Expensive Energy: Whose Fault is it? ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong’s biggest health crisis in 25 years: why did city stumble over Covid-19? Experts say it was too slow to change tactics, inflexible, put politics first
Insistence on ‘zero infections’ left authorities unable to act swiftly when Omicron variant of coronavirus arrived, experts say. ⌘ Read more

Red Line Through HTTPS
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Dilbert by Scott Adams for Fri, 17 Jun 2022

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Patreon ⌘ Read more

Omicron less likely to cause long Covid, UK study finds
But despite the reduced risk, more people have been infected with the variant, meaning the number of patients with lingering symptoms has actually increased. ⌘ Read more

Protests and pandemic will be Carrie Lam’s legacy, but she deserves to be remembered for much more
While the focus as Lam concludes her term will no doubt be on her toughest moments, they shouldn’t define her leadership. Lam has been a champion of art, innovation and heritage conservation, and has taken on seemingly intractable issues like housing and waste management. ⌘ Read more

Release Radar · May 2022 Edition
Each month, we highlight open source projects that have shipped major updates. These projects can include everything from world-changing technology to developer tooling, and weekend hobbies. We cover what the project is and some of their breaking changes. Read about the project, and browse their repositories. Without further ado, here are our top staff picks […] ⌘ Read more

China’s youth league to tackle graduate job pressure with advice, aid and a chance to ‘toughen’ up
As concern grows about the labour market, China’s Communist Youth League says it will help at least 100,000 graduates find jobs this year, including through volunteer missions to impoverished regions. ⌘ Read more

White House adviser calls relationship with India ‘most important for the United States’
Kurt Campbell, US President Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific adviser, discusses plans to offer more security guarantees to New Delhi and also hints at developments in the Aukus pact. ⌘ Read more

Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport to cut flights over busy summer
Thousands of travellers are likely to be affected each day, as the Netherland’s busiest airport struggles with a surge in demand as the Covid-19 demand eases. ⌘ Read more

Why is China’s inflation rate low compared to the US, Europe and Britain?
Global inflation is soaring, reaching a 40-year high in the US, thanks to sky-high food and energy prices that have been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. Why is it a different story in China? ⌘ Read more

Nicholas Burns, US ambassador to China, stresses need to find common ground amid tense relations
Nicholas Burns also counters the claim that US policy is designed to keep China down and prevent it from developing. ‘The evidence doesn’t bear that out,’ he says ⌘ Read more

Can polar bears survive climate change? Scientists see hopeful signs with discovery of new group
The species is threatened by the loss of sea ice, but an isolated population found in Greenland suggests they could change their hunting practices to adapt. ⌘ Read more

US pressures Iran by targeting Hong Kong and UAE firms
Penalties over petrochemical exports were also imposed on Chinese citizen Jinfeng Gao and Indian national Mohammed Shaheed Ruknooddin Bhore. ⌘ Read more

Cosmic Queries – Big Bang Bonanza with Neil deGrasse Tyson & Brian Keating ⌘ Read more

US security adviser says hard line on Russia is needed to dissuade China from similar moves
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says an unchallenged invasion of Ukraine would embolden ‘other would-be aggressors, like China’. ⌘ Read more

More than 90 per cent of oil slicks threatening global marine life caused by humans, US and Chinese scientists find
Study published in Science reveals major shift from 1990s estimate showing roughly 50-50 split in human and natural sources. ⌘ Read more

I am a Bunny.net fan as they offer a CDN at a good price, are based in Europe and really care about privacy. The latest tool they offer: Bunny Fonts as a replacement for Google Fonts, because its use is illegal in Germany. 👍 ⌘ Read more

The Android kernel mitigations obstacle race
In this post I’ll exploit CVE-2022-22057, a use-after-free in the Qualcomm gpu kernel driver, to gain root and disable SELinux from the untrusted app sandbox on a Samsung Z flip 3. I’ll look at various mitigations that are implemented on modern Android devices and how they affect the exploit. ⌘ Read more

