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● Links 17/05/2023: Vice Media is Dead

Posted in News Roundup at 2:21 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNU/Linux

Server

=> ↺ Sven Hoexter: GCP: Private Service Connect Forwarding Rules can not be Updated [Ed: Clown computing limitations]

• PSA for those foolish enough to use Google Cloud and try to use private service connect: If you want to change the serviceAttachment your private service connect forwarding rule points at, you must delete the forwarding rule and create a new one. Updates are not supported. I’ve done that in the past via terraform, but lately encountered strange errors like this: [...]

Applications

=> ↺ Make Use Of ☛ QEMU vs. VirtualBox: Which Is the Best Solution for Your Virtual Machine?

• QEMU or VirtualBox is a difficult decision to make. You might have heard that QEMU is more powerful than VirtualBox. QEMU might also intimidate you because of how difficult it is rumored to be. It’s easy to wonder a few things: what is QEMU, what is VirtualBox, and how can you decide between them?

• QEMU and VirtualBox are both similar hypervisors, but they both offer completely different strengths when it comes to features like ease of setup and performance. Here’s a full comparison of QEMU and VirtualBox.

Instructionals/Technical

=> ↺ HowTo Geek ☛ How to Use the Linux tr Command

• Do you need a no-frills method for manipulating a stream of text in Linux? Look no further than the tr command, which can save you time in replacing, removing, combining, and compressing input text. This is how it’s done.

=> ↺ TecAdmin ☛ Setting up an SFTP Server on Ubuntu

• Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) is a secure protocol for transferring files between local and remote servers. Unlike standard FTP, it uses SSH (Secure Shell) to encrypt all data transfers, protecting against common threats like data interception and packet sniffing.

=> ↺ How to install PIP in Linux without sudo? – Linux Shout

• Just like every Linux system has its own package manager to manage all system packages, similarly Python also has a package manager to install and manage its various library and modules without using sudo.

• Let’s take an example of Ubuntu Linux where the default package manager is APT but needs sudo access or rights to install any package. But what, if we don’t want or have rights to use sudo to install PIP, if not installed already on your system? In that, case we can go for a script to set up PIP for us in our local directory.

=> ↺ ZDNet ☛ How to permanently mount a drive in Linux (and why you should) | ZDNET

• If you plug external drives into your Linux machine or add secondary internal drives, you’ll want to make sure they are automatically mounted when you boot.

=> ↺ IT Pro Today ☛ How To Copy Directories in Linux | ITPro Today: IT News, How-Tos, Trends, Case Studies, Career Tips, More

• Need to copy a directory from one Linux system to another? This guide will show you how, with tips and tricks for getting the job done quickly and efficiently.

=> ↺ Make Use Of ☛ What Is chroot in Linux and How Does It Work?

• Are you looking to run applications or services in an isolated space on Linux? Or maybe you want to test and debug an application without it interfering with the rest of your system? If so, you’ll want to learn about chroot, a powerful mechanism built into Linux that allows you to create a separate environment within your system.

• Let’s explore chroot in detail, learn about its benefits, use cases, how to set it up on a Linux system, and if needed, how to escape it.

=> ↺ Beebom ☛ How to Change Password in Linux (2023 Guide) | Beebom

• In today’s digital age, protecting your sensitive personal information is more important than ever. And having strong passwords definitely helps protect your personal data from prying eyes. In this article, we will discuss two different methods to change passwords in Linux for both yourself as well as for other users.

Distributions and Operating Systems

=> ↺ Linuxiac ☛ Rhino Linux Brings the Rolling Release Model to Ubuntu

• Want a new Linux experience? Rhino Linux, still in beta, gives users a rolling Ubuntu experience with an Arch AUR taste.

Canonical/Ubuntu Family

=> ↺ Make Use Of ☛ Everything You Need to Know About Using Nala on Ubuntu

• Advanced Package Tool (APT) is everyone’s favorite go-to package management tool when working on Debian-based distros. However, despite its rich feature set, it’s not a convenient way of managing packages for beginners.

• A prominent drawback of APT is that it makes the content on your terminal screen look haphazard, and there needs to be semblance within the text on your Linux terminal.

• Here comes Nala, with its streamlined containers and multicolored demarcations to make your terminal output look neater and well-structured. Here’s what you should know about Nala.

Hardware/Modding

=> ↺ Arduino ☛ This robotic beer tray keeps servers from spilling suds

• Experienced servers are masters of balance and coordination, being able to carry several full glasses on a tray without spilling a drop. But many of us lack that skill and can’t carry even a single glass across a room without splashing half of it on our feet.

=> ↺ CNX Software ☛ Review of MaTouch_ESP32-S3 4-inch Display Demo Kit with sensors, Arduino, LVGL graphics library

• Makerfabs MaTouch_ESP32-S3 4-inch Display Demo Kit is an ESP32-S3 development board with a 4-inch touchscreen display, a TVOC sensor, and a thermal camera.

=> ↺ peppe8o ☛ Unleash the Potential of the Internet: 10 Essential IoT Starter Kits to Kickstart Your Journey

• End your search for the ultimate, cost-effective IoT starter kits designed to help you construct innovative IoT solutions. With these exceptional smart device kits, your

=> ↺ CNX Software ☛ Seeed Studio launches Jetson-based “reComputer Industrial” fanless Edge AI computers

• We covered the actively-cooled reComputer J4012 Edge AI mini PC powered by Jetson Orin NX system-on-module last January, but Seeed Studio has now launched four fanless “reComputer Industrial” variants with an aluminum case, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, three USB 3.2 ports, an RS232/RS422/RS485 serial port, and a terminal block with four DI, four DO, and a CAN Bus.

=> ↺ CNX Software ☛ STMicro unveils STM32MP2 Arm Cortex-A35/M33 MPU family starting with STM32MP25

• STMicro has introduced its second generation of its STM32 MPUs (microprocessors) with the STM32MP2 moving to a 64-bit Arm architecture with Edge AI acceleration, multimedia features, graphics processing, and digital connectivity targeting industrial and IoT edge applications.

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

Programming/Development

=> ↺ Rlang ☛ Working with Dates and Times Pt 2: Finding the Next Mothers Day with Simplicity

• Mother’s Day is a special occasion to honor and appreciate the incredible women in our lives. As programmers, we can use our coding skills to make our lives easier when it comes to important dates like Mother’s Day.

