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● 06.03.23


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● Links 03/06/2023: Apache NetBeans 18 and ArcaOS 5.0.8


Posted in News Roundup at 3:32 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz


GNU/Linux


Kernel Space


↺ [Old] Light Blue Touchpaper ☛ USENIX WOOT07, Exploiting Concurrency Vulnerabilities in System Call Wrappers, and the Evil Genius


I presented, “Exploiting Concurrency Vulnerabilities in System Call Wrappers,” a paper on the topic of compromising system call interposition-based protection systems, such as COTS virus scanners, OpenBSD and NetBSD’s Systrace, the TIS Generic Software Wrappers Toolkit (GSWTK), and CerbNG. The key insight here is that the historic assumption of “atomicity” of system calls is falacious, and that on both uniprocessor and multiprocessing systems, it is trivial to construct a race between system call wrappers and malicious user processes to bypass protections. I demonstrated sample exploit code against the Sysjail policy on Systrace, and IDwrappers on GSWTK, but the paper includes a more extensive discussion including vulnerabilities in sudo‘s Systrace monitor mode. You can read the paper and see the presentation slides here. All affected vendors received at least six months, and in some cases many years advance notice regarding these vulnerabilities.


Applications


↺ Downloading Apache NetBeans 18


Apache NetBeans 18 was released on May 30, 2023.


Apache NetBeans 18 is available for download from your closest Apache mirror.


Instructionals/Technical


↺ How to install OpenLiteSpeed, an excellent web server


OpenLiteSpeed is a high performance and lightweight HTTP server developed by LiteSpeed Technologies. OpenLiteSpeed is cross-platform (GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, MacOS) and can be integrated with applications developed in PHP, Ruby, Perl and Java.


↺ Barry Kauler ☛ Toggle touchpad on or off


I have a problem with my latest laptop, the flSynclient synaptics GUI app does not work. I found that the touchpad does not use the synaptics protocol. Perhaps this is a sign of what to expect in modern laptops.


Input devices can be configured by the ‘xinput’ CLI utility. There is no decent standalone GUI frontend for ‘xinput’, so for now just implementing one function, a GUI to toggle the touchpad off or on.


↺ peppe8o ☛ How to use a Stepper Motor with Arduino Uno and A4988 Driver


In this tutorial, we will make stepper motor movement in clock and counterclockwise with Arduino Uno. The stepper motor is widely used in the application


↺ TecAdmin ☛ A Comprehensive Look at the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)


The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is a communication protocol used in the internet mail system. SMTP is responsible for sending, receiving, and relaying outbound mail between email senders and receivers.


↺ Cloudbooklet ☛ Best PHP-FPM Configuration – Easy and Simple Calculation


Optimize your PHP-FPM Configuration by using the optimum setup options. Expert-recommended methods can help your application run faster and more efficiently. Optimize performance and minimizing resource use.


↺ TecAdmin ☛ Understanding Basic Git Workflow: Add, Commit, Push


In the realm of software development, version control is paramount. Among the various version control systems available, Git has emerged as an industry standard due to its robustness, flexibility, and distributed architecture. In this article, we’ll be focusing on the fundamental steps of a basic Git workflow: Add, Commit, and Push.


↺ University of Toronto ☛ GNU Grep versus the (Linux) open source ecology


Since adding warnings and other new messages is a breaking API change, all of these packages are now broken in Fedora and by extension any other Linux distribution that packages them, uses GNU Grep 3.8 or later, and hasn’t reverted this change. Some of them are only minorly broken; others, either inspecting their standard error or operating in a context where other programs expect to see and not see some things, are more seriously affected. To repair this breakage, all of these packages need to be changed to use ‘grep -F’ and ‘grep -E’ instead of fgrep and egrep.


↺ HowTo Forge ☛ How to Install a Load Balancing MySQL Server with ProxySQL on Debian 11


ProxySQL is a high-performance MySQL proxy with a small footprint that can be installed in multiple environments such as VM, K8s, bare-metal, and Docker containers. ProxySQL is an open-source solution that provides high availability for your MySQL Cluster with support of connection multiplexing, provides query Rules to route writes to primaries, and distributes reads across replicas.


Desktop Environments/WMs


K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt


↺ Nate Graham ☛ This week in KDE: for developers


Plasma 6 porting continues, with stability improving daily and new features and user interface improvements trickling in.


Okular now lets you choose the default scaling mode when printing PDFs


Global Themes can now set the window decoration border size


Distributions and Operating Systems


New Releases


↺ Arca Noae ☛ ArcaOS 5.0.8 now available


In our continuing commitment to ArcaOS 5.0 (Blue Lion), Arca Noae is pleased to announce the general availability of ArcaOS 5.0.8, the eighth maintenance release of the 5.0 line. It should be noted that ArcaOS 5.1.0, the successor to the 5.0 line, is nearing availability.


↺ HaikuOS ☛ [GSoC 2023] Next up: Add reference images


I have fixed three memory leaks. Before, leak_analyser.sh found 75 leaks from simply opening and closing Icon-O-Matic. It now reports only 27.


I am now planning to implement a new shape type called “reference images”. This implements ticket #2748. As discussed in the ticket, having a reference image in the background greatly assists in vectorizing it. Reference images are just for reference. They will not be exported to the final HVIF file.


BSD


↺ FreeBSD ☛ EuroBSDCon 2023 Travel Grant Application Now Open


The Travel Grant Application for EuroBSDCon 2023 is now open. The Foundation can help you attend EuroBSDCon through our travel grant program. Travel grants are available to FreeBSD developers and advocates who need assistance with travel expenses for attending conferences related to FreeBSD development. Applications are due August 2, 2023. Find out more and apply today.


Fedora Family / IBM


↺ Red Hat ☛ OpenShift 4.13: Create serverless functions and more


Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.13 brings key features and enhancements to the developer experience in the Red Hat OpenShift console. Here’s a quick overview of the 4.13 features and improvements based on customer requests: [...]


↺ Silicon Angle ☛ ETAS and Red Hat: A powerful partnership shaping the future of connected vehicles [Ed: Red Hat-sponsored spam ("rhsummit") about Red Hat; purchased 'journalism' or bought puff pieces]


↺ Silicon Angle ☛ Transforming cybersecurity: Red Hat targets software supply chain security [Ed: More Red Hat-sponsored fluff ("rhsummit")]


↺ Silicon Angle ☛ Exploring the future of software supply chain: Red Hat’s Sigstore initiative [Ed: Red Hat promotes centralisation and censorship of software; this piece about it is sponsored by Red Hat]


↺ Silicon Angle ☛ The next leg of cloud computing: HCLTech strives for a unified approach to continuous modernization [Ed: A mashup of buzzwords by Red Hat, for Red Hat]


↺ Silicon Angle ☛ Emerging trends in cloud computing: AI, multicloud and edge computing take center stage [Ed: Some more nonsensical buzzwords and marketing cruft, in a piece composed to promote Red Hat on its own budget (fake journalism, Web saturation)]


↺ Silicon Angle ☛ The role of automation: How TransUnion automates 1 million jobs using Ansible [Ed: Ansible marketing spam by Red Hat, sponsored by Red Hat]


Canonical/Ubuntu Family


↺ OMG Ubuntu ☛ New Icons, Symlink Fixes for Flathub Apps Added to Papirus Icon Set


I know that the Papirus icon pack is hugely popular so I figured I’d ferry word that a new version is available for download The June update is largely composed of symlinks to allow Flathub versions of apps already covered by the set match up to their corresponding icons. This includes icons for Adobe Reader, Godot 3, Jellyfin Server, Proton VPN, Puddletag, Waterfox, and ZSNES.


