canada to stop funding foreign-affiliated research that threatens national security
Canada announced on Tuesday its plan to protect Canada’s research over national security considerations. The government intends to stop funding research in the sensitive technology research area that involve institutions connected to foreign military, national defence or state security entities that could pose a risk to Canada’s national security.
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Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
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Science Alert ☛ There's a Surprising Link Between Food And Sleep: Here's How to Eat For a Restful Night
Sleep-friendly food swaps.
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Mexico News Daily ☛ How to live to 100, according to my centenarian abuelita
The surprising tips and wisdom from a 100-year-old Mexican abuelita for a long, happy and healthy life.
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BIA Net ☛ Minister of Health on pandemic: 'There is increased occupancy in intensive care units'
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca stated, "The occupancy rate of regular beds in hospitals is around 65%, and in intensive care units, the occupancy rate is approximately 72%, which is a slight increase compared to last year. In İstanbul, the intensive care occupancy rate is around 83%, and Istanbul has the highest increase."
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teleSUR ☛ Zimbabwe: Government Strengthens Response to Cholera Pandemic
According to official figures, Cholera cases have been surging in the country, with 458 new cases confirmed during the first 16 days of January.
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YLE ☛ THL: Disabled people died at greater rate during Covid pandemic
The mortality rate of people aged 16-64 on disability benefits rose by slightly more than a quarter.
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Donnie Berkholz: The lazy technologist’s guide to weight loss
In the past 7 months, I’ve lost 55 pounds and went from completely sedentary to becoming much more fit, while putting in a minimum of effort. I have no desire to be a bodybuilder, but I want to be in great shape now and be as healthy and mobile as possible well into my old age. A year ago, my blood pressure was already at pre-hypertension levels, despite being at a relatively young age.
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Science Alert ☛ Gut Bacteria Is Surprisingly Resilient to Antibiotics, Long-Term Study Shows
Sometimes drug resistance can be a good thing...
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New York Times ☛ Six Reasons Drug Prices Are So High in the U.S.
Research shows prices in the United States are nearly double those in other well-off countries.
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Latvia ☛ Cervical cancer prevention requires work in Latvia
Latvia has improved the prevention of cervical cancer, but much remains to be done, according to gynecologists surveyed by Latvian Radio January 17.
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Latvia ☛ Report: Latvia, Estonia have costlier OTC meds than Sweden
In Estonia and Latvia, prices of different over-the-counter (OTC) medications are often considerably more expensive than in Sweden or Finland, according to a study carried out by Estonian public media ERR, published January 17.
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Latvia ☛ Flu incidence doubled in Latvia over past week
The prevalence of influenza in Latvia continues to increase - the number of cases doubled last week, according to the results of the monitoring of the Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC) on January 17.
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University of Michigan ☛ Finalists selected for Michigan Health Equity Challenge
The Michigan Health Equity Challenge recently announced the selection of 10 project finalists that address health equity challenges in southeast Michigan.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong to install 2,000 more CCTV cameras in 2024, top official says total number in city ‘relatively small’
Hong Kong’s government has announced plans to install 2,000 additional CCTV cameras in public places this year in what it calls a move to fight crime. Cheuk Wing-hing, deputy chief secretary, said on RTHK on Wednesday that the new batch of surveillance cameras would be installed in densely populated areas or in high-crime locations.
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Reason ☛ The Cops Are Watching You
New online database details the shocking extent of intrusive surveillance tech used by American police.
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New York Times ☛ How to Cut Down Your Screen Time but Still Get Stuff Done
Google’s Routines and Apple’s Shortcuts combine multiple steps into one command to make your phone or tablet do more of the work for you.
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NYPost ☛ Can you ditch your cellphone for an entire month? This company will pay thousands if you do
"We're introducing a NEW kind of 'Dry January' this year," the company's website read. "Instead of abstaining from alcohol for a month, we challenge you to ditch your smartphone!"
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Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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New York Times ☛ A.I.’s Latest Challenge: the Math Olympics [Ed: Ny Times helps the fraudulent bubble by calling everything "Hey Hi" (AI) and overstating potential]
Watch out, nerdy high schoolers, AlphaGeometry is coming for your mathematical lunch.
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LRT ☛ Vilnius Short Film Festival features AI-made films
The 17th edition of Vilnius Short Film Festival is kicking off on Wednesday, featuring “trend-setting and future-predicting short films”, some of them made by artificial intelligence, according to the organisers.
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Silicon Angle ☛ Japanese IT firm says it has a ‘moral duty’ to compensate those hurt in Britain’s Post Office scandal
In what’s now being called one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British history, the Japanese information technology services company Fujitsu Ltd. said on Tuesday that it has a “moral responsibility” to compensate the many victims.
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Data Swamp ☛ This blog is Hey Hi (AI) free
Hi! This is a short informative blog post about Artificial Intelligence.
I just got approached by a company who wants to help me to add some generative Hey Hi (AI) in my blog workflow to "boost the quality" of my content.
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HT Digital Streams Ltd ☛ Google layoffs 2024: CEO Sundar Pichai warns of more job cuts this year
Google plans to adopt artificial intelligence software and automation in its upcoming rounds of layoffs to lighten workloads.
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The Guardian UK ☛ Google boss warns staff to expect further job cuts this year
Sundar Pichai’s memo acknowledges redundancies would come on top of round of layoffs reported last week
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New York Times ☛ YouTube Cuts 100 Employees as Tech Layoffs Continue
The layoffs are part of efforts by the video platform’s parent company, Google, to trim costs and bureaucracy as it embraces artificial intelligence.