=> ↺ Medevel ☛ 30+ Open-source Free-to-use Calendar Libraries for React, Vue, jQuery and Plain JavaScript

• A JavaScript calendar library is a tool that allows developers to create interactive calendars on websites using JavaScript. These libraries provide pre-built functions and styles for creating a calendar that can be customized to match the website’s design and requirements.

• There are several JavaScript calendar libraries available, including FullCalendar, DayPilot,

Perl / Raku

=> ↺ Rakulang ☛ rakudoweekly 2023.20 SO Survey

• The 2023 Stackoverflow Developer Survey is now live. That in itself is not really Raku related, but that the Raku Programming Language is one of the options you can select for your programming language, is! Taking the survey will only take a few minutes of your life, and be your chance to boost the visibility […]

Shell/Bash/Zsh/Ksh

=> ↺ TecAdmin ☛ Getting Tomorrow’s Date in Bash: A Practical Walkthrough

• In the world of system administration and shell scripting, the ability to manipulate dates and times is crucial. Whether it’s for scheduling tasks, log rotation, or simply timestamping files, an understanding of how to work with dates in your scripts can save a lot of time and effort.

=> ↺ TecAdmin ☛ Getting Yesterday’s Date in Bash: A Practical Walkthrough

• Bash, the Bourne-Again SHell, is an incredibly flexible and powerful command language interpreter, commonly used in Unix and Unix-like operating systems.

Leftovers

=> ↺ New Yorker ☛ How a Disaster Expert Prepares for the Worst

• Lucy Easthope, who has worked on major emergencies since 9/11, says that small interventions can make a significant difference.

Science

=> ↺ Science Alert ☛ Quantum Experiment Shows How Einstein Was Wrong About One Thing

• A new record!

=> ↺ uni Stanford ☛ ‘106’ surprises audiences with a philosophical discussion of technology

• Theater & Performance Studies’ capstone project production of “106″ portrayed a thoughtful exploration of the ethics of technology through four vignettes, writes Anthony Martinez Rosales. The play was written, rehearsed and produced all during spring quarter.

=> ↺ Science Alert ☛ CDC: First US Cases of Severe Drug-Resistant Ringworm Identified

• A potentially hidden outbreak uncovered.

=> ↺ Science Alert ☛ Over 60 Unknown Moons Have Been Identified Orbiting Saturn

• It’s official: Saturn has the most moons in the Solar System.

=> ↺ Science Alert ☛ Patient M: The Man Who Was Shot in The Head And Woke Up Seeing The World Backwards

• This will really mess with your head.

Education

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ China Aims for Better-Skilled Population, to Improve Childcare

=> ↺ The Straits Times ☛ China aims for better-skilled population, to improve childcare

• The Chinese government has urgently embarked on measures to lift the country’s birth rate.

=> ↺ Mexico News Daily ☛ AMLO announces 8.2% salary increase for Mexico’s teachers

• President López Obrador has announced a pay raise and pension increase for all public-sector teachers in Mexican schools.

Hardware

=> ↺ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Asus Responds to AM5 BIOS Controversy: Warranty Covers Beta Fixes, EXPO Presets

• Asus has issued an official response addressing concerns regarding its AM5 motherboards, confirming that its BIOS updates fix Ryzen 7000′s SoC issues and its warranties cover AMD EXPO enablement.

=> ↺ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Kioxia and Western Digital Intensify Merger Talks: Report

• Kioxia and Western Digital advance merger talks as prices and demand for flash memory fall.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Exclusive-LG Display to Supply OLED TV Panels to Samsung Elec – Sources

=> ↺ Quartz ☛ The US ordered a recall of 67 million airbag inflators, but the supplier is refusing to comply

• A major Tennessee-based airbag manufacturer is butting heads with US regulators.

=> ↺ Tom’s Hardware ☛ SMIC Removes Mentions of 14nm Node: US Sanctions at Work?

• SMIC may lose ability to offer FinFET services due to U.S. export restrictions.

Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

=> ↺ Science Alert ☛ Human DNA Is All Over The Planet, And Scientists Are Worried

• Are we prepared for this?

=> ↺ Science Alert ☛ Toxic Contaminant in Water Linked to Sharp Increase in Parkinson’s Risk

• A disturbing pattern from decades ago.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ World Health Organization Warns Against Using Artificial Sweeteners

• Continued consumption doesn’t reduce weight and could increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mortality in adults, the W.H.O. said on Monday.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Biden Nominates Head of National Cancer Institute to Run NIH

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Mississippi Podiatrist Gets 2-Year Sentence in Health Fraud Scheme

• A Mississippi podiatrist has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for his role in defrauding Medicare and the military insurer Tricare by prescribing and dispensing medically unnecessary foot bath medications

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Court Order That Could End US Health Law’s Preventative Care Mandate Put on Hold

• A federal judge’s ruling striking down a key part of the Affordable Care Act has been temporarily put on hold by a federal appeals court in New Orleans

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Washington Lawmakers Reach Deal on Drug Policy, Avoid Automatic Decriminalization

• Democratic and Republican leaders in the Washington Statehouse have reached a tentative deal on a major new drug policy, one that would avoid making the state the second to decriminalize the possession of controlled substances

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ US Court Halts Ruling Blocking Obamacare for Some Preventive Healthcare

=> ↺ Helsinki Times ☛ Access to STI testing not meeting recommendations in health clinics – Infection rates on the rise

• Sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing is not being carried out according to recommendations in public health centers, and as a result, STI rates are increasing. This was the conclusion of a study conducted by Hivpoint in the fall of 2022, which aimed to assess access to STI testing in public health centers across Finland. The study found that only two out of 20 health centers provided adequate guidance for STI testing.

=> ↺ Science Alert ☛ Cough Syrup Can Be Dangerous For Kids, Even Deadly. Here’s Why.

• Know the risks.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ World leaders in Japan, China as a negotiator, and grain deal deadline: What to watch for this week.

Proprietary

=> ↺ Mind Matters ☛ Sorry Mark, but the Metaverse Failed | Mind Matters

• Given Zuckerberg’s devotion to his fantasy project, it’s probable he will keep trying to push for its success.