Who can fill the shoes of China’s Iron Lady Sun Chunlan on Politburo?
For two years she has ruled the country’s Covid-19 response with an iron fist, but at 72 the vice-premier is expected to step down at this year’s party congress. ⌘ Read more

Microsoft’s Biggest Product in 1980: the Z-80 SoftCard for the Apple II
Before MS-DOS, Microsoft helped CP/M run on the Apple II. ⌘ Read more

WTO talks down to the wire with no major deals yet in sight, India holds its ground
First meeting for four years wrapped up without solutions to issues such as food security, overfishing and access to Covid vaccines. India said it was a voice for developing countries resisting high-handed Western demands. ⌘ Read more

Western-style democracy behind wars, chaos and human misery, Chinese president tells top officials
Some Western nations use democracy and human rights as a pretext to meddle overseas, Xi Jinping told Politburo study session in February. ⌘ Read more

Chinese scientists take ‘important step’ in stem cell therapy to treat Parkinson’s disease
Chinese Academy of Sciences team discovered a new technique they say improved efficacy and safety in study on mice. ⌘ Read more

US, China economic policies like night and day as Fed pushes interest rate skyward and PBOC eyes stabilisation
As the US Federal Reserve announces the largest hike to its benchmark interest rate in 28 years, China is pushing for stabilisation and shying away from headline rate reductions to stimulate the economy. ⌘ Read more

Incoming Hong Kong leader John Lee relies mostly on incumbent officials to fill ranks of his governing team
Among 21 principal officials tipped to be recruited by Lee, only six not from current administration. ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong courts propose remote hearings for certain criminal trials, punishments for recording or broadcasting sessions
Consultation paper by city’s judiciary suggests expanding use of remote hearings beyond civil cases, with proposed bill open to public input until September 22. ⌘ Read more

Taiwan admits paying American lobbyists to help establish closer US ties amid rising pressure from Beijing
Island’s foreign ministry says it hired PR firms to help US government and others ‘have a better understanding of Taiwan’, saying lobbying transparency is key. ⌘ Read more

Amazon, Cartier slap Chinese social media influencer, 8 others with lawsuits over trademark infringement, false advertising
The legal action reflects more signs of trouble for merchants belonging to the ‘made in China, sold on Amazon’ community. ⌘ Read more

ProcessOne: Announcing ejabberd DEB and RPM Repositories
Today, we are happy to announce our official Linux packages repository: a source of .deb and .rpm packages for ejabberd Community Server. This repository provides a new way for the community to install and upgrade ejabberd.

All details on how to set this up are described on the dedicated website:

https://repo.process-one.net

![ejabberd installation log](http … ⌘ Read more

Climate Change: Greater Bay Area holds the key to Hong Kong’s climate goals, delegates say at SCMP’s inaugural environmental summit
Guangdong province has ample land and offshore areas for the development of wind farms and nuclear power stations, experts said during SCMP’s inaugural Climate Change Hong Kong Summit. ⌘ Read more

China vows private firms will receive ‘equal treatment’ in charm offensive to prop up struggling sector
Regulatory crackdowns and zero-Covid controls have had an outsized impact on the nation’s private firms, and many investors remain wary amid an uncertain outlook. ⌘ Read more

Covid-19 in China: latest Beijing outbreak ‘easing’ after millions tested
Cluster linked to Heaven Supermarket bar emerged days after the city had begun lifting curbs. ⌘ Read more

Elimination of nuclear weapons an urgent need, UN chief warns
UN’s Antonio Guterres said it is important to ‘focus on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons’. There are concerns Moscow will follow through on threats and about China and North Korea expanding their nuclear capabilities. ⌘ Read more

Shanghai reopening: Disneyland ready for visitors once more as theme park awaits green light after Covid-19 lockdown
A partial reopening of Shanghai Disney Resort, which comprises Disneyland, Disneytown, two themed hotels, Wishing Star Park and the Blue Sky Boulevard, attracted hundreds of local visitors on Thursday. ⌘ Read more