↺ OMG Ubuntu ☛ Rename Audio Devices in GNOME’s Quick Settings Sound Menu


Want to rename the audio devices that appear in the Quick Settings menu sound switcher?


Open Hardware/Modding


↺ Tom’s Hardware ☛ New Orange Pi 800 Juices Storage to 128GB


Aping the Raspberry Pi 400 form factor, the Orange Pi 800 provides onboard eMMC storage which has just been doubled.


↺ System76 ☛ Major Updates for System76 Open Firmware!


We prefer to disable the Intel Management Engine wherever possible to reduce the amount of closed firmware running on System76 hardware. We’ve resolved a coreboot bug that allows the Intel ME (Management Engine) to once again be disabled.


This bug was a buffer overflow which caused coreboot firmware memory to be overwritten by the TPM measurement log, keeping the S3 suspend method from working properly. As a result of this, we had to switch from S3 to S0ix suspend, which required use of the Intel ME in order for OS-level drivers to function.


By fixing this bug, we were able to move back to S3 and re-disable the Intel ME on most platforms. (However, S3 suspend is not functional in the silicon we received for 11th Gen (Tiger Lake) U-class CPUs.) This fix was submitted upstream to coreboot as well.


↺ Ruben Schade ☛ Using M2 Wi-Fi card slots for other things


Why is this awesome? For rational people, it isn’t. But for masochistic Mini-ITX builders such as myself, our boards are limited to a single PCI-express slot. Gaining an additional M.2 slot opens up a rare extra possibility for internal expansion that, for once, doesn’t involve using dodgy internal USB connections.


Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications


↺ SlashGear ☛ Google Pixel 8: Features We Want To See In The Next Android Smartphone


↺ Ars Technica ☛ Google’s Android and Chrome extensions are a very sad place. Here’s why | Ars Technica


↺ Phone Arena ☛ Video shows the custom lock screen clocks coming to Android 14 – PhoneArena


↺ Android Police ☛ Android 14 can show your battery health, but the results may not be accurate


↺ 9to5Google ☛ Android 13 now on 15% of devices, Android 11 still in top spot


Free, Libre, and Open Source Software


Web Browsers/Web Servers


Mozilla


↺ Firefox Nightly: Firefox Translations and Other Innovations – These Weeks in Firefox: Issue 139


SaaS/Back End/Databases


↺ PostgreSQL ☛ PgBouncer 1.19.1 released


PgBouncer 1.19.1 has been released. This minor release contains two important bugfixes to avoid rare crashes. These rare crashes were introduced in 1.18.0. It also adds a few files to our release tarball that are required to run our tests.


See https://www.pgbouncer.org/2023/05/pgbouncer-1-19-1 for more information, the detailed changelog, and download links.


Productivity Software/LibreOffice/Calligra


↺ LibreOffice project and community recap: May 2023


Here’s our summary of updates, events and activities in the LibreOffice project in the last four weeks…


↺ OMG! Linux ☛ Red Hat Stop Packaging LibreOffice as RPM for RHEL, Fedora


“The tradeoff is that we are pivoting away from work we had been doing on desktop applications and will cease shipping LibreOffice as part of RHEL starting in a future RHEL version,” Clasen adds.


LibreOffice will remain maintained and supported in all supported versions of RHEL (and Fedora) with security updates as and when needed.


↺ LibreOffice Math Guide is Updated to Release 7.5


The LibreOffice Documentation team is happy to announce the new Math Guide 7.5, for the equation editor of the LibreOffice productivity suite. Anyone who wants to learn how to insert formulas and equations using Math will find this 73-page guide valuable. Formulas can be inserted as objects into Writer, Impress, Draw, and Calc documents.


GNU Projects


↺ FSF ☛ FSF Blogs: May GNU Spotlight with Amin Bandali: Nineteen new GNU releases!


Nineteen new GNU releases in the last month (as of May 28, 2023): [...]


↺ FSF ☛ FSF Events: Free Software Directory meeting on IRC: Friday, June 30, starting at 12:00 EDT (16:00 UTC)


Join the FSF and friends on Friday, June 30, from 12:00


to 15:00 EDT (16:00 to 19:00 UTC)


to help improve the Free Software Directory.


↺ FSF ☛ FSF Events: Free Software Directory meeting on IRC: Friday, June 23, starting at 12:00 EDT (16:00 UTC)


Join the FSF and friends on Friday, June 23, from 12:00


↺ FSF ☛ FSF Events: Free Software Directory meeting on IRC: Friday, June 16, starting at 12:00 EDT (16:00 UTC)


Join the FSF and friends on Friday, June 16, from 12:00


↺ FSF ☛ FSF Events: Free Software Directory meeting on IRC: Friday, June 09, starting at 12:00 EDT (16:00 UTC)


Join the FSF and friends on Friday, June 09, from 12:00


↺ FSF ☛ FSF Events: Free Software Directory meeting on IRC: Friday, June 02, starting at 12:00 EDT (16:00 UTC)


Join the FSF and friends on Friday, June 02, from 12:00


Programming/Development


↺ Qt ☛ IPR and Using AI in Product Creation [Ed: Qt is name-dropping buzzwords ("AI") and propaganda terms ("intellectual property rights (IPR)") the same day it shills Windows on ARM, which is a meaningless market]


Software development has come a long way in the past few decades. With technological advancements, the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) in software development tools has become increasingly common. AI has the potential to revolutionize the way software is developed, making it faster, more efficient, and less prone to errors. However, as with any new technology, there are important considerations that must be taken into account when using AI in product and software creation. A key consideration is the impact on intellectual property rights (IPR), especially for the ownership and licensing of AI-generated outputs.


Perl / Raku


↺ James Just James: Improving git diff output in 5 min


Everyone uses git diff. But there’s that odd annoyance that you’ve probably seen before but are so used to that you’ve forgotten about it. The a/ and b/ prefixes…


Example:


james@computer:~/code/mgmt (feat/cool-feature)$ git diff diff –git a/lang/funcs/core/os/readfile_func.go b/lang/funcs/core/os/readfile_func.go index 206ba798d..48ac29dc7 100644 — a/lang/funcs/core/os/readfile_func.go +++ b/lang/funcs/core/os/readfile_func.go @@ -228,6 +228,8 @@ func (obj *ReadFileFunc) Stream() error { // Close runs some shutdown code for this function and turns off the stream. func (obj *ReadFileFunc) Close() error { + // TODO: Port to the new ctx-in-Stream close API.


Leftovers


Science


↺ France24 ☛ Experiencing Martian Life in Arizona: NASA’s Mars Mission Simulation


In a bold stride towards the cosmos, the concept of settling on Mars is no longer just a flight of fancy. A number of ambitious plans for Martian travel and colonisation are underway, but first, why not simulate the conditions on Earth? NASA’s Mars Mission in the United States has embarked on a unique project, allowing a team of four researchers to experience life as it might be on the Red Planet, all within the confines of Arizona.