=> ↺ Hacker News ☛ New ‘MichaelKors’ Ransomware-as-a-Service Targeting Linux and VMware ESXi Systems [Ed: No, it targets proprietary software of VMware, not Linux]

• A new ransomware-as-service (RaaS) operation called MichaelKors has become the latest file-encrypting malware to target Linux and VMware ESXi systems as of April 2023.

Windows TCO

=> ↺ Data Breaches ☛ #StopRansomware: BianLian Ransomware Group

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory to disseminate known BianLian ransomware and data extortion group IOCs and TTPs identified through FBI and ACSC investigations as of March 2023.

=> ↺ USDOJ ☛ Russian National Charged with Ransomware Attacks Against Critical Infrastructure

• The Justice Department today unsealed two indictments charging a Russian national and resident with using three different ransomware variants to attack numerous victims throughout the United States, including law enforcement agencies in Washington, D.C. and New Jersey, as well as victims in healthcare and other sectors nationwide.

=> ↺ CSO ☛ Insured companies more likely to be ransomware victims, sometimes more than once

• Companies with cyber insurance are more likely to get hit by ransomware, more likely to be attacked multiple times, and more likely to pay ransoms, according to a recent survey of IT decision makers.

=> ↺ USDOJ ☛ Ransomware Charges Unsealed Against Russian National

• An indictment was unsealed today in the District of Columbia charging a Russian national with participating in a global ransomware campaign which deployed ransomware variants against victims in the District of Columbia, the United States, and around the world. Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev, alleged to use the online monikers Wazawaka, m1x, Broriscelcin, and Uhodiransomwar, 30, of Kaliningrad, Russia, is charged with intentional damage to a protected computer and threats relating to a protected computer.

=> ↺ Franklin County Public Schools hit by ransomware attack

• Franklin County Public Schools were closed Monday following a ransomware attack that is still impacting the school division.

=> ↺ NVISO Labs ☛ Introducing CS2BR pt. I – How we enabled Brute Ratel Badgers to run Cobalt Strike BOFs

• If you know all about CS, BRC4 and BOFs you might want to skip this introduction and get right into the problem statement. You can also jump right to the solution. Introduction When we conduct Red Team assessments at NVISO, we employ a wide variety of proprietary and open source tools.

Pseudo-Open Source

Openwashing

=> ↺ SDx Central ☛ How Dent brings open source innovation to networking infrastructure

=> ↺ Silicon Angle ☛ Open source helps speed up the decarbonization of energy systems [Ed: Mindless greenwashing sponsored by the 'Linux' Foundation to be "covered" by a publication that's paid by the 'Linux' Foundation]

=> ↺ Medevel ☛ How to optimize business processes with Axelor’s open source platform [Ed: Marketing spam again; this one also spreads Microsoft propaganda]

• Growing pains are something every business experiences at some point, regardless of size or industry. If your business is struggling with unstructured workflows, miscommunication between departments, or general feelings of stagnation and unproductivity, this is likely a sign you need a new solution to help optimize your business processes.

Security

=> ↺ Qt ☛ Security advisory: Qt SVG

• A recent potential divide by zero in Qt SVG has been reported and has been assigned the CVE id CVE-2023-32573.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ Brightly Software Notifying 3 Million SchoolDude Users of Data Breach

• Brightly Software has started informing roughly three million users that their personal information was compromised in a recent data breach.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ Discord Informs Users of Data Breach Involving Customer Support Provider

• Communications and social platform Discord is notifying users of a cyber incident involving a third-party services provider.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ WordPress Field Builder Plugin Vulnerability Exploited in Attacks Two Days After Patch

• PoC exploit targeting an XSS vulnerability in the Advanced Custom Fields WordPress plugin started being used in malicious attacks two days after patch.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ PharMerica Discloses Data Breach Impacting 5.8 Million Individuals

• The personal information of more than 5.8 million was compromised in a data breach at national pharmacy network PharMerica.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ Capita Cyberattack Hits UK Pension Funds

• The recent ransomware attack on Capita may impact millions of customers of hundreds of pension funds in the UK.

=> ↺ Mozilla ☛ Mozilla Privacy Blog: Mozilla weighs in on the EU Cyber Resilience Act

• Cybersecurity incidents and attacks have been on the rise in the past years. Enhancing security and trust is more relevant than ever to protect users online. Legislators worldwide have been contemplating new rules to ensure that hardware and software products become more secure, with the latest example being the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act. Below we present our concrete recommendations on how legislators can ensure that the CRA can effectively achieve its objectives.

• In recent years, the European Commission has taken concrete steps to boost its cyber security capabilities across Europe. After successfully adopting the NISD2 and the EU Cybersecurity Act, the last missing piece of the puzzle is the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). This latest proposal aims to bolster the security capabilities of hardware and software products in the EU market while ensuring a more coherent framework that facilities compliance.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ Philadelphia Inquirer Hit by Cyberattack Causing Newspaper’s Largest Disruption in Decades

• The Philadelphia Inquirer experienced the most significant disruption to its operations in 27 years due to a cyberattack on Sunday, May 14, 2023.

=> ↺ LWN ☛ Security updates for Tuesday [LWN.net]

• Security updates have been issued by Debian (epiphany-browser, python-ipaddress, and sqlparse), Fedora (python-django3 and qemu), Red Hat (apr-util, autotrace, bind, bind9.16, container-tools:4.0, container-tools:rhel8, ctags, curl, device-mapper-multipath, dhcp, edk2, emacs, freeradius:3.0, freerdp, frr, gcc-toolset-12-binutils, git, git-lfs, go-toolset:rhel8, grafana, grafana-pcp, gssntlmssp, Image Builder, kernel, kernel-rt, libarchive, libreswan, libtar, libtiff, mingw-expat, mysql:8.0, net-snmp, pcs, php:7.4, poppler, postgresql-jdbc, python-mako, python27:2.7, python38:3.8 and python38-devel:3.8, python39:3.9 and python39-devel:3.9, samba, sysstat, tigervnc, unbound, virt:rhel and virt-devel:rhel, wayland, webkit2gtk3, xorg-x11-server, and xorg-x11-server-Xwayland), SUSE (dmidecode, postgresql13, prometheus-sap_host_exporter, python-cryptography, rekor, and thunderbird), and Ubuntu (firefox, matrix-synapse, and mysql-8.0).

