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● 07.30.23

Gemini version available ♊︎

● Links 30/07/2023: PCLinuxOS 2023.07 and pgAdmin 4 v7.5 Released

Posted in News Roundup at 7:04 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

GNU/Linux

Instructionals/Technical

=> ↺ ID Root ☛ How To Setting Up NTP Server and Client on Debian 12

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to set up NTP Server and Client on Debian 12. Accurate time synchronization is crucial for any computer network.

=> ↺ ID Root ☛ How To Fix Error “Host Key Verification Failed”

• Beneath the layers of SSH lies the host key, a unique cryptographic signature used to authenticate servers. When you attempt to connect to a remote server, your client machine saves the host key in the “known hosts” file.

=> ↺ ID Root ☛ How To Install OBS Studio on Debian 12

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install OBS Studio on Debian 12. If you are a content creator, gamer, or live streamer on Debian 12 (Bookworm), OBS Studio is an essential tool to enhance your multimedia production.

=> ↺ Ubuntu Handbook ☛ Enable Touchscreen Ripple Feedback in Ubuntu 22.04 | 23.04

• Run Ubuntu on laptop or other machine with touchscreen? You can enable touch feedback with an extension. It’s ‘Touch X‘, an extension that support GNOME from version 40 to 44. Meaning for Ubuntu 22.04, 23.04, Debian 12, RHEL 9, Fedora, Arch, Manjaro and other Linux with recent GNOME.

=> ↺ DebugPoint ☛ How to Install yay AUR Helper in Arch Linux [Beginner’s Guide]

• This beginner’s guide explains the steps to install the Yay AUR helper in Arch Linux. The yay is an abbreviation of ‘Yet Another Yogurt’. It is technically a pacman wrapper and AUR helper written in Go programming languages.

=> ↺ ID Root ☛ How To Install CMake on Debian 12

• In this tutorial, we will show you how to install CMake on Debian 12. CMake, a powerful cross-platform build system generator, plays a pivotal role in modern software development. As developers strive for efficiency and portability, understanding how to install CMake on Debian 12 is essential.

=> ↺ Linux Capable ☛ mkdir Command in Linux with Examples

• In the dynamic world of Linux operating system, known for its sheer power and flexibility, there lies a vast collection of commands that give you complete authority over the system. One such essential command, deeply woven into the fabric of the system, is the mkdir command.

=> ↺ How to Monitor Apache Web Server Load and Statistics in Realtime

• Apache HTTP Server, commonly known as Apache, is one of the most widely used and reliable web servers worldwide. Serving millions of sites across the globe, Apache’s ubiquity is due to its flexibility, power, and vast module library.

=> ↺ Own HowTo ☛ How to install fail2ban on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS

• fail2ban is a great tool when it comes to protecting your server from different attacks.

=> ↺ Own HowTo ☛ Minimize and Maximize buttons missing on OpenSUSE [Solution]

• I installed OpenSUSE “Tumbleweed” recently, and everything went wine. However, I noticed that every app that was Installed had minimize and maximize buttons missing from the top bar of the app. The only button that was showing, was the close button.

=> ↺ SUSE’s Corporate Blog ☛ Step by Step instructions for building a Multiple Architecture OpenSUSE Leap PXE Server

• Making life easier with PXE Welcome to Part Two of our journey into setting up a network-based installation environment. Having already established our openSUSE Installation Server in Part One, we’re now ready to dive into the next exciting phase: Installing and Configuring PXE.

=> ↺ How to Check if a Directory Exists in Bash?

• In the world of Bash scripting, one common task is to check if a directory exists before proceeding with further actions. Whether you are writing automation scripts, performing system maintenance, or managing files and directories, it’s essential to ensure that the directory you are about to work with exists to avoid errors and unexpected behaviors. In this comprehensive guide, you will learn various methods to check if a directory exists in Bash, with practical examples and best practices.

=> ↺ Chris ☛ Retrospective Prompts

Distributions and Operating Systems

=> ↺ Barry Kauler ☛ More Turkish translations

• I would like to thank forum member madanadam for contributing more Türkçe translations. Just about fully translated now!