↺ New York Times ☛ Boeing and NASA Delay Launch of Starliner Over Parachutes and Wiring


The Starliner capsule was poised to fly people to orbit in July for the first time. But reviews found problems with its parachutes and its wiring.


↺ New York Times ☛ With a New, Improved ‘Einstein,’ Puzzlers Settle a Math Problem


Earlier this spring, tiling aficionados thought maybe they’d found the shape of their dreams. Now they’re certain.


↺ The Atlantic ☛ NASA Learns the Ugly Truth About UFOs


Talking about mysterious sightings in the sky can be a nasty business.


↺ The Atlantic ☛ Seven Tips From Susan Sontag for Independent Thinking


What would the intellectual powerhouse think about our culture of groupthink and self-righteousness?


↺ Science Alert ☛ Geyser Seen Spraying 6,000 Miles Into Space From Saturn’s Moon


“Far beyond what we could have imagined.”


↺ Science Alert ☛ There Are 8 Boundaries For a Safe Planet. To Be Fair, Earth Would Fail 7 of Them.


Where’s the justice?


↺ Science Alert ☛ Lab-Grown Meat Has a Big Problem Very Few People Know About


We need to fix this.


↺ Science Alert ☛ Thoughts Inside Your Head Can Unleash Physical Pain, Study Finds


Bad ideas.


↺ Science Alert ☛ The Y Chromosome Is Vanishing. A New Sex Gene Could Be The Future of Men


Big changes are coming.


↺ Science Alert ☛ Staggering Results of New Weight Loss Drugs May Be Revolutionary, Expert Says


But we have big questions.


↺ Science Alert ☛ Your Dog Loves Eating Grass, But Not For The Reasons You Think


The truth is surprisingly obvious.


↺ Quartz ☛ Elizabeth Holmes deserves neither your pity nor your attention


Elizabeth Holmes, the former CEO of the fraudulent blood-testing startup Theranos, just started her 11-year prison sentence on May 30, a month after she was initially expected to, after enjoying one last beach day with her husband and their two small children: William, two, and Invicta, only months old.


↺ European Commission ☛ EVP Vestager speech for the launch of the EIC/EIT Women Innovators Prize


European Commission Speech Stockholm, 01 Jun 2023 Our society is facing extraordinary challenges.


Education


↺ uni Stanford ☛ ‘Dear Boomer’: What do I even do with my education?


In the latest installment of “Dear Boomer,” Helen Hudson writes about making the most of Stanford — and why you shouldn’t be afraid to badger your professors.


↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong to allow university students to apply for gov’t jobs up to 2 years ahead of graduation


Hong Kong will allow university students to apply for roles in the civil service up to two years before they graduate, a relaxation that comes amid a rise in resignations from government jobs.


↺ New York Times ☛ Let’s Smash the College Admissions Process


If affirmative action goes, bigger changes are necessary.


Hardware


↺ CNX Software ☛ Realtek RTL8126, RTL8157, and RTL8251B 5Gbps Ethernet solutions showcased at COMPUTEX 2023


I only upgraded my local network to 2.5 Gbps Ethernet last year, but 5 Gbps Ethernet is soon coming to the home as shown by Realtek at COMPUTEX 2023 with demonstrations of their RTL816, RTL8157, and RTL8251B 5GbE chips that were initially unveiled at CES 2022.


Health/Nutrition/Agriculture


↺ France24 ☛ French NGOs sue government over alleged negligence in pesticide regulation


A coalition of French environmental charities on Thursday accused the French state of negligence in regulating the use of pesticides, in a landmark legal case.


↺ New York Times ☛ U.S. Proposes Requiring New Cars to Have Automatic Braking Systems


The Transportation Department wants new cars to automatically stop when they detect an accident is likely.


↺ The Strategist ☛ Lifting northern Australia’s protein profile


Northern Australia has enormous potential to expand its role in providing for one of the Indo-Pacific’s most crucial needs—protein-rich foods.


↺ teleSUR ☛ Another Respiratory Virus on Rise in the United States


HMPV can cause upper and lower respiratory disease in people of all ages, especially among young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.


↺ The Atlantic ☛ The Problem With Comparing Social Media to Big Tobacco


The surgeon general issued a warning about social media’s impact on teens. What do we know about the research?


↺ The Atlantic ☛ America’s Approach to Addiction Has Gone Off the Rails


In a time of fentanyl and meth, we need to use law enforcement differently—and more often.


↺ CS Monitor ☛ How Filipino American chefs are bringing culture to the table


Three Filipino American chefs are nominated for the James Beard Awards, the culinary equivalent of the Oscars, held next week. These chefs are part of a younger generation giving voice to the Filipino American experience through the language of food.


↺ YLE ☛ Finland’s abortion laws must not be changed, Family Affairs minister Kiuru says


The outgoing minister’s comments come as news outlets report the parties aiming to form Finland’s next coalition government have discussed making changes to abortion legislation.


Proprietary


↺ Vice Media Group ☛ Judge Bans AI-Generated Filings In Court Because It Just Makes Stuff Up


Chatbots often make stuff up and reproduce human biases.


Privatisation/Privateering


↺ Helsinki Times ☛ Finland’s VR adopts new price system, expanding range of ticket prices


VR, the Finnish state-owned railway operator, has carried out a pricing revamp in an attempt to steer consumer demand toward less-busy hours and periods.


The revamp includes a shift from an 8-tier to a 25-tier price system that, in theory, promises savings to passengers booking their trip early and additional costs to passengers buying a ticket at the last minute, according to YLE.


Security


↺ Wladimir Palant ☛ How malicious extensions hide running arbitrary code


Two days ago I wrote about the malicious extensions I discovered in Chrome Web Store. At some point this article got noticed by Avast. Once their team confirmed my findings, Google finally reacted and started removing these extensions. Out of the 34 extensions I reported, only 8 extensions remain. These eight were all part of an update where I added 16 extensions to my list, an update that came too late for Avast to notice.


↺ Qt ☛ Security advisory: Qt Network


A recent buffer overflow issue in Qt Network has been reported and has been assigned the CVE id CVE-2023-33285.


↺ Matt Brown: Calling time on DNSSEC: The costs exceed the benefits


I’m calling time on DNSSEC. Last week, prompted by a change in my DNS hosting setup, I began removing it from the few personal zones I had signed. Then this Monday the .nz ccTLD experienced a multi-day availability incident triggered by the annual DNSSEC key rotation process. This incident broke several of my unsigned zones, which led me to say very unkind things about DNSSEC on Mastodon and now I feel compelled to more completely explain my thinking: [...]


↺ Scoop News Group ☛ Growing hacking threat to satellite systems compels global push to secure outer space


An international group of experts are working to build the next generation of secure-by-design space systems.


↺ SANS ☛ After 28 years, SSLv2 is still not gone from the internet… but we’re getting there, (Thu, Jun 1st)


Although the SSL/TLS suite of protocols has been instrumental in making secure communication over computer networks into the (relatively) straightforward affair it is today, the beginnings of these protocols were far from ideal.


↺ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Gigabyte Rolls Out Firmware Update to Mend Firmware Backdoor


New firmware to mitigate the recently discovered backdoor in over 250 Gigabyte AMD and Intel motherboard models is now available for download.


↺ New Yorker ☛ A Confession Exposes India’s Secret Hacking Industry


The country has developed a lucrative speciality: cyberattacks for hire.