=> ↺ SANS ☛ Ongoing Facebook phishing campaign without a sender and (almost) without links, (Mon, May 15th)

• At the Internet Storm Center, we often receive examples of current malspam and phishing e-mails from our readers. Most of them are fairly uninteresting, but some turn out to be notable for one reason or another. This was the case with several messages that Charlie, one of our readers, has submitted to us since the beginning of 2023.

=> ↺ USDOJ ☛ Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Sell Stolen Financial Information on Dark Web

• According to court documents, Michael D. Mihalo, aka Dale Michael Mihalo Jr., 40, of Naperville, was the founder of a darknet “carding” site called Skynet Market, which was used to sell stolen financial information on the internet. Operating under the moniker ggmccloud1, Mihalo and his co-conspirators were also prominent vendors on additional darknet markets, including AlphaBay Market, Wall Street Market, and Hansa Market. Each market required users to conduct transactions in digital currencies, including Bitcoin. Through these markets, Mihalo and his co-conspirators sold the stolen financial information, primarily the credit and debit card numbers and associated information, of tens of thousands of U.S. victims between Feb. 22, 2016, and Oct. 1, 2019.

=> ↺ Patients concerned after local allergy clinic closes its doors because of alleged data breach

• A local asthma and allergy clinic has closed its doors because of an alleged security data breach.

• Patients are now concerned that their medical records may have been compromised.

• Several patients have told KOCO that they are in need of asthma medication from the Oklahoma Institute of Allergy Asthma and Immunology but have been turned away because of a sign on the door that claims a security data breach at the clinic happened nearly two weeks ago.

• “I went one day to get an allergy shot, and all of a sudden, like the door was locked, and there was a sign on the door,” said patient Kristen McMurray.

=> ↺ Hearst Communications ☛ New York audit: School districts unprepared for cyber attacks

• Student data, including names, birth dates and addresses, are not always kept secure by school districts or the state Education Department, the state Comptroller’s Office found in an audit issued Tuesday.

• The Education Department “has not taken the fundamental steps or improved the technical controls needed to secure its own critical systems,” the auditors said.

• Auditors also went to four school districts and scanned their systems for vulnerabilities. What they found was so concerning that the districts took immediate action, they said.

=> ↺ Data Breaches ☛ HHS Office for Civil Rights Settles HIPAA Investigation with Arkansas Business Associate MedEvolve Following Unlawful Disclosure of Protected Health Information on an Unsecured Server for $350,000

• As background: this case began with Justin Shafer finding an unsecured FTP server owned by MedEvolve. He reported it to DataBreaches. This site first reported on the leak in 2018. This site also reported when MedEvolve issued a statement months later, and again two years later when HHS got them to notify patients.

=> ↺ USDOJ ☛ Justice Department Announces Five Cases as Part of Recently Launched Disruptive Technology Strike Force

• The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce to counter efforts by hostile nation-states to illicitly acquire sensitive U.S. technology to advance their authoritarian regimes and facilitate human rights abuses. The Strike Force’s work has led to the unsealing of charges against multiple defendants in five cases accused of crimes including export violations, smuggling and theft of trade secrets.

Privacy/Surveillance

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Your DNA Can Now Be Pulled From Thin Air. Privacy Experts Are Worried.

• Environmental DNA research has aided conservation, but scientists say its ability to glean information about human populations and individuals poses dangers.

=> ↺ OpenRightsGroup ☛ Small Boats and Silent Protest: Prior Restraint in the Online Safety Bill

• Under new rules created by the Online Safety Bill, all illegal content must be removed from social media platforms. The government position is clear that this content ‘has to go’, but the way the platforms will do it creates a new and dangerous threat to free speech. What is Prior Restraint?

=> ↺ Stacey on IoT ☛ Are we sure we want a smarter smart home and gadgets? [Ed: It was all along preying on the gullible and insure, who were sold a false dream]

• This story was originally published on Friday May 12, in my weekly newsletter. To receive the newsletter, sign up here.  Apple wants to build a health coach with the ability to track people’s vital signs as well as their emotions.

=> ↺ Vice Media Group ☛ Human DNA Is All Over the Place, Raising Privacy Concerns

• The sheer volume of human “genetic bycatch” could be used for surveillance, commodification, and other nefarious activities.

Defence/Aggression

=> ↺ Defence Web ☛ Africa Land Forces Summit (ALFS) seeks solutions to African terrorism problems

• To address drivers of instability in Africa, prevailing regional threats, and solutions to Silafi-jihadists on the continent of Africa, Africa’s defence force chiefs met in West Africa last week where the United States supported the annual four-day Africa Land Forces Summit (ALFS).

=> ↺ Atlantic Council ☛ Imai in The Diplomat

• On May 12, Kyoko Imai authored an article, “Momentum Building in the Japan-South Korea Partnership,” for The Diplomat. She argues that Asia’s two leading democracies must put their historical differences aside to advance mutual interests and counter shared challenges.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Belarusian Opposition Says Be ‘Prepared’ Amid Rumors That Lukashenka Is Ill

• Self-exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanovskaya has called on the Belarusian public and the international community to “be prepared for every scenario” as Minsk and state media have avoided responding to rumors that Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka is ill.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Five More Belarusian Activists Face Trials Amid Crackdown On Dissent

• Four more activists have gone on trial in Minsk on charges of inciting hatred as authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s regime continues its crackdown on dissent.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Belarus State Media Publish Photo of Lukashenko Following Health Speculation

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Siberian Court Sends Man Suspected Of Setting Military Plane On Fire To Pretrial Detention

• A Siberian court has sent to pretrial detention a man suspected of setting an out-of-service Su-24 military plane on fire at the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant in early May.

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ Fighting in Darfur Kills 280 Sudanese: NRC

• This escalation of violence occurs despite the fact that the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces signed an new agreement on Thursday.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Demonstrations in the occupied West Bank to mark 75 years since ‘Catastrophe’

• Thousands from across the occupied West Bank demonstrated Monday, waving Palestinian flags to mark the 75th anniversary of the “Nakba” or “catastrophe” which they associate with Israel’s creation.

