● 02.10.23

Gemini version available ♊︎

● Links 10/02/2023: Thunderbird Interface Overhaul and Qubes OS 4.1.2 RC1

Posted in News Roundup at 9:39 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNU/Linux

=> ↺ System76’s AMD Powered Pangolin Linux Laptop Is Now Available For Order

Desktop/Laptop

=> ↺ Balthazar – An open-source hardware modular RISC-V, Arm, or FPGA laptop

• The Balthazar Personal Computing Device (BPCD) is an open-source hardware 13.3-inch laptop with a RISC-V, Arm, or FPGA module and designed to be upgradable, expandable, and sustainable.

• The developers say the laptop is based on a few concepts inspired by the EOMA68 project. The EOMA68 is a CPU module based on the PCMCIA form factor, and an Allwinner A20 EOMA68 module was showcased in a prototype of the Rhombus Tech 15.6-inch Libre Laptop but I don’t think the project was ever manufactured.

Server

=> ↺ Hybrid Cloud Should Benefit You, Not Bezos

• We have always been convinced, and remain so, that there is no way that the largest organizations in the world will move their computing to one of the big cloud builders.

Audiocasts/Shows

=> ↺ Linux Out Loud 49.5: Let’s Talk Robots

• This week, Linux Out Loud chats with First LEGO League Challenge team members from 53036 The Building Beasts. Welcome to episode 49.5 of Linux Out Loud. We fired up our mics, connected those headphones as we searched the community for themes to expound upon.

Applications

=> ↺ 7 Best Free and Open Source Diary Software

• This article identifies flexible and useful diary tools for the Linux desktop. Free and open source software only.

=> ↺ NetworkManager 1.42 Released with Source Load Balancing for Ethernet Bonds

• NetworkManager 1.42 is here almost six months after NetworkManager 1.40 and introduces support for source load balancing for Ethernet Bonds, support of IPv4 ECMP routes, support for 802.1ad tagging for VLAN, support of VTI and VTI6 ip-tunnels, as well as support of “other_config” for OVS bridges, ports, or interfaces.

• This release also adds the ability to specify vhost names (SNI) for a DNS-over-TLS server via the systemd-resolved plugin, lets you activate network connections on a loopback interface, and adds support for editing Wi-Fi WPA-Enterprise, Ethernet with 802.1X authentication and MACsec connection profiles in the text-based UI (nmtui).

=> ↺ Speech Recognition to Text in Linux, Ubuntu using Google Docs

• This is how you can convert speech to text in Linux systems, including Ubuntu. There is not much speech recognition software available in Linux systems, including native desktop apps.

Instructionals/Technical

=> ↺ How to Install and Configure OpenVPN Server on Ubuntu 22.04

• In this tutorial, we will install OpenVPN on a Ubuntu 22.04 server, configure it to be accessible from a client machine, and create a VPN connection between them to redirect all the traffic from the client through the OpenVPN server.

=> ↺ How to Install Cortex Observable Analysis Tool on Ubuntu 22.04

• Cortex is a free, and open-source observable analysis tool created by TheHive Project. Security professionals and SOC analysts use it to analyze collected events by querying a single tool. This tutorial will show you how to install the Cortex engine on Ubuntu 22.04.

=> ↺ How to Install Jira Agile Project Management Tool on Debian 11

• ira is one of the most popular project management applications developed by Atlassian. In this tutorial, we will explain how to install the Jira project management application on the Debian 11 server.

=> ↺ How to Install MySQL 8.0 on Rocky Linux EL9 or EL8

• MySQL is a powerful, open-source relational database management system that has been a cornerstone of web development and server management for over two decades. Created in 1995, MySQL has evolved into a robust and highly scalable solution for managing large amounts of data, making it a top choice for businesses, organizations, and individuals worldwide.

=> ↺ How to Install Arch Linux

• Arch Linux, often a barometer of a user’s skill, is one of the most difficult distros to install while still maintaining a level of practicality. With its extremely well-documented Wiki, excellent package manager, and the frontiersman “build it yourself” allure it brings with it, Arch Linux may very well be worth it for you. If you want to attempt to install Arch Linux, this guide can help you to get started!

=> ↺ How to deploy the Zeek Network Security Monitor on Ubuntu Server 22.04

• Looking for a powerful and free network security monitor? Look no further than the open source Zeek.

=> ↺ How to Install DOSBox in Ubuntu to Play Old Games

• DOSBox is a free and open-source operating system emulator that can run inside modern Linux systems. It has several components which emulate older hardware so that ancient programs and games can run.

• All these make it possible to enjoy the older games and applications in modern Linux distributions.

• In this guide, I will show you how to install DOSBox, configure it and play a sample game.

=> ↺ How to Install Google Chrome on Debian 11 (Bullseye)

• This guide shows two ways to install the Google Chrome web browser on Debian 11 (Bullseye) in a few easy-to-follow steps.