• See the recent contributions in the forum:

• https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=8070&start=30

• Also, recent commits to github:

• https://github.com/bkauler/woofq/commits/5b9a4b5a1ba307fe0300ee39de858f4b3e09e9d1    

PCLinuxOS/Mageia/Mandriva/OpenMandriva Family

=> ↺ PCLOS Official ☛ PCLinuxOS 2023.07 Release

• The Pointless Distribution manager has announced updated installation media for KDE Plasma, MATE and Xfce desktops. The following features stand out: New apt, rpm and synaptic package manager. New mylive-install installer replaces draklive-install. Additional configuration utilities were added to supplement the Administration Center.

Gentoo Family

=> ↺ Genkernel in 2023

• I really wanted to look into the new kernel building solutions for Gentoo and maybe migrate to dracut, but last time I tried, ~1.5 years ago, the initreamfs was now working for me.

• And now in 2023 I’m still running genkernel for my personal boxes as well as other servers running Gentoo.

• I guess some short term solutions really become defined tools

Arch Family

=> ↺ 9to5Linux ☛ Arch Linux Installer Now Supports Hyperland WM, Limine Bootloader

• Archinstall 2.6 is here with support for the Hyperland customizable dynamic tiling Wayland window manager, support for the Limine modern, advanced, portable, multiprotocol bootloader, and support for custom mirrors finally allowing users to add their favorite mirrors.

• Also new in Archinstall 2.6 is a revamped partitioning section that has been rewritten, enablement of separate /boot and /boot/esp via XBOOTLDR in systemd-boot, easier saving of configuration files by allowing tab-completion in folder path entry, as well as support for Estonian and Traditional Chinese languages.

Open Hardware/Modding

=> ↺ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Raspberry Pi Dashboard Rig Adds Retro Gaming to Car

• Cubey125 has set up a Raspberry Pi in the dash of their Nissan 370Z with RetroPie for gaming and emulation on the go.

=> ↺ CNX Software ☛ Robo Pico review – A Raspberry Pi Pico W-based motor & sensor control board tested with BocoBot robotic kit

• Cytron Robo Pico is a carrier board for the Raspberry Pi Pico (W) specially designed for robotics & IoT applications with a 2-channel DC motor driver, four servo motor ports, and seven Grove I/O connectors to connect various sensors and/or actuators. When the company asked us to review the Robo Pico board, I noticed they had a car robotic kit based on the board called the BocoBot that comes with installation videos and five tutorials including obstacle avoidance movement with ultrasonic sensors, light search, line following, and WiFi remote control.

Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

Web Browsers/Web Servers

Mozilla

=> ↺ OMG! Linux ☛ This Thunderbird GNOME Theme Makes the App Look Epic

• Do you want to make the Thunderbird e-mail client look more like a native app on the GNOME desktop? If so, check out with community-based Thunderbird GNOME Theme project.

SaaS/Back End/Databases

=> ↺ PostgreSQL ☛ pgAdmin 4 v7.5 Released

• The pgAdmin Development Team is pleased to announce pgAdmin 4 version 7.5. This release of pgAdmin 4 includes 28 bug fixes and new features. For more details please see the release notes.

GNU Projects

=> ↺ GNU ☛ GNU Binutils 2.41 release

=> ↺ GNU ☛ Emacs 29.1 released

=> ↺ GNU ☛ Release of GnuCOBOL 3.2

Programming/Development

=> ↺ Rlang ☛ Posit Package Manager for Linux R Binaries

• I’ve been getting a lot of use recently from the Posit (née RStudio) Package Manager (PPM), because it offers freely available R package binaries for quite a few Linux…

=> ↺ Rlang ☛ Grover’s algorithm with qsimulatR

• Cover photo by gorodenkoff on iStock

• This is the third article of the Quantum Computing simulation with R series.

=> ↺ Carl Schwan ☛ Debugging the keyboard navigation in your QML application

• A neat trick to debug the keyboard navigation in your QML application is to put the following code snippet in your main.qml: [...]