=> ↺ Digital Music News ☛ 18-Year-Old Pop Smoke Murderer Pleads Guilty in Juvenile Court

• An 18-year-old charged in the murder of Pop Smoke has confessed in juvenile court to fatally shooting the rapper in February 2020 during a home invasion.

=> ↺ Latvia ☛ Final day to apply for first draft of Latvia’s defense service

• Monday, May 15, is the last day to apply for the first draft into the State Defense Service (VAD). At least 315 volunteers have applied, LSM’s Latvian-language service reports.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ A police station or a high school? Deadly clashes in Senegal as locals and gendarmes dispute land use

• Violent clashes between the gendarmerie and the Lebu community erupted on May 8 and 9 in Ngor, a district of Senegal’s capital Dakar. The conflict began over a land dispute: the gendarmes want a police station while locals want to build a high school. According to four eyewitnesses who spoke to the FRANCE 24 Observers team, the gendarmes fired live bullets during protests. A 15-year-old girl lost her life, in circumstances that remain under investigation.

Environment

=> ↺ Axios ☛ Tropical Cyclone Mocha’s rapid intensification fits climate-driven pattern

• Tropical Cyclone Mocha, which struck Myanmar and Bangladesh as a high-end Category 4 storm on Sunday, is a catastrophic example of a rapidly strengthening storm — one that leaps multiple intensity categories.

=> ↺ JURIST ☛ Afghanistan humanitarian crisis fueled by climate change and economy: UN report

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) released a report Monday regarding Afghanistan’s humanitarian needs in 2023. The Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) highlighted that among the economic crisis and discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan, climate change has also contributed to the humanitarian needs of the country.

=> ↺ Quartz ☛ India’s top bank has cut oil and gas lending—but isn’t turning down risky projects

• The State Bank of India (SBI) is among several global lenders to have poured billions of dollars into fossil fuel firms amid clarion calls to combat climate change.

Energy/Transportation

=> ↺ Quartz ☛ The average US car on the road has never been older [Ed: Maybe "new" or "smart" became too bad and too expensive]

• The average age of light vehicles—cars, utility vehicles, and light trucks—on American roads has risen to a record of 12.5 years, according to new data from S&P Global Mobility.

=> ↺ New Yorker ☛ How to Quit Cars

• They crowd streets, belch carbon, bifurcate communities, and destroy the urban fabric. Will we ever overcome our addiction?

=> ↺ Mexico News Daily ☛ Long-delayed wind farm to begin operation in QRO

• The 30 turbines at the Eólica Huimilpan site are currently in the final testing phase, after almost five years of delays.

=> ↺ Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexico in Numbers: Electric vehicles

• Electric vehicle manufacturing in Mexico has made for big headlines but how are national sales of EVs going? Learn more in this data dive.

=> ↺ H2 View ☛ South Australia Premier reveals details of Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act

• Premier of South Australia Peter Malinauskas, revealed more details of the state’s anticipated Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act at the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam last Thursday (May 11).

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Gas ‘open for business’ as energy transition fires up

• Oil and gas executives are doubling down on telling their low-carbon story as governments push ahead with cutting emissions from heavy industries and the power grid.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Gas ‘open for business’ during global energy transition

• There will be no more tinkering with taxes on the offshore gas industry, according to federal Resources Minister Madeleine King.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Carbon capture and storage project on track in SA

• Oil and gas company Santos is on track to commission its carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility at Moomba in South Australia next year. The project is about 60 per cent complete with the imminent arrival of a compressor and turbine, considered two of the most critical components.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Energy savers centre stage in Chalmers budget roadshow

• Cheap loans for solar, modern appliances and other energy upgrades announced in the federal budget are expected to help thousands of Australian households save on power bills.

Overpopulation

=> ↺ Quartz ☛ China is renewing efforts to push young people to marry and have several children

• China has renewed the push to create a “new era” of marriage and childbearing culture after recording a population decline for the first time in 2022.

Finance

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ BRICS Attracts Interest From a Number of Countries: Pandor

• “The BRICS countries support a strong multilateral system and the United Nations Security Council reform,” South African FM pointed out.

=> ↺ LRT ☛ Lithuanian president signs banks’ windfall tax bill into law

• Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda on Monday signed into law the “temporary banking solidarity contribution” bill, adopted by the parliament last Tuesday.

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ Czech Workers Go on Strike Against Spending Cuts

• Among the measures designed to trim the budget deficit is an increase in VAT from 10 percent to 21 percent on almost all items.

=> ↺ Quartz ☛ Americans have more of a hankering for gold than stocks for the first time in a decade

• For the first time in a decade, Americans think that gold is a safer bet than stocks for long-term investment, according to the results of a new Gallup poll. In fact, as 2022 proved a brutal year for the stock markets—the worst since the financial crisis in 2008—Americans’ favorable perception of gold nearly doubled.

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ The US Heads Towards Debt Default

• Emergency measures are taken by The U.S. Government takes, after reaching the debt ceiling.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Biden, McCarthy prepare for critical debt ceiling talks at the White House

• President Joe Biden and Republican House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday prepared for critical debt-ceiling talks, with a little more than two weeks to go before the U.S. government could run short of money to pay its bills.

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ Israeli Cities on Strike Over Controversial Property Tax Law

• “It is not our duty to take care of budgetary sources for solving national crises”

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Political Cartoons on Inflation in the U.S.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ RBA minutes to provide insights into May hike

• The minutes from the Reserve Bank board meeting should offer some more context behind the last interest rate hike. The May interest rate increase threw many experts who expected the RBA board to keep the cash rate on hold following a pause in April and weakening inflation data for the March quarter.

=> ↺ Latvia ☛ Latvian GDP growth to run ahead of EU average [Ed: If inflation is factored in, then it's not growth at all but massive degrowth; If one halves the purchasing power of one's currency and judges growth by this currency, then one may claim the economy "doubled" when it was in fact stagnant. But by all means keep giving fake 'Nobel' prizes to so-called 'economists' who spread the propaganda du jour for capitalism under the guise of "science".]

• Latvia’s economy will grow by a modest 1.4 percent in 2023, according to the latest Spring forecasts of the European Commission, published May 15.