Suspects started clash between residents and protesters that led to elderly cleaner’s death, injured witness tells Hong Kong court
Two young men on trial at High Court face charges of murder, wounding with intent and taking part in a riot. ⌘ Read more

How would a US recession impact Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand amid surging inflation?
If the US were to enter a recession, export-reliant Singapore and Malaysia would be among the worst hit, while remittances to the Philippines may decline, analysts say. ⌘ Read more

Company owned by Hong Kong justice chief Teresa Cheng’s husband sued for price fixing, bid-rigging over air-conditioning works worth HK$2 billion
Competition Commission begins legal action against ATAL Building Services Engineering, set up by Teresa Cheng’s husband Otto Poon, and Shun Hing Engineering Contracting Company. ⌘ Read more

Kevin Spacey granted bail after ‘strenuously’ denying sex charges
The actor is accused of four counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. A plea hearing is scheduled for July 14. ⌘ Read more

South Korea’s nuclear expansion plans in bid to meet climate targets
President Yoon Suk Yeol’s government says nuclear energy should be part of country’s net-zero path along with renewable sources, while maintaining the target of the previous administration to cut emissions by 40 per cent. ⌘ Read more

World Cup 2022: tents in desert, no air cons, for fans as Fifa guests hog Qatar’s hotel rooms. An ‘opportunity’ to get an ‘authentic taste of Qatari camping’, official says
An ‘opportunity’ to get an ‘authentic taste of Qatari camping’, the World Cup hosts’ head of accommodation says as he unveils a solution to Qatar’s shortage of hotel rooms, most of which are reserved for Fifa guests. ⌘ Read more

Married Chinese and Asians are 15 per cent less likely to die of any cause than unmarried counterparts, survey finds
China-Asia study of more than half-a-million people concludes that marriage has the potential to make you live longer. ⌘ Read more

Chinese shipyard ready to launch Type 003 aircraft carrier, satellite images show
The dry dock has been flooded so the vessel can be floated, and banners with political slogans and flags can be seen on the warship. ⌘ Read more

China-India border: state media marks second anniversary of Galwan Valley clash in lead-up to new talks
CCTV military channel publishes three-minute video salute to four dead PLA soldiers on social media, drawing 4.36 million views on Weibo by noon on Thursday. ⌘ Read more

Thailand wants selfie-taking tourists to stop abusing famous tree on island
The uninhabited Koh Khai Hua Roh islet in Trat province can only take in five tourists at a time, but it has lately been beset by overtourism. ⌘ Read more

Coronavirus: Thailand mulls longer hours for pubs, bars as Covid cases drop
In an effort to bolster the economy Thailand may allow bars, pubs and other entertainment venues to remain open beyond midnight as the tourism-reliant nation unwinds pandemic-era restrictions. ⌘ Read more

‘Charming danger’: Chinese social media meltdown as 290 million view post about a poisonous tree flower popular with photo enthusiasts
Chinese selfie lovers have been told to avoid the poisonous oleander plant after a blogger fell sick within hours of touching it. ⌘ Read more

Ukraine war: German, French, Italian leaders in Kyiv to show solidarity
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi have arrived in Kyiv on their first visit since the Russian invasion. ⌘ Read more

Customers should not take rapid Covid tests on premises of Hong Kong nightspots, health experts warn, as new rule comes into effect
Professor Ricky Chiu warns patrons of bars, pubs, clubs to avoid taking tests on premises, cites risks of coronavirus transmission. ⌘ Read more

WeChat suffers glitch that stopped users from paying for lunch deliveries before noon
Users of the Tencent app have been flocking online to complain that the payment function of WeChat failed to respond on Thursday morning. ⌘ Read more

Senior state officials laud ‘one country, two systems’ policy for Hong Kong, voice confidence in city’s prosperity and ‘quality democracy’
Huang Liuquan, HKMAO deputy director, says anyone betting on demise of city has ‘never won’. ⌘ Read more