Python

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Python Rename File

• By using the “os.rename()” function, “shutil.move()” function, or using the “os” module, users can rename a single or bulk of files using Python.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Python os.path example

• In Python, the “os.path” module of the “os” library provides several functions to work with specified paths in various operating systems.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Python Random Shuffle Method

• The “random.shuffle()” method of the “random” module is used to shuffle a list of strings or a list of integers in Python.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Tkinter Grid

• The tkinter grid is a two-dimensional table with rows and columns, where each cell can hold a widget such as buttons, labels, or entry fields.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Get the Pandas DataFrame Rows Based on Index

• The “DataFrame.iloc[]” and the “DataFrame.loc[]” method of the “Pandas” module is used to get the Pandas DataFrame rows based on the index.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Seaborn HeatMap Colors

• The “seaborn.heatmap()” function of the “Seaborn” module is utilized in Python to plot/create rectangular data in the color-coded matrix form.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ How to Catch All Exceptions in Python

• The “try” and “except” statement, the “raise” exception, and the “logger.exception” method is used to catch all exceptions in Python.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Python OS Environ

• The “os.environ” is a mapping object or built-in dictionary in Python that represents all the user’s environment variable values in key-value pairs set.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Pandas DataFrame Select Rows By Condition

• The relational operators, “df.isin()”, “&” operator, and “df.loc[]” methods, are used to select DataFrame rows based on particular conditions.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Print Stacktrace in Pyhton Log

• The “traceback” or “logging“ module provides several functions that are used in Python to log the error message and the Stacktrace.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Pandas Distinct Values Column

• The “pandas.unique()”, “Series.unique()”, “Numpy.unique()”, and “pandas.concat()” methods are used to get distinct values of the Pandas DataFrame column.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Tkinter Treeview

• “Tkinter-treeview” is a specialized widget in “Tkinter” that presents hierarchical data structures in a tree-like format.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Python Priority Queue Example

• In Python, the “List”, “heapq”, and “queue.PriorityQueue” methods are used to implement Priority Queues and return data items based on their priority.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ How to find the average of a list in Python

• The average of a list in Python can be found using the iterative method, sum() and len() functions, reduce() and lambda() functions, numpy, or statistics modules.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Pandas Append to CSV

• The “df.to_csv()” function of the Pandas module is used to append Pandas DataFrame to CSV (Comma Separated Value) file in Python.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ SciPy Matrices

• The “scipy.linalg” module and the “scipy.sparse” module of the Scipy library is used to perform various operations on Scipy matrices in Python.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Random Integer Python

• The “random.randint()” or the “random.randrange()” methods of the “random” module are utilized to generate/create a random integer in Python:

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Python os getenv

• The “os.getenv()” method of the “os” module is utilized in Python to retrieve the environment variable key value if it is present.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Pandas Agg Count

• The “groupby()” method splits data into groups based on columns and finds total values in a column for each group using the agg method, such as “count”.

=> ↺ Linux Hint ☛ Pandas Add Header

• The “pd.DataFrame()” columns parameter, “DataFrame.columns” method and the “DataFrame.set_axis()” method is used to add a header to Pandas DataFrame in Python.

Rust

=> ↺ Linux Plumbers Conference (LPC) ☛ Linux Plumbers Conference: Rust MC CFP

• LPC 2023 will host the second edition of the Rust MC. This microconference intends to cover talks and discussions on both Rust for Linux as well as other non-kernel Rust topics. Proposals can be submitted via LPC submission system, selecting the Rust MC track.

• Rust is a systems programming language that is making great strides in becoming the next big one in the domain. Rust for Linux is the project adding support for the Rust language to the Linux kernel.

• Rust has a key property that makes it very interesting as the second language in the kernel: it guarantees no undefined behavior takes place (as long as unsafe code is sound). This includes no use-after-free mistakes, no double frees, no data races, etc. It also provides other important benefits, such as improved error handling, stricter typing, sum types, pattern matching, privacy, closures, generics, etc.

Standards/Consortia

=> ↺ Shirish Agarwal: Manipur, Data Leakage, Aadhar, and IRCv3

• This is the biggest pain point in both. I failed to register via either Pidgin or Hexchat. I couldn’t find a way in either client to register my handle. I have had on/off relationships with IRC over the years, the biggest issue being IIRC is that if you stop using your handle for a month or two others can use it. IIRC, every couple of months or so, irc/oftc releases the dormant ones. Matrix/Vector has done quite a lot in that regard but that’s a different thing altogether so for the moment will keep that aside.

Leftovers

Hardware

=> ↺ Tom’s Hardware ☛ How to Use Ultimaker Cura to Prepare Designs for 3D Printing

• Familiarize yourself with the Ultimaker Cura slicer, from installation to its features and tools, as well as more advanced features such as 3D slicing and configuring 3D printer settings and profiles.

Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ New York City Had a Migrant Crisis. It Hired a Covid Expert to Help.

• DocGo, a medical services company, received a $432 million no-bid contract to move hundreds of asylum seekers outside the city. Many say they have been threatened, mistreated and lied to.

=> ↺ Axios ☛ Destination weddings are making a post-pandemic comeback

• Destination weddings are booming, forcing guests to factor in travel costs before they RSVP.

• By the numbers: The global destination wedding market grew from $21.31 billion in 2022 to $28.31 billion in 2023 — and it’s expected to grow to $78.89 billion in 2027, according to data from the Destination Wedding Global Market Report 2023.

Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

=> ↺ Tom’s Hardware ☛ Microsoft Bans Gamers Using Retail Mode Emulators on Xbox

• Microsoft has banned old-school gamers from running emulation applications on its Xbox consoles. Additionally, Microsoft has also implemented a 15-day suspension for anyone daring enough to work around the ban.

=> ↺ The Atlantic ☛ Tech Companies’ Friendly New Strategy to Destroy One Another

• Meta has decided that it’s time to open up the internet’s walled gardens. Be wary.

Pseudo-Open Source

Openwashing

=> ↺ Linux Links ☛ Meta AI: Llama 2 – Open Source that’s not Open Source

• Meta AI proclaims that Llama 2 is their next generation open source large language model. It’s not open source though.

Security

=> ↺ Bleeping Computer ☛ Linux Version of Abyss Locker Ransomware Targets VMware ESXi Servers [Ed: The problem is not Linux. The problem is malware and it impacts proprietary software, not GNU/Linux. Microsoft boosters and spinners here.]

• The Abyss Locker operation is the latest to develop a Linux encryptor to target VMware’s ESXi virtual machines platform in attacks on the enterprise.

=> ↺ SANS ☛ USPS Phishing Scam Targeting iOS Users, (Sun, Jul 30th)

• Phishing scams have frequently arrived as an SMS message (sometimes called “Smishing”). SMS messages are easy and cheap to send, and we have documented how attackers like to scan for exposed credentials for services like Twilio to make it even cheaper.

=> ↺ SANS ☛ Do Attackers Pay More Attention to IPv6?, (Sat, Jul 29th)

• IPv6 has always been a hot topic&#;x26;#;x21; Available for years, many ISP&#;x26;#;39;s deployed IPv6 up to their residential customers. In Belgium, we were for a long time, the top-one country with IPv6 deployment because all big players provided IPv6 connectivity.

=> ↺ Bruce Schneier ☛ Indirect Instruction Injection in Multi-Modal LLMs

• Interesting research: “(Ab)using Images and Sounds for Indirect Instruction Injection in Multi-Modal LLMs“:

=> ↺ Hacker News ☛ Hackers Deploy “SUBMARINE” Backdoor in Barracuda Email Security Gateway Attacks [Ed: The problem is a proprietary front end and it's not a back door, albeit it can be used by malicious actor to install one on a compromised system. This is awful reporting by Microsoft boosters and spinners.]

• The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Friday disclosed details of a “novel persistent backdoor” called SUBMARINE deployed by threat actors in connection with the hack on Barracuda Email Security Gateway (ESG) appliances.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ Zimbra Patches Exploited Zero-Day Vulnerability

• Zimbra has released patches for a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability that has been exploited in malicious attacks.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ CoinsPaid Blames North Korean Hackers for $37 Million Cryptocurrency Heist

• CoinsPaid says North Korean hacking group Lazarus is likely responsible for the recent theft of $37 million in cryptocurrency.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ US, Australia Issue Warning Over Access Control Vulnerabilities in Web Applications

• US and Australian government agencies provide guidance on addressing access control vulnerabilities in web applications.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ Exploitation of Recent Citrix ShareFile RCE Vulnerability Begins

• The first attempts to exploit CVE-2023-24489, a recent critical Citrix ShareFile remote code execution vulnerability, have been observed.

=> ↺ Security Week ☛ Weintek Weincloud Vulnerabilities Allowed Manipulation, Damaging of ICS Devices

• Several vulnerabilities found in Weintek Weincloud could have allowed hackers to manipulate and damage ICS, including PLCs and field devices.