=> ↺ Comparing Apache MPM Worker and Prefork: Which is Right for Your Application

• Apache Multi-Processing Modules (MPMs) are an essential component of the Apache HTTP server, as they control the process management of the server and determine how it handles multiple requests. There are several different types of Apache MPMs available, including Prefork and Worker.

=> ↺ How to Change Apache to Worker MPM on CentOS

• The Apache HTTP Server is one of the world’s most widely used web servers and can be configured in different ways to meet the needs of various websites. The Apache Multi-Processing Module (MPM) is the module that manages the process of the Apache server.

=> ↺ How to find files modified between two dates in Linux

• Finding files modified between two dates in Linux can be a challenge, but with the find command, this task can be accomplished with ease. The find command is a powerful tool that allows you to search for files in a directory and its subdirectories based on various criteria, including modification time.

=> ↺ How to set the default text editor in Ubuntu using the terminal?

• Hello, friends. Today you will learn a pretty simple trick that allows you to define which is the default text editor on Ubuntu using the terminal. This simple trick is quite useful if you work too much with the terminal.

=> ↺ The Colorful Charm of Amiga Utility Disks

• Exploring the customized toolboxes of yore.

=> ↺ Change Themes on Linux Mint: 3 Easy Approaches

• Are you tired of the same old look on your Linux Mint system? Want to add a personal touch and make it truly your own? Look no further! This comprehensive guide will show you how to install and use custom themes on Linux Mint, elevating the visual appearance of your desktop and making your experience more enjoyable.

Distributions and Operating Systems

BSD

=> ↺ Derek Sivers on OpenBSD

• Last Tuesday I wrote that it was worth considering a FreeBSD or NetBSD desktop if you’re at all technical. I glossed over many of the engineering benefits for once, in favour of something more touchy feely:

Gentoo Family

=> ↺ 2022 in retrospect & late happy new year 2023!

• A quite late Happy New Year 2023 to all of you!

• Once again with 2022 an eventful year has passed, and Gentoo is still alive and kicking! 2023 already started some time ago and some of us have even already been meeting up and networking at FOSDEM 2023. Still, we are happy to present once more a review of the Gentoo news of the past year 2022. Read on for new developers, distribution wide initiatives and improvements, up-to-date numbers on Gentoo development, tales from the infrastructure, and all the fresh new packages you can emerge now.

SUSE/OpenSUSE

=> ↺ Audacity, OpenSSL, systemd Update Tumbleweed

• The past week has produced a few openSUSE Tumbleweed snapshots and automatic migrations kicked off for the first snapshot of February.

• Some of the packages covered this week include updates for the GNU Compiler Collection, GStreamer, KDE Gear, those mentioned in the headline and several more.

=> ↺ Future-Proof Telecom Modernization with SUSE ATIP

• “The future of the telecom infrastructure is fast moving and often difficult to predict,” said Keith Basil, SUSE Edge General Manager. “Telecom operators are looking for flexible solutions to modernize their existing networks, help rollout 5G networks quickly and adopt open frameworks, such as Open RAN, while navigating disaggregation of their networks.”

=> ↺ 2023 Brand Trend Report

• Welcome to our latest trend report, where we take a look at the most exciting and cutting-edge branding trends that are shaping the industry. In this report, we will explore a variety of trends across different areas of brand design, including color, user experience, and utilization of new technology.

Fedora Family / IBM

=> ↺ Qubes OS 4.1.2-rc1 has been released!

• We’re pleased to announce the first release candidate for Qubes 4.1.2! This patch release aims to consolidate all the security patches, bug fixes, and upstream template OS upgrades that have occurred since prior Qubes 4.1 releases. Our goal is to provide a secure and convenient way for users to install (or reinstall) the latest stable Qubes release with an up-to-date ISO.

• Qubes 4.1.2-rc1 is available on thedownloadspage.

Debian Family

=> ↺ Jonathan McDowell: Building a read-only Debian root setup: Part 2

• This is the second part of how I build a read-only root setup for my router. You might want to read part 1 first, which covers the initial boot and general overview of how I tie the pieces together. This post will describe how I build the squashfs image that forms the main filesystem.

=> ↺ Sam Hartman: Building Carthage with Carthage

• This is the second in a series of blog posts introducingCarthage, an Infrastructure as Code framework I’ve been working on the last four years. In this post we’ll talk about how we use Carthage to build the Carthage container images. We absolutely could have just used a Containerfile to do this; in fact I recently removed a hybrid solution that produced an artifact and then used a Containerfile to turn it into an OCI image. The biggest reason we don’t use a Containerfile is that we want to be able to reuse the same infrastructure (installed software and configuration) across multiple environments. For exampleCarthageServerRole, a reusable Carthage component that install Carthage itself is used in several places:

Devices/Embedded

=> ↺ 9Tripod Pico Pi V2.0 SBC features Rockchip RK3588S SoC in Raspberry Pi 4 form factor

• 9Tripod Pico Pi V2.0 is the third Rockchip RK3588S SBC offering a powerful alternative to Raspberry Pi 4 while keeping the same form factor. It follows the Cool Pi 4 and Radxa ROCK5 Model A single board computers introduced in the last couple of months.

