● 06.21.23

Gemini version available ♊︎

● Links 21/06/2023: KDE Plasma 5.27.6 and Linux Mint 21.2 Beta

Posted in News Roundup at 1:06 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNU/Linux

Applications

=> ↺ 9to5Linux ☛ Darktable 4.4 Open-Source RAW Image Editor Released, Here’s What’s New

• New features in darktable 4.4 include the ability to define multiple automatically applied presets against a single processing module, revamped default parameters of various processing modules, image metadata-based default parameters for many modules, and support for chromatic adaptation workflow setting and the Sigmoid display transform module in the default workflow configuration option.

• Furthermore, the Scopes module received a new color harmony overlay option in RYB vectorscope mode with support for nine different color harmonies, and a new right-click-and-drag global operation promises to allow image rotation to be corrected without the need to first open the Rotate and Perspective module.

=> ↺ GStreamer: GStreamer 1.22.4 stable bug fix release

• The GStreamer team is pleased to announce another bug fix release in the stable 1.22 release series of your favourite cross-platform multimedia framework! This release only contains bugfixes and security fixes and it should be safe to update from 1.22.x.

=> ↺ Linux Links ☛ 10 Best Free and Open Source Linux Document Processors

• A document processor is a document preparation system. We recommend the best document processors for Linux.

Instructionals/Technical

=> ↺ Linux Capable ☛ How to Install Jellyfin Media Server on Debian 12/11/10

• In the realm of digital entertainment, Jellyfin Media Server stands as a powerful, flexible, and open-source tool. Its purpose? To manage, stream, and organize multimedia content with ease.

=> ↺ Linux Capable ☛ How to Install Yarn on Rocky Linux

• In the universe of software development, Package Managers are pivotal tools, simplifying the process of managing system libraries, dependencies, and even the software itself. Navigating this cosmos, you’ll likely encounter two prominent constellations: NPM (Node Package Manager) and Yarn.

=> ↺ 4 Different commands to Shutdown or Restart Ubuntu Linux

• Restarting your Ubuntu computer is not some Sisyphean task and is quite easy using its graphical user interface. But what if you are using the command line server of Ubuntu and want to shut it down or restart using the terminal?

=> ↺ Ubuntubuzz ☛ How To Install NextGenerator, An Inkscape Extension for Mail Merge with Photos

• This tutorial will help you add mail merge features to Inkscape by using NextGenerator extension. Its purpose is to automatically generate items like cards intended for different recipients with different photos, colors and more. Licensed under GNU GPL just like Inkscape, it is historically a successor to an extension named InkGenerator. Now let’s do it.

=> ↺ ID Root ☛ How To Install VeraCrypt on Fedora 38

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install VeraCrypt on Fedora 38. In today’s digital landscape, data security, and encryption play a crucial role in safeguarding sensitive information. VeraCrypt, a powerful open-source disk encryption software, provides robust encryption capabilities for protecting your data.

=> ↺ Linuxiac ☛ How to Install Google Chrome on Debian 12 (Bookworm)

• Are you looking to install Google Chrome on Debian 12? Follow our comprehensive tutorial and enjoy faster and more secure web browsing.

=> ↺ TecAdmin ☛ How to Set Up ElasticSearch on Ubuntu 22.04

• Elasticsearch is a real-time, distributed, and scalable search engine based on Lucene, enabling users to store, search, and analyze massive volumes of data swiftly. It’s often used for log and event data analysis in IT environments. In this guide, we will explain how to install and configure Elasticsearch on Ubuntu 22.04.

=> ↺ Trend Oceans ☛ How to Create HTTPS Server in Node Js

• How do I create an HTTPS server forNodeJS? Then let’s learn how to create an HTTPS server because this is the most frequently asked question by Node.js developers.  HTTPS is a secure protocol for web applications where all communication between your browser and the server is encrypted and decrypted only by using a private key.

=> ↺ It’s FOSS ☛ Using cd Command in Linux

• Learn about using one of the basic but essential Linux commands that is used for switching directories.

=> ↺ TecMint ☛ The Ultimate Guide to Handling Filenames with Special Characters in Linux

• We come across files and folder names very regularly. In most of the cases file/folder name are related to the content of the file/folder and starts with number and characters.

• Alpha-Numeric file name are pretty common and very widely used, but this is not the case when we have to deal with file/folder name that has special characters in them.

=> ↺ Trend Oceans ☛ How to Download and Install John the Ripper on All Platforms

• One of the best-known tools in the community for cracking passwords is “John the Ripper,” so let’s learn how to download and install it on your Linux, macOS, and Windows systems. John the Ripper is open-source software that comes preinstalled in Kali Linux, but you can also install it on your favourite operating system.

=> ↺ Cloudbooklet ☛ How to use Janitor AI for Free

• Learn how to use Janitor AI for free in this comprehensive guide. We will cover everything you need to know, from what Janitor AI is to how to use it for free.

=> ↺ Cloudbooklet ☛ How to Rename a File in Linux

• Learn how to rename a file in linux using commands like mv and rename. Effortlessly manage and organize your files by following these step-by-step instructions.

=> ↺ FOSSLinux ☛ How to remove empty files and directories in Linux

• Having a clutter-free file system is essential for smooth operation and efficient navigation in Linux. It’s common to end up with empty files and directories during daily operations, and they can sometimes cause confusion or take up unnecessary space.

=> ↺ It’s Ubuntu ☛ 11 Bash Script Examples

• Let’s have a look into some of the amazing bash scrip examples that  can be handy for you. Bash scripts are normally used for executing a shell command or running multiple commands together and also for the automation of the work.

=> ↺ It’s FOSS ☛ Install and Use Flatpak on Ubuntu

• Ubuntu may come with Snap by default but you could still enjoy the Flatpak universal packages on it.

=> ↺ Adam Young: LED Keyboard

=> ↺ Peter ‘CzP’ Czanik ☛ Peter Czanik: What I learned about syslog-ng performance using sngbench

• A few weeks ago, I posted about sngbench, a shell script to measure syslog-ng performance. The performance of syslog-ng is influenced by many factors, including the hardware and OS it runs on, and syslog-ng itself. This blog summarizes some of my findings using the script.

=> ↺ Peter Czanik: What I learned about syslog-ng performance using sngbench

• A few weeks ago, I posted about sngbench, a shell script to measure syslog-ng performance. The performance of syslog-ng is influenced by many factors, including the hardware and OS it runs on, and syslog-ng itself. This blog summarizes some of my findings using the script.

• The sngbench.sh script was born several years ago, but we made it public only last month. This is because it was ugly as hell and difficult to use, but now, after a refactor, it is ready for public use. It is a synthetic benchmark, so while it is not fully realistic, it is good to measure peak performance, and compare how your choice of hardware, OS or syslog-ng version and configuration influences syslog-ng performance.

=> ↺ Storage APIs: Partitioning with Ansible Storage Role: Encryption

=> ↺ ID Root ☛ How To Install Etherpad on Rocky Linux 9

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Etherpad on Rocky Linux 9. For those of you who didn’t know, Etherpad is a valuable tool for teams that rely heavily on text-based content.

=> ↺ Trend Oceans ☛ Enable/Disable Auto Updates & Upgrade from Unattended-Upgrades on Ubuntu

• Learn how to disable auto-updates and upgrade from unattended-upgrades in Ubuntu 22.04 and later to have more control over system updates.  Unattended Upgrades software helps us auto-update and upgrade system packages in the background without user interaction to keep up to date with the latest features and security patches.

Games

=> ↺ Hackaday ☛ Modular Keyboard And Custom Game Controller

• Most video games, whether on console or PC, have standardized around either a keyboard and mouse or an analog controller of some sort, with very little differences between various offerings from the likes of Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, or even Valve. This will get most of us through almost all video games, but for those looking to take their gameplay up a notch or who are playing much more complex games, certain specialized controllers are available, but they might not meet everyone’s specific needs. Thanks to this custom, modular keyboard anyone should be able to make exactly the controller they need.