=> ↺ Helsinki Times ☛ Entrepreneurship poll: Companies’ outlook dampened, many report declining profitability

• A recent survey conducted by the Finnish Federation of Entrepreneurs, called the Yrittäjägallup, has revealed that many Finnish businesses have reported a weakening in profitability. The study, which took place between April 18th and April 28th, surveyed 1,041 small and medium-sized business representatives across Finland.

• According to the results, expectations for the economic development of businesses over the next year have weakened since March.

=> ↺ Helsinki Times ☛ Survey: Many middle-income earners unsure about ability to cover €1,000 in unexpected costs

• RISING CONSUMER PRICES have left more and more middle-income earners unsure about their ability to cope with an unexpected expense of 1,000 euros, such as replacing a broken fridge or repairing a damaged car, reveals a survey commissioned by Lähi-Tapiola.

• The Finnish insurance provider reported last Friday that 75 per cent of respondents earning 35,000–50,000 euros a year estimated that they could not cover an additional expense of 1,000 euros.

=> ↺ New Yorker ☛ Don’t Believe Donald Trump: A Failure to Raise the Debt Ceiling Would Be Disastrous

• The ex-President’s intervention has made a fraught situation even more complicated.

=> ↺ CS Monitor ☛ ‘Saudi First’: Why kingdom’s bailouts of allies now carry a price tag

• For decades, Saudi Arabia served as Arab nations’ go-to destination for emergency bailouts. But as the kingdom moves toward a post-oil economy, it’s taking a more transactional approach to aid.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Ecuadorean Authorities Detain Former Energy Minister in Bribery Probe

=> ↺ Axios ☛ The world is surviving a stronger dollar [Ed: A lot of this is false and wishful thinking. s Did this 'reporter' speak to oligarchs?]

• The globe has, so far, been able to weather higher interest rates without the devastating consequences that some had anticipated.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Fed budget ‘slightly expansionary’: former RBA governor

• Interest rate rises last year were a “no-brainer” but it’s become difficult to know when to stop, according to a former Reserve Bank governor. Central banks are in a “once-in-a-generation battle with inflation”, Glenn Stevens, RBA governor from 2006 to 2016, told a gas industry conference.

=> ↺ European Commission ☛ Spring 2023 Economic Forecast: An improved outlook amid persistent challenges [Ed: They publisher this on the same day they said OK to Microsoft monopoly abuse]

• European Commission Press release Brussels, 15 May 2023 The European economy continues to show resilience in a challenging global context. Lower energy prices, abating supply constraints and a strong labour market supported moderate growth in the first quarter of 2023, dispelling fears of a recession.

=> ↺ Quartz ☛ Thanks to Brexit, the UK paid an extra $1.4 billion in energy bills in 2022

• As a direct result of the UK’s departure from the European Union, British energy bills swelled by as much as £1.1 billion ($1.4 billion) last year, and complications of the post-Brexit system might also hamper the UK’s development of new renewable energy. /blockquote>

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Canada’s Trudeau to Visit South Korea; Focus on Minerals, Security

=> ↺ Breach Media ☛ Despite NDP promises, industry’s grip on B.C. government is tight as ever

• Coal and fossil fuel companies enjoy a constant influx of staffers from B.C.’s government. One Green MLA wants to change that.

=> ↺ European Commission ☛ Statement by President von der Leyen at the joint press conference with President Michel ahead of the Council of Europe, G7 and EU-Republic of Korea Summits

• European Commission Statement Brussels, 15 May 2023 President von der Leyen, together with President Michel, laid out the EU’s priorities ahead of the international summits in which she will participate this week.

=> ↺ Marcy Wheeler ☛ Before Rand Paul Went to Moscow, He Was in a White House Meeting Discussing Lisa Page, Peter Strzok, and Andrew McCabe

• Along with a note showing that Trump discussed firing Lisa Page, Peter Strzok, and Andy McCabe in February 2018, Strzok just docketed another note John Kelly took as Chief of Staff, showing that Rand Paul was discussing the FBI officials between the Helsinki meeting and his trip to Moscow to carry a letter from Trump to Putin.

=> ↺ RFA ☛ Kim Jong Un gains a new title among youth: ‘Respected Father’

• Move generates resentment among young people who see it as inappropriate and clueless

=> ↺ Off Guardian ☛ OffG’s Quick Take: “Patriot Front”

• Yesterday, the group calling themselves “Patriot Front” marched on Washington DC. They wore perfectly coordinated uniforms, carried shields and batons, and were masked up to make Tony Fauci proud. Perhaps you saw the “chilling footage”. Nobody is quite sure why they were there, or what they wanted.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ South Korea and Japan Use G-7 to Push Improvement in Ties Long Marked by Animosity

• Amid the high-level efforts to settle global crises, this weekend’s Group of 7 summit of rich democracies will also see an unusual diplomatic reconciliation

=> ↺ Quartz ☛ The capitalist establishment is poised to take control of edgy, non-conformist Vice

• A group of asset managers is poised to take over Vice Media, once a brash disruptor of the digital space but now a much-shrunken company.

=> ↺ Erdoğan lost, Erdoğan Won: headlines in Turkey after elections

• Different newspapers give different perspectives on Sunday’s election results.

=> ↺ Election calendar in the second tour

• With none of the candidates receiving more than 50 percent of the votes, the second round of Turkey’s presidential elections will be held on May 28.

=> ↺ Reason ☛ Twitter Caved to Censorship Requests From Turkey’s Authoritarian Government

• Plus: Flight attendants report dad as human trafficker, the suburbs are thriving, and more…

=> ↺ Atlantic Council ☛ Four questions (and expert answers) about the Turkish presidential election runoff

• Neither Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan nor top challenger Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was able to reach 50 percent of the vote on May 14. Here’s what to expect now.

=> ↺ TURKEY ELECTIONS: Erdoğan’s alliance poised to win parliament, boosting his chances in runoff for presidency

• Final results are yet to come, with both Erdoğan and Kılıçdaroğlu apparently failed to reach the 50 percent threshold to win the presidential election in the first round.