Privacy/Surveillance


↺ Scoop News Group ☛ Russian government accuses Apple of colluding with NSA in iPhone spy operation


A Russian intelligence agency said thousands of iPhones were infected in an operation that shows “cooperation” between Apple and the NSA.


↺ IT Wire ☛ Kaspersky targeted through iMessage; Russian FSB ties attack to NSA


Russian cyber security firm Kaspersky has revealed it has been hit by an attack that injects spyware into iPhones used by its employees, an attack that has been going on since 2019 and has been named Operation Triangulation.


↺ Stacey on IoT ☛ Podcast: Smarter grocery stores are coming [Ed: Smarter or vastly more surveillance-intensive?]


Krogers and Walmart are both expanding various IoT devices to more of their stores as part of a larger shift in how connectivity and intelligence will change how we shop.


↺ New York Times ☛ Judge Dismisses D.C.’s Privacy Lawsuit Against Meta


The District of Columbia accused the company of sharing user data in deceptive ways. A Superior Court decision said Meta had made its policies clear.


↺ Latvia ☛ Rīga to tighten its ad placement rules


The Rīga City Council on Wednesday adopted binding rules on the procedures for the placement of advertisements, signboards, and other information materials in Rīga, LETA reported May 31.


↺ CS Monitor ☛ Amazon will pay $25 million in FTC child data-privacy fine


Amazon will pay over $30 million in fines resulting from Federal Trade Commission claims that it illegally kept data – including that of children – collected by its products. Amazon disputes the claims but says the settlements “put these matters behind us.”


Confidentiality


↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Company holding data on 180,000 borrowers breached privacy legislation, watchdog says


A technology company which holds data on 180,000 borrowers was found to have breached privacy laws after a user reported that eight moneylending companies had reviewed his credit data without his consent, according to the city’s privacy watchdog.


Defence/Aggression


↺ teleSUR ☛ South Sudan Regrets UNSC Extension of Arms Embargo


The United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution to renew arms embargo measures, targeted sanctions of the travel ban and asset freeze against individuals and entities.


↺ JURIST ☛ DOD blocking US cooperation with International Criminal Court: State Department official


A US State Department ambassador told senators during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Wednesday that the Department of Defense (DOD) continues to block the US’s cooperation in the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) case against Russian President Vladimir Putin.


↺ JURIST ☛ Pakistan interior minister: former PM Imran Khan should face military trial


Pakistani Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah called Tuesday for former Prime Minister Imran Khan to be tried in a military court following the outbreak of nationwide protests over his May 9 arrest.


↺ RFERL ☛ President Of Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan’s Party Arrested In Lahore


The president of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party was arrested on June 1 in the eastern city of Lahore on charges of corruption, a government official said.


↺ teleSUR ☛ Senegal: Opposition Leader Sonko Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison


Once convicted of “corruption of minors,” Ousmane Sonko will not be able to participate in the 2024 presidential elections.


↺ Vice Media Group ☛ The Pentagon Is Spending $1 Billion a Year on ‘Directed Energy Weapons’


Washington is interested in the weapons but worries they’ll end up in the ‘valley of death’ if the Pentagon isn’t careful.


↺ RFA ☛ UN Myanmar envoy to leave role


Noeleen Heyzer departs less than a year after opposition and civil society groups called for her termination.


↺ RFA ☛ Thai police arrest more than 100 in search for illegal immigrants from Myanmar


Arrests follow discovery of house producing weapons for rebels fighting junta across border


↺ RFA ☛ Junta raids force more than 3,000 to flee villages in Myanmar’s Sagaing region


Locals warn that those displaced are in urgent need of food and shelter.


↺ RFA ☛ Thai authority plans power shutdown to 2 areas in southeastern Myanmar


It was unclear why Myanmar’s junta made the request to switch off the electricity to Shwe Kokko and Lay Kay Kaw.


↺ LRT ☛ Moscow’s grip or window for democracy: what happens in Belarus after Lukashenko?


The last couple of weeks saw much talk about possible health issues suffered by Belarus’ strongman president Alexander Lukashenko. Exiled opposition members started speaking about “a window of opportunity for democracy”. However, observers interviewed by LRT.lt believe that even Lukashenko’s departure will not mean the end of repressions – or Russia’s ambitions to pull the strings in Minsk.


↺ Defence Web ☛ Hawks investigating fraud and corruption in the Department of Defence involving R170 million


The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) are investigating four cases of fraud and corruption in the Department of Defence (DoD) involving almost R170 million. Hawks boss Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya gave an update on these active cases to the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans on 31 May.


↺ RFERL ☛ U.S. To Open Diplomatic Station In Arctic Norway


The United States will open its northernmost diplomatic station in the Norwegian Arctic town of Tromsoe, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on June 1.


↺ RFERL ☛ Group Using Forged Schengen Visas For Trips To Europe Uncovered In Kyrgyzstan


Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee of National Security said on June 1 that a group allegedly involved in organizing illegal travel to European countries via Kyrgyzstan by using forged Schengen visas has been uncovered.


↺ JURIST ☛ UN judges expand war crime convictions of former Serbian security officials


The UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) on Wednesday expanded the convictions and increased the sentences of two individuals who helped to murder and deport non-Serbs during the Balkan wars. The two, Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović, are former Serbian security officials.


↺ Defence Web ☛ Two-ton hashish haul for Op Atalanta


A regular Operation Atalanta maritime security patrol off the coast of Oman was rewarded with a two-ton haul of hashish, the European Union naval force reports. La Fayette Class frigate FS Surcouf (F711) of the French Navy captured more than two tons of narcotics.


↺ France24 ☛ Deadly clashes in Senegal after opposition leader is sentenced to prison


Nine people died in clashes that erupted after Senegalese opposition figure Ousmane Sonko was sentenced to two years behind bars, Interior Minister Antoine Diome said Friday.


↺ Michael West Media ☛ Roberts-Smith broke moral and legal rules, judge finds


Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith committed a slew of war crimes in Afghanistan, murdering unarmed prisoners, a Federal Court judge has found. Mr Roberts-Smith suffered a massive court loss, ending an almost five-year defamation battle between the former-SAS corporal and three media outlets.


↺ Atlantic Council ☛ #BalkansDebrief – What’s behind the escalation in Kosovo? | A debrief with Jovana Radosavljevic and Agon Maliqi


Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare speaks to Jovana Radosavljevic, a Kosovo Serb who resides in the north of Kosovo and the Executive Director of the New Social Initiative, and to Agon Maliqi, an analyst from Kosovo.


↺ New York Times ☛ Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia’s Most Decorated Soldier, Loses Defamation Case


A judge ruled for newspapers that had been accused of defaming the soldier by reporting that he had committed war crimes in Afghanistan.


↺ France24 ☛ Australian soldier loses defamation case over newspapers’ war crimes allegations


One of Australia’s most decorated soldiers lost a landmark defamation case Thursday after a bruising trial filled with accusations of murder, domestic violence, witness intimidation and war crimes.


↺ Vice Media Group ☛ The Taliban Is Fighting Iran With American Weapons


Tensions are escalating between Tehran and Kabul, and the Taliban has a lot of Western equipment ready for the fight.


↺ The Strategist ☛ Defence industry could help rebalance the US–Australia economic relationship


President Joe Biden’s offer to have Australia counted as a ‘domestic’ economy under the US Defense Production Act may give a badly needed boost to the flagging economic relationship between the two countries.