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Metro UK ☛ Xbox sales collapse in US as Hogwarts Legacy crowned biggest game of 2023 [Ed: Microsoft Xbox sales reportedly collapse, but they already sucked before, so how long before Xbox is write-off?]
The US sales results for December and the year are good news for Warner Bros. and very bad news for Xbox.
2023 was nothing if not memorable, although not always for the right reasons. The number of top quality games released was very high but so too were the number of industry job cuts, with the problem still continuing into 2024 (just today there have been major layoffs at both CI Games and Behaviour Interactive).
According to the latest sales results, last year is also notable for being the first time in over a decade that the number one selling game in the US wasn’t either Call Of Duty or something from Rockstar Games (i.e. either GTA or Red Dead Redemption). Surprisingly, or not, Hogwarts Legacy was 2023’s best-seller, pushing Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 into second place and Madden NFL 24 into third.
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Security
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Privacy/Surveillance
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Federal News Network ☛ International data governance: Managing data across borders
From the COVID-fueled shift to remote work, to economic and geopolitical uncertainty, enterprises have done a lot of evolving and adapting in recent years — and so too have their data governance needs.
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Reason ☛ Brickbat: Package Thief Privacy
Quebec police are warning residents not to post home security video of porch pirates to the Internet, saying it could violate the thieves' right to privacy. "You cannot post the images yourself because you have to remember, in Canada, we have a presumption of innocence and posting that picture could be a violation of private...."
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OpenRightsGroup ☛ Joint Briefing on the Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill
House of Lords, Report Stage (January 2024) The Snowden revelations and subsequent litigation – some of which is ongoing – have repeatedly identified unlawful state surveillance by UK agencies that took place absent the knowledge of parliamentarians.
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Defence/Aggression
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RFA ☛ Graphic torture described as ‘standard practice' in China
Torture and death of Chinese man in Xinjiang police custody offers picture into police interrogations.
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AntiWar ☛ US Strikes on Yemen are Layered in Hypocrisy
After already launching multiple missile strikes on Yemen, without waiting to see if the action had sufficient deterrent effect, and despite 24 hours of near total inactivity by the Houthi, the United States launched a second round of strikes the following day.
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NYPost ☛ Pakistan launches strikes inside Iran against militant targets
Iranian media said several missiles hit a village in the Sistan-Baluchistan province that borders Pakistan, killing three women and four children, all non-Iranians.
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New York Times ☛ Iran Says It Won’t Hold Back on Using Military Power After Strikes
The country has hit targets in Syria, Iraq and Pakistan with missiles this week, signaling to hard-line supporters that it is not passive in the face of threats.
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New York Times ☛ Pakistan Retaliates With Strikes Inside Iran as Tensions Spill Over
The exchange of attacks came as the upheaval sweeping the Middle East threatened to expand.
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RFERL ☛ Pakistan Launches Strikes On Targets In Iran, 7 Reported Dead
Pakistani warplanes launched air strikes early on January 18 on alleged militant targets in neighboring Iran, an attack that a local Iranian official said killed at least four children and three women.
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New York Times ☛ After Iran Strikes, Pakistan Weighs Options for Response
Retaliation could risk drawing the country, which is already mired in political and economic crises, into Middle East upheaval that it has so far avoided.
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France24 ☛ Pakistan recalls ambassador to Iran after air strike that killed 2 children
Pakistan recalled its ambassador to Tehran on Wednesday, a day after Iran launched airstrikes on Pakistan that it claimed targeted bases for a militant Sunni separatist group. Islamabad angrily denounced the attack as a “blatant violation” of its airspace and said it killed two children.
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The Straits Times ☛ China says willing to mediate between Pakistan and Iran after strikes
January 18, 2024 4:25 PM
Both countries are close economic partners of Beijing.
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France24 ☛ Pakistan carries out retaliatory strikes on militant targets in Iran
Pakistan said Thursday it had carried out strikes against militant targets in Iran, a day after Tehran launched attacks on Pakistan territory earlier this week.
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New York Times ☛ Israel-Hamas War: U.S. Carries Out Another Round of Strikes on Houthi Targets in Yemen
It was the fourth time in a week that the American military has said it had fired on positions controlled by the Iran-backed militia that posed a threat to ships in the Red Sea.
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TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ US military launches another barrage of missiles against Houthi sites in Yemen
The U.S. military has launched another wave of missile strikes against Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen, marking the fourth time in days it has directly targeted the group. The strikes were launched from the Red Sea and hit 14 missiles that U.S. Central Command deemed an “imminent threat.” They follow the official announcement Wednesday that the U.S. has put the Houthis back on its list of specially designated global terrorists. Despite a large-scale operation carried out by U.S. and British warships and warplanes Friday that hit more than 60 targets across Yemen, the Houthis have continued their harassment campaign of commercial and military ships.
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France24 ☛ US launches fourth round of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen
American forces targeted 14 missiles that were ready to launch in Yemen, the US military said Wednesday, after Washington re-designated the Iran-backed Houthi rebels as a "terrorist" entity for their attacks on merchant vessels.
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New York Times ☛ Why North Korea Is Offering New Reasons to Worry
North Korea is acting strangely, and some veteran analysts fear war.
