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● 05.14.23

Gemini version available ♊︎

● Links 14/05/2023: GNU Shepherd 0.10.0 and GNU poke 3.2

Posted in News Roundup at 12:42 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNU/Linux

=> ↺ Linux Links ☛ Linux Around The World: USA – Arizona

• We cover user groups that are running in the US state of Arizona. This article forms part of our Linux Around The World series.

Audiocasts/Shows

=> ↺ Tux Digital ☛ Sudo Show 62: Linux Desktop Application Landscape

• The Hosts get back together to talk about our point of view on the previous and current state of the Linux app ecosystem and development state as a follow up to episode 61…

Instructionals/Technical

=> ↺ Trend Oceans ☛ [Solved] Termux Package Management Issue

• Today you will learn the cause of the Termux package management issue, how to solve it, and other ways to solve it. If you have installed the Termux app from the Playstore, you might face the below error while upgrading or installing the package on an Android device.

=> ↺ The New Stack ☛ Install Sentry to Monitor Live Applications

• If you’re a developer, you’re probably interested in keeping tabs on live applications.

=> ↺ TecAdmin ☛ How to Delete/drop all Tables from a Database in MySQL

• When managing your MySQL databases, there may come a time when you need to delete or “drop” all tables, essentially emptying the database. This task, while not complicated, requires a solid understanding of SQL syntax and commands.

=> ↺ TecAdmin ☛ How to Use Shell Scripting to Automate Tasks

• Shell scripting is a powerful tool that can be used to automate tasks on your computer. Shell scripts are written in a scripting language called the shell, which is a command-line interpreter.

=> ↺ ID Root ☛ How To Install Icinga 2 on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Icinga 2 on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. For those of you who didn’t know, Are you looking to monitor your network and infrastructure for issues and potential problems? Then Icinga might be just what you need.

=> ↺ Linux Capable ☛ How to Disable SELinux on Fedora 38/37/36 Linux

• In server administration, understanding how to manage Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux) on a Fedora Server is paramount. This comprehensive guide offers a step-by-step approach to disabling SELinux, providing valuable insights for experienced professionals and field newcomers.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Python Gzip Decompress Function

• The terms encode and decode are used to compress or decompress or convert the input to some other not understandable format. These techniques are usually used for security purposes. In this article, we will discuss the use and examples of gzip.decompress(s), the decompressing function of the gzip library in Python.

=> ↺ TecAdmin ☛ How to Use Python with MySQL for Web Development

• Python and MySQL are two of the most powerful tools for web development. Python is lauded for its simplicity and versatility, while MySQL is an open-source relational database management system that is widely used for web-based applications. When used together, they can be a formidable pair for creating dynamic and interactive web applications.

=> ↺ Trend Oceans ☛ How to Fix Missing Settings in Ubuntu on a GNOME Desktop Environment

• Follow the basic steps to fix the missing settings option in Ubuntu or any distro that has a GNOME-based desktop environment. When you try to find setting options, you will not find them in activities or even in the quick applet section, as shown below.

=> ↺ Trend Oceans ☛ How to Fix Exception ‘open failed: EACCES (Permission denied)’ on Android 11/12

• Today, I was working with my old program, which I had made in December 2020. Due to some odd reason, I delayed my app development process.

=> ↺ Trend Oceans ☛ How to Extract a .7z Compressed File from Terminal in Linux

• Have you downloaded a 7z compressed file and are trying to find a way to extract it? Read this guide to learn how you can extract a 7z compressed file from the terminal in no time. File owners choose several types of compression utilities as per their requirements.

=> ↺ UNIX Cop ☛ How to install Electron Framework on Ubuntu 22.04

• In this post, you will learn how to install Electron Framework on Ubuntu 22.04 For those who don’t know, Electron is a framework for creating applications. Electron allows you to build cross-platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

=> ↺ How to install OpenCV for Python on Ubuntu 22.04, 20.04 or others

• We are going to learn the commands to install OpenCV (Open Source Computer Vision Library) on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 Linux system using the terminal. OpenCV is a Python library for those who develop applications for computer vision and machine learning.

=> ↺ Linux Capable ☛ How to Install ReactJS on Ubuntu 22.04 | 20.04

• ReactJS, often simply referred to as React, is a robust, open-source JavaScript library developed and maintained by Facebook. It is primarily used to create interactive user interfaces (UIs) for single-page applications, leading to a smooth and seamless user experience. React works by rendering efficient components, which are simple, reusable pieces of JavaScript code.

=> ↺ Linux Capable ☛ How to Install TypeScript on Ubuntu 22.04 | 20.04 [Ed: It's a Microsoft attack on the Free software; don't use it]

• If you’ve been involved in the ever-evolving world of web development, there’s a high chance you’ve heard about TypeScript. TypeScript is a powerful, statically-typed superset of JavaScript that brings you optional static typing and solid object-oriented programming capabilities.

=> ↺ Linux Capable ☛ How to Install FreeOffice on Linux Mint 21/20

• When it comes to productivity software suites, you may think of giants like Microsoft Office or open-source champions such as LibreOffice. However, for Linux Mint users, there’s a compelling alternative that’s free, feature-packed, and fully compatible with both of the aforementioned suites: FreeOffice.

=> ↺ Launching to Success: Mastering Job Execution in Kubernetes

• Introduction Kubernetes is a container orchestration system that has become an industry standard for deploying and managing containerized applications. It was originally developed by Google, but it has been open-sourced and is now maintained by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF).

=> ↺ Unleashing the Power of Kubernetes: Mastering Volume Management for Optimal Persistence

• The Importance of Volume Management in Kubernetes Kubernetes is an open-source platform that provides automated deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. It is becoming increasingly popular in the world of cloud computing due to its ability to manage container orchestration. With Kubernetes, developers can easily deploy and manage their applications across different environments.

=> ↺ TecAdmin ☛ The Ultimate Guide to Backing Up and Restoring Your Ubuntu System

• Ubuntu, a popular operating system based on the Linux kernel, offers robust functionality and stability. However, like any other digital environment, it is susceptible to data loss due to human error, hardware failure, or malware.