Desktop Environments/WMs

K Desktop Environment/KDE SC/Qt

=> ↺ KDE ☛ KDE Plasma 5.27.6, Bugfix Release for June

• Today KDE releases a bugfix update to KDE Plasma 5, versioned 5.27.6.

• Plasma 5.27 was released in February 2023 with many feature refinements and new modules to complete the desktop experience.

• This release adds two months’ worth of new translations and fixes from KDE’s contributors. The bugfixes are typically small but important and include…

Distributions and Operating Systems

=> ↺ Barry Kauler ☛ KeePassXC 2.7.5 compiled in OE

• KeePassXC is a password manager. Homepage:

• https://keepassxc.org/

• Project page:

• https://github.com/keepassxreboot/keepassxc

• I compiled KeePassXC in OpenEmbedded/Yocto, here is the recipe:

• https://github.com/bkauler/oe-qky-kirkstone/blob/main/quirky/meta-quirky/recipes-quirky/keepassxc/keepassxc_2.7.5.bb

• As well as lots of dependencies. The package repository has been updated, and in PKGget click the “Configure” button then “Update” then update ‘Packages-oe-kirkstone-official’ database file. I did that, then chose to install KeePassXC: [...]

=> ↺ Barry Kauler ☛ Compiled Secrets password manager but it crashed

• Secrets, formerly known as PasswordSafe, project is here:

• https://github.com/falkalexander/PasswordSafe

• There is also a Windows “Password Safe”, which has no connection with this one. Secrets is compatible with KeePass database, and requires gtk4.

• The latest version is 7.3; however, it requires a later ‘glib’ package than is in Easy. So I went back to 6.5.

• It requires a few python3 modules, and also ‘cracklib’ and ‘libpwquality’ that I compiled in OE.

• It started OK, created a database, but when attempted to create an entry, it crashed. So much for that.

=> ↺ Data Swamp ☛ Why one would use Qubes OS?

=> ↺ HaikuOS ☛ [GSOC 2023] Progress on perspective transformation

• While the change request to add reference images was being reviewed, I started working on ticket #18415, which suggests adding shear and perspective transformations. I decided to implement the perspective transformation since I still need to figure out which way I’m going to implement the shear transformation. Hopefully the experience in implementing the perspective transformation will give me information that will help me decide how to implement the shear transformation.

Reviews

=> ↺ DebugPoint ☛ SparkyLinux 7 “Orion Belt” Review: Blending Stability and Freshness

• We review the fresh SparkyLinux 7 “Orion Belt”, bringing the latest and greatest Debian 12 packages.

• SparkyLinux, the renowned Debian-based desktop Linux distribution, is back with its latest release, SparkyLinux 7 “Orion Belt.” This major release is coming up after almost two years of development since SparkyLinux 6.0. This eagerly awaited version combines the strengths of Debian 12’s stability with SparkyLinux’s cutting-edge features, promising an exceptional user experience.

• Let’s delve into the details of this major release and find out its performance and other distro aspects.

Fedora Family / IBM

=> ↺ Red Hat ☛ New C++ features in GCC 13

• The latest major version of the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), 13.1, was released in April 2023. Like every major GCC release, this version brings many additions, improvements, bug fixes, and new features. GCC 13 is already the system compiler in Fedora 38. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) users will get GCC 13 in the Red Hat GCC Toolset (RHEL 8 and RHEL 9). It’s also possible to try GCC 13 on godbolt.org and similar web pages.

• Like the article I wrote about GCC 10 and GCC 12, this article describes only new features implemented in the C++ front end; it does not discuss developments in the C++ language itself. Interesting changes in the standard C++ library that comes with GCC 13 are described in a separate blog post: New C features in GCC 13

=> ↺ Adam Williamson: DevConf.CZ 2023, Rawhide update test gating, ELN testing and more!

• I’m in Brno, working from the office for a few days after the end of DevConf.CZ. It was a great conference, good to see people and feel some positive energy after all the stuff with RH layoffs and so on. It was really well attended, and there were a lot of useful talks. I presented on the current state of openQA and Fedora CI, with Miroslav Vadkerti kindly covering the Fedora CI stuff (thanks to Miro for that). The segmented talk video hasn’t been updated yet, but you can watch it from the recorded live stream starting here (at 6:04:32).

=> ↺ Fedora Infrastructure Status: pagure.io outage

• A networking device pagure.io uses to communicate with the world needs an urgent reboot to correct errors. pagure.io will be down for 10-20min as this device is fixed.

Canonical/Ubuntu Family

=> ↺ DebugPoint ☛ Linux Mint 21.2 “Victoria” BETA is Out for Testing

• The highly anticipated release of Linux Mint 21.2 is almost here, and the testing copy of Linux Mint 21.2 BETA is now available for download for three official versions (“Cinnamon”, “Xfce”, and “MATE”). Download links to the BETA copy are at the end of the article.

=> ↺ Neowin ☛ Linux Mint 21.2 Beta ISOs appear on official mirrors for download

• You can now download the Linux Mint 21.2 Beta from official third-party mirrors. The Mint project is still to officially announce the release, but we believe it will do so very soon.

Open Hardware/Modding

=> ↺ Arduino ☛ This Star Wars-inspired display shows volumetric objects in 3D space

• A little over a year ago, Maker Mac70 set out to build an inexpensive DIY version of a volumetric display — a system which enables users to view objects in 3D, without the need for special glasses or extremely fancy components.

=> ↺ Arduino ☛ James Bruton builds a walking AT-AT robot

• Was there anything more exciting than watching AT-ATs walk across Hoth towards the Rebel base for the first time? Those massive machines were iconic and helped to solidify The Empire Strikes Back as the best movie set in the Star Wars universe.

=> ↺ Linux Foundation’s Site/Blog ☛ Zephyr Project Welcomes Analog Devices, Arduino and Technology Innovation Institute as it Launches the 3.4 Release

• Today, the Zephyr® Project announced that Analog Devices (ADI) has joined as a Platinum member as well as Arduino and Technology Innovation Institute (TII) as Silver members. Zephyr, an open source project at the Linux Foundation that builds a secure, connected and flexible RTOS for future-proof and resource-constrained devices, is easy to deploy and manage. It is a proven RTOS ecosystem created by developers for developers.

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

Events

=> ↺ Linux Plumbers Conference (LPC) ☛ Linux Plumbers Conference: Real-time and Scheduling Microconference CFP

• The real-time and scheduling micro-conference joins these two intrinsically connected communities to discuss the next steps together.

• Over the past decade, many parts of PREEMPT_RT have been included in the official Linux codebase. Examples include real-time mutexes, high-resolution timers, lockdep, ftrace, RCU_PREEMPT, threaded interrupt handlers, and more. The number of patches that need integration has been significantly reduced, and the rest is mature enough to make their way into mainline Linux.

• The scheduler is at the core of Linux performance. With different topologies and workloads, giving the user the best experience possible is challenging, from low latency to high throughput and from small power-constrained devices to HPC, where CPU isolation is critical.

• The following accomplishments have been made as a result of last year’s micro-conference: [...]

=> ↺ FSF ☛ FSF Events: Free Software Directory meeting on IRC: Friday, July 07, starting at 12:00 EDT (16:00 UTC)

• Join the FSF and friends on Friday, July 07, from 12:00

Programming/Development

=> ↺ It’s FOSS ☛ Bash Basics Series #2: Using Variables in Bash

• In this chapter of the Bash Basics series, learn about using variables in Bash scripts.

=> ↺ Adriaan de Groot ☛ So much boilerplate

• While looking through my box-of-hardware-bits for some stuff I need to put together my RISC-V build farm (a topic for another day), I found an NFC card reader from some time ago. O yeah, I remember wanting to do a little project with that at some point. No time like the present! But just getting to a first commit takes so much boilerplate.