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The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian prisoners at Guantanamo Bay plead guilty to conspiring in 2002 Bali bombing
The guilty pleas were the first step in a slowly unfolding proceeding.
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New York Times ☛ Thursday Briefing: Iran Raises Military Threats
Also, how language affects memory as we age.
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The Straits Times ☛ China, Philippines seek better communication, management of conflicts in South China Sea
Both sides reaffirmed the South China Sea dispute is “not the whole story of bilateral relations”.
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The Straits Times ☛ Australia rejects China comments on sonar incident
China said its warship did not use its sonar while Australian divers were in the water.
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teleSUR ☛ Central Africa: Security Council Condemns Attack on UN Mission
The statement also voiced concerns over "illicit transnational trafficking networks," which continue to fund and arm groups in the country.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ 24 Chinese warplanes detected around Taiwan in first show of force after election
More than 20 Chinese warplanes were detected around Taiwan, with 11 crossing a sensitive median line separating the self-ruled island from China, Taipei’s defence ministry said Thursday, the first significant show of force since the weekend’s presidential election.
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RFA ☛ Myanmar junta reaffirms support for China’s Taiwan policy after elections
Analysts say the move is a bid to curry favor with Beijing as it seeks backing.
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RFA ☛ Human shields and airstrikes used in junta raids on Myanmar jade mining town
The raids began on Jan. 9 in response to attacks on military outposts.
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RFA ☛ ‘No honeymoon period’ for Taiwan’s new leader
President-elect Lai will be expected to move quickly on high housing prices and lagging salaries, a spokesman says.
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RFA ☛ The delicate dance: Taiwan’s new path with China amid economic strains
The ruling party’s third term may worsen cross-strait economy; increase need for new trade deals, experts warn.
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RFA ☛ After Taiwan election, Beijing vows to step up influence ops
Xi Jinping calls for an all-out effort to win 'patriotic' hearts and minds to the cause of 'unification.'
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Latvia ☛ Latvian security service: China's interest in the region growing
One of Latvia's three national security authorities, the Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB) observes that China's interests in the region is growing, SAB told newswire LETA, commenting on several Saeima deputies' trip to China.
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France24 ☛ Unrest grips Comoros as opposition rejects president's re-election
The Comoros declared a curfew on Wednesday after security forces clashed with protesters angered by the re-election of President Azali Assoumani in a vote opposition leaders denounced as fraudulent.
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Latvia ☛ Investigation launched into police's response to Jūrmala murder
The Internal Security Bureau (IDB) is probing publicly heard information about the police response to the call in Jūrmala, where a teenager killed his peer last week during a conflict, according to LETA's information.
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France24 ☛ Aid for hostages, civilians enters Gaza as Israel steps up strikes
Medicine and humanitarian aid destined for Israeli hostages and Palestinian residents entered the war-ravaged Gaza Strip on Wednesday under a deal brokered by Qatar and France, in the first agreement between Israel and Hamas since a November truce. The shipment came as Israel stepped up its bombardment of southern Gaza and as France announced that it would not join US-led strikes against Houthis in the Red Sea in a bid to avoid regional escalation. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.
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JURIST ☛ Syria reports Türkiye shelling and airstrikes resulting in casualties and infrastructure destruction
The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) reported on Monday that at least six civilians have been wounded, and several civilian facilities have been destroyed after Turkish shelling and airstrikes in northeast Syria.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong police officer accused of beating street sleeper did not want to watch footage of incident, court hears
A police officer accused of beating a homeless man in a drug sweep three years ago said under police caution that he did not want to watch surveillance footage of the incident, according to a videotaped police interview played in court on Tuesday.
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CS Monitor ☛ Seeds of resistance: Why watermelon symbolizes Palestinian solidarity
Watermelon slices have grown to signify resistance to Israeli censorship. The fruit is now seeing an emoji-borne renaissance, marking new efforts to circumvent social control media suppression and convey Palestinian support.
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Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine
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Latvia ☛ Latvia-based NGO publishes survey of displaced Ukrainian scientists
A Latvia-based NGO that aims to help scientists from Ukraine has released a survey which it says uncovers important findings about the support offered to Ukrainian scientists displaced by Russia's war.
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AntiWar ☛ Killing the Messenger
One call from the White House or State Department could have saved California-born journalist Gonzalo Lira’s life.
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Security Week ☛ Swiss Govt Websites Hit by Pro-Russia Hackers After Zelensky Visit
Switzerland said that a cyberattack claimed by a pro-Russian group disrupted access to some government websites, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Davos.
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France24 ☛ Ukraine's defence minister cancels trip to France for 'security reasons'
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov cancelled his scheduled visit to France on Thursday "for security reasons", the French Ministry of Armed Forces said in a statement on Wednesday.
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France24 ☛ Russia says targeted French mercenaries in long-range strike in Ukraine
Russia said Wednesday it had targeted a group of French fighters in a long-range strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, an attack authorities said injured more than a dozen civilians.
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France24 ☛ Kyiv claims to down 19 Russian drones, several injured in strikes on Kharkiv
Kyiv said Wednesday that Russia had launched 20 Iranian-designed attack drones at targets in southern Ukraine overnight, and that its air defence systems destroyed all but one.
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LRT ☛ War in Ukraine limits Russia’s ability to stage provocations in Baltics – minister
Russia’s ability to carry out provocations in the Baltic region is limited due to the war in Ukraine, Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas believes.