=> ↺ Linux Links ☛ Alternatives to popular CLI tools: split

• This article spotlights alternative tools to split, a utility that splits a file into pieces.

=> ↺ DebugPoint ☛ 10 Things to do After Installing Arch Linux

• Arch Linux gives you a solid foundation to build your own custom Linux distribution. If you have installed a very basic Arch Linux installation using the archinstall or any other script, then it’s time to perform some post-installation steps to tailor your system.

• This article assumes that there are no GUI or desktop environments installed in your base Arch Linux system, so these steps can be applied to the majority of the user.

Desktop Environments/WMs

K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt

=> ↺ KDE ☛ KDE Frameworks 5.106.0

• KDE today announces the release of KDE Frameworks 5.106.0.

• KDE Frameworks are 83 addon libraries to Qt which provide a wide variety of commonly needed functionality in mature, peer reviewed and well tested libraries with friendly licensing terms. For an introduction see the KDE Frameworks release announcement.

• This release is part of a series of planned monthly releases making improvements available to developers in a quick and predictable manner.

=> ↺ Volker Krause ☛ Plasma 6 Sprint 2023

• Last weekend I attended the first few days of the Plasma 6 Sprint in Augsburg, Germany. While I’m not deeply involved with the Plasma development as such, there’s plenty of overlap with KDE Frameworks topics there as well.

• The Plasma sprint was originally planned for April 2020, with accommodation and some trips already having been booked, but then COVID interfered. For me this was the last 2020 event to catch up with, after the recent PIM Sprint in Toulouse, so that part of 2020 is now finally concluded.

• Having missed Akademy last year this was also the first opportunity to finally meet some people again who I hadn’t seen in over three years, and to meet some people for the first time who have joined in recent years (as well as meeting some people I have met in three different countries this year alone already). That’s always the best part of sprints

=> ↺ Neowin ☛ Kdenlive 23.04.1

• Kdenlive is an acronym for KDE Non-Linear Video Editor. It works on GNU/Linux, Windows and BSD. Through the MLT framework, Kdenlive integrates many plugin effects for video and sound processing or creation. Furthermore Kdenlive brings a powerful titling tool, a DVD authoring (menus) solution, and can then be used as a complete studio for video creation.

GNOME Desktop/GTK

=> ↺ Sriyansh Shivam: GSoC 2023 [Ed: “GNOME Foundation is a non-profit organization” is false because it’s acting as a front group for greedy for-profit corporations]

=> ↺ Sriyansh Shivam: GSoC 2023 [Ed: “GNOME Foundation is a non-profit organization” is false because it’s acting as a front group for greedy for-profit corporations]

• Google Summer of Code is a global, online program focused on bringing new contributors into open source software development. GSoC Contributors work with an open source organization on a 12+ week programming project under the guidance of mentors.

• GNOME Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Orinda, California, United States, coordinating the efforts in the GNOME project. The GNOME Foundation works to further the goal of the GNOME project: to create a computing platform for use by the general public that is composed entirely of free software.

Distributions and Operating Systems

Debian Family

=> ↺ Petter Reinholdtsen ☛ Petter Reinholdtsen: OpenSnitch in Debian ready for prime time

• A bit delayed, the interactive application firewall OpenSnitch package in Debian now got the latest fixes ready for Debian Bookworm. Because it depend on a package missing on some architectures, the autopkgtest check of the testing migration script did not understand that the tests were actually working, so the migration was delayed. A bug in the package dependencies is also fixed, so those installing the firewall package (opensnitch) now also get the GUI admin tool (python3-opensnitch-ui) installed by default. I am very grateful to Gustavo Iñiguez Goya for his work on getting the package ready for Debian Bookworm.

Devices/Embedded

=> ↺ CNX Software ☛ GL.iNet Spitz AX review – Part 2: a router with 5G NR, WiFi 6, 2.5GbE, failover and load balancing

• GL.Inet Spitz AX 5G NR and WiFi 6 router, also known as GL-X3000NR, is a promising OpenWrt router bringing fixed broadband-like speeds through 5G NR (depending on where you live see House 1 vs House 2 in the review) with Failover and Load Balance modes so you can always get networking connectivity even if your main broadband connection goes down, or combined fixed broadband and 5G bandwidth for extra performance. It also includes plenty of features such as VPN (WireGuard, OpenVPN, ToR), support for network shares through its USB 2.0 port, Home Adguard to get rid of ads and tracking, and support for services such as ZeroTier and Tailscale.

• 5G, WiFi 6, and 2.5GbE performance did not disappoint, but the beta firmware still has some issues, notably with stability as I had to refresh web pages or video streaming stopped from time to time when connected to the router. The modem did not automatically reconnect when driving a car in a zone without coverage and entering a city, I had to go to the Admin Panel and manually reconnected. I was also unable to transfer a file using SAMBA through a USB hard drive connected to the router over WiFi, albeit it worked fine over Ethernet. The company sent several samples to beta testers, so hopefully, all those issues will be improved upon soon enough.

=> ↺ Linux Gizmos ☛ SBC boasts i.MX 8M Plus processor for machine learning

• The eDM-SBC-iMX8MP is a Single Board Computer that runs Linux on the NXP i.MX8M Plus quad-processor with an integrated Neural Processing Unit and HiFi4 DSP.

• The datasheet indicates that this DATA MODUL SBC can be ordered with two variants of the NXP i.MX8M Plus processor. The main differences noticed is that one of the processor variants has a slower frequency (1.6GHz) and it doesn’t include the Tensilica HiFi4 DSP.

Open Hardware/Modding

=> ↺ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Kubernetes Cluster Features 8 Raspberry Pis, Custom PCB

• Alexander Rau has created a custom Raspberry Pi-powered cluster using Kubernetes with automated functions handled by Ansible.

=> ↺ Andrew Hutchings ☛ Acorn Archimedes A3000: Restoration Part 4

• After a lot of work I did in parallel for my previous post, almost everything is done. Now we need to check everything together and reassemble the machine! PSU Check As the PSU only produces a 5v output the test was relatively easy.