↺ The Strategist ☛ The threat spectrum


Planet A The United States and Papua New Guinea have signed a new defence and maritime cooperation agreement to combat illegal fishing, illegal logging and drug smuggling in PNG waters.


↺ Atlantic Council ☛ Is Egypt planning a full-scale invasion of Sudan?


With the evacuation of foreigners from Sudan nearly complete, expectations are that an Egyptian military invasion of Sudan is imminent.


↺ Neighborhood guards can carry weapons, perform ID checks, rules top court


The court has annulled a provision authorizing guards to take measures to prevent demonstrations until the police arrive.


↺ Vice Media Group ☛ Man Robs Convenience Store With Nintendo ‘Duck Hunt’ Pistol


Flashing a NES Zapper in his pants, the man stole $300 from a cashier before being caught nearby with the fake gun.


↺ CS Monitor ☛ Changing views on crime, from Central Asia to the South Pacific


Progress roundup: From Uzbekistan to Cook Islands, evolving views on behavior and relationships yield legal protection for battered partners and gay men.


War in Ukraine


↺ LRT ☛ Lithuanian FM insists Turkey should endorse Sweden’s NATO membership


Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis insists Turkey should relent on its opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership, since it is a matter of security for the Baltic countries, one of the most vulnerable regions of the alliance.


↺ New Yorker ☛ Putin Complains About the Noise


Nyet place like home.


↺ Latvia ☛ Siren test shows issues with six systems


On Wednesday, May 31, 152 of the 158 alarm sirens tested worked without interruption, the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) reported.


↺ Latvia ☛ Latvia-Lithuania border control to be restored during NATO summit


Lithuania will reinforce control of the Schengen area borders with Latvia and Poland during the NATO Vilnius Summit, Latvian Television reported on June 1.


Transparency/Investigative Reporting


↺ The Atlantic ☛ What Trump’s Recording Could Reveal


The reported existence of a tape says something important about how the former president operates.


↺ The Atlantic ☛ Lordy, There Are Tapes


Trump’s fear of damaging press was so much greater than his fear of criminal accountability that he ended up making an incriminating recording.


↺ The Atlantic ☛ They Still Love Him


Trump may be unpopular nationally, but within his own party, the devotion has not subsided.


Environment


↺ CS Monitor ☛ Global heatwaves are getting hotter. How can risks be curbed?


Climate change-fueled heatwaves are shattering records worldwide, and scientists expect them to worsen. Urgent action is needed, they say, to mitigate risks to health, food security, water management, and the environment.


↺ Reason ☛ District Court Judge Revives Kids Climate Case


Years after the Ninth Circuit ordered the case dismissed, it is brought back to life with a surprising trial court order.


↺ RFA ☛ Vietnamese climate activist arrested for ‘tax evasion’


Hoang Thi Minh Hong has received international recognition for her environmental activism.


↺ Atlantic Council ☛ The G7 can take NATO-EU climate cooperation to the next level


There is a strong opportunity for meaningful NATO-EU cooperation by using the Group of Seven as a convening platform for climate change-related discussions.


↺ The Strategist ☛ Defending Australia from disasters


The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report warns, once again, that climate-change impacts—hazards such as bushfires, drought and flooding—are becoming more frequent and more intense, damaging nature, people and infrastructure. Yet measures to reduce …


↺ MIT Technology Review ☛ The world is finally spending more on solar than oil production


↺ Federal News Network ☛ Weakened Tropical Storm Mawar brings heavy rains to Japan’s southern islands as it passes by


A weakened Tropical Storm Mawar is bringing heavy rains to Japan’s main southern islands after passing the Okinawan archipelago early Friday. Strong winds continued on Okinawa and dozens of local flights were canceled for the day. Formerly a super typhoon, Mawar had winds blowing up to 56 mph as it moved east over the Pacific Ocean. The Japan Meteorological Agency predicted a foot of rain might fall in places through Saturday morning. The agency issued flood and mudslide warnings in parts of southwestern Japan. It urged residents near rivers and hillsides to use caution.


↺ The Straits Times ☛ Japan slammed by torrential rain as Typhoon Mawar nears


Similar weather patterns have caused flooding and landslides in the past.


↺ RFERL ☛ Mudslide Kills Three, Including Two Children, In Tajikistan’s East


A massive mudslide killed three people, including two children, in the village of Qushai in eastern Tajikistan in the early hours of June 1.


↺ teleSUR ☛ Second Tropical Depression Forms In The Atlantic


The system will be short-lived and could weaken in less than 24 hours.


↺ CS Monitor ☛ Why UN talks this week focus on just one word: Plastics


Few plastics are recycled, and instead particles are increasingly ubiquitous in the environment. Our charts give context as nations seek a treaty.


↺ YLE ☛ Coast Guard rescues 50 passengers from broken-down water bus off Helsinki coast


An engine problem led to the vessel drifting near Seurasaari in the archipelago before being towed to safety by rescue services.


Energy/Transportation


↺ H2 View ☛ Ireland and Germany to cooperate on green hydrogen under new agreement


Ireland and Germany have signed a joint declaration to cooperate on green hydrogen.


↺ Reason ☛ France’s Ban on Short-Haul Flights Will Kill People [Ed: Koch-funded lies and proof that the media has become corrupt; burn lots of Koch fossil fuel or people will die?]


You’re 2,200 times more likely to die when traveling by car as opposed to by airplane.


↺ H2 View ☛ Cross-border hydrogen valley to be established between Finland and Estonia


BalticSeaH2 will build the ‘first significant’ cross-border hydrogen valley in Europe between Finland and Estonia.


↺ The Atlantic ☛ Biden Is Ignoring the Menace of Mega-EVs


Environmental hype has crowded out any concern for people outside the vehicle.


↺ Science Alert ☛ A Compact Fusion Reactor Barely 3 Feet Across Has Hit a Huge Milestone


Small size, big temperatures.


↺ RFA ☛ China to account for more than half renewable capacity rise, report says


The International Energy Agency projects global renewable power will rise by a third this year.


↺ CS Monitor ☛ Next green leader? India halts new coal plant construction.


India released its five-year energy plan May 31, 2023, which bars the country from building any new coal power plants and promotes renewable energy development. India is the world’s third largest emitter but aims to be carbon neutral by 2070.


↺ Helsinki Times ☛ Majority of district heating companies increase prices, reveals comparison by Omakotiliitto


A recent comparison conducted by Omakotiliitto, the Finnish Homeowners’ Association, has revealed significant variations in pricing for district heating services. The study examined the basic fee and energy costs of district heating in 97 areas and 73 companies. The analysis focused on a small residential property with a water flow rate of 0.2 m3/h and a power capacity of 10 kW. The findings highlight disparities in pricing among different district heating providers.


↺ The Straits Times ☛ Bali car rental business owner arrested for accepting crypto payment


Some foreigners have been using cryptocurrencies for payments after sanctions were imposed on their country.


Wildlife/Nature


↺ IDA ☛ We have a new name and logo


We are DarkSky. After 30+ years the International Dark-Sky Association gets an easier-to-say name.


↺ New York Times ☛ Honeybee Swarms Darken U.K. Skies, Sending Beekeepers Scrambling


It’s swarming season in Britain, with honeybee colonies splitting in half in search of new homes. This year, beekeepers say they are getting an unusually high number of swarm sightings.