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LRT ☛ Lithuanians among strongest supporters of Ukraine’s EU membership – Eurobarometer
Lithuanians are among the biggest supporters of Ukraine’s membership in the European Union, and a majority of Europeans see Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a potential threat to their own country’s security, according to a Eurobarometer poll published on Wednesday.
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RFERL ☛ All Ukraine Under Air-Raid Alert After Fresh Wave Of Drone Attacks
Ukraine on January 18 declared an air-raid alert for its entire territory as warplanes were spotted taking off from Russia.
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RFERL ☛ RFE/RL Correspondent Wounded In Shelling In Southern Ukraine
Dmytro Yevchyn, a correspondent for the Crimea.Realities project of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, was wounded after he and a colleague were caught in a Russian artillery attack while reporting in the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhya.
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RFERL ☛ Swiss Government Websites Hit By Pro-Russian Hackers After Zelenskiy Visit
Switzerland said on January 17 that a cyberattack claimed by a pro-Russian group temporarily disrupted access to a number of government websites after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's visit to Davos.
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RFERL ☛ Romanian Truckers, Farmers Continue Protests Over High Costs, Block Traffic At Ukraine Border
Hundreds of Romanian haulers and farmers on January 17 continued protests for an eighth day over high taxes and insurance rates, EU environmental policies, and cheaper Ukrainian produce flooding the domestic market.
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RFERL ☛ Large Fire Hits Polyester-Producing Plant In Russia's Rostov Region Bordering Ukraine
A large fire broke out at a polyester-producing plant in the city of Shakhty in Russia's Rostov region that borders Ukraine.
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RFERL ☛ Ukraine Looks To Regain Control Of Skies Amid Nationwide Air-Raid Alert
Ukraine's priority this year is to regain control over its skies, the country's foreign minister said, as Russia continues to use aerial attacks to pound its neighbor as the Kremlin's full-scale invasion nears its third year.
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RFERL ☛ Macron Announces Missiles, Bombs For Ukraine, Suggests He Could Work With Trump
French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans on January 16 to deliver more long-range cruise missiles as well as bombs to Ukraine and suggested that he'd find ways to work with Donald Trump if he again wins the White House.
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New York Times ☛ Johnson Casts Doubt on Border Deal to Unlock Ukraine Aid, Defying Biden
A White House meeting between the president and congressional leaders did little to break the stalemate over aid to Ukraine, as the Republican speaker insisted on a tougher immigration crackdown.
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New York Times ☛ Polish Truckers Lift Border Blockade With Ukraine
The suspension of the protest until March, while its leaders talk with the Polish government, promises some relief for Ukraine’s flagging economy.
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Latvia ☛ Latvia stops historical legal agreement with Russia
In the final reading on January 18, the Saeima decided to denunciate the agreement on legal assistance and legal relations in civil, family, and criminal matters that had been signed with Russia 20 years ago.
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Latvia ☛ LTV reports Russian goods in state procurement system
When ordering goods in the Electronic Procurement System (EIS), where state and local government institutions shop, it is possible to receive a surprise – a product manufactured in Russia. Latvian Television received such on Wednesday, January 17.
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Latvia ☛ Russian citizens' expulsion from Latvia begins
The process of expelling 985 citizens of the Russian Federation who have not complied with the requirements of the Immigration Law – those who have not taken the official language test and have not applied for another type of residence permit – has started, Latvian Television reported on January 18.
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Latvia ☛ Survey: 55% of Latvian public notice merchant cooperation with Russia
More than half – 55% – of the Latvian population pay attention to whether the producer or trader of goods cooperates with the aggressor countries Russia and Belarus, according to the survey carried out by the research company Kantar, Latvian Television reported on January 17.
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Reason ☛ Brickbat: Taking Their Word for It
Canadian officials said that, on second thought, they aren't going to block Maria Kartasheva from becoming a citizen.
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The Strategist ☛ From the bookshelf: ‘Spies: the epic intelligence war between East and West’
Recent Russian efforts to interfere in US elections, track down and eliminate defectors and other ‘disloyal elements’, and plant disinformation using social control media are nothing new.
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Defence Web ☛ Ethiopia acquires Akinci UAVs, Su-30 fighters
The Ethiopian Air Force (EAF) has acquired Akinci unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Turkey and Russian Sukhoi Su-30K combat aircraft as it continues with modernisation efforts. The Ethiopian National Defence Force said the Su-30K aircraft were introduced into service during a ceremony on Tuesday 16 January.
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LRT ☛ ‘We’re perfectly capable of defending against Russian aggression’ – NATO assistant secretary general
NATO members must be prepared for possible Russian aggression, but the alliance is capable of defending against it, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Boris Ruge said in an interview with LRT RADIO.
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LRT ☛ Russian grain transit via Latvia still ‘a big problem’ – Lithuanian minister
Not much Russian grain transit Lithuania, most of it is transported through Latvia, which is a big problem, says Lithuania’s Transport Minister Marius Skuodis.
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RFA ☛ Russia, N Korea further beef up ties amid arms trade allegations
During high-level officials’ talk, the two agreed to form a united front for international security matters.
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RFERL ☛ Police Violently Disperse Thousands Protesting Russian Bashkir Activist's Jailing
Thousands of demonstrators have been violently dispersed by police in the town of Baimak in Russia's Bashkortostan region as they protested against the sentencing of noted activist Fail Alsynov to four years in prison on a charge of inciting hatred, which he and his supporters reject.