=> ↺ nixCraft ☛ Alpine Linux fatal error: ncurses.h: No such file or directory fix

• When I try to compile a program on Alpine Linux, it fails with the following error: app.c:1:10: fatal error: ncurses.h: No such file or directory 1 | #include <ncurses.h> | ^~~~~~~~~~~

Leftovers

=> ↺ CS Monitor ☛ Chu Lai, Vietnam, 1966: My life lesson in leaping

• “Our sergeant knew what lay ahead for us new guys – as well as a way to help us face that future,” our essayist writes.

=> ↺ CS Monitor ☛ English has many rules, some of them valid

• Some rules of English you know, some you don’t, and – despite what you might have been taught in grammar school – some aren’t rules at all.

Science

=> ↺ Axios ☛ Scientists on Twitter head for the exit

• A feud broke out on Twitter over the weekend between popular podcaster Joe Rogan and prominent vaccine researcher Peter Hotez, with the podcaster challenging the scientist to a debate about vaccines in an online skirmish that drew fire from a few billionaires.

Education

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ What the New, Low Test Scores for 13-Year-Olds Say About U.S. Education Now

• But the ages of 10 to 13 are also a crucial period for mastering foundational skills, from multiplication to recognizing a character’s feelings in a short narrative passage.

• “The bottom line — these results show that there are troubling gaps in the basic skills of these students,” said Peggy Carr, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, which gives the NAEP exam. “This is a huge-scale challenge that faces the nation.”

=> ↺ New Yorker ☛ What Can We Do About Pandemic-Related Learning Loss?

• Remote school was devastating for many students. In Richmond, Virginia, a plan to switch to a year-round calendar brought promise and pushback.

Hardware

=> ↺ CNX Software ☛ Broadcom unveils 2nd generation WiFi 7 chipsets: BCM6765, BCM47722, BCM4390

• Broadcom has announced its second generation WiFi 7 chipsets: the BCM6765 residential WiFi 7 access point chip, the BCM47722 enterprise WiFi 7 access point chip with dual IoT radios that support simultaneous operation for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Zigbee, Thread, and Matter protocols, and the BCM4390 low-power Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth, and 802.15.4 combo chip designed for use in mobile devices.

Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

=> ↺ CS Monitor ☛ Medicaid trim: States review rolls to cut ineligible recipients

• Roughly 1.5 million Americans have lost Medicaid coverage since the COVID-era ban on removing recipients was lifted in April. Many are losing coverage because of a lack of paperwork or old contact information. Critics say the review is too hasty.

=> ↺ New Yorker ☛ When Dying Patients Want Unproven Drugs

• Patient-advocacy groups mobilized to demand access to a controversial new drug called Relyvrio. But hasty approval comes at a cost.

=> ↺ Pro Publica ☛ Ken Paxton Allied with Troubled Businessman to Push Opioid Program

• A year after persuading Texas lawmakers to buy millions of child identification kits that had no proven record of success, a businessman with a troubled history found an in with the state’s attorney general.

• Last fall, Kenny Hansmire was tapped by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton to be part of a coalition to combat opioid abuse that Paxton declared would “be the largest drug prevention, education, abatement and disposal campaign in U.S. history.”

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Respiratory disease registry seeks to combat silicosis

• A national registry will be set up to detect and combat deadly workplace respiratory diseases as the federal government seeks to tackle the prevalence of silicosis. 

• If passed, the law will require mandatory reporting of the disease which affects nearly one-in-four engineered stone workers in the industry prior to 2018. 

=> ↺ Meduza ☛ Ramzan Kadyrov’s 20-year-old daughter Khutmat Kadyrova awarded Order of Chechnya for ‘immense contribution to development of medicine’ — Meduza

• Khutmat Kadyrova, the 20-year-old daughter of the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, has been presented with the Order of Chechnya, a state award instituted in honor of her grandfather, Akhmat Kadyrov. The Chechen Minister of Information and Print Akhmed Dudayev announced Kadyrova’s award on Telegram.

=> ↺ Ben Congdon ☛ Mental Models: Slack

• Two of my all-time favorite articles about managing one’s energy and time relate to the notion of maintaining “Slack” in one’s life. The first, Slack, by Zvi Mowshowitz, directly describes the Slack concept that I refer to in this post. The second,Sabbath hard and go home, expands on this notion in the context of the author’s Jewish upbringing.

• I’ve been wanting to write about this concept for a while, but (ironically) haven’t ever found the time to do so.

• Slack (proper noun) is your buffer. It’s your buffer of mental energy, physical energy, and time. It’s the ability to get sick for a day or two without significant interruption to one’s commitments. Slack means you can have an off day without missing an important deadline. Slack allows you to to explore something you’re curious in, without worrying about wasting time. It’s writing a blog post about Slack, when there are assuredly more “valuable” things one could do with one’s time.

Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

=> ↺ Digital Music News ☛ OpenAI Lobbied European Commission to Water Down A.I. Regulations, Documents Reveal

• OpenAI has repeatedly lobbied European regulators to water down the E.U.’s AI Act—thereby reducing its regulatory burden.  A new report from Time suggests that despite CEO Sam Altman’s public calls for AI regulation, his company wants to define said regulation. Time examined documents about OpenAI’s engagement with E.U. officials about the law.

=> ↺ Beta News ☛ AI-powered Opera One web browser now available for Linux, Windows, and macOS

• Opera One, an innovative web browser that utilizes Artificial Intelligence, is finally here. With its integration of Aria, the first-ever browser AI, Opera One takes browsing to the next level. Aria is easily accessible through a new command line and the browser sidebar, allowing users to tap into a leading generative AI service and stay up-to-date with real-time web information. Opera has been at the forefront of generative AI advancements, aiming to provide users with an exceptional browsing experience that boosts productivity and creativity. Unlike other browser companies, Opera didn’t simply add AI services as an afterthought.

=> ↺ OMG Ubuntu ☛ Opera One, an AI-infused Web Browser, Hits Linux

• I haven’t used the Opera web browser since… Well, forever – but I’m well aware it remains a popular option with folks. Today, June 20, Opera hit version 100 and, through the power of marketing, transforms itself into Opera One.

=> ↺ Axios ☛ In new AI hype frenzy, tech is applying the label to everything now

• At this peak moment in the tech world’s artificial intelligence craze, anything that tech companies can slap an “artificial intelligence” label on, they will.

• Why it matters: The more our understanding of a new technology is distorted by hype, the less thoughtfully we can apply it — and the more likely it is we will cause harm with it.

• The big picture: Real advances in machine-learning based pattern- recognition and -completion have sparked a new bubble in tech-industry investment, encouraging companies to apply the “AI” label to anything that moves.

=> ↺ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Microsoft to Remove Multiple Folder Options from File Explorer

• Microsoft to ‘streamline’ File Explorer menus by removing ‘legacy’ features from menu.

=> ↺ PC Gamer ☛ Microsoft says latest Windows Kernel fix might actually break more things

• Microsoft rolled out 63 patches as a part of its June 2023 update for Windows 11 and Windows 10 last Tuesday.

=> ↺ Bleeping Computer ☛ Microsoft shares workaround for Outlook freezes, slow starts

• Microsoft is working to address a known issue affecting Outlook for Microsoft 365 customers, causing slow starts and freezes as if Offline Outlook Data Files (OST) [...]

=> ↺ The Record ☛ Microsoft resolves ‘dangerous’ new Azure vulnerabilities

• Microsoft recently fixed two vulnerabilities affecting two Azure-related tools that would have allowed hackers to access a victim’s data and make changes to their virtual environment.

Linux Foundation

=> ↺ Linux Foundation’s Site/Blog ☛ FINOS Announces 2023 State of Open Source in Financial Services Survey [Ed: LF, in partnership with Microsoft, uses proprietary software to run "survey" on "Open Source"]

• FINOS, the fintech open source foundation, Linux Foundation Research, and partners GitHub, Red Hat, and Scott Logic are conducting their third annual survey as part of their ongoing research on open source adoption, contribution, and readiness in the financial services industry.