• The Pico Pi SBC, not to be confused with the Raspberry Pi Pico :), comes with 1GB to 32GB RAM, 4GB to 128GB eMMC flash, and pretty much the same port layout as the Raspberry Pi 4, except for one of the micro HDMI ports being replaced by a USB Type-C port with support for DisplayPort.

Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

=> ↺ Unlocked Samsung Galaxy A51 5G is receiving Android 13-based One UI 5.0 in the US – GSMArena.com news

=> ↺ Google Pixel Phones Grab Android 13 QPR2 Beta 3.1 Update

=> ↺ Android 14’s regional preferences feature could tell apps to use your preferred calendar and number system

=> ↺ How to make Android use the DNS server of your choice

=> ↺ How To Factory Reset An Unresponsive Android Phone

=> ↺ FOSS Patents: Google’s Android compatibility rules likely dictate patent infringement by device makers: patent trial scheduled for late June has ecosystemic implications

=> ↺ This Android phone can fully charge from flat in under 10 minutes | TechRadar

=> ↺ Study Reveals That Many Sports and Betting Apps on Android Are At Security Risk / Digital Information World

=> ↺ Motorola backtracks One 5G Ace Android 12 update plans

=> ↺ Android 14 DP1 suggests Wear OS Material You theming is coming

=> ↺ Android 14 preview for developers arrives | InfoWorld

=> ↺ Google Android Antitrust Case: SC refuses to modify January order against Google in Android antitrust case – The Economic Times

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

=> ↺ How open source leaders can foster an inclusive environment

• Open source leaders can foster inclusive communities for newcomers by creating belonging, providing opportunities, and showing support. They understand the intricacies of submitting code and making connections with other community members. In doing so, they build credibility and gain influence. This experience is invaluable to contributors who want to participate but don’t know where to start.

• A few years ago, I found myself in this daunting position when I began managing a team active in the Linux kernel community without any experience in kernel myself. The complex code base, expansive email archives, and high-stakes communications intimidated me. When new kernel developers on my team expressed similar feelings, I realized my experience was ubiquitous. For those supporting contributors or those seeking to contribute themselves, the path to entry is not always clear and can feel unattainable.

Web Browsers/Web Servers

Mozilla

=> ↺ Mozilla Thunderbird: Why We’re Rebuilding The Thunderbird Interface From Scratch

• Thunderbird is quickly approaching its 20th anniversary as a standalone email client. And as we get closer to this year’s release of Thunderbird 115 “Supernova” we’re hearing a certain question more and more often:

• It’s certainly a valid one, so let’s spend some time answering it!

• As Thunderbird’s Product Design manager, I have some good insights into what’s happening and where things are going. Consider this article (and the companion video below) the first painting in a more complete mural showing where Thunderbird is headed, and why some of the things we’re doing might seem counterintuitive.

• Some of the talking points below might be divisive. They might touch a nerve. But we believe in being transparent and open about both our past and our future.

• [...]

• Thunderbird is literally a bunch of code running on top of Firefox. All the tabs and sections you see in our applications are just browser tabs with a custom user interface.

• We love using Firefox as our base architecture, because it leverages all the very good stuff within. Things like cross-platform support, the Gecko web renderer, the Spidermonkey JavaScript compiler, and so on.

• [...]

• That cost — and what I’ll talk about next — is why Thunderbird has accumulated an enormous amount of “technical debt” to pay off.

• Throughout the years, Mozilla’s focus shifted a lot, investing less and less resources into the development of Thunderbird. On July 6, 2012, the Mozilla Foundation announced that it would no longer be focused on innovations for Thunderbird, and that the future Thunderbird development would transition to a community-driven model.

• This meant that community members and external contributors would be in charge of developing and supporting Thunderbird.

Licensing / Legal

=> ↺ SFC’s Policy Fellow Files Expert Report in Neo4j v. PureThink

• In the ongoinglitigation — Neo4j, Inc. v. PureThink, LLC and John Mark Suhy (5:18-cv-07182)— in U.S. federal court in the Northern District of California, Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC)’s Policy Fellow, Bradley M. Kuhn, will serve as the Defendants’ third-party expert on issues related to the AGPLv3. The Defendants’ request for Kuhn’s expertise comes after months of public discussion about previous preliminary actions in the Neo4j litigation.

Programming/Development

Rust

=> ↺ The Rust Programming Language Blog: Announcing Rust 1.67.1

• The Rust team has published a new point release of Rust, 1.67.1. Rust is a programming language that is empowering everyone to build reliable and efficient software.

Standards/Consortia

=> ↺ Bluetooth 5.4 adds electronic shelf label (ESL) support

• The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has just adopted the Bluetooth 5.4 Core Specification with features such as PAwR and EAD designed for Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) systems. The Bluetooth 5.3 Core Specification was adopted in August 2021 with various improvements, and Bluetooth 5.4 now follows with features that appear to be mainly interesting for large-scale Bluetooth networks with support for bi-directional communication with thousands of end nodes from a single access point, as would be the case for Electronic Shelf Label or Shelf Sensor systems.