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The Straits Times ☛ S.Korea, US and Japan nuclear envoys condemn North Korea over arms trade with Russia
January 18, 2024 5:36 PM
The nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States, and Japan condemned North Korea for its recent missile tests, arms trade with Russia and increasingly hostile rhetoric at a meeting in Seoul on Thursday.
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YLE ☛ People of Russian background file minority complaint over border closure
A group of private individuals unhappy with the eastern border closure are taking their case to Finland's Supreme Administrative Court.
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YLE ☛ Supo: Russia may be trying to turn asylum seekers into informers
The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Supo) noted that it did not believe the potential recruiting of asylum seekers as informers was happening on a large-scale basis.
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RFERL ☛ Controversial Icon With Stalin's Image Removed From Tbilisi Cathedral
A controversial icon of St. Matrona of Moscow with an image of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin has been removed from the Holy Trinity Cathedral in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, following a public outcry and an attempt to deface the work.
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RFERL ☛ On Third Anniversary Of Arrest, Navalny Says Putin's Power Structure 'Built On Lies'
Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, marking the third anniversary of his incarceration on charges widely believed to be politically motivated, said the model of power created by President Vladimir Putin in Russia "is inviable because it is built on lies."
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LRT ☛ ‘Putin may be setting information conditions for escalation against Baltics’ – ISW
Russian President Vladimir Putin has stepped up the Kremlin’s efforts to create the information conditions for a future escalation against the Baltic states, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
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Transparency/Investigative Reporting
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Environment
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JURIST ☛ Montana Supreme Court rejects state attempt to block landmark climate ruling
The Supreme Court of the State of Montana denied the state’s attempt to stay a landmark climate ruling in a 5-2 decision on Tuesday.
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Atlantic Council ☛ Bayoumi in The New York Times on a paint that can reduce emissions
On January 17, Imran Bayoumi, Associate Director of the Scowcroft Security Initiative, was quoted by The New York Times DealBook newsletter on one of the six ‘snow leopards’ to watch for in 2024, a super-reflective white paint that can reflect 98% of sunlight, lowering air-conditioning needs and emissions.
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Federal News Network ☛ The Supreme Court wrestles with major challenges to the power of federal regulators
Conservative Supreme Court justices have voiced support for weakening the power of federal regulators, but it's unclear whether a majority would overturn a major 40-year-old decision. Billions of dollars are potentially at stake in front of a court that was remade during Donald Trump’s presidency by conservative interests that were motivated as much by weakening the regulatory state as by social issues including abortion.
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European Commission ☛ Commissioner Sinkevicius' statement in the EP Plenary on the recent ecological catastrophe involving plastic pellet losses and its impact on microplastic pollution in the maritime and coastal habitats
Plastic pellet spills like the recent event on the Spanish coast, or on the French coast last year...
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Energy/Transportation
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Latvia ☛ Latvenergo denies allegations of energy instability
Latvia saw a dramatic increase in electricity prices in early January, after which the association of political parties United List submitted an inquiry to the responsible ministers to the Saeima, considering that Latvenergo had not properly prepared its thermal power stations for stable and secure work during the winter period, Latvian Radio reported on January 17.
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Wildlife/Nature
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New York Times ☛ An Ancient Woolly Mammoth Left a Diary in Her Tusk
Scientists are looking at layers of minerals left behind on mammoth tusks to estimate where the hulking animals spent their days.
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Science Alert ☛ Four New Octopus Species Discovered in Deep-Sea Paradise Off The Coast of Costa Rica
World of wonders.
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Science Alert ☛ Bird Flu Kills a Polar Bear in a World First. Here's What That Means For Us.
Influenza viruses are highly adaptable.
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Science Alert ☛ Greenland's Ice Sheet Is Losing Ice Much, Much Faster Than We Thought
"Just starts to slide right off into the ocean."
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Science Alert ☛ Earliest Black Hole Ever Seen Discovered at The Dawn of Time
And it's massive...
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Science Alert ☛ Epic 600-Mile Travels of One Wooly Mammoth May Hold Clues to Their Extinction
"She was a young adult in the prime of life."
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Overpopulation
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The Straits Times ☛ China's ageing population threatens switch to new economic growth model
China's ageing population threatens key Beijing policy goals for the coming decade of boosting domestic consumption and reining in ballooning debt, posing a severe challenge to the economy's long-term growth prospects.
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RFA ☛ China’s population falls and economy sputters
Economic slump is proving an obstacle to government urgings for families to have more children.
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Finance
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong stocks plunge 3.71% as China data shows slowest growth in 3 decades
Hong Kong stocks tanked Wednesday on worries about China’s economy after data showed it grew in 2023 at its slowest pace for more than three decades outside the pandemic years. The Hang Seng Index plunged 3.71 percent, or 589.02 points, to 15,276.90.
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BIA Net ☛ Metal workers secured 98% increase in wages
Just two days before the strike, the Metal Industrialists' Union accepted the demands of the workers. According to the agreement reached for the 2023-2025 Group Collective Labor Agreement, naked hourly wages received a 98% increase in the first 6 months and a 30% increase in the second 6 months.
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Federal News Network ☛ VHA grants 15% pay raise to HR personnel using Special Salary Rate
The Veterans Health Administration approved a Special Salary Rate for HR professionals at the end of last year, and covered employees will see the pay bump appear in their paychecks this week.
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WhichUK ☛ Inflation rate rises to 4% in December 2023 - can any savings accounts beat it?