=> ↺ Tedium ☛ The Artist and the Amiga

• Andy Warhol was enamored with the first computer he ever owned—and he didn’t seem all that worried about the risks of disruption.

Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

=> ↺ Android Police ☛ Google wants Wear OS 4 to push health tracking to its limit

=> ↺ Mirror UK ☛ If your Android phone is on this list you can try stunning new features before anyone else – Mirror Online

=> ↺ GSM Arena ☛ Nokia G11 is receiving Android 13 update – GSMArena.com news

=> ↺ Make Use Of ☛ Google Maps Voice Navigation Isn’t Working on Android? Here’s How to Fix It

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

GNU Projects

=> ↺ GNU ☛ GNU Shepherd 0.10.0 released

• We are pleased to announce the GNU Shepherd version 0.10.1. This release represents 132 commits by two people. It is a major overhaul of shepherd internals, addressing shortcomings and providing new features that help comprehend system state.

=> ↺ poke @ Savannah: GNU poke 3.2 released

• I am happy to announce a new release of GNU poke, version 3.2. This is a bugfix release in the 3.x series. See the file NEWS in the distribution tarball for a list of issues fixed in this release. The tarball poke-3.2.tar.gz is now available at https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/poke/poke-3.2.tar.gz. GNU poke (http://www.jemarch.net/poke) is an interactive, extensible editor for binary data.  Not limited to editing basic entities such as bits and bytes, it provides a full-fledged procedural, interactive programming language designed to describe data structures and to operate on them. Thanks to the people who contributed with code and/or documentation to this release. Happy poking! Jose E. Marchesi Frankfurt am Main 13 May 2023

Programming/Development

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ How to Use Not Equal Operator in PHP with Examples

• The not equal operator is a comparison operator that returns a boolean value of true if the two values being compared are not equal and false otherwise.

=> ↺ Sergio Durigan Junior: Ubuntu debuginfod and source code indexing

• You might remember that in my last post about the Ubuntu debuginfod service I talked about wanting to extend it and make it index and serve source code from packages. I’m excited to announce that this is now a reality since the Ubuntu Lunar (23.04) release.

• The feature should work for a lot of packages from the archive, but not all of them. Keep reading to better understand why.

• While debugging a package in Ubuntu, one of the first steps you need to take is to install its source code.

=> ↺ Woodpecker CI with automatic runner creation

• I’ve been happily using Woodpecker CI to get CI for my repositories on Codeberg. Codeberg is a non-profit community-driven git repository hosting platform, so they can’t provide free CI to everyone.

• Since I run lots of stuff on small arm boards (for example this website), I need my CI jobs to create arm executables. The easiest way to get that done is to just compile on arm devices, so I was happy to see that Hetzner is now offering arm nodes in their cloud offering.

=> ↺ C.J. Collier: Early Access: Inserting JSON data to BigQuery from Spark on Dataproc

• Hello folks!

• We recently received a case letting us know that Dataproc 2.1.1 was unable to write to a BigQuery table with a column of type JSON. Although the BigQuery connector for Spark has had support for JSON columns since 0.28.0, the Dataproc images on the 2.1 line still cannot create tables with JSON columns or write to existing tables with JSON columns.

• The customer has graciously granted permission to share the code we developed to allow this operation. So if you are interested in working with JSON column tables on Dataproc 2.1 please continue reading!

• Use the following gcloud command to create your single-node dataproc cluster: [...]

Python

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Matplotlib Plot Multiple Lines

• “Matplotlib” provides functions such as “plt.plot()” to plot multiple lines on same plot. These lines can also be plotted via different line styles and colors.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Python Find First Occurrence in String

• The “find()” method, “index()” method, and “rfind()” and “rindex()” functions are used to find the first occurrence in a string in Python.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Python Removes Newline From a String

• To remove newline from a string in Python, “strip()” method, “replace()” method, “List Comprehension” with “join()” method, or “re.sub()” function can be used.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ SciPy Cosine Similarity

• “Cosine similarity” is a useful metric for comparing the similarity of two vectors in high-dimensional space and can be calculated via Python’s “scipy” library.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Python Networking

• “Python Networking” allows developers to create server and client applications, send and receive data over network, and manage network protocols effortlessly.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Python Urlparse()

• In Python, the “urlparse()” function is used to parse URLs and extract specific parts of the URL such as the scheme, network location, path, etc.

Leftovers

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Singer Loreen makes history as Sweden wins Eurovision for seventh time

• Sweden won the Eurovision Song Contest early Sunday, as singer Loreen beat out 25 competitors in the finale of the world’s biggest live music event, hosted by Britain on behalf of war-torn Ukraine.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Canada’s ‘Most Photographed House’ May Meet the Wrecking Ball

• Municipal orders to tear down or fix the dilapidated 19th-century Ontario farmhouse have devastated photographers who see in it the faded grandeur of a bygone era.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Syria Extends Opening of 2 Border Crossings With Turkey for Quake Aid

• The Syrian government has agreed to extend by another three months the use of two border crossings with Turkey into the rebel-held northwest that were opened for aid delivery after a deadly earthquake in February

=> ↺ Off Guardian ☛ There Is No Escape From Telling

• By the lake’s lapping shore above the town and the railroad tracks, my wife and I stopped and marveled, struck stone silent by two dazzling Baltimore Orioles, clawed together as they tumbled, wrestling in the green morning breeze above our heads.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Syria Extends Permission on Post-Quake Aid Border Crossings for 3 Months

Science

=> ↺ Science Alert ☛ JWST Takes Our Closest Look Yet at a Steamy And Mysterious Mini-Neptune

• An enigma wrapped in a dense cloud layer.

=> ↺ Science Alert ☛ Giant Bubbles Surrounding The Milky Way Are More Complex Than We Thought

• A truly vast, mysterious phenomenon.

=> ↺ Science Alert ☛ Scientists Think They Know How This Extinct Bear-Like Marsupial Got So Big

• It even had specially adapted opposable thumbs.

=> ↺ Science Alert ☛ Mushrooms Appear to Have Electrical ‘Conversations’ After It Rains

• What are they saying?