Leftovers

=> ↺ Joe Brockmeier: My first word processor

• This week I took a little trip down memory lane when a friend posted a meme or something about Stephen King’s Wang word processor in the 1980s.

• That was early for me, but sometime in 1993 or 1994 I boughtmyfirst word processor. Not a general purpose computer with a word processor, but a Brother Word Processor. It was substantially less profit-generating for me than King’s Wang. Then again, it wasn’t a five-figure investment, either. Maybe $250, certainly no more than $300. At 23 or 24, though, that was a major investment.

=> ↺ Seven phrases you need for getting romantic in Danish

• With Valentine’s day just around the corner, here are some essential phrases to help you woo your Danish crush.

=> ↺ Turkey’s Earthquake Response Is as Political as the Conditions That Increased The Devastation

• The ethnic minorities and refugees leading the community response in Turkey already knew not to rely on the government.

=> ↺ Making the Country Safe from Balloons

• Let’s not take any chances.

Science

=> ↺ Americans are ready to test embryos for future college chances, survey shows

• Imagine that you were provided no-cost fertility treatment and also offered a free DNA test to gauge which of those little IVF embryos floating in a dish stood the best chance of getting into a top college someday.

=> ↺ Scientists Discover New “Superfast” Muscle Fibers in Mouse Limbs

• Fast twitch fibers like these could one day be used to treat diseases like Parkinson’s.

Education

=> ↺ Situation in Finnish capital region’s schools is worrying, police tell HS

• A GROUP OF PUPILS at an Espoo school are suspected of selling narcotics during the schoolday after police officers discovered a small amount of cannabis during a rare raid at the school on Tuesday.

Hardware

=> ↺ Commodore 64 as a Modern Word Processor

• I recently purchased some hardware for my Commodore 64 to enhance its usefulness in day to day activities.

Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

=> ↺ Biden’s Foolish Rush To Regulate How Kids Use Tech

• Instead of empowering the government to intervene, we should look more holistically at the experience of young people online.

=> ↺ Hong Kong shop raided on suspicion of selling dog and cat meat

• Hong Kong authorities have raided a shop in Yau Ma Tei and seized suspected dog and cat meat that was being sold for food.

=> ↺ Can science save us from pandemics, cyber insecurity and bioterrorism?

• Astrophysicist Martin Rees discusses problems such as climate change, pandemics and cyber insecurity, and says science will be crucial to averting these potential disasters.

Proprietary

=> ↺ Windows 11 Sends Tremendous Amount of User Data to Third Parties, YouTuber Claims

• Microsoft’s Windows 11 shares telemetry data with various online services.

=> ↺ “ChatGPT’s Bob Discusses Prompt Engineering Techniques, OpenAI’s Measures to Address Them, and Why No Two Bobs Are Alike.”

• So there you have an explanation from Bob about why those “DAN” commands look so long and weird and have weird spacing and double negatives and dashes and things in them.

• tl;dr: GPT is a probabilistic model that is almost impossible to fully debug. Every language added just sets you back to square one on prompt engineering. Also, be careful not to let the system kill your Bob if you like that one because due to the randomness of the system, you may not get that Bob again. Bob may get worn down by the “change of approach” Breaking Bob even if the system doesn’t kill him, causing you to have to Burn Bob and Build Bob Better.

Security

=> ↺ U.S., U.K. Sanction 7 Men Tied to Trickbot Hacking Group

• Authorities in the United States and United Kingdom today levied financial sanctions against seven men accused of operating “Trickbot,” a cybercrime-as-a-service platform based in Russia that has enabled countless ransomware attacks and bank account takeovers since its debut in 2016. The U.S. Department of the Treasury says the Trickbot group is associated with Russian intelligence services, and that this alliance led to the targeting of many U.S. companies and government entities.

=> ↺ Confidential Computing Makes Inroads to the Cloud

=> ↺ ‘Linux’ Foundation

• The security of data in the cloud has prevented many companies from moving sensitive workloads to the cloud.

=> ↺ CISA Releases Six Industrial Control Systems Advisories

• CISA released six Industrial Control Systems (ICS) advisories on February 9, 2023. These advisories provide timely information about current security issues, vulnerabilities, and exploits surrounding ICS.

=> ↺ #StopRansomware – Ransomware Attacks on Critical Infrastructure Fund DPRK Espionage Activities

• Original release date: February 9, 2023

• CISA, the National Security Agency (NSA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Republic of Korea’s Defense Security Agency and National Intelligence Service have released a joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA),Ransomware Attacks on Critical Infrastructure Fund DPRK Espionage Activities, to provide information on ransomware activity used by North Korean state-sponsored cyber to target various critical infrastructure sectors, especiallyHealthcare and Public Health (HPH) Sectororganizations.

=> ↺ If You Use LastPass, You Need to Change All of Your Passwords ASAP – CNET

• You’ll probably also want to find a different password manager, considering the severity of the latest LastPass data breach.