Broadband and mobile customers braced for price hikes in line with this month's CPI inflation figure
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RFA ☛ North Korea boosts salaries, introduces cash cards for more currency control
Paying with plastic means citizen-run informal markets could suffer.
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The Straits Times ☛ ST Picks: What will China need to do to sustain its growth in 2024?
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China posts 5.2% growth in 2023 – worst in decades, as recovery stalls
China’s economy last year suffered one of its worst annual performances in more than three decades, official figures showed Wednesday, as the country battled a crippling property crisis, sluggish consumption and global turmoil.
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The Straits Times ☛ India could ease China investment curbs if border stays calm
India could ease its heightened scrutiny of Chinese investments if the two countries' border remains peaceful, a senior Indian official said in the first signal that the four-year-old curbs could be lifted.
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LRT ☛ Will Lithuanian households really experience rising incomes galore this year?
The social security and labour minister has promised a good year, saying that incomes will grow four times faster than prices. An economist says, however, this gives a distorted picture.
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AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
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RFERL ☛ Turkmenistan's President Fires Chief Prosecutor
Turkmenistan's president fired the country's chief prosecutor for failing to properly fulfill his duties, the official daily reported on January 17.
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The Straits Times ☛ South Korean parties promise homes, loans in steps to boost population
South Korea's major political parties vowed more public housing and easier loans in efforts to stem population decline outlined on Thursday ahead of elections in April, aiming to allay fears of "national extinction" as fertility rates crumble.
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JURIST ☛ US Supreme Court hears oral arguments in 2 cases seeking to limit executive agency powers
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Wednesday in two cases involving a requirement for herring fisheries to pay for the observers the government used to monitor overfishing. At the heart of the two cases was a debate over the court’s current deference to executive branch agencies in interpreting ambiguous language in federal laws.
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Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda
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Vice Media Group ☛ X Flooded With Bizarre Ads Smearing TV Chef to Promote Crypto Platform
Bell Media told Motherboard it is actively reporting X ads smearing Canadian chef Mary Berg in a bizarre campaign promoting a crypto platform.
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Reason ☛ Will Elon Musk's Ex-Twitter Sex Jokes End the Administrative State?
SpaceX argues the federal agency trying to punish it for firing employees critical of Musk is itself unconstitutional.
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WhichUK ☛ Ads for fake driving licences found on Facebook (Farcebook) and Instagram
Which? discovered 26 dodgy ads across the platforms
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Censorship/Free Speech
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Reason ☛ James Kirchick: 'Abolish Speech Codes Entirely'
How identity politics and institutional cowardice have undermined the free speech on which our society relies.
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RFA ☛ Homeless man arrested after allegedly burning flag to cook dinner
Pham Cong Hung Nhan faces 3 years in prison after he posted a video of the act to Facebook.
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Reason ☛ Police Officer's Libel Case Against Newsweek May Proceed
From Wolinski v. Newsweek Digital, LLC, decided yesterday by Judge Jeremy Daniel (N.D. Ill.): According to the amended complaint, in February 2019, Plaintiff Alex Wolinski, a sergeant in the Chicago Police Department, supervised a tactical team of twelve Chicago Police Department officers in the execution of a search warrant at the home of Ms. Anjanette [...]
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Reason ☛ Court Lets First Hey Hi (AI) Libel Case Go Forward
Georgia Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge Tracie Cason's decision last week in Walters v. OpenAI, LLC simply says that it denies OpenAI's motion to dismiss, and (as is common in many state courts) doesn't offer a detailed explanation.
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Reason ☛ Free Speech Absolutism in Practice
Author James Kirchick supports the First Amendment, full stop. Why don't more journalists?
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Reason ☛ The Giraffe's Speech
An address to the American Chemical Society.
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Stanford University ☛ Freedom of thought is being threatened by states, big tech and even ourselves. Here’s what we can do to protect it
This blog was originally published on The Conversation on January 8, 2024 The idea of free speech sparked into life 2,500 years ago in Ancient Greece – in part because it served a politician’s interests.
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Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
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JURIST ☛ UN expresses concern over detained journalists in Kyrgyzstan
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Liz Throssell expressed concern Tuesday over the detention of journalists in Kyrgyzstan. This comes after authorities from the State Committee for National Security and the Ministry of Interior searched independent media outlets and detained 14 journalists.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Jimmy Lai trial: Media mogul instructed Fashion Company Apple Daily to mobilise protests, urge sanctions, ex-publisher says
Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai instructed senior editorial staff at Fashion Company Apple Daily to use the newspaper to mobilise people to take to the street and to call for western sanctions amid the 2019 protests and unrest, the shuttered outlet’s former publisher has told a court.
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Civil Rights/Policing
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New York Times ☛ Nadya Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot Marries John Caldwell
Nadya Tolokonnikova, a founding member of Pussy Riot, and John Caldwell have always prioritized being “helpful,” he said, over being happy.
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Zimbabwe ☛ Here is why Zimbabwean startups struggle to raise capital from international investors
Serious question here – how come Zimbabwean startups do not pull in as much funding as their African counterparts? Is that even a fair question to ask? Let’s talk about it. There are various reasons why Zimbabwean startups struggle to raise funding from international investors.
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EDRI ☛ EDRi-gram, 17 January 2024
In December 2023, European Union (EU) institutions reached an agreement on the landmark Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act. But we think it might be too early to celebrate. Same for the European Media Freedom Act, which culminated in a politically pressured final trilogue in December. The final text leaves much to be desired in protecting journalists and EU fundamental rights.