Security

=> ↺ InfoQ ☛ Article: Debugging Production: eBPF Chaos

• This article shares insights into learning eBPF as a new cloud-native technology which aims to improve Observability and Security workflows. You’ll learn how chaos engineering can help, and get an insight into eBPF based observability and security use cases. Breaking them in a professional way also inspires new ideas for chaos engineering itself.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ VMware Confirms Live Exploits Hitting Just-Patched Security Flaw [Ed: Maybe they can try to blame it on "Linux" like before; company controlled by sociopaths from Microsoft]

• VMware updates a critical-level bulletin: “VMware has confirmed that exploitation of CVE-2023-20887 has occurred in the wild.”

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ Researchers Flag Account Takeover Flaw in Microsoft Azure AD OAuth Apps

• Businesses using ‘Log in with Microsoft’ could be exposed to privilege escalation and full account takeover exploits.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ Norton Parent Says Employee Data Stolen in MOVEit Ransomware Attack [Ed: Microsoft Windows TCO]

• Gen Digital, which owns Avast, Avira, AVG, Norton, and LifeLock, said employee data was compromised in the MOVEit ransomware attack.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ New ‘RDStealer’ Malware Targets RDP Connections [Ed: Microsoft Windows TCO]

• Bitdefender finds new malware capable of monitoring incoming RDP connections and infect the connecting clients that have client drive mapping enabled.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ Australian Government Says Its Data Was Stolen in Law Firm Ransomware Attack [Ed: Microsoft Windows TCO]

• The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) says some of its files were stolen in a ransomware attack on law firm HWL Ebsworth.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ Fulfilling Expected SEC Requirements for Cybersecurity Expertise at Board Level

• Nobody doubts the need to increase board level cyber expertise, but there is no single preferred route.

=> ↺ SANS ☛ Analyzing a YouTube Sponsorship Phishing Mail and Malware Targeting Content Creators, (Wed, Jun 21st)

• One of our Stormcast listeners, Kevin, wrote in to share that his friend Jon had received a direct spear-phishing e-mail. We requested for more information, and Jon kindly provided us with the corresponding e-mails and data to analyze.

=> ↺ Hackaday ☛ Hackaday Prize 2023: Sleek Macro Pad Makes 2FA A Little Easier

• We all know the drill when it comes to online security — something you know, and something you have. But when the “something you have” is a two-factor token in a keyfob at the bottom of a backpack, or an app on your phone that’s buried several swipes and taps deep, inconvenience can stand in the way of adding that second level of security. Thankfully, this “2FA Sidecar” is the perfect way to lower the barrier to using two-factor authentication.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ OT:Icefall: Vulnerabilities Identified in Wago Controllers

• Forescout Technologies has disclosed the details of vulnerabilities impacting operational technology (OT) products from Wago and Schneider Electric.

Privacy/Surveillance

=> ↺ Techdirt ☛ Texas Legislature Convinced First Amendment Simply Does Not Exist

• Over the past two years, there has been a concerted push by state legislatures to regulate the Internet, the likes of which has not been seen since the late 90s/early aughts. Content moderation, financial relationships between journalists and platforms, social media design and transparency, “national security,” kids being exposed to “bad” Internet speech—you name it, a state legislature has introduced an unconstitutional bill about it. So it’s no surprise that the anti-porn crowd seized the moment to once again exhibit a creepy and unhealthy interest in what other people do with their pants off.

Defence/Aggression

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ Uganda Police Arrest Suspected Collaborators in School Massacre

• The assailants reportedly fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Kazakh Journalist Who Wrote About Human Rights Killed In Georgia

• Kazakh and Georgian officials say Kazakh journalist Zhanbota Tolegen was killed in the Georgian city of Telavi in late May.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Tajik Police Colonel Detained On Suspicion Of Abducting University Teacher

• A top Tajik police officer has been detained on suspicion of abducting a university teacher who has been missing since June 12.

=> ↺ JURIST ☛ Myanmar dispatch: A red rose for Aung San Suu Kyi

• Myanmar law students are reporting for JURIST on challenges to the rule of law in their country under the military junta that deposed the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. 

=> ↺ Scheerpost ☛ Flirting With Armaggedon—Again

• An oddity of our times is the cavalier manner by which analysts of public issues ignore acquired understanding and history. Their motto seems to be: the world begins anew when I first take note of it.

=> ↺ JURIST ☛ Israel announces plans to expand West Bank settlements despite international pressure

• Israel’s nationalist government lodged plans on Sunday to approve the construction of thousands of new buildings in the occupied West Bank, despite growing pressure from the US to halt settlement expansion. The move raised concerns about achieving a lasting resolution in the region, as it hinders peace negotiations between Palestine and Israel.

=> ↺ Silicon Angle ☛ Justice Department expands cybersecurity efforts with new NatSec Cyber

=> ↺ Atlantic Council ☛ The way for the US to ensure Gulf security is through partnership, not policing

• As the United States continues to work with the Gulf on security, expect blips. Despite that, Washington can get this partnership back on course.

=> ↺ Defence Web ☛ SA, France sign anti-cyber crime agreement

• South Africa and France have entered into a cooperation protocol agreement to improve the Special Investigating Unit’s cyber forensic capabilities. The agreement is expected to also yield the establishment of an anti-corruption academy in Tshwane, which will serve the SIU and other law enforcement agencies and anti-corruption agencies within the Southern African Development Community (SADC)…

=> ↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong police watchdog sees uptick in complaints but none against officers on Tiananmen crackdown anniversary

• Hong Kong’s official police watchdog dealt with a nearly 70 per cent increase in complaints against officers in the first five months of this year, an uptick that authorities attributed to the resumption of normal life after Covid-19 rules were relaxed.

=> ↺ Axios ☛ The U.S and Chinese militaries still aren’t talking to each other

• U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken’s trip to China restored high-level dialogue between Washington and Beijing, but failed to persuade China’s leaders to reopen communications that could help avert a potential military crisis.

• Why it matters: The failure to establish a military-to-military crisis communications channel prolongs the risk of miscalculation and conflict in the region, experts say.

• State of play: The U.S. military regularly engages in lawful “freedom of navigation” operations through international waters, including the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, over which China claims sovereignty.

War in Ukraine

=> ↺ Latvia ☛ 11 more confiscated vehicles to be sent to Ukraine

• Latvia’s government on June 20 approved the sending of 11 more confiscated vehicles to Ukraine.

=> ↺ Latvia ☛ Interview: a Latvian volunteer in Lviv’s soup kitchen

• Dita Krauze is a Latvian living in the UK who has spent her vacation in Lviv, Ukraine, doing volunteer work at a soup kitchen. Latvian Radio’s Tālis Eipurs spoke to Dita about her experience.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ Russian APT Group Caught Hacking Roundcube Email Servers

• A Russian hacking group has been caught hacking into Roundcube servers to spy on government institutions and military entities in Ukraine.

=> ↺ Latvia ☛ OFAC publishes settlement with Swedbank Latvia on Crimea sanctions breach

• The US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) published a settlement statement on June 20 with Swedbank Latvia related to Crimea sanctions breaches.

=> ↺ Atlantic Council ☛ Western companies are still financing the Russian invasion of Ukraine

• Despite tremendous business interest in Ukraine’s reconstruction and development, a large number of Western companies continue to undermine Kyiv’s efforts by contributing to the Kremlin’s war chest.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ 🔴 Live: Western allies seeking private funds to rebuild Ukraine at London conference

• Diplomats from dozens of countries are meeting Wednesday in London to drum up funds to rebuild Ukraine, a mammoth task whose cost is estimated by the World Bank at more than $400 billion – a figure rising daily alongside the human toll of the 16-month war.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Italy and France will support Ukraine for ‘as long as necessary’, says PM Meloni on Paris visit

• French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni vowed to work more closely together as they met on Tuesday in Paris for talks aimed at patching up ties.

=> ↺ LRT ☛ Vilnius-based company’s equipment falls into Russian snipers’ hands – LRT Investigation

• Yukon Advanced Optics Worldwide, a Belarusian-owned group that has been operating in Lithuania for almost two decades, condemned Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and said it was shutting down its factory in Russia’s Smolensk. However, data obtained by the LRT Investigation Team and its partners from Scanner Project show that the company has not left Russia yet, while its equipment is falling into the hands of Russian soldiers.