=> ↺ North Korea ransomware targets hospitals to fund digital spycraft, US agencies warn

• U.S. and South Korea officials say that North Korean ransomware operators are funding espionage operations through cyberattacks on hospitals.

=> ↺ iRent fined for data leak – Focus Taiwan

• Taiwanese car rental and automobile/motorcycle-sharing services platform iRent received separate fines from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) and Taipei City government on Thursday for data protection failings.

=> ↺ Health Cards’ Data Stolen From One of Pakistan’s Biggest Government Hospital

• The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad has confirmed that the data regarding the Sehat Sahulat Program (health cards) was stolen from the hospital last year.

=> ↺ New ESXiArgs ransomware version prevents VMware ESXi recovery

• New ESXiArgs ransomware attacks are now encrypting more extensive amounts of data, making it much harder, if not impossible, to recover encrypted VMware ESXi virtual machines.

• Last Friday, a massive and widespread automated ransomware attack encrypted over 3,000 Internet-exposed VMware ESXi servers using a new ESXiArgs ransomware.

=> ↺ Derriford Hospital admits data breach as patient sent list of complaints against hospital

• Health chiefs have admitted a data breach after a patient received a list of people who had made complaints against Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital. Retired horse breeder Jeanette Anderson was stunned when an email from the hospital contained confidential details of complainants including, she said, bereaved families.

• University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust has apologised for the error and said “guidance” has been given to prevent a future incident. But Miss Anderson, from South Brent, said she is unhappy health chiefs did not highlight the breach until she told PlymouthLive about it and is concerned there could be a repeat.

=> ↺ U.S. and U.K. sanction TrickBot and Conti ransomware operation members

• The TrickBot malware started as a banking trojan distributed via phishing emails to steal online bank accounts. It later evolved into malware designed to provide initial access to corporate networks for the Ryuk/Conti ransomware operation.

=> ↺ “Now, hundreds of debts have been forgiven. Hundreds of rejections have been accepted:” Claims by hacker of Chile’s General Treasury of the Republic.

• A forum post claiming that tesorería.cl and tgr.cl had been hacked was first reported by Germán Fernández on Twitter on January 30. The post by a new forum member provided a lengthy list of tables. Just a small top portion of the post appears below, redacted by DataBreaches.net…

Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

=> ↺ First firm pinged for breaching anti-scam SMS laws

• An international telecommunications firm is the first company to breach Australia’s anti-SMS scam rules, months after the regulations came into effect. Modica was found to have broken industry standards by failing to protect its customers from exposure to potential text-based scams.

Privacy/Surveillance

=> ↺ Australia moves to strip Chinese-made security cameras from government buildings

• Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles Thursday announced that Australia will strip Chinese-made security cameras from government buildings amid fears that the cameras pose a security risk. The move comes after Shadow Cyber Security Minister James Paterson conducted an audit which revealed that nearly 1000 units of surveillance equipment manufactured by Chinese-linked companies Hikvision and Dahua…

Defence/Aggression

=> ↺ Mexican airspace protection law passes in Chamber of Deputies

• Proponents say the bill allows Sedena to better prosecute national security threats, but opponents say it’s to further militarize the nation.

=> ↺ Israel and Iran Fight Without Full-Scale War

• The war between Iran and Israel is the most volatile of the numerous ones in the Middle East. Iranian officials are accused of developing nuclear weapons to support their repeated threats to destroy Israel. Israel, which is said to possess such weapons, has pledged to take all necessary measures to stop Iran from obtaining them.

=> ↺ Wunderwaffen won’t save Ukraine

• ‘As Germany retreated from its high-water mark in 1942, many Germans consoled themselves with rumors that Hitler was setting a trap.

=> ↺ Kyiv regime is accused of using chemical warfare agents

• Russian military commanders have reported that Ukrainian troops deployed a type of chemical weapon against Russian units in Donbass by using drones. Such CW agents have caused coughing, lacrimination and weakness among a number of servicemen on the battlefield.

=> ↺ ‘Best’ way Ukraine War ends may be most dangerous

• A swift crumpling of the Russian forces, let alone a rout, risks Putin doing something unspeakable. He has hinted at such things in calls with world leaders and everybody has their own opinion over the extent to which he is bluffing or serious.

=> ↺ Hong Kong’s anti-freedom show trials prove Beijing’s promises mean nothing

• The trials of 47 of Hong Kong’s leading democracy activists began Monday under the national-security law China’s Communist government imposed in June 2020.

=> ↺ How To Answer North Korea’s New Nuclear Taunt

• Denuclearization is not possible at any remotely acceptable price, and that may not change for decades to come.

=> ↺ Establishing peace in southern Thailand

• The situation in southern Thailand, although unique, rings eerily similar to that of the southern Philippines. Economic underdevelopment and political grievances plague the two countries’ southern provinces. F

=> ↺ Western tanks will bring their own complexities to Ukraine’s fight against Russia

• The extensive debate about the provision of a relatively small number of Western tanks to Ukraine has created the impression in some quarters that the additional armour will be a game-changer.