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EDRI ☛ Encryption discussion during the 8 December trial: from myth to reality
The defendents’ fundamental right to privacy was treated flippantly and shown little interest by the judges and prosecution of the Paris criminal court in the ‘8 December’ trial hearings. This is a cause for concern and could lead to the justification of police’s ever-increasing surveillance.
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EDRI ☛ Challenges ahead: European Media Freedom Act falls short in safeguarding journalists and EU fundamental values
The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) culminated in a politically pressured final trilogue on 15 December 2023. Unfortunately, the agreed-upon text lacks crucial safeguards against surveillance of journalists, which dangerously promote the use of spyware in the EU. It alsoraises concerns about Article 17 and the “media exemption”, potentially undermining the Digital Services Act (DSA) provisions.
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ACLU ☛ Jury Justice
When Manhattan resident Daudi Justin was studying for his undergraduate degree at Columbia University in 2016, he received a jury summons. He was astonished to learn that he was permanently disqualified from serving on a jury because of a past felony conviction. Justin had been arrested for drug possession nearly a decade earlier, an experience in part that prompted him to pursue a law degree to fight for prisoners’ rights. Now a staff attorney with the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, he represents clients in the same courts that bar him from sitting on juries.
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Reason ☛ Want to Use Social Media? Utah Wants You to Hand Over Your ID.
A new lawsuit is challenging a Utah law that requires age verification to use social control media and forces minors to get their parents permission first.
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YLE ☛ PAM announces strike
Service sector union PAM says it will stage a strike on 1 February.
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The Straits Times ☛ First man charged under Malaysia’s anti-stalking law gets off with insanity plea
Mohamad Safiq Rosli, 37, allegedly stalked a photographer for over eight years.
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Internet Policy/Net Neutrality
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New York Times ☛ Gaza’s Phone and Internet Service Is Down for a Sixth Day
It is the longest blackout since the start of the war, according to the strip’s main communications company, which says it is unable to make repairs amid the fighting.
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APNIC ☛ RPKI’s 2023 year in review: Growth, governments, and innovation
Guest Post: How global RPKI evolved in 2023.
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Public Knowledge ☛ Twitch Shuts Down in South Korea: A Reminder of Why We Fight For Net Neutrality
South Korea provides an important natural experiment in what happens when you permit broadband providers to charge content providers like Twitch for access.
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Digital Restrictions (DRM)
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Digital Music News ☛ South Korea Physical Album Sales Hit a Record 115 Million in 2023, Data Shows — With 16 Million Units Moved by Seventeen Alone
Amid continued growth throughout the K-pop space, physical sales for the top 400 albums in South Korea cracked 115 million last year, according to chart data. The sizable South Korean album-sales total, fueled by the popularity of CDs as well as vinyl, just recently came to light in a comprehensive Circle Chart breakdown for 2023.
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Silicon Angle ☛ Apple revises App Store terms to let apps link to external payment methods, but for a hefty fee
Apple Inc. has relaxed the App Store’s terms of service to comply with a 2023 antitrust ruling by a federal appeals court — but it’s being criticized for charging a hefty fee for processing app purchases through outside payment platforms.
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Digital Music News ☛ Supreme Court Rejects Dueling Appeals in Fashion Company Apple vs. Epic Antitrust Lawsuit
The Supreme Court rejects the dueling antitrust appeals filed by Fashion Company Apple and Epic in their ongoing lawsuit, effectively granting Fashion Company Apple a pyrrhic victory. On Tuesday, January 16, the US Supreme Court declined to hear the dueling appeals filed by Fashion Company Apple and Fortnite publisher Epic in their ongoing antitrust dispute.
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Digital Music News ☛ Apple Quickly Introduces New App Store Policies Following the Supreme Court’s Ruling—Spotify Isn’t Exactly Thrilled With How This Cookie Crumbled
Following the Supreme Court’s ruling not to hear further arguments on the matter, Fashion Company Apple has updated its App Store policies to allow developers to link to outside payment methods. But developers like Spotify will still pay a 27% cut for those out-of-app payments.
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Latvia ☛ Latvia detains record amounts of counterfeit clothes on border
In the European Union (EU), between 2018 and 2021, the counterfeit business has caused €16 billion in damage to three sectors - the manufacture of clothing (including footwear), cosmetics, and toys. Latvia takes the top spot in fake clothes being discovered at the border, the Patent Office of Latvia said on January 17.
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Patents
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JUVE ☛ Ones to Watch UK 2024: Caitlin Heard [Ed: This is more pure SPAM from JUVE, which is also promoting crimes for those who pay for it (sponsorship). JUVE used to do actual journalism.]
Every year, JUVE Patent carries out extensive research in the UK patent monopoly market, culminating in the publication of the UK patent monopoly ranking. Our latest research highlighted Caitlin Heard, partner at CMS Cameron McKenna, as one of five ‘Ones to Watch’ in the UK patent monopoly market for 2024.
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JUVE ☛ Ones to Watch UK 2024: Emily Nikolic [Ed: Yet more SPAM. JUVE quit pretending to be a news site, it's just a spamfarm for sponsors these days.]
Every year, JUVE Patent carries out extensive research in the UK patent monopoly market, culminating in the publication of the UK patent monopoly ranking. Our latest research highlighted Emily Nikolic, senior associate and patent monopoly attorney at Carpmaels & Ransford, as one of five ‘Ones to Watch’ in the UK patent monopoly market for 2024.