↺ Helsinki Times ☛ Summer algae forecast: Warm and calm weather conditions can lead to powerful blooms of blue-green algae in the Baltic Sea


In sea areas blooms of algae in the spring consume nitrogen, while leaving phosphorus-based nutrients for the blue-green algae that appear in the summer. Warm and calm weather can lead to powerful blooms of blue-green algae.


The risk of extensive blooms of blue-green algae in Finnish sea areas still exists, as the nutrient level in the Baltic Sea continues to favour the appearance of blue-green algae.


↺ teleSUR ☛ Ghana Committed to Boost Sustainable Ocean Economy


“As part of the process, we have initiated the national integrated maritime strategy…”


Overpopulation


↺ New York Times ☛ Arizona Limits Construction Around Phoenix as Its Water Supply Dwindles


In what could be a glimpse of the future as climate change batters the West, officials ruled there’s not enough groundwater for projects already approved.


↺ How climate crisis affects Turkey’s agricultural production


For many years, Turkey has been unable to achieve yield increases in its key agricultural products, placing the country significantly behind its global competitors in this regard.


Finance


↺ European Commission ☛ Speech by Commissioner McGuinness at European Banking Federation’s International Banking Summit on ‘How can banks help deliver sustainable growth in a more multi-polar world?’ [Ed: European Commission fronting for banksters while funding wars]


European Commission Speech Brussels, 01 Jun 2023 Good morning. Good to be here.


Thank you, Wim.


↺ France24 ☛ US Senate passes bipartisan debt deal avoiding potential first-ever default


The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed bipartisan legislation backed by President Joe Biden that lifts the government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, averting what would have been a historic, first-ever default.


↺ JURIST ☛ US Supreme Court finds securities law requires proof of traceability to misleading information


The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously found Thursday in Slack Technologies v. Pirani that federal securities law requires plaintiffs to prove their shares are directly traceable to misleading information in a registration statement in order to sue. Fiyyaz Pirani, an individual investor, sued Slack Technologies, an instant messaging app, after the stock price dropped.


↺ Erdoğan’s declared net worth negative


Erdoğan’s declaration of property has been published in the Official Gazette together with the final results of the presidential elections. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his wife, Emine Erdoğan owe 5.39 million lira.


↺ New York Times ☛ The House Passed the Debt Limit Bill. Who Won?


President Biden both won and lost the debt-ceiling negotiation.


↺ teleSUR ☛ US House Passes Bipartisan Debt Ceiling Bill


The U.S. hit its US$31.4-trillion debt limit in January and could have defaulted on its debt obligations by June 5 without raising or suspending the limit.


↺ New Yorker ☛ The Irrational Exuberance of a Non-Catastrophe


The bipartisan debt deal was a win for both Biden and McCarthy, but it might not have been the breakthrough Washington was waiting for.


↺ New York Times ☛ The Case of the Disappearing Debt Disaster


One secret ingredient: Republicans don’t care about policy


↺ TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ With days to spare, Senate gives final OK to debt ceiling deal, sending it to Biden


Fending off a U.S. default, the Senate has given final approval to a debt ceiling and budget cuts package. It’s now on its way to President Joe Biden’s desk to become law before a fast-approaching deadline. The Senate ground through late-night voting Thursday to wrap up work on the hard-fought deal. The compromise package negotiated between Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy leaves neither Republicans nor Democrats fully pleased with the outcome. But the result cuts spending for two years and suspends the debt limit until 2025 after the next presidential election. Biden says he will sign it into law as soon as possible.


↺ Helsinki Times ☛ Significant shifts in job opportunities in the construction industry


The construction industry is experiencing significant changes in job availability, with certain professionals in high demand while others face a decline in opportunities. Although the overall number of job postings has decreased due to the economic slowdown, long-term data indicates that the demand for construction workers remains high. This analysis is based on data from Duunitori, a leading job portal in Finland.


↺ Helsinki Times ☛ Statistics Finland downgrades estimate of first-quarter economic growth


STATISTICS FINLAND has revised down its estimate of economic growth in the first quarter of the year.


Statistics Finland on Wednesday published preliminary data indicating that the gross domestic product grew by 0.2 per cent from the previous quarter between January and March, a noticeable downgrade from the 1.1 per cent suggested by a flash estimate published in mid-May.


↺ teleSUR ☛ US & Taiwan to Sign First Agreement Under New Trade Framework


“…The Office of Trade Negotiations of Taiwan released a statement…”


↺ Suze Orman: ‘People Are So Scared Right Now’


“People are scared. I’ve never seen them so scared as they are right now, even in 2008 and 2009. Many ask, ‘Can we take money out of our 401(k) plans? Is it not safe there now?’”


↺ New Yorker ☛ The Hidden Costs of Weddings


You tell yourself that it will all be worth it for the registry. You drink. You dance. At some point, you pass out.


AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics


↺ Demirtaş steps back from active politics but says ‘I belong and I will continue to belong to HDP’


“In fact, Kılıçdaroğlu has won the elections. However, election frauds, the votes cast abroad, and the votes of those who were made citizens recently; all added up, Erdoğan has won this historical election. What we lived through has nothing to do with an election, democracy, or the people’s will being reflected; not even close to it. All of what has happened was an operation,” said the imprisoned politician.


↺ New York Times ☛ Recording of Trump Underscores Growing Evidence in Documents Case


A conversation in which the former president is said to have acknowledged that he could not declassify a sensitive document could undercut a defense he has offered.


↺ France24 ☛ Macron, Scholz call for new elections in tense northern Kosovo districts


France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday urged Kosovo to allow new elections in four northern municipalities, amid renewed tensions with the area’s Serbian population.


↺ teleSUR ☛ Kosovo President Open To New Elections In Northern Areas


French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suggested holding new elections to ease recent clashes in the region.


↺ Supreme Election Council releases final results of presidential runoff vote


The results will of published in the Official Gazzette, a day after the publication of the parliamentary vote.


↺ Six HDP Youth members detained in İzmir


Over the past few weeks, a series of operations has been carried out targeting not only political parties but also legal and media organizations with a Kurdish focus.


↺ RFERL ☛ Kosovar President Open To New Elections In Areas Of Northern Kosovo Where Clashes Occurred


The president of Kosovo confirmed that France and Germany have suggested holding new elections in four municipalities in northern Kosovo as a means of defusing tensions over the forced installation of ethnic-Albanian mayors.


↺ 10th anniversary of Gezi Park protests: Dozens detained in İstanbul’s Taksim


Several commemorative events were held around Taksim, where the massive anti-government protests started in 2013.


↺ France24 ☛ Biden trips and falls onstage at Air Force Academy graduation


President Joe Biden tripped and fell after handing out the last diploma at a graduation ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado on Thursday, but got up quickly and walked back to his seat.


↺ TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Biden says he got ‘sandbagged’ after he tripped and fell onstage at Air Force graduation


Biden had been greeting the graduates in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the front of the stage with salutes and handshakes, and turned to jog back toward his seat when he fell.