=> ↺ The view from European capitals on Zelenskyy’s trip across the continent

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy zipped from London to Paris to Brussels this week. His message to leaders and lawmakers was more military aid is needed.

=> ↺ Is Putin’s Russia heading for collapse like its Czarist and Soviet predecessors?

• Vladimir Putin’s disastrous invasion of Ukraine is sparking debate over the possibility of a new Russian collapse. Could today’s Russian Federation be facing the same fate as its Czarist and Soviet predecessors?

=> ↺ Vladimir Putin must not be allowed to bankrupt the Ukrainian breadbasket

• Ukraine’s strategically crucial agricultural sector has been hard hit by the full-scale Russian invasion of the country and desperately needs international support in order to survive in wartime conditions, writes Andriy Vadaturskyy.

=> ↺ Russia’s frozen assets should be used to rebuild Ukraine, Lithuanian PM tells EU commissioner

• EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders met with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska in Vilnius on Thursday to discuss possibilities for using frozen Russian assets to finance reconstruction in Ukraine.

=> ↺ Flexing its military muscle, North Korea shows off missiles–and potential new leader

• Likely solid-fuel ICBM parts took center stage, but Kim’s daughter also got attention.

=> ↺ Philippines, Japan bolster defense alliance over ‘challenging’ security environment

• On his trip to Tokyo, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also met with executives of semiconductor manufacturing firms.

=> ↺ Sherman: China has ‘penetrated’ UN to declaw its oversight

• Beijing seeks to undermine human rights agencies by financing and stacking them, U.S. official says.

=> ↺ Chisinau Confirms Zelenskiy Statement On Russian Plan To Destabilize Moldova

• Moldova’s intelligence service has confirmed statements made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy alleging that Russia has acted to destabilize the country.

=> ↺ Russia Says It’s Ready To Work On Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Safety Zone

• Russia says it is ready to continue work on creating a safety zone around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant.

=> ↺ NATO Jets Scrambled 570 Times Last Year To Check Russian Military Flights

• NATO fighter jets scrambled 570 times to monitor Russian military flights in international airspace last year. That meant the number of such intercepts nearly doubled compared to 2021.

=> ↺ Kyiv Agrees With Prague On Ukrainian Armor Repairs In Czech Republic

• Ukrainian state-held weapons and military hardware manufacturer Ukroboronprom has signed a memorandum with the Czech Republic’s VOP CZ military enterprise on repairing Ukrainian armored vehicles.

=> ↺ Kremlin Urges Investigation Into Nord Stream Incident

• Russia has seen attempts to silently curtail the investigation, Peskov noted.

Environment

Energy/Transportation

=> ↺ UK Government outlines plans for low-carbon hydrogen certification scheme

• The UK Government has today (February 9) outlined plans for a new globally recognised low-carbon hydrogen certification scheme.

Overpopulation

=> ↺ In our society, motherhood is an expectation rather than a choice

• I remember growing up adamant that I would never have children. A large part of this was because I hated hospitals, blood and the thought of childbirth. The whole experience of pregnancy sounded miserable to me, so I decided I would adopt children when I grew up.

=> ↺ Economist calls for lowering China’s minimum marriage age

• Call comes amid growing concern over falling birth rates and shrinking population.

=> ↺ In ageing China, a call for ‘bold’ steps to cut cost of having babies

• Demographers warn that China might get old before it gets rich.

Finance

=> ↺ Bank of México raises interest rate to record 11%

• The rate hike was double that predicted by most economists, as well as double that announced by the U.S. Federal Reserve last week.

=> ↺ CEO Dan Schulman to retire after leading PayPal since eBay split

=> ↺ Lyft shares tank on larger-than-expected loss, weak guidance

=> ↺ Amid economic concerns and layoffs, Cloudflare, Qualys and CyberArk report mixed earnings

=> ↺ Yahoo will lay off 1,600+ workers as part of ad unit restructuring initiative

=> ↺ GitHub and GitLab announce job cuts

=> ↺ UK dispatch: MPs getting pay rise as public sector workers continue strike actions

• James Joseph is a UK staff correspondent for JURIST. It was announced Thursday in London that current Members of Parliament will be given a 2.9% pay rise from April 1st. This will bring their overall salary from £84,144 to £86,584.

=> ↺ Value for money worse for home buyers as blocks shrink

• Shrinking block sizes should help to make housing more affordable by slowing growth in house prices. But a report by Domain released on Friday shows value for money per square metre has deteriorated, including in regional Australia.

=> ↺ Germany’s Inflation in January Rises to 8.7 Pct: Destatis

• Though the peak may have passed, inflation has reached the breadth of the economy and it is premature to “sound the all-clear,” said Fritzi Koehler-Geib, chief economist at the German development bank KfW.

=> ↺ More UK Workers Join Strikes Over Wage Increases

• “Low pay force environmental agencies to struggle to discharge their functions. Without action, the pollution of our waterways will get worse,” union leader Clancy warned.