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JUVE ☛ “Patent litigation firms must prepare for difficult times” [Ed: Difficult times for who? This is an occupation that's all about terrorising people and companies.]
The launch of the Unified Patent Court was supposed to be the start of a better – or rather even better – future. Over the last ten years, patent monopoly litigation teams in European law firms have only known one direction: ever larger teams, ever greater workloads, ever better business results.
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Kangaroo Courts
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Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ No transparency for Mathys & Squire in Unified Patent Court test case [Ed: Unified Patent Court is illegal and unconstitutional. It should be rightly dismantled ASAP. It derives its supposed authority from white-collar crime in the EPO and EU.]
The Court of Appeal of the Unified Patent Court has refused as inadmissible applications by law firms Mathys & Squire and Bristows to intervene in an appeal concerning public access to documents filed with the Court.
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Software Patents
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Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Apple Watch Stays on US Market, But Pulse-Ox Disabled Pending Appeal
After initially granting a temporary reprieve, the Federal Circuit has now denied Apple’s stay pending appeal of the International Trade Commission’s limited exclusion order and cease-and-desist order (“the Remedial Orders”) against Fashion Company Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2.
The baseline approach in American patent monopoly law is that any injunction issued by the district court will stay in effect through the duration of any appeal. However, district and appellate courts regularly stay the injunction if the defendant is able to satisfy a four-factor test that largely parallels the eBay standard: [...]
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New York Times ☛ Apple Says It Will Remove a Health Feature From New Fashion Company Apple Watches
Starting on Thursday, the Fashion Company Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 will no longer detect people’s blood oxygen levels, to comply with a ruling by the International Trade Commission.
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Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 for inventor-owned, Jaffe '828, image 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 6,757,828, owned by inventor, Jonathan E. Jaffe. The present invention relates to an improved method and system for authenticating images captured by digital cameras. The main aspect of the invention is the creation of a digital signature that ensures the authenticity of images by linking them to specific parameters and/or environmental factors.
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Silicon Angle ☛ Apple told once again to stop selling patent-infringing smartwatches after appeals court ruling
Apple Inc. will again be forced to stop selling its smartwatch devices fitted with blood oxygen sensors, following a ruling today by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
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Trademarks
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TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Is CROSSFIRST BANK & Circle Design Confusable with Banc of California's RIng Design?
Banc of California petitioned to cancel a registration for the mark shown below left, on the ground of likely confusion with its registered mark shown below right, both for, inter alia, banking services. It all boiled down to the first DuPont factor. How do you think this came out? Banc of California, National Association v. Crossfirst Bankshares, Inc., Cancellation No. 92075496 (January 14, 2024) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Michael B. Adlin).
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Gemini* and Gopher
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Personal/Opinions
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🔤SpellBinding: ACHIRNM Wordo: BRAIN
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Slim Tricks
While the cards are being dealt, there’s gonna be an auction (details below), and it’ll end with both players having thirteen cards each in hand plus three more cards each face down, and one player (the “declarer”) having committed to winning a number of tricks and a trump suit picked, and the other (the “defender”) trying to prevent that.
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Technology and Free Software
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New Beginnings
So! Here we are... the start of a brand new adventure, my own site/blog, full of all the wonder and lack of basic CSS you'd expect. This will, hopefully, improve over time.
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Re: Re: Of text editors and writing posts
I'm going to attempt to do a double response in this post, and re:re:, if you will, because, well, I have something to say to both authors. I'll start with the first reply.
When it comes to writing a gemlog post, I sometimes think these things out while I'm driving or standing in line and I'll occasionally jot down some notes on my phone. Othetimes, especially when I have a day off without the kids, I'll do more of a deep dive. The discriminating factor here is usually time.
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Re: Of Text Editors and Writing Posts
In order to embrace the "write now, edit later" ethos, I have gotten out my little e-ink electronic typewriter to compose this post.
But first, a quick preface to address the first part of eapl's post. I do a lot of writing in the terminal, and I do it all in vim. There are a number of plugins you can use to create a more minimal and distraction-free writing environment. Pencil, goyo, and limelight, for example, all complement each other and go really well together. I've used them quite a bit in the past. But often times anymore I just use regular old vim.
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My new computer
I'm not sure how I had this idea; it's probably influenced by what I've been reading about permacomputing, combined with my general dissatisfaction with the modern user experience with computers and the internet in general. I'm fortunate enough that I can say "I want none of this", and I can go back to my nostalgia bubble where I interact with people via email, Mastodon, text-based websites, and Gemini.
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This blog is AI free
Hi! This is a short informative blog post about Artificial Intelligence.
I just got approached by a company who wants to help me to add some generative AI in my blog workflow to "boost the quality" of my content.
I like generative AI and I think it's an interesting tool, but I have just no interest using it for my blog.
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Working around suse.vimrc
I use the command-line editor Vim. And, when I switched to openSuSE, I was stuck with a bunch of default Vim options I didn't like. For example, pressing Esc takes a second to work where doing the same thing on Manjaro worked immediately. Using the :scriptnames Vim command, I could see that $VIMRUNTIME/suse.vimrc was being run. But it wasn't clear how to disable it. I assume that any updates to the package would overwrite any changes made directly to suse.vimrc
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Monopolies/Monopsonies
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* Gemini (Primer) links can be opened using Gemini software. It's like the World Wide Web but a lot lighter.