=> ↺ LRT ☛ Vilnius NATO summit will be historic ‘for achievements or missed opportunities’ – Lithuanian FM

• The NATO summit in Vilnius next month will be historic either for its achievements or missed opportunities, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says, after it became clear that Ukraine will not be offered a membership plan.

=> ↺ Mint Press News ☛ How US and UK Government Propaganda Specialists Collaborated with Nazis in Ukraine

• The prominent role of Banderite Neo-Nazis in Ukraine’s government propaganda operations suggests that Nazi apologism has spread into the core institutions of its government – perhaps more than the dominant Western view is able to admit.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Kyiv, Ukrainian Regions Again Under Air Attack As Military Reports ‘Partial Success’ In South

• Russia launched a fresh wave of missile and drone strikes on several Ukrainian regions and the capital overnight, Ukraine’s air defense and regional officials said, as the Ukrainian military reported some “partial success” in their counteroffensive operations in the southern region of Zaporizhzhya.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ UN Chief Calls For Acceleration Of Grain Exports Under Black Sea Deal

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an acceleration of Black Sea grain shipments from Ukrainian ports under a deal allowing safe wartime exports.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ U.S. Prepared To Raise Russian Oil, Arms Purchases Even While Feting Modi During State Visit

• White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said there will be “deliverables” on the defense cooperation front when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Washington later this week, but declined to provide details.

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ EU Proposes Allocating €50 Billion in Aid to Ukraine

• Since the start of the armed conflict, the European Union has provided Ukraine with €14.7 billion in macro-financial assistance.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Former RFE/RL Correspondent In Siberia Rejects Offer To Sign Military Contract

• A former RFE/RL correspondent in Siberia who was sentenced in March to eight months of correctional work over his online posts about Russian forces attacking civilian infrastructure in Ukraine was offered a contract to join Russia’s armed forces involved in the invasion of Ukraine.

=> ↺ The Atlantic ☛ Putin Talks Tough While Ukraine Makes Gains

• Ukraine’s counteroffensive is on the move, but so are Putin’s nuclear weapons.

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ Russia to Respond to Ukrainian HIMARS & Storm Shadow Attacks

• “The use of these missiles outside the zone of the special military operation will mean the full involvement of the U.S. and the UK in the conflict,” Russian Defense Minister Shoigu warned.

=> ↺ CS Monitor ☛ Behind Ukraine’s front lines, a battle to manage expectations

• Russian forces are well dug in to fend off Ukraine’s long-anticipated counteroffensive. So even as Ukrainian civilians speak of eventual victory, many soldiers are concerned that such hopes not reach unrealistic heights.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Freed Ukrainian P.O.W.s Report Abuses in Russian Captivity

• Ukrainian captives released in prisoner exchanges say that beatings were common, and that they suffered from woefully inadequate health care and food.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Russia Presses Attack in East as Ukraine Pushes South to Recapture Territory

• Russian forces are trying to seize more land in eastern Ukraine even as they fend off a Kyiv’s counteroffensive, portending a long fight ahead, officials and military experts said.

=> ↺ Democracy Now ☛ Months Before Death, Daniel Ellsberg Warned Crisis over Ukraine & Taiwan Could Lead to Nuclear War

• Over the past 50 years Daniel Ellsberg remained an antiwar and anti-nuclear activist who inspired a new generation of whistleblowers. In his last interview with Democracy Now! in April, he spoke about the war in Ukraine and why it required a diplomatic solution, and about the latest leak of Pentagon documents by Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira, who has been indicted on six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information. We asked Ellsberg about what the leaks say about the war in Ukraine, and discussed his decision in 2021 to leak a classified government report that he had kept in his possession for decades, which revealed the U.S. had drawn up plans to attack China with nuclear weapons during the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis. Ellsberg warned the possibility of a nuclear first strike by the United States was an “insane” policy that would end most life on Earth. “The belief that we can do less bad by striking first than if we strike second is what confronts us in Ukraine with a real possibility of a nuclear war coming out of this conflict,” Ellsberg said.

=> ↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong man pleads not guilty to inciting assault of TVB staff over online comments

• A Hong Kong man charged with inciting assault over online comments about staff from local broadcaster TVB has pleaded not guilty. Fan Shi-man appeared at District Court on Monday morning for the first day of the trial./blockquote>

=> ↺ Democracy Now ☛ RIP Daniel Ellsberg: “Most Dangerous Man in America” on Leaking Pentagon Papers, Exposing Gov’t Lies

• We remember the life and legacy of Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, who died Friday at the age of 92, just months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg, then a top military strategist working for the RAND Corporation, risked life in prison by secretly copying and then leaking 7,000 pages of top-secret documents outlining the secret history of the U.S. War in Vietnam. The leak would end up helping to take down President Nixon, accelerate the end of the War in Vietnam and lead to a major victory for press freedom. Henry Kissinger once called Ellsberg “the most dangerous man in America.” Over the past 50 years, Ellsberg remained an antiwar and anti-nuclear activist who inspired a new generation of whistleblowers. We mark his death with excerpts from some of our interviews with Ellsberg over the years about Vietnam, as well as Ukraine, tensions with China, the threat of nuclear war and working toward a more honest discourse about U.S. policy. “To this day, the very idea that the U.S. is … an empire is a taboo, and a very unfortunate one, because it makes it impossible to understand what’s going on,” Ellsberg said.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Russia Sends Attack Drones Across Ukraine, Targeting Kyiv and Lviv

• Moscow’s forces also shot and killed a rescue worker in the flood-stricken city of Kherson, Ukrainian officials said, as both sides battled for territory in the south and east.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ German Spy Agency Says China and Russia Are After Its Secrets

• The country is a growing target for foreign espionage, the agency said, amid rising tensions over the war in Ukraine and rivalries between Washington and Beijing.

=> ↺ Meduza ☛ Popular Russian TV series disappears from streaming service after its lead actress speaks out against war — Meduza

• “Olga,” a popular Russian TV series whose last season was released in May, has been removed from the site of the channel that aired it, as well as from the channel’s streaming service, just weeks after the show’s star, actress Olga Troyanova, spoke out against the invasion of Ukraine. The show is considered to be one of TNT’s most successful shows.

=> ↺ Meduza ☛ Ukrainian activists reportedly interrupt journalist Dmitry Muratov’s Global Media Forum speech with recording of air raid sirens — Meduza

• The sound of air raid sirens began playing during a speech by Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov at the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum in Bonn on Tuesday, TV Rain reported. The sound was accompanied by a voice saying to “take cover” in Ukrainian.

=> ↺ Meduza ☛ State Duma passes law exempting participants in Russia-Ukraine war from liability for some crimes — Meduza

• State Duma deputies have passed a law that would make soldiers, both professionals and conscripts, who have fought in Ukraine exempt from liability for petty crimes and misdemeanors.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Taiwan war ’50 times’ worse than Ukraine: Morrison

• Former prime minister Scott Morrison has warned a breakout of war from China invading Taiwan would dwarf the conflict in Ukraine.

• His comments came as a new poll showed Australians remain wary of conflict in the region.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Pentagon Ukraine accounts error doubles to $A9 billion

• The Pentagon has found it overestimated the amount of funding for ammunition, missiles and other equipment it sent to Ukraine by $US6.2 billion ($A9.2 billion) due to an accounting error – more than double the amount previously disclosed.

• The value of the accounting error was revised up from the $US3 billion ($A4.4 billion) first reported by Reuters in May, the result of assigning a higher-than-warranted value to US weaponry shipped to Ukraine.