↺ Federal News Network ☛ Biden says he got ‘sandbagged’ after he tripped and fell onstage at Air Force graduation


President Joe Biden fell onstage at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation on Thursday. The White House says Biden is “fine” after he tripped over a sandbag. Biden had been greeting the graduates in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the front of the stage with salutes and handshakes. Biden turned to jog back toward his seat when he fell. He was helped up by an Air Force officer as well as two members of his U.S. Secret Service detail. He then returned to his seat to view the end of the ceremony. White House communications director Ben LaBolt tweeted, “He’s fine,” and Biden later joked that he had gotten “sandbagged.”


↺ New York Times ☛ Biden Is ‘Fine’ After Fall at Air Force Graduation, White House Says


A White House official said President Biden was feeling “totally fine.” He was helped up and walked back to his seat after stumbling.


↺ teleSUR ☛ Various Tribes Stage Protest in India’s Manipur


“…there have been a minimum of 80 fatalities in the ongoing ethnic altercations…”


↺ RFERL ☛ European Council President Voices Hope On Normalization Of Armenian-Azerbaijani Relations


European Council President Charles Michel said he will have a “very important meeting” on June 1 with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Moldova.


↺ New York Times ☛ Biden Makes Case for Global Alliances at Air Force Academy Commencement


President Biden said cooperation with allies had helped the United States confront challenges to stability around the world.


↺ RFERL ☛ Moldova’s EU Path Independent Of Transdniester Developments, Says Borrell


EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said at the start of the European Political Community summit on June 1 in Moldova that Chisinau has a clear journey to joining the European Union and “must work toward reforms to fulfill the path to integration.”


↺ France24 ☛ French parliament expected to pass law regulating ‘jungle’ of social media influencers


The upper house Senate of France’s parliament was Thursday due to pass a law that will better regulate social media influencers by limiting and regulating their ability to endorse products and encourage betting.


↺ teleSUR ☛ Iran To Join Shanghai Cooperation Organization In July


The next summit will be held on July 4 under the chairmanship of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.


↺ TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ New details of Jeffrey Epstein’s death and the frantic aftermath revealed in records obtained by AP


Taken together, the documents the AP obtained Thursday provide the most complete accounting to date of Epstein’s detention and death, and its chaotic aftermath.


↺ Axios ☛ Elon Musk’s Twitter loses another trust and safety head as Ella Irwin resigns


Twitter head of trust and safety Ella Irwin resigned Thursday evening, per multiple sources, after owner Elon Musk publicly rebuked his own staff over a content moderation decision.


↺ Atlantic Council ☛ Did Macron just dispel Central and Eastern Europe’s skepticism about France?


French President Emmanuel Macron chose Bratislava, Slovakia, to deliver a speech aimed at reassuring Central and Eastern European partners of France’s reliability.


↺ New York Times ☛ Donald Trump Faces Several Investigations. Here’s Where They Stand.


Mr. Trump has been indicted in Manhattan, and federal and state prosecutors elsewhere have opened a number of investigations.


Censorship/Free Speech


↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong court upholds sergeant’s testimony at national anthem insult trial, despite records of rule violations


A Hong Kong court has adjourned the verdict in the first trial relating to insulting the Chinese national anthem, after a magistrate cleared doubts over a police sergeant’s expert testimony.


↺ RFERL ☛ Belarusian Activist Sentenced To More Than Four Years In Prison For Caricatures


A court in Belarus’s western city of Baranavichy has sentenced activist Ihar Shumilau to 4 1/2 years in prison for posting online caricatures of several officials, including the country’s authoritarian ruler, Alyaksandr Lukashenka.


↺ RFERL ☛ Insulting Former Kazakh President Nazarbaev Set To Be Decriminalized


Lawmakers in Kazakhstan are poised to scrap an article in the Criminal Code that envisions prosecution for insulting former President Nursultan Nazarbaev as President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev continues to distance himself from his predecessor.


↺ JURIST ☛ US appeals court finds Virginia Tech’s bias reporting policies do not violate free speech


A majority for the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled Wednesday that Virginia Tech’s bias reporting policies do not violate free speech principles protected by the First Amendment, upholding a lower court’s decision to deny a preliminary injunction.


↺ Reason ☛ Personalized License Plates (e.g., 69PWNDU) Are Private Speech


Today’s decision in Gilliam v. Gerregano (Tenn. Ct. App.) so holds (in an opinion by Judge Kristi Davis, joined by Judges Frank Clement and Neal McBrayer).


↺ European Commission ☛ Video message to the conference “Let’s protect the children” [Ed: Well, they do not protect kids, they protect oligarcha and corporations under the guise of concern for kids]


European Commission Speech Brussels, 01 Jun 2023


Good morning everyone.


↺ Quartz ☛ Meta’s shareholders voted against an inquiry into political bias and hate speech in India


Meta shareholders voted against a proposal from fellow shareholders calling for an inquiry into allegations of spreading hate speech and content moderation failures in India.


↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong broadcaster RTHK removes letter of gratitude for Tiananmen coverage from newsroom


Hong Kong government-funded broadcaster RTHK has removed from its newsroom a letter of gratitude for its reporters’ coverage of the Tiananmen crackdown, ahead of the anniversary of the 1989 incident, the RTHK Program Staff Union told HKFP.


↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong private documentary screening on June 4 cancelled due to ‘sensitivity’ of date, says organiser


A Hong Kong cinema has cancelled a private screening of a documentary scheduled for Sunday after being reminded by an industry representative that the date – the anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown – was “sensitive,” according to the organiser of the screening.


Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press


↺ Press Gazette ☛ Quartz and Wired editors-in-chief announce departures on same day


Wired’s Gideon Lichfield and Quartz’s Zach Seward are both leaving.


↺ Press Gazette ☛ News Xchange 2023: Reporting from the frontlines of news


The News Xchange’s Mark Rowland writes on the frontlines the conference hopes to survey.


↺ Press Gazette ☛ My Local: The Lincolnite’s radical proposal to bring control of local audiences back to local news


My Local hopes to fix some of the biggest commercial and editorial woes afflicting local news.


Civil Rights/Policing


↺ Reason ☛ Georgia Arrests ‘Cop City’ Bail Fund Organizers for Fraud, Money Laundering


As with other cases in recent months, Georgia law enforcement has used specious classifications to charge nonviolent protesters with domestic terrorism.


↺ The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia to launch ‘golden visa’ programme to attract global talents


The golden visa could be a “game-changer” to attract more investments, said a minister.


↺ New York Times ☛ Conflict With the Far Right Shrouds Jerusalem’s Pride Parade


Much of Israel’s L.G.B.T.Q. community feels threatened by the right-wing government and its judicial overhaul plan — even with a gay speaker of Parliament.


↺ The Atlantic ☛ The Problem With Wealth-Based Affirmative Action


It’s not an adequate substitute for race-based programs.


↺ New York Times ☛ Child Migrant Who Died in C.B.P. Custody Was Seen by Medical Staff 11 Times


Initial findings in an internal investigation suggest the child was not provided with proper care. The acting head of the agency said changes to procedures had been made.


↺ JURIST ☛ Switzerland appeals court upholds 20-year prison sentence for former Liberian warlord


The Federal Criminal Court of Switzerland on Thursday upheld former Liberian warlord Alieu Kosiah’s 20-year prison sentence for war crimes and convicted him of crimes against humanity, the first such conviction in Switzerland. Kosiah was initially convicted and sentenced for war crimes by the Trial Chamber of First Instance in 2021.