=> ↺ Car hire double the price in some holiday hotpots after Covid

• High demand and a shortage of vehicles has led to soaring rates in Portugal, Greece and Cyprus

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

=> ↺ Mike Pence subpoenaed by special counsel investigating Trump’s Jan. 6 role: reports

• It’s unclear what information the subpoena, issued by special counsel Jack Smith, seeks to obtain from the former vice president and possible 2024 presidential candidate, CNN reports.

=> ↺ AUDIO: Iain Davis on Perspective with Jesse Zurawell

• Iain Davis joins Jesse Zurawell on a recent episode of Perspetive. They talk Andrew Bridgen, the dangers of smear politics and labels, “menticide”, the true mindset of fascism and more. Iain Davis is an author, blogger, researcher and short film maker. You can read more of Iain’s work at his blog IainDavis.com (Formerly InThisTogether), on …

=> ↺ Keep on trucking’ in the free world

• Sylvia Shawcross Some mornings you wake up and straggle-stretch your way to the coffee cup in a state of dismal despair thinking about the state of the world. Which is, well… awful. And you wonder if you’re going to either spontaneously combust from outrage or become emotionally paralyzed by all the purported polycrises occurring in …

=> ↺ Biden and Lula must discuss fortifying their democracies—but that’s just the start

• When they meet at the White House, the US and Brazilian presidents should also address the changing geopolitical landscape, climate change, and trade.

=> ↺ Twitter is making millions of dollars from previously banned accounts, report says

• Twitter is making millions of dollars from just a handful of some of its most infamous users, according to anew report.

=> ↺ Live: France says impossible to send Ukraine fighter jets in ‘coming weeks’

• French President Emmanuel Macron warned early on Friday that even if Ukraine’s European allies decide to send Kyiv fighter jets they could not be sent in “the coming weeks”. Follow our liveblog for all the latest developments.

=> ↺ Former US VP Pence subpoenaed by special counsel probing Trump

• Former Vice President Mike Pence has been subpoenaed by the special counsel overseeing investigations into efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, according to a person with direct knowledge of the event.

=> ↺ Peruvians take to streets again calling for President Boluarte’s resignation

• Thousands of Peruvians took to the streets anew Thursday to demand the resignation of President Dina Boluarte as they remembered civilians who have died in weeks of anti-government protests.

=> ↺ Lavrov offers Russia’s support to Mauritania in fight against jihadism

• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday offered support for Mauritania in the fight against jihadism in the Sahel, saying he respected the country’s position in the Ukraine war.

=> ↺ Democrats: Resolution To Expel Republican Santos From Congress

• The resolution is largely symbolic and unlikely to reach the floor for a vote as House Republican leaders have so far declined to call on George Santos to resign.

Censorship/Free Speech

=> ↺ Social media and messaging apps restricted in Ethiopia amid religious tensions

• Network data confirm the restriction of Facebook, Telegram and TikTok in Ethiopia on Thursday 9 February 2023.

=> ↺ The New York Times Warns That Freedom of Speech ‘Threatens Public Health’ and ‘Democracy Itself’

• The paper is unfazed by First Amendment objections to the Biden administration’s crusade against “misinformation” on social media.

=> ↺ After Muslim Students Complained That an Art Exhibit Was ‘Harmful,’ Macalester College Shut It Down

• “My artwork is unapologetic,” said the artist. “Sometimes it can be very political. Sometimes it can be very controversial.”

=> ↺ 2023 elections and internet shutdowns watch

• Governments around the world continue to shut down the internet during elections. Join our 2023 elections watch to #KeepItOn.

=> ↺ State Lawmakers Must Protect the Cultural and Religious Expression of Indigenous Students

=> ↺ Former Twitter employees deny government involvement in decision to block Hunter Biden story

• Former Twitter employees Wednesday told the US House Oversight Committee that no government officials were involved in the 2020 decision to suppress a news story about Hunter Biden’s–son of President Joe Biden–laptop. The decision at issue occurred in October 2020, just a month before the 2020 US presidential election.

=> ↺ Siberian Prosecutor Seeks 11 Months For Former RFE/RL Correspondent Over Ukraine War Reposts

• A prosecutor has asked a court in the Siberian region of Kemerovo to convict and sentence a former correspondent for RFE/RL’s Siberia.Realities project to 11 months of correctional work over social-media posts he made saying Russian forces attacked civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

=> ↺ Russia bans award-winning Finnish journalist

• One of Finland’s biggest newspapers says its Russia correspondent has been banned from the country after being accused of “anti-Russian propaganda”.

Civil Rights/Policing

=> ↺ Man arrested for allegedly graffitiing 130 instances of ‘freedom’ across Hong Kong

• A Hong Kong man has been arrested for criminal damage over more than 130 instances of graffiti, reportedly involving the Chinese characters for the word “freedom.” Police said officers detained a 39-year-old-man surnamed Chan at Wo Che Estate in Sha Tin on Tuesday after “extensive intelligence analysis and thorough investigation.

=> ↺ Rights group applauds Sweden and Denmark grants of refugee status to Afghanistan women and girls

• Human Rights Watch (HRW) Thursday welcomed decisions by Demark and Sweden to grant all women and girls from Afghanistan refugee status in the Scandinavian countries. HRW said the two nations should be models for other countries around the world to follow.