Defence/Aggression

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ At Least 35 Dead in Blast at Political Rally in Pakistan

• An explosion at a political rally on Sunday in northwest Pakistan killed at least 35 people and injured 200 more, officials said, the latest sign of the deteriorating security situation in Pakistan, where some militant groups have become more active over the past two years.

=> ↺ JURIST ☛ Vietnam court jails 54 in COVID-19 flight repatriation bribery case

• The Hanoi People’s Court sentenced 54 government officials and business people on Friday for charges related to bribery, as reported by the state-run Vietnam Plus.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ U.S. Hunts Chinese Malware That Could Disrupt American Military Operations

• American intelligence officials believe the malware could give China the power to disrupt or slow American deployments or resupply operations, including during a Chinese move against Taiwan.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Ten People Killed In Fierce Storms In Central Russia

• Ten people were killed in central Russia after strong winds toppled trees and heavy rains disrupted the electricity supply in hundreds of settlements, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said.

=> ↺ teleSUR ☛ What Will the Russia-Africa Summit Bring?

• The African countries also affirm, by attending this summit, that they will not accept that the West defines with which international actors they have the right to interact.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Pro-Junta Demonstrators In Niger March With Russian Flags, Damage French Embassy

• Thousands of supporters of a military junta that took power in Niger earlier this week have marched in the capital, Niamey, with many waving Russian flags and chanting the name of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Niger Coup: West African Leaders Impose Sanctions and Threaten Action

• A demand for a restoration of democracy echoed calls by the United States and France, major security allies of Niger.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Biden Presses Ahead With Effort to Broker Israeli-Saudi Deal

• The president sent Jake Sullivan, his national security adviser, on the latest diplomatic mission seeking to forge ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

War in Ukraine

=> ↺ France24 ☛ 🔴 Live: Russia downs three Ukrainian drones over Moscow, defence ministry says

• Russia’s defence ministry said that three Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow early on Sunday, the TASS news agency reported. One drone was destroyed in the air and two others crashed in Moscow, the ministry said. The attack damaged two buildings and temporarily suspended flights at Vnukovo airport.

=> ↺ Russell Coker ☛ Russell Coker: My Predictions for the Ukraine War

• There are a lot of people talking about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a lot of moving goalposts in such discussions. I think that everyone who wants to advocate for it should publish what they expect to happen and what specific things they consider as victory conditions.

• When Russia first invaded I thought they would win in a matter of weeks. I underestimated the determination of the Ukrainian people and the corruption and the incompetence and corruption of the Russian military. The first time I thought that Ukraine could win was when I read an analysis of the tires on Russian military vehicles breaking because of the cheapest available tires being bought and then not stored correctly to avoid damage, which led to the long stalled convoy. A successful military campaign requires many more difficult tasks than buying good tires and maintaining them correctly. An army that is too corrupt to buy the bare minimum of usable equipment and too incompetent to adapt to failures is not going to do well.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ No, this video does not prove that an attack on Odesa was staged by Ukraine

• A video has gone viral on social media, with users claiming it shows proof that the destruction of a historic cathedral in Odesa on the night of July 22 to 23 was staged by Ukrainian authorities. They argue that a woman in the video picks up the debris with too much ease for it to be real. However, the woman is actually picking up a light material, most likely polystyrene, so this does not prove that the attack was staged.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Ukrainian volunteers develop inexpensive missiles to ‘overwhelm’ Russian air defences

• Inventors in Ukraine have developed an inexpensive cruise missile they hope can “overwhelm” Russian air defences so that rockets equipped with warheads are more likely to reach their targets. The inventors are volunteers but they are no amateurs: they have already produced hundreds of mortars. FRANCE 24’s Gulliver Cragg and Illia Dyadik report.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Pope Urges Russian ‘Brothers’ to Restore Black Sea Grain Deal

• Pope Francis on July 30 called on Russia to reverse its decision to abandon the Black Sea grain deal, under which it had allowed Ukraine to export grain from its seaports despite the ongoing war.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Russian Investigators Call Children As Witnesses Against Their Mother Accused Of Discrediting Army

• A 9-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother have been called as witnesses in a criminal case against their mother after she was accused of repeatedly “discrediting” the Russian Amy.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Putin Says ‘Armed Conflict’ With Ukraine Justifies Crackdown On Dissent

• Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the ongoing crackdown on dissent in Russia, saying that “there must be a certain attitude toward people who are causing harm inside the country.”