Hardware

=> ↺ Science Alert ☛ Scientists Just Unveiled The World’s First Wooden Electrical Transistor

• It even works… kind of.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Tennessee Company Refuses US Request to Recall 67 Million Potentially Dangerous Air Bag Inflators

• A Tennessee company could be heading for a legal battle with U.S. auto safety regulators after refusing a request to recall millions of potentially dangerous air bag inflators

Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

=> ↺ New Yorker ☛ If Corporations, Rather Than the Corporatized U.S. Health-Care System, Handled Childbirth

• Netflix: Hours into labor, the doctor pauses to ask, “Are you still pushing?”

=> ↺ Helsinki Times ☛ Traffic-related air pollution weakens brain function: Study

• Memory loss, cognitive decline, and the activation of neural pathways linked to the start of Alzheimer’s disease were shown to be caused by exposure to air pollution caused by traffic in Irvine, according to research from the University of California, Irvine.

• Masashi Kitazawa, PhD, associate professor of environmental and occupational health in the UCI Programme in Public Health, is the corresponding and senior author of the study.

=> ↺ Helsinki Times ☛ Study reveals how brain interprets taste

• Taste is a complicated neurological experience that has the potential to reveal vast, and maybe startling, information on how the brain makes sense of sensations and the organisation of brain networks. A National Institutes of Health-funded study conducted by Christian H. Lemon, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Biology in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences, aims to better understand how the brain processes taste and how those neural connections might change.

=> ↺ Helsinki Times ☛ Study discovers low levels of vitamin D association with long Covid

• Long-term COVID risk has been observed to rise with low vitamin D levels, according to a study presented at the 25th European Congress of Endocrinology in Istanbul.

• The findings imply that people should have their vitamin D levels monitored following COVID-19.

=> ↺ Science Alert ☛ Mouse Study Reveals Unlikely Connection Between Menthol And Alzheimer’s

• Sniff.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Afghanistan Reports First Polio Case This Year

• Afghanistan on May 13 reported its first polio case this year after a 4-year-old child was diagnosed with the crippling disease.

Security

Privacy/Surveillance

=> ↺ Internet Freedom Foundation ☛ We wrote to the Election Commissioner of India on the use of Facial Recognition Technology for voter verification in Karnataka

• We asked them to immediately cease the use in light of the potential harms it may cause.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ French Catholic Church to provide clergy with scannable IDs to battle sexual abuse

• Rattled by repeated cases of sexual abuse over the years, the French Catholic Church will soon provide digital ID cards with scannable QR codes that will offer colour-coded background information – ranging from green to orange to red – on bishops, priests and deacons. But the new measure is raising eyebrows.

=> ↺ LRT ☛ KGB collaborators in Lithuania misunderstood – historian

• Throughout the Soviet occupation of Lithuania, KGB recruited thousands of people to collaborate. What do we know about them?

Defence/Aggression

=> ↺ JURIST ☛ Colombia prosecutor’s office to investigate coup threats made by retired colonel amidst protests

• The Colombian Prosecutor’s Office is currently investigating statements made by a retired army colonel who spoke of “defenestraring” the president during a radio interview on Thursday. The controversial statements implied support of a coup d’etat against the president.

=> ↺ Federal News Network ☛ Zelenskyy meets Pope Francis at Vatican and seeks backing for Ukraine’s peace plan

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met with Pope Francis at the Vatican, saying later he sought the pontiff’s support for his peace plan. Earlier on Saturday, during the Ukrainian leader’s visit to Rome, he also met with Italian officials. The pontiff has previously offered his efforts to try to end the war that Russia began with its invasion of Ukraine a year ago.  Earlier on Saturday, Zelenskyy received assurances from Italian leaders of continued military and financial support. Francis has previously said the Vatican has launched a behind-the-scenes initiative to try to end the war.

=> ↺ Federal News Network ☛ Poland detects object in its airspace that flew from Belarus, likely observation balloon

• Poland’s Defense Ministry says it has detected an object in its airspace that flew in from the direction of Belarus and that it was probably an observation balloon. The ministry said Saturday that radar contact with the object was lost near the town of Rypin in central Poland. The ministry said that the Territorial Defense Forces were deployed to search for the object. The development follows two other known incursions into Poland’s air space since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which lies on Poland’s eastern border.

=> ↺ NYPost ☛ Russian missiles hit hometown of Ukraine’s Eurovision contestants

• As the Eurovision song contest was underway in Britain late on Saturday, Russian missiles hit the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, which is home to the electro-pop duo Tvorchi, this year’s contestants from Ukraine.

=> ↺ Off Guardian ☛ Sowing Seeds of Plunder: A Lose-Lose Situation in Ukraine

• It’s a lose-lose situation for Ukrainians. While they are dying, financial institutions are insidiously supporting the consolidation of farmland by oligarchs and Western financial interests. So says Frédéric Mousseau, Policy Director of the Oakland Institute, an independent think tank.

=> ↺ The Straits Times ☛ Philippines places buoys in parts of South China Sea to assert sovereignty

• Five buoys carrying the national flag were set up from May 10 to 12 in five areas within the EEZ.

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ Chinese FM Proposes Three Principles for China-Europe Relations

• “What the international community needs most is peaceful development, fairness and justice, and progress rather than retrogression. The Cold War is a tragedy for mankind.”