=> ↺ Erdoğan secures strong victory in Turkey’s earthquake-hit regions

• The devastating quakes that claimed over 50,000 lives did not affect the popular support of the president and his People’s Alliance.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ 4 Takeaways from Turkey’s Nail-Biting Presidential Election

• Recep Tayyip Erdogan is headed for his — and his country’s — first presidential runoff vote. But the first round showed the longtime leader’s continued strength.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Erdogan’s Grip on Power Is Loosened but Not Broken, Vote Shows

• Despite a struggling economy, the disastrous earthquakes in February and Turkey’s drift toward one-man rule, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in the lead ahead of a runoff.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ What’s Next for Turkey?

• Also, college graduates flee coastal cities. Here’s the latest at the end of Monday.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Your Tuesday Briefing: A Runoff in Turkey

• Also, Thailand’s opposition parties agreed to form a coalition.

=> ↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Thailand’s Move Forward Party upends status quo in seismic victory

• Thailand’s Move Forward Party was never supposed to win. But on Sunday night the upstart opposition rode a dramatic wave of support to take the lead position in national polls and upend decades of Thai politics.

=> ↺ CS Monitor ☛ President Erdoğan leads Turkey’s election, headed into runoff

• Turkey’s presidential elections are heading for a runoff. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has ruled his country with a firm grip for 20 years, holds a momentary lead over his challenger but has fallen short of outright securing a third decade.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Sinan Ogan: The ‘kingmaker’ Turkey’s Erdogan doesn’t need

• Turkish politician Sinan Ogan shot from relative obscurity to international fame after finishing third in the first round of the presidential election on Monday. But even as the ultra-nationalist candidate was basking in the potential kingmaker spotlight, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fared better than expected in the final score, proving that the man who has ruled Turkey for 20 years doesn’t need anybody to win his toughest electoral challenge yet.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Turkey presidential poll set for May 28 runoff as Erdogan wins 49.51% of vote, Kilicdaroglu 44.88%

• Turkey’s presidential election will be decided in a runoff, election officials said Monday, after incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan pulled ahead of his chief challenger, but fell short of an outright victory that would extend his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade.

=> ↺ European Commission ☛ Statement from President von der Leyen on the resignation of Commissioner Gabriel

• European Commission Statement Brussels, 15 May 2023 Commissioner Mariya Gabriel has informed me that today she will be presented to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria…

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ San Francisco DA Releases Video of Walgreens Security Guard Fatally Shooting Alleged Shoplifter

• San Francisco’s district attorney has released surveillance video of the shooting death of a suspected shoplifter by an on-duty Walgreens security guard

=> ↺ Axios ☛ Virginia congressman says staff attacked by assailant who was looking for him

• Two members of Rep. Gerry Connolly’s (D-Va.) staff were hospitalized on Monday morning after an assailant attacked them with a baseball bat, according to the Virginia congressman and law enforcement.

• Driving the news: Connolly said the attacker entered his Fairfax, Virginia, office and “asked for me before committing an act of violence against two members of my staff.”

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ UN Chief in Jamaica Urges International Response to Haiti’s Spiraling Crisis

• U.N. Secretary General António Guterres is warning that Haiti’s “tragic situation” threatens the security of the Caribbean region and beyond as he pressed the international community for a response

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ Right-Wing Coalition GERB-UDF to Form Government in Bulgaria

• President Radev handed the exploratory mandate to Mariya Gabriel, the GERB-UDF’s nominee for prime minister.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Presidential Plane Bought By Tajikistan From Mexico For $92 Million Arrives In Dushanbe

• A presidential plane bought by Tajikistan from Mexico last month for $92 million has arrived in Dushanbe.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Mexico’s Lavish Presidential Plane Arrives at Its New Home in Tajikistan

• Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the president of Mexico, who had called the jet an example of excess, had spent years trying to find a suitor for it.

Censorship/Free Speech

=> ↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong security chief evades question over legality of Tiananmen crackdown mourning

• Hong Kong’s security chief has refused to say whether publicly mourning victims of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown is a violation of the Beijing-imposed national security law.

=> ↺ New Yorker ☛ Florida Teacher Arrested for Showing Disney Movie Featuring Boy Character with Girl’s Name

• The teacher claimed that she thought it was “O.K.” to show the incendiary film because the character in question was a deer.

Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ The Case for Journalistic Independence

• The Times’s publisher makes the case for journalistic independence — and we give you the latest on Turkey’s election.

Civil Rights/Policing

=> ↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ US lawmakers urge sanctions on Hong Kong judges, as city gov’t decries ‘shameless, sinister, malicious’ interference

• Hong Kong authorities have condemned calls on the US government to sanction 29 Hong Kong judges in order to “counter the erosion of democratic freedoms.” Such appeals amounted to making a “shameless, sinister and malicious” attempt to interfere with the city’s judicial process, it said.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Families Of Three Iranian Detainees Lead Protests As Execution Fears Grow

• Relatives and supporters of three detained Iranian protesters have rallied outside the prison in Isfahan where they are being held in a desperate bid to halt their possible executions.

=> ↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China jails US citizen for life on espionage charges

• China has sentenced a 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison for espionage, a court said Monday, but revealed few details about the case that had previously gone unreported.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ China Sentences a U.S. Citizen to Life in Prison for Espionage

• A court in southeastern China handed down a guilty verdict to John Shing-Wan Leung, a Hong Kong resident, as the authorities ramp up a crackdown on spying.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ China jails 78-year-old US citizen for life on spying charges

• China sentenced a 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison Monday on spying charges.

=> ↺ RFA ☛ China jails American citizen formerly lauded as ‘overseas patriot’ for spying

• Head of a U.S.-based overseas Chinese association with close ties to Beijing is jailed for life.

=> ↺ Federal News Network ☛ US Virgin Islands says it can’t find Elon Musk to serve a subpoena in Jeffrey Epstein lawsuit

• The government of the U.S. Virgin Islands is asking a federal judge to help it serve billionaire Elon Musk with a subpoena for documents in its lawsuit seeking to hold JPMorgan Chase liable for sex trafficking acts committed by businessman Jeffrey Epstein. Lawyers asked Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan on Monday to let it serve the subpoena on Tesla Inc. because it has not been able to give the papers to Musk or his lawyers. The government of the U.S. Virgin Islands said it believes Epstein may have referred or tried to refer Musk to JPMorgan.