=> ↺ The Nation ☛ The CIA’s New Nord Stream Narrative Is Terrifying

• The United States is heavily invested in the Ukraine-Russia conflict—not just in financial terms but also in shared risk. Washington has given more than $75 billion in aid to Ukraine, a serious chunk of change, yet far less than the possible consequences for the world if the war were to spiral out of control. After all, Russia might be a decrepit superpower, but it still possesses a massive nuclear arsenal and the ability to inflict damage well beyond Ukraine. In its public rhetoric, the Biden administration has walked a tightrope, insisting that it is balancing the moral necessity of helping Ukraine defend itself against external aggression with caution in making sure the war doesn’t ramp up into a broader conflict. Yet the administration’s claim of working to forestall escalation has a major loophole: Will the United States be able to stop Ukraine (or elements of the Ukrainian government) from escalating?

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Scholz Calls On China To Raise Pressure On Russia Over Ukraine War

• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he called on China to use its influence over Russia more in regards to the war in Ukraine.

=> ↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ ‘Tough balancing act’: Chinese, German leaders hold talks

• Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosted Premier Li Qiang for talks on Tuesday, seeking to recalibrate cooperation between Germany and China after Berlin branded Beijing a “systemic rival”. Li is on his first trip abroad since he was named premier in March and tasked with shoring up China’s sputtering post-Covid economy. But unlike previous visits by Chinese […]

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Russian Defense Minister Warns Kyiv Of Repercussions If It Attacks Crimea With Western Missiles

• Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu warned Ukraine on June 20 of “immediate retaliation” if Kyiv attacks Crimea with Western missiles.

=> ↺ Latvia ☛ Rinkēvičs champions ‘Register of Damage’ for Russian crimes

• On June 20, Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, in his capacity of the Chair of the Council of Europe’s (CoE) Committee of Ministers, addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) over the priorities of the Latvian CoE Presidency and current political issues addressed by the CoE Committee of Ministers.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ EU, Kazakhstan In Contact On Preventing Russia Sanctions Evasion, Steinmeier Says

• German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters after talks with Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev in Astana that the EU and the energy-rich Central Asian nation are in close contact on preventing the evasion of Western sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Bulgaria’s New Defense Minister Signals Possible Tack To Help Arm Ukraine

• Bulgaria’s defense minister, Todor Tagarev, has signaled a likely break from the previous caretaker government’s reluctance to provide lethal aid to Ukraine by pledging an imminent announcement on a fresh package of military assistance, a move that could increase tensions with Bulgaria’s president.

=> ↺ Latvia ☛ Investigation suggests Latvian connection to sanctioned Russian oligarch Rotenberg

• A major new investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) in association with the Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism (Re:Baltica) delves into the murky world of Russian sanctions evasion – and identifies a Latvian citizen who might be involved in helping one of Russia’s richest men dodge Western sanctions.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Explosion At Major Russian Gunpowder Plant Kills Four

• An explosion hit a major gunpowder plant in Russia’s southwestern region of Tambov on June 20, killing four people.

=> ↺ LRT ☛ Lithuanian parliament moves to strip ice dancer Drobiazko of citizenship over performing in Russia

• Lithuanian MPs have initiated the process of stripping ice dancer Margarita Drobiazko of her Lithuanian citizenship as she continues to perform in Russia, LNK TV reported on Tuesday.

=> ↺ Meduza ☛ At the beginning of the war, Moscow seemed frozen. A year and a half later, it’s not the same city it was before February 24, 2022. This is the continuation of Alexander Gronsky’s photo project — Meduza

• A year ago, Meduza published a series of photographs by one of Russia’s most famous landscape photographers, Alexander Gronsky, about how Moscow had changed a few months into the war. Then, it was almost impossible to see the changes, but behind his photos you could feel that something had happened: February 24, Bucha, the bombing of the Mariupol Drama Theater and maternity hospital. A year later, Gronsky has shot a sequel to the project which he has shared with Bereg, a cooperative of independent journalists. With Bereg’s permission, Meduza is publishing the series.

=> ↺ Meduza ☛ St. Petersburg paper publishes photos of Russian general’s grave. His death has not been officially confirmed. — Meduza

• St. Petersburg publication Fontanka reports that Sergey Goryachev, Chief of Staff of Russia’s 35th Combined Arms Army, has been buried in the city’s historic Serafimovskoe cemetery. 

Transparency/Investigative Reporting

=> ↺ The Nation ☛ If Donald Trump Went to Jail for Violating the Espionage Act, He’d Be an Exception

• Sitting in his isolation cell in United States Penitentiary Marion—a hulking edifice of cement, bars, and razor wire in Illinois built to take the place of Alcatraz—Daniel Hale could be forgiven if he felt little sympathy for Donald Trump. Unlike the former president, who flew to his arraignment in his private jet and celebrated afterward with a gala party at his New Jersey country club, Hale was brought to the courthouse in steel handcuffs and then quickly thrown in a dank jail cell. Although both faced charges related to national security, Hale was a courageous whistleblower and Trump is an egotistical politician.

Environment

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Australia shivers as winter freeze forecast to drag on

• Temperatures have plummeted to below-average across Australia, with the freezing conditions set to continue.

• Canberra shivered through minus 5.6C just before 6am on Tuesday, with drivers warned to take extreme care because of icy conditions.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Tropical Storm Bret Forms in the Atlantic

• The storm formed Monday east of the Windward Islands, the National Hurricane Center said. It is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane by the end of the week.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Greenwash claim as miner pledges to stay away from town

• Environmentalists have dismissed a pledge by alumina giant Alcoa not to mine near a tourist town home to ancient jarrah forests.

• The company says it will not seek to mine within three kilometres of Dwellingup, in the Darling Range southeast of Perth, committing to an exclusion zone across its bauxite mining lease more than four times the size of Rottnest Island.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Water retailer breached family violence provisions

• A public water retailer will review its policies and compliance after the Victorian regulator found it breached family violence obligations by sharing the personal information of two customers.

• The Essential Services Commission on Tuesday accepted a two-year court enforceable undertaking from South East Water after a probe found the government-owned retailer failed to protect two separate customers in 2021 and 2022.

=> ↺ The Straits Times ☛ Himalayan glaciers melting 65% faster than previous decade: Study

• The glaciers could lose up to 80% of their current volume by the end of the century.

=> ↺ The Revelator ☛ Our Summer Reading List: Birding, Climate, Animal Rights and Justice

=> ↺ Scheerpost ☛ East Coast Wildfires Put Incarcerated People on Frontlines of Climate Crisis

• More than 150 detention facilities experienced “hazardous” air last week, according to an analysis by The Appeal. As wildfires have gotten worse, prisoners are facing a unique threat.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Himalayan glaciers melting faster than ever, endangering critical water source, scientists warn

• Himalayan glaciers providing critical water to nearly two billion people are melting faster than ever before due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters, scientists warned Tuesday.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ France to shut down activist climate group after clashes with police

• The French government said Tuesday that it would soon shut down an activist climate group over a series of recent demonstrations including one that led to fierce clashes with police over a controversial irrigation project.

Energy/Transportation

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Bumpy route to net zero for BHP after ‘good progress’

• Mining giant BHP says it is on track to reduce emissions across the business by at least 30 per cent this decade but warns progress beyond that won’t go in a straight line.

• Early action, including offloading the petroleum business to Woodside Energy, means the global company has already reduced the size of its carbon footprint.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Electrifying call for national ban on gas to new homes

• Clean energy advocates are calling for practical help to make sure renters, apartment dwellers and poorer households don’t miss out on electrification.

• Independent MP Allegra Spender on Wednesday urged federal Labor to show courage and ban gas connections to all new homes and set a date for ending residential use of gas across Australia.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Jobs jackpot from national critical minerals strategy

• Taxpayers will invest $500 million in critical minerals projects in northern Australia under a long-awaited federal strategy.

• The plan released by Resources Minister Madeleine King on Tuesday aims to position Australia to play a leading role in the supply chain for electric cars and renewable energy.

=> ↺ H2 View ☛ Exclusive: UK hydrogen funding essential or it’s ‘game over’ warns Hydrogen UK Chief Executive

• Hydrogen UK’s Chief Executive has told H2 View that if the UK does not pass an Energy Bill with an “appropriate funding mechanism” for hydrogen, “it’s game over for the UK’s place at the table.”