=> ↺ France24 ☛ 🔴 Live: Zelensky in Berlin to meet German leaders, discuss arms deliveries

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday met his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on his first trip to Germany since Russia’s invasion. He is expected to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz later Sunday. The visit comes as Zelensky seeks further arms deliveries to help his country fend off the Russian invasion, and funds to rebuild what’s been destroyed by more than a year of devastating conflict.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Zelensky says he thanked pope for support over Ukraine ‘tragedy’

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had thanked Pope Francis during a meeting in the Vatican Saturday for focusing on the plight of millions of Ukrainians after the Russian invasion. Earlier in the day, Germany pledged to send a new weapons package to Ukraine worth €2.7 billion ($2.97 billion), reportedly Berlin’s largest since the Russian invasion last year. Read our live blog to see how all the day’s events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Parties at Kyiv nightclubs amid the war? Watch out for these misleading images

• A video compilation circulating since May 3 claims to show that – despite the war – the party is in full swing at Kyiv’s nightclubs, with revelers taking advantage of foreign aid meant for Ukraine’s war effort. Most of these images date from before the war, however, and some of the establishments that were filmed have been closed since the conflict began in February 2022.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Ukraine’s Zelenskiy In Berlin As Germany Announces Billions In New Military Aid

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has held crucial meetings with German leaders in Berlin, shortly after Germany announced a $3 billion military aid package to help Kyiv in its fight against the Russian invasion.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ China, Russia Increasing Military Collaboration, Japan Warns

• Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed concern on May 13 about Russian and Chinese military cooperation in Asia and said the security situation in Europe could not be separated from that in the Indo-Pacific region since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Multiple Russian Jets, Helicopters Reportedly Crash Near Ukrainian Border

• At least one Russian warplane and a military helicopter have crashed in the Bryansk region bordering Ukraine, Russian emergency services were quoted by TASS news agency as saying, with several reports claiming the craft had been shot down.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy Gets Backing In Rome As Germany Announces $3 Billion Military Aid For Ukraine

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy received vocal backing from Italian leaders in Rome on May 13 as Germany announced a $3 billion military aid package for Kyiv — the biggest since the start of Russia’s unprovoked invasion — ahead of a visit by the Ukrainian leader to Berlin.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Thanks Germany for ‘Fantastic Solidarity’ in Visit

=> ↺ CS Monitor ☛ Spurred by shootings, protesters march against Serbia’s populist leaders

• Many chanted slogans against Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic, whom they blame for creating an atmosphere of hopelessness and division in the country.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ U.S. Embassy Slams Bosnian Serbs’ Possible ‘Strengthening’ Of Russia Ties

• The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo says no government should expand its cooperation with Russia while it continues its aggression in Ukraine in response to a comment by the Kremlin’s spokesman about the possible strengthening of relations between Russia and the Serb-dominated entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Military Honors for Ukrainian President as He Visits Germany to Discuss Arms Deliveries

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been welcomed with military honors by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on his first visit to Germany since Russia invaded Ukraine

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Russian Missiles Hit Home Town of Ukraine’s Eurovision Contestants

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Ukraine Says Its Troops Are Advancing in Two Directions in Bakhmut Suburbs

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ South Africa Is ‘Actively Non-Aligned’ on Ukraine War, Says Government

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ China and Russia Are Increasing Their Military Collaboration, Japan’s Foreign Minister Warns

• Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi has expressed concern about Russian and Chinese military cooperation in Asia, saying the security situation in Europe could not be separated from that in the Indo-Pacific region since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Germany to Provide 2.7 Billion Euro Military Aid Package to Ukraine

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Germany Announces $3 Billion Military Aid Package for Ukraine Ahead of Expected Zelenskyy Visit

• Germany says it’s providing Ukraine with additional military aid worth more than 2.7 billion euros ($3 billion) including tanks, anti-aircraft systems and ammunition

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ EU Must Speed up Supply of Ammunition to Ukraine – Borrell

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Four Russian Military Aircraft Shot Down Near Ukraine, Russian Daily Reports

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Rheinmetall and Ukraine’s Ukroboronprom Form JV to Build, Repair Tanks

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Russia Says Ukraine Used Storm Shadow Missiles From Britain to Attack Luhansk

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Lands in Germany in Bid to Shore up Support

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Pope Assures Zelensky He’s in ‘Constant Prayer’ For Peace in Ukraine

• The Ukrainian president’s talks with the pope and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni came at a potentially pivotal moment in the war with Russia, as Kyiv’s forces make advances near the key city of Bakhmut.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Zelensky Meets With German Leaders After Their Massive Weapons Pledge

• The two nations are trying to improve cooperation after a year marred by diplomatic spats over Berlin’s sluggish response to Ukrainian pleas for military aid.

=> ↺ YLE ☛ Temporary housing donated by Finland arrives in Irpin

• Housing constructed and donated by Finland was handed over to Ukrainian families in the city of Irpin on Saturday.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ As Ukraine Makes Inroads in Bakhmut, Devastation Still Reigns

• The fight for Bakhmut is now the war’s single longest and bloodiest battle. Although the Ukrainians are making small gains, Russia still controls about 90 percent of the largely ruined city.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Germany Announces Its Biggest Ukraine Aid Package Yet

• The nearly $3 billion package is part of an effort by both sides to reset rocky relations, which have become increasingly important to maintaining European unity in backing the war.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ At Eurovision, Ukrainians Find Community Far From Home

• This year, the competition is hosted by Liverpool, England, on behalf of Ukraine. A discounted ticket plan means thousands of displaced Ukrainians can attend.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Head of Russia’s Crime Agency Suggests Nationalising Key Parts of Economy

=> ↺ YLE ☛ Paper: Russia annulling Finnish visas on border

• Russia appears to have started invalidating Finnish visas at its border crossings, reports Helsingin Sanomat.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Seven Troops, Six Militants Killed In Pakistan Attack, Military Says

• Six militants and seven members of the security forces were killed in fighting triggered by a militant attack on a military compound in Muslim Bagh, a district in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan Province.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Erdogan’s Loss in Turkey’s Election Would Stir Anxiety in Moscow

• European leaders would be delighted to have “an easier Turkey,” while Russia could lose an important economic and diplomatic partnership should the Turkish leader lose power in Sunday’s elections.

=> ↺ Federal News Network ☛ Islamic Jihad leader says cease-fire reached with Israel

• A leader of the Islamic Jihad militant group in Gaza says a cease-fire has been reached with Israel to end five days of heavy fighting. Mohamad al-Hindi told the Al Kahera Wal Nas channel that the Egyptian-brokered deal would go into effect at 10 p.m. (1900 GMT). As he spoke, Israel reported continued rocket fire out of the Gaza Strip. There was no Israeli comment on the cease-fire announcement. But the Egyptian station had earlier reported a deal was imminent. A similar announcement last week by Egypt unraveled amid continued fighting. The fighting has killed 33 Palestinians inside Gaza, including at least 13 civilians. Two people were killed by rocket fire in Israel.