=> ↺ RFA ☛ China, Myanmar criticized for attacks on religious freedom in annual U.S. report

• Beijing is trying to “Sinicize” all religious activities in line with Communist Party doctrine

=> ↺ RFA ☛ Smashing window and sending death threats, landlord tries to evict Beijing lawyer

• Police say the actions are part of a ‘civil dispute’ to be resolved by ‘negotiation’ or a lawsuit.

=> ↺ CS Monitor ☛ Bright spots: Dark sky in China, and TV lessons for Afghan girls

• Progress roundup: The BBC creates educational TV shows for Afghan girls stuck at home; a Chinese community gets certified by the Dark-Sky Association.

=> ↺ Federal News Network ☛ House GOP lawmaker readies contempt charge over Afghanistan dissent cable

• The Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is threatening to push forward a legislative effort to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress next week. Rep. Michael McCaul wants Blinken to release a classified cable sent from U.S. diplomats in Kabul shortly before the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. McCaul says the House Foreign Affairs Committee could vote on the contempt charges at a hearing May 24. The State Department has said it is trying to provide Congress with “appropriate” information on the cable while protecting its employees. The so-called dissent channel has for decades provided a way for diplomats to discreetly voice concerns about strategy.

=> ↺ Federal News Network ☛ Washington lawmakers reach deal on drug policy, avoid automatic decriminalization

• Democratic and Republican leaders in the Washington Statehouse have reached a tentative deal on a major new drug policy, one that would avoid making the state the second to decriminalize the possession of controlled substances. Lawmakers will consider the compromise Tuesday when they return to Olympia for a special session. Gov. Jay Inslee called them back to work after they failed to pass a new drug policy before adjourning late last month. A temporary, 2-year-old law that makes intentional drug possession illegal is due to expire July 1. So unless the compromise passes, drug possession — even of fentanyl and other dangerous opiates — will become decriminalized under state law.

Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

=> ↺ IT Wire ☛ Telstra announces hike in post-paid mobile plan prices

• A statement from Brad Whitcomb, group executive, Consumer and Small Business, on Monday said the increases, in line with CPI, would be between $3 and $6 depending on the plan.

• As iTWire reported, the telco has already indicated that prepaid plan rates will increase, also from 4 July.

=> ↺ Reason ☛ Joel Embiid Became an NBA Superstar by…Watching YouTube?

• The amount of knowledge that’s freely available on the internet is staggering. Politicians shouldn’t try to restrict that.

=> ↺ Vice Media Group ☛ Archive Team Races to Save a Billion Imgur Files Before Porn Deletion Apocalypse

• It’s not just porn: As a major deadline hits, archivists are speeding up their efforts to backup Imgur, and are asking for help from the community to archive the last batch of images.

=> ↺ The Register UK ☛ Fallout continues from ‘fake net neutrality comment’ claims • The Register

Digital Restrictions (DRM)

=> ↺ Bruce Schneier ☛ Micro-Star International Signing Key Stolen

• Micro-Star International—aka MSI—had its UEFI signing key stolen last month.

Monopolies

Patents

=> ↺ JUVE ☛ Shenzhen Comen and Maucher Jenkins overturn PI at Düsseldorf Regional Court

• Chinese companies Shenzhen Comen Medical Instruments and Shenzhen Mindray Medical Instruments are currently fighting over a patent for a valve used in respiratory devices. In November 2022, the latter company had accused Shenzhen Comen of infringement after it exhibited its products at the Medica trade fair in Düsseldorf.

=> ↺ Unified Patents ☛ K. Mizra GPS patent held invalid

• On May 11, 2023, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) issued a final written decision in Unified Patents, LLC v. K. Mizra LLC holding all challenged claims of U.S. Patent 7,394,423 unpatentable. Owned and asserted by K. Mizra LLC, the ‘423 patent generally relates to a device for initiating and handling an emergency IP request using an IP enabled device having GPS capability.

=> ↺ US News And World Report ☛ Natera Wins $19 Million US Verdict From ArcherDX in Cancer-Detection Patent Case

Software Patents

=> ↺ Unified Patents ☛ Interdigital 3GPP patent revoked by EPO

• On May 12, 2023, the European Patent Office revoked all claims of EP 3497866. Owned by InterDigital, the EP’866 patent relates to wireless transmission methods for supporting multiple numerology blocks or bandwidth parts on a carrier signal, which is related to 5G wireless technology.

Trademarks

=> ↺ TTAB Blog ☛ USPTO Proposes Increase in Trademark-Related Fees – Effective November 2024

• On May 8, 2023, the Director of the USPTO notified the Trademark Public Advisory Committee (TPAC) of its intention to set or adjust trademark-related fees. The Office submitted a preliminary trademark fee proposal with supporting materials: the proposed fee schedule and associated materials may be found here. Anyone wishing to present oral testimony at the hybrid public hearing scheduled on Monday, June 5, 2023, from 1-3 p.m. ET, must submit a request in writing no later than May 26, 2023. Written comments on proposed trademark fees will be accepted until June 12, 2023.

Copyrights

=> ↺ Digital Music News ☛ Big Three vs ISPs — $47M Piracy Decision Against Grande Communications ISP Upheld by Federal Court

• Last year after a Texas jury found the ISP Grande Communications liable for contributory copyright infringement, it was ordered to pay $47 million to record labels. Now the ISP must appeal if it seeks to overturn it. In March 2023, Grande Communications filed a renewed motion for judgment.

=> ↺ Michael Geist ☛ The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 167: Inside My Senate Committee Appearance on the Many Risks of Bill C-18

• Bill C-18, the Online News Act, has now shifted to the Senate, where the Transportation and Communications committee, is reviewing a bill that has led Meta to say it plans to block news sharing in Canada altogether in the bill passes in its current form.

=> ↺ Digital Music News ☛ SIAE Works Return to Facebook and Instagram With ‘Transitional Agreement’ As Long-Term Licensing Talks Continue

• About two months after Italian Society of Authors and Publishers (SIAE) works were pulled from Instagram and Facebook due to a rights dispute, the organization has hugged it out with Meta and brought its members’ creative efforts back to the social platforms with a “transitional agreement.” SIAE revealed the partial resolution of the much-publicized impasse…

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