=> ↺ Reason ☛ Nigeria Looks To Reduce State Role in Energy Sector

• The new administration plans to end the state monopoly on oil and gas.

=> ↺ European Commission ☛ Opening address by Commissioner Simson at the launch of the report by the International Renewable Energy Agency “Innovation landscape for smart electrification”

• European Commission Speech Brussels, 20 Jun 2023 Good afternoon everyone,

• Let me start by thanking the International Renewable Energy Agency for choosing the European Commission…

=> ↺ Mexico News Daily ☛ Australian firm will develop Pemex’s Trion deepwater oil field

• Woodside Energy Group, which holds a 60% stake in the Gulf of Mexico field, will invest US $4.8 billion to start extracting oil by 2028.

=> ↺ H2 View ☛ European Commission formally adopts renewable hydrogen definition legislation

• The European Commission has today (June 20) formally adopted two delegated acts outlining its detailed rules on the EU definition of renewable hydrogen.

=> ↺ H2 View ☛ Airbus UpNext plans to trial hydrogen fuel cells for auxiliary power onboard A330

• Airbus UpNext has today (June 20) announced plans to trial the use of hydrogen fuel cells for auxiliary power onboard aircraft.

Wildlife/Nature

=> ↺ The Straits Times ☛ BBC exposes global network of sadistic monkey torture; at least 20 people being investigated

• The network stretches from Indonesia to the United States.

=> ↺ Quartz ☛ The data on 40 years of California wildfires is alarmingly clear

• Wildfires in northern and central California increased fivefold between 1971 and 2021, according to a new study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Finance

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba announces CEO, chair

• China’s Alibaba Group has announced a major management reshuffle as the e-commerce giant restructures into six different business divisions to adapt to fast-changing technologies.

• The moves also are aimed at spurring growth at a time when the Chinese economy is slowing despite an end to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions a half-year ago.

=> ↺ Federal News Network ☛ Foreign companies are shifting investment out of China as confidence wanes, business group says

• A business group says foreign companies are shifting investment and their Asian headquarters out of China as confidence plunges following the expansion of an anti-spying law and other challenges. The report by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China is one of many signs of growing pessimism despite the ruling Communist Party’s efforts to revive interest in the world’s No. 2 economy. Companies are uneasy about the anti-spying law, government protection of Chinese rivals and lack of action on reform promises. They also are being squeezed by slowing Chinese economic growth, despite the country’s exit from its “zero-COVID” policies, and by rising costs.

=> ↺ European Commission ☛ President von der Leyen presents the European economic security strategy and the revised multiannual EU budget

• European Commission News Brussels, 20 Jun 2023 On 20 June, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen presented the new European economic security strategy. She also spoke about the main aims of the revision of the EU’s long-term budget.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ The Racial Wage Gap Is Shrinking [Ed: American economy collapsing, but Wall Street Times is twisting this as "social justice"]

• Though still enormous, the gap has shrunk over the past five years.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Alibaba’s Daniel Zhang Will Leave Top Post, Replaced by Joseph Tsai

• In a shake-up, Joseph Tsai, an Alibaba veteran and executive vice chairman, will take over as chairman. Another Alibaba executive, Eddie Wu, will become C.E.O.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Business conditions turn sour and likely to worsen

• Insolvency levels are trending up and expected to continue rising as business conditions diminish.

• External administration was up 35 per cent in the year to May despite a seasonal dip between March and April.

=> ↺ With 1,000 jobs cut at Grab, another reality check for on-demand services

• Sooner or later, the venture capitalists will want their money back. Surely, these on-demand or sharing platform companies cannot keep giving incentives to drivers and delivery people while handing out endless discounts to consumers.

• The latest reality check came yesterday in the form of 1,000 job cuts at Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading ride-hailing and food delivery operator.

• The deepest cut for the company since the start of the pandemic, the retrenchment of 11 per cent of its workforce is meant to manage costs and ensure more affordable services long term, according to chief executive Anthony Tan.

=> ↺ EuroNews ☛ Four-day week: Which countries have embraced it and how’s it going so far?

• Portugal has become the latest country to announce a trial of a four-day week, following the example of the likes of Belgium, the UK, and others.

• Conversations around the four-day workweek were first reignited by the COVID-19 pandemic, with workers and employers rethinking the importance of workplace flexibility and benefits.

• The idea is simple – employees would work four days a week while getting paid the same and earning the same benefits, but with the same workload.

• Companies reducing their workweek would therefore operate with fewer meetings and more independent work.

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

=> ↺ Meduza ☛ ‘Let this be my protest’ Yulia Alyoshina, Russia’s first openly trans politician, has decided to run for Altay governorship — Meduza

• In September 2023, Russia’s Altay region will hold gubernatorial elections. Yulia Alyoshina, Russia’s first transgender politician, plans to run for governor. She was the head of the Altay regional division of the Civic Initiative party, but resigned in 2022 following Russia’s passage of new laws against “LGBT propaganda.” Nonetheless, the party’s regional branch suggested that she run in this year’s elections. Alyoshina spoke to Novaya Gazeta Europe about why she’s running. Meduza summarizes the conversation in English.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ ‘No involvement’: Liberal MP responds to wife’s funding

• Liberal MP Warren Entsch has fended off questions about a $214,000 grant awarded to his wife while the Morrison government was in power.

• The public money was released under an Indigenous Languages and Arts program, to teach pottery in a remote Aboriginal community.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ All details not necessary for referendum vote: advocate

• A key figure behind the push for an Indigenous voice says it is common for issues to be put to a referendum without the fine detail.

• One of the main arguments used by the ‘no’ case for an Indigenous voice in the constitution is that the structure and processes behind the voice have not yet been spelled out.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ Voice advocates ready for real discussion with Aussies

• The path has been cleared for a wider conversation on an Indigenous voice as a leading advocate declares there is no hidden agenda behind the plan.

• After parliament passed legislation enabling a referendum, Uluru Dialogue co-chair Pat Anderson said it was time for politicians to step back from the referendum debate. 

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ All options on table as housing fund held up in Senate

• The proposed $10 billion housing fund may be shelved by the federal government after it was pushed back to later this year.

• The Greens successfully delayed the bill until October – with the support of the opposition – in the Senate on Monday.

=> ↺ Michael West Media ☛ South Australia looks to ride boom in fishing tourism

• With more than 800,000 South Australian holidaymakers casting a line each year, the move is on to cash in on the state’s boom in fishing tourism.

• A statewide survey is being launched to help plan for the sector’s growth and deliver on an election commitment to develop an integrated strategy.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Once Scorned, Far Right Secures Foothold in Spanish Cities

• Local alliances between the center-right Popular Party and the far-right Vox may foreshadow a broader coalition agreement at the national level.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Another Blow to Boris Johnson as U.K. Parliament Ratifies Damning Report

• The former prime minister will lose his pass to Parliament, another stinging penalty from the fallout of lockdown-breaking parties during the pandemic.

=> ↺ CS Monitor ☛ UK Parliament votes to back ‘partygate’ report that slammed Boris Johnson

• The censure strips the former prime minister of his lifetime access to Parliament, after lawmakers voted by 354 votes to 7 to approve a scathing report by the Privileges Committee.

=> ↺ Pro Publica ☛ Alito Took Unreported Luxury Trip With GOP Donor Paul Singer

• In early July 2008, Samuel Alito stood on a riverbank in a remote corner of Alaska. The Supreme Court justice was on vacation at a luxury fishing lodge that charged more than $1,000 a day, and after catching a king salmon nearly the size of his leg, Alito posed for a picture. To his left, a man stood beaming: Paul Singer, a hedge fund billionaire who has repeatedly asked the Supreme Court to rule in his favor in high-stakes business disputes.

• Singer was more than a fellow angler. He flew Alito to Alaska on a private jet. If the justice chartered the plane himself, the cost could have exceeded $100,000 one way.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Reframing the West: New Fiction Makes Room for Voices Long Denied

• A wave of novels is drawing from wellsprings of race, class and gender to expand the genre.

Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

=> ↺ ADF ☛ Russia Uses Local Voices to Spread Propaganda

• Russian flags have become a fixture of rallies and public protests in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic and Mali — an indication of the way Russia is pushing its propaganda and disinformation by filtering it through local influencers.

Censorship/Free Speech

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Moscow Court Fines Viber, Telegram Over Content Related To War In Ukraine

• A Moscow court has ordered Viber and Telegram to pay fines for failing to delete information about Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

=> ↺ COMIC MAGAZINE COVER CRITICIZES ARREST OF CHILD: A 16-year-old was arrested for drawing mustache on Erdoğan’s face on an election poster

• The popular comic magazine LeMan came out this week with a caricature on its cover related to the 16-year-old student who was first taken into custody and then arrested.

Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

=> ↺ Journalist Sinan Aygül injured in assault by mayor’s bodyguards

• The two individuals, including a police officer, have been remanded in custody. Meanwhile, the mayor has denied any involvement in the attack.

=> ↺ Journalists convicted over reporting on bribery allegations against Erdoğan’s former lawyer

• While the court acquitted Doğan Ergün and İzel Sezer of “insult” and “libel,” it convicted the journalists of “disclosure of personal data.”

=> ↺ The Dissenter ☛ Barred From Considering First Amendment, Jury In North Carolina Convicts Reporters Of ‘Trespassing’

=> ↺ Off Guardian ☛ Deconstructing Marianna in Conspiracyland – Part 1

• In the introduction to this exposé of “Marianna in Conspiracyland” we discussed the evidence which proves that the BBC is a state broadcaster. It is not “independent,” as it falsely claims; its “reporting” spreads disinformation on behalf of the government and, as we shall see, the government’s “partners.”

Civil Rights/Policing

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Russia-Installed Police In Crimea Detain Two Crimean Tatar Brothers

• Russia-imposed police in Ukraine’s Moscow-annexed Crimea have detained two Crimean Tatar brothers — Dzhafer and Alim Alyustayev, for unspecified reasons after searching their homes on June 20.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Russian Sisters Die In ‘Traffic Accident’ After Another Sister Committed Suicide

• Police in Russia’s North Caucasus region of Kabardino-Balkaria are investigating the deaths of three sisters who died after their car fell off a cliff and caught fire days after their sister committed suicide.

=> ↺ Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong police recruitment day results in 490 applications after entry requirements lowered

• About 1,500 people attended a recruitment day for the Hong Kong Police Force on Sunday, around a month after police announced they would relax several requirements for new recruits. Over 490 job applications were received on the spot, according to the Force.

=> ↺ Marcy Wheeler ☛ Juneteenth

• It is a real holiday now, so celebrate! Long ago, if not that far away, we built a new office and moved in. Came to work one day and could barely get into our parking lot. People and cars everywhere.

=> ↺ Marcy Wheeler ☛ The WaPo Shows There Should Be More Scrutiny of Steve D’Antuono

• The WaPo’s story that many are taking as a condemnation of Merrick Garland is mostly a story about Steve D’Antuono’s obstruction of the investigation.

=> ↺ uni Michigan ☛ How to fight the culture war

• I wrote an article several months ago arguing that the two sides of the political aisle live in entirely separate, borderline fictitious realities. I said that, beholden to their most radical wings, their differences are nearly irreconcilable.

Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

=> ↺ APNIC ☛ In memory of Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro

• Sala Tamanikaiwaimaro, widely known for her work in Internet governance, sadly passed away in June 2023.

=> ↺ APNIC ☛ Event Wrap: 4th ICANN APAC-TWNIC Engagement Forum and 39th TWNIC OPM

• APNIC actively participated in the 4th ICANN APAC-TWNIC Engagement Forum and 39th TWNIC OPM, held from 22 to 24 May 2023 in Taipei.

Digital Restrictions (DRM)

=> ↺ Digital Music News ☛ Spotify Reportedly Preps ‘Supremium’ HiFi Tier, Plans to Add Audiobook Credits to Premium [Ed: Spotify does not know how to make money. It loses a billion bucks a years.]

• Two months ago, following price increases from Amazon Music and Apple Music, Spotify head Daniel Ek signaled that he intended to raise the cost of his platform’s subscription plans. Now, the Stockholm-headquartered company is reportedly preparing to roll out a more expensive tier (complete with Spotify HiFi) known internally as “Supremium.”

Monopolies

=> ↺ Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Reframing ITC’s Role: The Advancing America’s Interests Act

• This essay focuses on proposed Advancing America’s Interests Act (H.R.3535) which aims to limit NPE access to the ITC by refining the economic prong of the domestic industry requirement and by adding a stronger public interest consideration prior to issuance of an exclusion order. 

• The International Trade Commission (ITC) is a branch of the U.S. government focused on protecting domestic industry against undue foreign competition.  The ITC’s power extends in to several areas, but primarily by enforcing the laws of (1) intellectual property rights; (2) anti-dumping; and (3) countervailing duties.

Patents

=> ↺ [TH] [SUEPO] Upcoming events: 22/06: climate justice & working time – 28/06: workshop toxic workplace

• Please consider coming to the SUEPO office (Veraartlaan, 8 in Rijswijk, opposite the EPO) to connect together and subsequently discuss the following webinars which are being organized by unions affiliated to ours: [...]

=> ↺ JUVE ☛ BMS and Gide x Regimbeau repel Teva invalidity case against apixaban patent [Ed: Here we go again, dealing with European Patents that are likely fake, as explained by a propaganda apparatus funded by criminals who attack the law, attack constitutions, and shorehorn kangaroo courts]

• On 8 June 2023, the Judicial Court of Paris handed down a decision in which it rejected Teva Santé’s request to invalidate EP 14 27 415, which belongs to innovator pharmaceutical company, Bristol-Myers Squibb (case ID: 21/112727).

Copyrights

=> ↺ Techdirt ☛ Court Finally Dismisses Bananas Copyright Lawsuit Over Bananas Taped To Walls

• A year ago, we wrote about an unfortunate decision by a judge rejecting a motion to dismiss in a copyright lawsuit regarding bananas taped to walls. There was, of course, the high profile “banana taped to wall” artwork by Maurizio Cattelan that got tons of public attention at Art Basel in 2019 when it sold for $120,000 (and when someone walked over and pulled it off the wall and ate it, in a bit of counterprograming). Cattelan was the defendant in this lawsuit as some other guy, Joe Morford, claimed that he had done it first with an artwork called “Banana & Orange” and that Cattelan’s banana (which, officially, was called “Comedian”) infringed on his work.

=> ↺ The Nation ☛ “I Write Things I Cannot Play”: The Secret of Liz Phair

• In 1992 and 1993, an unknown singer-songwriter named Liz Phair recorded her debut album in Chicago, not knowing that it would become one of the most influential records of the decade. Exile in Guyville hit the music scene with the stiff, stinging rush of the Lake Michigan wind as Phair sang frankly and clearly about sex and young life as a woman. Her album immediately became revered as evocative of a time of economic insecurity and as part of a new generation of women striving to express themselves in more sexually open and emotionally raw ways. Since then, the album’s legend has only grown—crisis and misogyny haven’t gone anywhere. When Guyville was released, besotted critics were reductively focused on seeing it as some kind of feminist response to the Rolling Stones classic Exile on Main Street. Now, with decades of increasing stature, it stands alone, the Stones album barely a footnote. In 2023, Liz Phair is going on tour for the 30th anniversary of Guyville and will perform every song off the album. I spoke to her about a tour that is a testament to the timelessness of a truly great album.

=> ↺ Reason ☛ Journal of Free Speech Law: “From Hot News to Link Tax: The Dangers of a Quasi-Property Right in Information,” by Paul Matzko

• Just published as part of the symposium on Media and Society After Technological Disruption, edited by Profs. Justin “Gus” Hurwitz & Kyle Langvardt.

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