=> ↺ Federal News Network ☛ Kenya cult death toll hits 200, with more than 600 reported missing

• The death toll linked to a doomsday cult in Kenya has hit 201 after police exhumed 22 more bodies on Saturday. Most of them bore signs of starvation, according to the coast regional commissioner. More than 600 people are still missing. The bodies are believed to be followers of a pastor based in coastal Kenya, Paul Mackenzie. He’s alleged to have ordered congregants to starve till death in order to meet Jesus. Mackenzie who was arrested last month, remains in custody. Police plan to charge him with terror-related offenses. The bodies have been dug up from dozens of mass graves spread across his 800-acre property located in the coastal county of Kilifi.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Israel and Islamic Jihad reach cease-fire to end five days of fighting

• Israel and the Islamic Jihad militant group in the Gaza Strip agreed to an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire late Saturday, ending five days of intense fighting that left 33 Palestinians, including at least 13 civilians, dead. Two people in Israel were killed by rocket fire.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Israel, Gaza trade rocket fire as Cairo launches new push for peace

• Israeli air strikes battered Gaza and militants fired rockets again on Saturday as deadly fighting resumed after a night of relative calm, despite efforts to secure a truce.

=> ↺ Axios ☛ Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza agree to cease-fire

• Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group on Saturday agreed to an Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza that began at 10 pm local time, the Egyptian government said.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Israel and Islamic Jihad Agree to Cease-Fire After 5 days of Violence

• Mediation efforts led by Egypt were expected to end fighting that has outlasted previous clashes between Israel and the militant group in Gaza.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Campaigning draws to a close before Sunday vote that could end Thailand’s military rule

• From the back of open-top trucks and cars, candidates of Thailand’s political parties drove through Bangkok on Saturday, as a months-long campaign that could usher in a new government for the first time in nearly a decade drew to a close.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Thailand’s Election: What to Watch and What’s at Stake

• The vote is seen as a referendum on the military, which has ruled Thailand for nine years. Results could determine the path for democracy in the country.

=> ↺ The Straits Times ☛ ‘May all Thais come out to vote’: Record numbers expected at Thailand election

• Election pits conservative military-backed faction against opposition parties pushing for change.

=> ↺ The Straits Times ☛ Thailand to decide between change and continuity in today’s general election

• The results of the polls will kick off negotiations as parties try to form the government.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Kenya cult death toll reaches 200, with more than 600 reported missing

• The death toll linked to a doomsday cult in Kenya hit 201 Saturday after police exhumed 22 more bodies, most of them bearing signs of starvation, according to the coast regional commissioner.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Thirty-five years on, murder of anti-apartheid activist Dulcie September still unsolved

• On March 29, 1988, South African anti-apartheid activist Dulcie September was shot dead at close range in central Paris. In the 1970s, she had been imprisoned in her home country for her activities against the apartheid regime. Upon her release, she had been authorised to leave South Africa on the condition that she never return. September was the representative of Nelson Mandela’s ANC party in France and yet she claimed to be followed and watched. What did the French secret services know? FRANCE 24′s Caroline Dumay, Stefan Carstens and Nadine Theron revisit the case.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Kenyan Preacher Told Followers Starvation Was Their Salvation

• Hundreds were drawn to a remote wilderness in southeastern Kenya by the End Times preaching of pastor Paul Mackenzie. Relatives and ex-members tried to intervene, but some did not want to be rescued.

Environment

=> ↺ Axios ☛ Powerful Tropical Cyclone Mocha threatens humanitarian disaster in Bangladesh, Myanmar

• Tropical Cyclone Mocha rapidly intensified Friday and Saturday into a powerful Category 5 storm as it headed for a potentially disastrous strike on Sunday in a vulnerable region: low-lying Myanmar and parts of Bangladesh.

• Threat level: Cyclone Mocha contained maximum sustained winds of 160 mph as of 11 pm ET, putting it just shy of Category 5 intensity. It is now one of the top 5 strongest cyclones on record in the Bay of Bengal.

=> ↺ The Straits Times ☛ Sunny side up: Woman in Sabah taps sizzling heat outdoors to fry an egg

• Malaysia is currently facing a heatwave that is expected to last until June.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ When One Almond Gulps 3.2 Gallons of Water

• If we don’t allocate water more sensibly in the West, Mother Nature will do it for us. And that will be ugly.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Canada’s Alberta Faces More Wildfires Amid Hot, Dry Weather

• By Ismail Shakil and Anna Mehler PapernyOTTAWA (Reuters) -Canada’s main oil-producing province of Alberta faces an upsurge in wildfire activity as…

=> ↺ TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ New regulations would require iron mining industry to reduce emissions of toxic mercury

• The six iron ore processing plants in northeastern Minnesota would be required to cut their emissions by 57% by the end of 2026.

Energy/Transportation

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ South Korean Cryptocurrency Fugitive, Business Partner Released On Bail In Montenegro

• Do Kwon, the former CEO and co-founder of cryptocurrency company Terraform Labs, and his business partner have been released on bail in Montenegro, a court in Podgorica announced.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Calgary’s New Mayor Says Her City Is More Than an Oil Town

• Jyoti Gondek wants to prepare Alberta’s largest city for a future in which oil and gas are no longer a major part of the world’s energy mix.

=> ↺ Barry Kauler ☛ Outback adventure solar-powered recumbent trike

• This is something that I have dreamed about for years. I have an e-bike with a 200W motor, and there are 200W solar panels available, so it seems like a good match.

=> ↺ YLE ☛ Finland has Europe’s most expensive gasoline

• Petrol in Finland is now the most expensive in all of Europe.

=> ↺ The Straits Times ☛ Staggered working hours offered again to ease Jakarta’s traffic congestion

• Private office workers could start at 8am and 10am, which could reduce morning traffic by 30%.

=> ↺ The Straits Times ☛ Record temperatures, heatstroke cases engulf South-east Asia

• The heatwave that started in April continues to blast through the region.