↺ New York Times ☛ Spy Deaths on Boat in Italy Ignite Conspiracy Theories


Four people died when a storm sank a boat in northern Italy. Then it emerged that 21 of those aboard had worked for Israeli or Italian intelligence, igniting a speculative frenzy.


↺ RFERL ☛ Two New York Lawyers Sentenced For Helping Asylum Seekers From Former Soviet Union Falsify Affidavits


Two New York lawyers, husband and wife Arthur Arcadian and Ilona Dzhamgarova, have been sentenced to six months and two years in prison, respectively, for assisting asylum seekers, mostly from the former Soviet Union, to prepare false affidavits and coaching their clients to lie under oath.


↺ JURIST ☛ US Supreme Court finds federal labor law does not automatically preempt state law claims


The US Supreme Court held Thursday that a local union must litigate a property damage dispute in state court, as opposed to appearing before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).


↺ The Atlantic ☛ A Case for Redirecting DEI Funds


Plus: The Rolling Stones revisited


↺ Vice Media Group ☛ Supreme Court Rules Companies Can Sue Striking Workers for ‘Sabotage’ and ‘Destruction,’ Misses Entire Point of Striking


In a new ruling, the Court sided with a company that sued its union for property damage because it went on strike. That sets a precedent that if a union strikes, it has to ensure the company won’t lose any money.


↺ New York Times ☛ A Black Girl Won the 1908 Spelling Bee. Her Family Is Searching for Her Medal.


At 14, Marie C. Bolden became the champion of what is believed to be the first national spelling competition in the United States. Her victory prompted a backlash.


Internet Policy/Net Neutrality


↺ APNIC ☛ RIPE 86 bites — what’s the time?


Building and operating a network service that provides a reference time source.


↺ Zimbabwe ☛ Starlink intends to come to Zimbabwe between October and December 2023


We know there is a lot of excitement around Starlink. We already knew that Starlink had indicated that they would be coming to Zimbabwe this year, 2023. It’s already June and we were starting to wonder when that would happen. We now have an answer. Starlink intends to come to Zimbabwe in Q4 2023.


↺ APNIC ☛ RIPE 86 bites — gigabits for EU


Investigating the EU’s Gigabit Connectivity initiative.


Digital Restrictions (DRM)


↺ Digital Music News ☛ Spotify’s EU Lobbying Expenses Approached $1 Million Last Year Amid App Store Crusade, Data Shows


Amid a continued push for regulatory action against the App Store in both the United States and Europe, Spotify dropped nearly $1 million on EU lobbying efforts last year, according to recently released data.


Monopolies


Patents


↺ Germany’s local UPC divisions offer English as a language option [Ed: This fake, kangaroo 'court' is illegal. It's the fruit of organised crime and corruption. How can the EU not see this and stop this? Language isn't even the main issue here.]


↺ UPC system started today [Ed: Totally illegal and unconstitutional system started today. It'll fall as soon as a high court actually checks its compliance and the EU will pay the price for this EPO corruption and lobbying (abuse) by the litigation industry. What does this say about the EU?]


↺ JUVE ☛ Happy birthday UPC: and the rocky road to launch [Ed: JUVE is taking loads of bribes for Team UPC to advertise and lie about this illegal kangaroo court. That says a lot about today's "media".]


↺ JUVE ☛ UPC Administrative Committee names final three judges [Ed: More puff pieces from a paropaganda rag of Team UPC, funded by UPC profiteers despite it being illegal and unconstitutional. This won't end well.]


↺ Unified Patents ☛ IPVal entity, DataCloud Technologies, network patent challenged in reexam


On May 25, 2023, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 8,762,498, owned by DataCloud Technologies, LLC, an NPE and an IP Investments Group entity. The ‘498 patent generally relates to communicating to a network through a virtual domain. It has been asserted in over 25 district court litigations, including against 8×8, A10 Networks, Squarespace, Box, Arista Networks, Extreme Networks, and others.


↺ Unified Patents ☛ SoftBank entity Neo Wireless ’302 patent prior art found


Unified is pleased to announce PATROLL crowdsourcing contest winner, Mani Manikandan, who was awarded a cash award of $2,000 for his prior art submissions on U.S. Patent 10,771,302, owned by Neo Wireless, LLC, an NPE and SoftBank entity. The ‘302 patent generally relates to a broadband wireless communication system, a spread spectrum signal is intentionally overlapped with an OFDM signal, in a time domain, a frequency domain, or both. The patent has been asserted against several automotive companies such as Mercedes-Benz, FCA US, Toyota, Nissan, GM, Tesla, and others.


↺ IP’s impact on sustainability showcased in Lisbon [Ed: EPO is bribing Lisbon, where the criminal who runs the EPO extracts/derives political influence from. Now the corruption of the EPO becomes a direct liability for the EU.]


EPO highlights power of patents in driving sustainable development


Trademarks


↺ TTAB Blog ☛ Precedential No. 17: TTAB Finds Hotel Shape Not Inherently Distinctive and Lacking in Acquired Distinctiveness


The Board upheld the USPTO’s refusals to register the two proposed marks shown below, for “hotel services; provision of conference, exhibition, and meeting facilities,” finding that the building designs are not inherently distinctive and lack secondary meaning. The proposed marks comprise the three-dimensional configuration of the front and back of a hotel building. Unlike in the Seminole Tribe decision, wherein the Board deemed a hotel building configuration to be neither product design nor trade dress packaging but rather “tertium quid,” here the Board panel found the designs to be “akin to the packaging of what is being rendered and sold inside, namely, hotel services.” In re Palacio Del Rio, Inc., Serial Nos. 88412764 and 88437801 (May 25, 2023) [precedential] (Opinion by Judge Jonathan Hudis).


Copyrights


↺ Digital Music News ☛ Never-Before-Heard John Coltrane Recording Discovered at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts


Unearthed at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Evenings at the Village Gate, showcasing the brief musical partnership between John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy is available to order now on Impulse! Records.


↺ Digital Music News ☛ Recording Industry Takes Successful Action Against Bulgarian Torrent Sites


Major labels are celebrating a court order blocking BitTorrent trackers in Bulgaria. Here’s the latest. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) represents the recorded music industry worldwide, alongside the Bulgarian Association of Music Producers (BAMP) have managed a successful blocking action against BitTorrent trackers in the country.


Gemini* and Gopher


Technical


Programming/Protocols


↺ Jevons Protocol


Improved protocol efficiency can be a negative: if the pipe is “too cheap to meter” that means the pipe can be filled with too much stuff, something that was impossible before technological change lifted some pipe-bearing boats. The modem wasn’t very good in the 90s after it had been raining, for example, and not very quick at getting articles from usenet. Something even less efficient might have been better–provided that large media (books, OS installs) could be obtained in some other way. On the other hand, mobile data caps might make uncompressed content problematic, so there are trade-offs here.


Ruin from improved efficiency might fall under “Jevons paradox”, originally applied to coal, where they improved the efficiency, the cost fell, demand went up, and thus The Great Smog of London. Whoops, externalities. A similar effect might be observed in the size of web pages: fast computers, big bandwidth, and now the pages often are choked with useless crap. Because they can be! And someone probably wants to keep those ad and engagement numbers up, and isn’t being paid to put the pages on a diet. Besides forest monks and lesser eccentrics (hi!) most consumers want a big pipe and a fast computer for videos and games—the demand is there.


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