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy Warns ‘War’ Coming To Russia After Drone Attack Closes Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned that it was “inevitable” that “war” would come to Russia after authorities there were forced to temporarily close a busy Moscow airport following an overnight drone attack on the capital.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ WSJ: Saudi Arabia To Host Ukraine Talks Early Next Month

• Saudi Arabia is set to host talks on Ukraine among Western countries, Ukraine, and key developing countries, including India and Brazil, early next month, The Wall Street Journal reported on July 29.

=> ↺ Helsinki Times ☛ Over 9000 conscription age Ukrainian men reside in Finland

• While the war in Ukraine is raging on, many young men from both countries who see this war as a senseless geopolitical struggle have no other way of avoiding it, except by moving abroad and out of reach of draft officials. Ukraine is currently under martial law and departure of men of conscription age, which Ukrainian government has set as between 18 – 60 years old is restricted.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ Ukrainian Fencer Allowed To Compete Again At World Championships After Disqualification

• Ukrainian multiple saber fencing world champion Olha Kharlan was set to compete later on July 29 in the team event at the world championships in Milan, after originally being disqualified for refusing a handshake with a Russian opponent in the individual event.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Ukraine Recaptures Staromaiorske, a Glimmer of Success for Counteroffensive

• Recapturing the village of Staromaiorske was such welcome news for the country that President Volodymyr Zelensky announced it himself. But formidable Russian defenses have stymied progress elsewhere.

=> ↺ JURIST ☛ Poland lawmakers approve amendments to controversial Russian influence law

• Polish lawmakers voted on Friday to approve amendments to a controversial law on Russian influence. The pre-amended law was heavily criticized by the EU and US, who emphasized that it undermines democratic standard. The lower house (Sejim) approved the law 234-213 with 4 abstentions.

=> ↺ JURIST ☛ UN human rights experts appeal for Russia to release detained journalist and prominent opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza

• Friday, an independent UN human rights expert appealed for Russia to immediately release detained journalist and prominent opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza, whose life is at risk due to deteriorating health.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Russian Propaganda on Ukraine Appears in Minecraft and Other Video Games

• Propaganda is appearing in Minecraft and other popular games and discussion groups as the Kremlin tries to win over new audiences.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ Russia Says Ukrainian Drones Hit Moscow Buildings in Latest Attacks

• The strike was the third in the past week in Moscow, a sign of how no city in Russia or Ukraine appears to be safe from the war. Russia blamed Ukraine, which has yet to comment.

=> ↺ LRT ☛ For Russians in Tbilisi, the writing is on the wall – opinion

• In Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, a city which tens of thousands of Russians have made their home over the past 18 months, graffiti makes it abundantly clear what the locals think of them, argues Devin Haas at Emerging Europe, partners of LRT English.

=> ↺ YLE ☛ Russian embassy staff in Helsinki departs in large numbers after spy expulsion

• While Finland expelled nine embassy staff in June over espionage concerns, an exceptional number more have left Helsinki this summer according to a report by the Finnish News Agency STT.

=> ↺ TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Real World Economics: Military readiness comes with a price

• Economics studies how a society can allocate scarce resources to meet its needs, and there is no knottier challenge than finding people to fight wars. That is a hot topic right now as all NATO countries reassess their militaries in the face of a Russia willing to slug it out in a large, traditional land […]

Environment

=> ↺ [Repeat] Axios ☛ Heat wave puts over two-thirds of U.S. population under heat alerts

• A heat wave that has stifled the southern tier of the U.S. for weeks has expanded into the Plains, Midwest and now the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Friday, triggering heat alerts for over 190 million people, according to the National Weather Service.

Finance

=> ↺ NYPost ☛ Banks vote to limit accounting of emissions in bond and stock sales

• The majority of banks comprising an industry working group backed a plan earlier this month to exclude two-thirds of the emissions linked to their capital markets businesses from being attributed to them in carbon accounting.

=> ↺ New York Times ☛ The Struggle to Save Portland, Oregon

• The city has long grappled with street homelessness and a shortage of housing. Now fentanyl has turned a perennial problem into a deadly crisis and a challenge to the city’s progressive identity.