Overpopulation

=> ↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Mother’s Day: ‘Why would anyone want a kid?’ – How Hong Kong’s fertility rate sank to the world’s lowest

• Fertility rates have been falling in high-income countries and territories across the world, and Hong Kong is no exception, with the number of births declining drastically. Indeed, Hong Kong has the lowest fertility rate in the world, according to a report by the United Nation Population Fund released on April 19.

=> ↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Why offering more medical support could help stop Hong Kong’s birth rate from falling further

• By Francesca Chiu On April 19, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) issued its latest report on trends in world population, ranking Hong Kong as having the lowest fertility rate in the world at 0.8.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ ‘The country is becoming a desert’: Drought-struck Spain is running out of water

• Spain is running out of water. After a long and painful drought, the country has been hit by an unusually early heat wave, evaporating even more of the “blue gold” it still has left in its reservoirs. While farmers fear for their survival, environmentalists say it is time for “Europe’s back garden” to rethink how it uses and manages its increasingly scarce water supply.

Finance

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ How TikTok Sensation Squishmallows Found Warren Buffett [Ed: SPAM for plutocrats]

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Dutton ‘scratching around’ for ideas with welfare plan

• The treasurer has accused the coalition of “scratching around” for ideas to get people off JobSeeker after an opposition pitch for those on welfare to be able to do more work without penalty.

=> ↺ The Straits Times ☛ Asian consumers saving for a rainy day double down on gold as prices soar

• In times of crisis and uncertainty, the metal remains the go-to asset for rainy days.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Dutton ‘scratching around’ for budget ideas: Chalmers

• The treasurer has accused the coalition of “scratching around” for ideas to get people off JobSeeker, following an opposition proposal for those on welfare to be able to work for longer.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Welfare payment threshold boost just a ‘thought bubble’

• An opposition proposal to allow those on welfare to work for longer before they lose payments has been criticised as an unsubstantial “thought bubble”. Opposition leader Peter Dutton used his budget reply speech to propose an increase to the maximum number of hours those on welfare could work before they would lose any financial benefits.

=> ↺ JURIST ☛ Goldman Sachs $215M deal to compensate sex discrimination a potential catalyst for gender-equality

• Leading Wall Street investment banking firm, Goldman Sachs (Goldman), one month before trial agreed to a settlement of a $215 million lawsuit on Friday following a lengthy gender-biased class action lawsuit, first filed in September 2010.

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

=> ↺ Kılıçdaroğlu keeps a narrow lead over Erdoğan in latest polls

• A compilation of 11 recently conducted surveys suggests a slim lead for Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu of the Nation’s Alliance with 48.2% of the vote, while the incumbent, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, trails close with 47.6%.

=> ↺ Political party leaders cast their votes

• Political party leaders are casting their votes, conveying their messages, and expressing their hopes for today’s elections.

=> ↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong District Councils: Why reforms are a positive step for the city

• District Councils in Hong Kong are undergoing a transformation that seeks to “depoliticise” them and refocus their emphasis on local community-level livelihood issues. The modifications strive to eliminate “anti-China troublemakers” and individuals advocating separatism and violence by “manipulating and paralysing” the councils.

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ Türkiye FM Casts Vote in Presidential & Parliamentary Elections

• “the word is with the nation”

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ Türkiye JM Casts Vote in Presidential & Parliamentary Elections

• “today, our nation will decide for the future of our children, families, nation and state”

=> ↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hongkongers find new ways to defend democratic ideals

• Two years after being released from a Hong Kong prison, Lau Ka-tung has lost count of the times he has returned — not as an inmate, but to offer support to pro-democracy activists in jail.

=> ↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong District Councils: Where has public opinion gone?

• The government’s attempt to sell its makeover of Hong Kong’s district councils has been something of a revelation. From the Legislative Council (LegCo) brief – there is no consultation document for the two-week consultation, now nearly over – and the comments of our political elite at press conferences, on the radio and in the media,

=> ↺ Voting has started

• The voting started in Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections. The total number of voters in the country and abroad is 64 million, 113 thousand, and 941.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Mauritanians vote in local and legislative elections in test for President Ghazouani

• Mauritanians voted on Saturday in the first legislative and local elections since 2019 when President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani came to power in a litmus test for the veteran leader ahead of next year’s presidential vote.

=> ↺ Drivers of 6,000 trucks kept waiting at Iraq border question if it is in order to keep them from voting

• No vehicles have been allowed to pass through the Habur border gate between the KRG region of Iraq and Turkey for the last two days; 6,000 trucks and 30 buses are reported to be kept waiting. The drivers sent videos where they say, “We want to go to the polls and cast our votes.”

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Turkish voters head to polls in pivotal vote that will determine Erdogan’s future

• Turkey on Sunday voted in a momentous election that could extend President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 21-year grip on power or put the mostly Muslim nation on a more secular course.

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ Turkish Election: All Security Measures for May 14 Polls

• “All measures and precautions with regards to our technological infrastructure and against possible power cuts and cyberattacks have been taken…”

=> ↺ Axios ☛ America’s surprise revival: The suburbs

• American suburbia — once marked by dying malls and empty office parks — is thriving.

• The big picture: A number of demographic, housing and business trends are coming together to revive suburbs.

• By the numbers: Between 2010 and 2020, the share of Americans living in the suburbs grew by 10.5%, per Census data — and the pandemic only accelerated this trend, the New York Times reports.

=> ↺ NYPost ☛ New Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino says she is excited to help to transform Twitter

• Newly appointed Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino said in a tweet on Saturday that she has been inspired by owner Elon Musk’s vision to create a brighter future and is excited to help to transform the social media platform.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ New Twitter CEO inspired to create a brighter future

• Newly appointed Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino says she has been inspired by owner Elon Musk’s vision to create a brighter future and is excited to help to transform the social media platform.

=> ↺ Helsinki Times ☛ Elon Musk names Linda Yaccarino as new Twitter CEO

• Elon Musk, on Friday, named Linda Yaccarino as the new Twitter CEO.

• Taking to Twitter, Musk announced the news and wrote, “I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter! @LindaYacc will focus primarily on business operations, while I focus on product design & new technology. Looking forward to working with Linda to transform this platform into X, the everything app.”