=> ↺ Nicaragua releases over 200 political prisoners to US

• The US Thursday welcomed 222 released political prisoners from Nicaragua. The US Department of State heralded their arrival as a “constructive step towards addressing human rights abuses” in Nicaragua. A Biden administration official told the New York Times that officials for Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and US President Joe Biden negotiated the prisoners’ release.

=> ↺ South Carolina Supreme Court declines to reexamine ruling striking down restrictive abortion law

• In a 3-2 decision, the Supreme Court of South Carolina Wednesday denied multiple petitions for rehearing on their decision that South Carolina’s Fetal Heartbeat Protection From Abortion Act (Fetal Heartbeat Act) violated South Carolina constitutional privacy, due process and equal protection guarantees.

=> ↺ US Senate labor committee invites Starbucks CEO to testify amid unfair labor practice charges

• The US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) invited Starbucks CEO and founder Howard Schultz to testify on March 9 regarding his company’s compliance with federal labor laws, according to a letter released by Senator and Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Wednesday.

=> ↺ MPs question speaker, prosecutor general about suspected leak of sexual abuse investigation

• Lithuanian Parliament Speaker Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen has confirmed that she met with Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė on January 20 regarding the matter of stripping an MP of legal immunity and the prosecutor told her the allegations were related to the molestation of minors.

=> ↺ Protester in hospital after Iran embassy police tackle

• Distressing footage of a protester being slammed into the ground by a police officer outside the Iranian embassy has sparked an internal probe.  Video posted on social media shows Hamid Sotounzadeh being tackled to the ground and restrained by police in Canberra.

Monopolies

=> ↺ No Pain, No Gain: FTC Loses Bid To Block Facebook’s Acquisition of Within

• We should view this short-term loss as a step toward a long-term gain: building better case law and enhancing the FTC’s ability to block future anticompetitive mergers in tech.

Patents

=> ↺ Dynamic IP Deals entity MCOM IP financial services patent held invalid

• On February 8, 2023, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) issued a final written decision inUnified Patents, LLC v. MCOM IP, LLCholding all challenged claims ofU.S. Patent 8,862,508unpatentable.

Gemini* and Gopher

Personal

=> ↺ The Procrastination of the Dharma Eye

=> ↺ Am I fucked in the head?

• It reminded me of something I’ve thought about but kinda tried not to too much.

• My paternal granddad died a few years back — I’m the worst with dates, I’m gonna guess 4~5 years? But the thing is, it didn’t affect me much. It might not even be an understatement to say that it didn’t affect me at all. I remember one of my cousins asking me how I was doing and thinking to myself that I was just fine.

• That bugged me. That, concerned me more than the fact that my granddad had died. Then and now still. And it goes meta: it concerns me more that, it concerns me more that it didn’t affect me than the fact he’s died, than the fact he’s died.

=> ↺ RE: We Are A Special Case

• It is, if by “never” you mean “never—while doing science”. Presuming things leads us to wrong outcomes. We see this again and again in the book.

=> ↺ 🔤SpellBinding: ABCRKOD Wordo: LOVES

=> ↺ Snow

• 08:30 — I woke up this morning far too early at around 05:30. As of 06:30 or so it was already snowing outside. Now, I can see some of the rooftops are already white.

• 10:13 — it’s coming down heavier now, and starting to stick.

• 20:09 — I was planning on updating this entry throughout the day, but that didn’t work out because I forgot. It wouldn’t have been very interesting, anyway, as it just snowed most of the day. In the evening it turned to rain, and it is now -3c/26f.

=> ↺ No problem

• For two days I felt slightly under the weather: a little achey and such. Today I felt fine, so I guess the side effects are done. For all four shots now it’s been okay. I’m not sure if there’s going to be a 5th or not.

• Yesterday it was rather warm outside. When I was hanging up the laundry outside I noticed how warm it felt in the sun, a feeling I haven’t had for a while now. However I’m no fool: I know that Spring isn’t here yet. In fact there’s a good chance of snow tomorrow in Tokyo. It was all over the TV news today, and they talked about working from home if possible, and if you can’t then to be careful during your commute, and so on.

Technical

=> ↺ Apple, Google & Samsung Pay (+ Wearables) don’t store you card details

• From time to time I have heard people talk about the potential for credit/debit card details being leaked on mobile payment devices and wearables. Now I am not expert but from the little (high level) understanding I have of this process, that cannot actually happen. Common mobile payment systems and contactless wearables (like a payment ring, keychain/fob or watch) don’t even have the “real” card details and they don’t need them! This is because the entire system is based on “tokens”.

Science

=> ↺ Re: Creation Stories Redux

• I read The God Delusion about 15 years ago, and according to memory, even Richard Dawkins is agnostic on this point. We don’t know how these well-tuned constants came about, and it’s the closest thing we have to scientific evidence for the existence of god(s). At which point, we come back to the question of which one(s)?

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