=> ↺ IT Wire ☛ Brave words from executives as Intel revenue falls 15% in 2Q

• Processor manufacturer Intel has reported second-quarter revenue of US$12.9 billion (A$19.41 billion), a fall of 15% year-on-year, in what is being interpreted as a good three months for the company given it is the smallest year-on-year drop in five quarters.

AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

=> ↺ The Atlantic ☛ The Weird, Fragmented World of Social Media After Twitter

• The common forum that Elon Musk destroyed will never be replaced—and that’s okay.

=> ↺ Reason ☛ Studies Keep Finding That Social Media Algorithms Don’t Increase Polarization. Why Is the Press So Skeptical?

• New research on Facebook before the 2020 election finds scant evidence to suggest algorithms are shifting our political views.

=> ↺ New Yorker ☛ Following the Success of Twitter for Instagram People, We Bring You Other Meta Versions of Apps You Already Have

• We’re thrilled to announce that we’re developing a whole suite of new products that are like products you already know but designed to capture a larger audience than ever before.

=> ↺ Unicorn Media ☛ FOSS Week in Review: Happy Sysadmin Day, SEC’s New Cyber Attack Rules, and Musk Steals User Handle

• Be nice to your SysAdmin, SEC makes rules for reporting cyber attacks, and Musk purloins a user’s $40,000

• Twitter X handle.

Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

=> ↺ IT Wire ☛ Assange will not be freed until 2024 US election is done

• WikiLeaks founder and publisher Julian Assange is unlikely to be released by the US until the 2024 presidential elections are done. That is the main takeaway from American statements on Saturday, refusing to accede to Australia’s timid requests for his freedom.

Civil Rights/Policing

=> ↺ [Repeat] Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Explainer: Hong Kong’s national security crackdown – month 37

• Hong Kong authorities stepped up their campaign against overseas activists in July, issuing warrants and offering unprecedented HK$1 million bounties for information leading to the arrest of eight democrats. Family members of several of the eight were taken away for questioning, and others accused of helping the activists were arrested.

=> ↺ RFERL ☛ U.S. Officials To Hold Direct Talks With Afghan Taliban Representatives In Doha

• United States officials will hold rare direct talks with representatives of the Afghan Taliban in Doha to discuss economic issues, security, and women’s rights, the U.S. State Department said.

=> ↺ New Yorker ☛ A Haunting Portrait of Newark’s Bloody Summer of Unrest

• The photojournalist Bud Lee captured the riots of 1967 and the human cost of the brutal police crackdown.

=> ↺ France24 ☛ Iranian parliament to consider law targeting ‘celebrities’ who defy hijab law

• Under a new law under consideration in Iran, “celebrities” who defy the Islamic Republic’s hijab restrictions could find themselves facing confiscation of 10% of their total assets. The proposed bill is the latest effort by hardliners in the regime to suppress support for the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protest movement, in which many Iranian actors, athletes and social media influencers have participated in one way or another.

Monopolies

Patents

=> ↺ Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ UPC proceedings and Unitary Patents: statistics and trends two months in [Ed: UPC is illegal and unconstitutional. EPO is organised crime, so why not promote this farce and kangaroo 'court'? Bristows et al participate in this jingoism for the corruption, looking to financially gain from it.]

• The flurry of opt-outs during the sunrise period of the Unified Patent Court was partly driven out of concern of potential central revocation actions being filed as soon as the Court opened.

Trademarks

=> ↺ TTAB Blog ☛ LEGO Attacker Hits Brick Wall: TTAB Denies Genericness Petitioner’s Motion for Judgment or Other Sanctions

• In a 46-page Order, the Board denied Petitioner Zuru LLC’s motion for sanctions and for further discovery in this cancellation proceeding based on the alleged genericness of the mark LEGO for toy building blocks. Zuru argued that the requested relief was warranted in view of Respondent Lego’s purported misconduct related to its responses to Zuru’s discovery requests. The Board found neither spoliation nor “discovery fraud,” but it pointed out that Lego “was nonetheless not as cooperative as it could have been during the discovery period, which contributed to the delay in this proceeding.” Zuru LLC and Zuru Inc. v. Lego Juris A/S, Cancellation No. 92075254 July 24, 2023) [not precedential] (Order by Interlocutory Attorney Elizabeth J. Winter).

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