• /blockquote>

Censorship/Free Speech

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Facebook, YouTube, Twitter Reportedly Down Again In Pakistan

• Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter were inaccessible in Pakistan on May 13 after having been temporarily restored late on May 12.

=> ↺ Twitter blocks some content in Turkey ‘to remain accessible’ a day before elections

• The platform has not disclosed what content was blocked.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Court overturns ban to allow far-right monarchist group to march through Paris

• French monarchist movement Action Francaise was cleared to hold a demonstration in Paris on Sunday after the courts reversed a police ban issued on orders from the interior ministry to curtail far-right protests.

=> ↺ CS Monitor ☛ Readers write: Don’t cancel thy neighbor

• Letters to the editor from the May 22 Weekly. Writers consider cancel culture, how we remember the past, and if Americans are as divided as we think.

Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

=> ↺ LRT ☛ Lack of print media and unusual ‘food rhythm’ – French journalist’s 25 years in Lithuania

• Marielle Vitureau, the Baltic correspondent of the French public radio, has been living in Vilnius for a quarter of a century. The journalist, who calls Vilnius her home, says there are only a couple of things that bother her in Lithuania – the lack of print newspapers and the unusual “food rhythm”.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Iranian Journalist Shot Dead By Unknown Gunman

• An Iranian journalist was shot dead in the country’s southwestern Khuzestan Province.

Civil Rights/Policing

=> ↺ JURIST ☛ US authorities confirm unaccompanied minor died in migrant detention center

• A 17-year-old died in the custody US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) according to a Friday statement by the HHS. Enrique Reina, foreign affairs secretary for Honduras, identified the unaccompanied child and offered his condolences in a tweet.

=> ↺ The Kent Stater ☛ OPINION: The Radium Girls: A tragic result of sexism

• Recently I was strolling through a store with some friends. They pointed out a clock that was bright neon green. The store was perfectly light, but the clock looked like it was glowing.

=> ↺ JURIST ☛ North Carolina governor vetoes controversial abortion ban

• North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper vetoed a proposed law that would have imposed rigid new restrictions on abortion access in the state, including a ban on most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

=> ↺ Federal News Network ☛ ‘All we want is to be safe’: Migrants push north after end of Title 42

• Confusion has rippled from the U.S.-Mexico border to migrant routes across the Americas, as migrants scramble to understand complex and ever-changing laws. And while Title 42 has come to an end, the crush of migrants headed north has not.From the rolling mountains and jungles in Central America to the tops trains roaring through Mexico, migrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, Colombia, Nicaragua, Ecuador and beyond push forward on their journeys.“We’ve already done everything humanly possible to get where we are,” said one Venezuelan migrant, resting in a park near a river dividing Mexico and Guatemala. “Our hands are tied.”

=> ↺ Federal News Network ☛ North Carolina governor vetoes abortion limits, launches override showdown

• North Carolina’s Democratic governor has vetoed legislation that would have banned nearly all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. The veto came Saturday, during a public rally. About a thousand abortion-rights activists and voters watched on a plaza in Raleigh between the governor’s office and the Legislative Building as Gov. Roy Cooper affixed his veto stamp to the bill, which also places additional restrictions on physicians, abortion clinics and the women seeking the procedure. The veto launches a major test for leaders of the GOP-controlled General Assembly to attempt to override Cooper’s veto. Cooper is a strong abortion-rights supporter. He had until Sunday night to act on the measure that would tighten current state law that bans most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

=> ↺ RFA ☛ Rohingya must stay at camps despite approaching cyclone, Bangladesh govt says

• Refugees “cannot take advantage of the disaster to cross the barbed-wire fence,” home minister says.

=> ↺ RFA ☛ Striving to preserve Tibetan language and culture among the diaspora

• ‘Once you lose the language, it’s very easy to lose your culture.’

=> ↺ RFA ☛ Cyclone Mocha barrels toward Myanmar and Bangladesh

• Storm is similar in strength to 2008’s Nargis, which killed nearly 140,000.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ U.S. Military To Bolster Defensive Posture In Gulf Following Seizure Of Vessels By Iranian Forces

• The U.S. military will work to bolster defenses in the Persian Gulf region following Iran’s seizure and harassment of commercial shipping vessels in recent months, U.S. officials said.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Frenchman ‘Weakened’ By Iranian Prison Ordeal

• The family of a Frenchman released after he had been jailed by Iran said on May 13 he was “relieved” to be back in France.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Pakistan PDM Leader Blasts Supreme Court Decision To Release Ex-PM Khan

• Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leader Maulana Fazlur Rahman on May 13 assailed a Supreme Court ruling that led to the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, whose arrest by the anti-corruption agency had set off nationwide protests.

=> ↺ The Straits Times ☛ Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan calls for nationwide protests

• Khan also announced a return to campaigning on Wednesday for immediate elections.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Defeat for Modi’s Party in South India Heartens His Rivals

• An overturn in Karnataka is a morale boost for the beleaguered opposition Congress party. But defeating the B.J.P. nationally remains a long shot.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ India Struggles to Eradicate an Old Scourge: Witch Hunting

• Once driven largely by superstition, the brutal practice is now often simply a tool to oppress women, in many cases violently.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Jordan Neely Was on New York’s ‘Top 50’ List of Homeless People at Risk

• Mr. Neely, who was killed by another subway rider, was on a watch list for a city task force that kept track of the New Yorkers of most concern.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Amid Record Homeless Deaths in the U.S., a Struggle for Survival

• As a record number of people die on America’s streets, Abdul Curry fights to stay alive.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Asylum Debate Snarls Efforts to Forge an Immigration Deal in Congress

• Despite hopes among some Democrats and Republicans that the expiration of strict pandemic-era border rules would force a compromise, bipartisan talks have sputtered.

Monopolies

Copyrights

=> ↺ Off Guardian ☛ Art Equals Human—Not Anymore

• When I was a young lad of 11, I was fascinated with computers, or what little there was of them at the time. It was about 1966, and I checked out a book from the school library on the short but exciting history of the machines. I pored over every page of it.

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