On my way to work… 🚲 ⌘ Read more

Chinese destroyer on long-distance exercises in Sea of Japan, to deter ‘attack on Taiwan’
Japan’s Defence Ministry said 3 ships were spotted on Sunday travelling toward Sea of Japan. Global Times reported the mission was part of China’s military build-up aimed at deterring a foreign intervention in the event of an attack on Taiwan. ⌘ Read more

UK signals it could exit Europe’s human rights convention after Rwanda deportation ruling
Britain’s government has refused to rule out abandoning a European human rights pact after a judge dramatically blocked its plan to fly asylum seekers to Rwanda, sparking fury among Conservatives. ⌘ Read more

Going for a night out? What you need to know about Hong Kong’s new Covid rapid-test rule for bars and clubs
The Post answers questions on authenticity of test results and authorities’ policy direction ⌘ Read more

North Korea expands restoration at nuclear test site to second tunnel: report
South Korean officials said this week that North Korea was poised to conduct a nuclear test “at any time” and that the timing would be decided by Kim. ⌘ Read more

Vancouver’s housing crisis not caused by dirty money, inquiry finds
The three-year public inquiry into money laundering in British Columbia was prompted in part by public speculation that Asian criminals were driving up housing prices in Vancouver. ⌘ Read more

South Korea delays Nuri rocket launch amid glitches, heavy winds
Nation had intended to send up its home-grown spacecraft for a second time, to launch satellites, but there were problems with fuel sensors. ⌘ Read more

Shanghai reopening: half-open restaurants and retail stores mar city’s pledge to return to 100 per cent normality by June 30
Half-opened service businesses are spoiling the facade of normalcy that Shanghai’s authorities are trying to project after claiming tentative success at containing the Omicron’s spread. ⌘ Read more

China vows to crack down on online racism, spurred by new details of video featuring Malawi children
Malawian foreign minister says her country feels ‘disgusted, disrespected and deeply pained’ by video in which children repeat demeaning words in Chinese. ⌘ Read more

Saudis trolled as embassy in Washington now on ‘Jamal Khashoggi Way’
Washington DC’s local government changed street signs in honour of the Saudi dissident who was strangled to death and dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. ⌘ Read more

Elon Musk’s Boring Co is feuding with Texas over driveway regulations amid construction in rural town
The company’s dealings with the rural town of Bastrop are an illustration of how Musk’s businesses push the boundaries of or simply ignore regulations. ⌘ Read more

Black Death’s ancient origins traced to lake in Central Asia
The findings counter theories that the disease – that killed tens of millions of people in the mid-14th century – might have first emerged in China. ⌘ Read more

Coronavirus: North Korea reports another infectious disease outbreak amid Covid battle
North Korea did not report the number of people affected, or elaborate what the disease was, but only referred to it as an outbreak of an “unidentified intestinal epidemic.” ⌘ Read more

China’s rare ‘butterfly explosion’ at risk from ‘crazy’ tourism, ecologist warns
As visitors rush to ‘dance with the butterflies’, ecologist warns about how overtourism in the 1960s damaged another butterfly habitat. ⌘ Read more

Quirky China: an animal activist performing ‘mermaid’, not any old iron man and the temple of doom
Quirky China: a medical student turns performing ‘mermaid’ to protect sea animals, an iron man does his daily exercises in a park and a temple thief becomes a laughing stock. ⌘ Read more

In India, thousands protest ‘bulldozer justice’ against Muslims
Protests erupted in Indian cities condemning the demolition of homes and businesses belonging to Muslims. Critics call it “bulldozer justice” aimed at punishing activists from the minority group. ⌘ Read more

Git Merge 2022
Git Merge, the conference dedicated to bringing the Git community together returns on September 14-15 in Chicago, Illinois. ⌘ Read more

Dilbert by Scott Adams for Thu, 16 Jun 2022

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Patreon ⌘ Read more

Hong Kong raises key interest rate by 75 basis points in lockstep with Federal Reserve hike overnight
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) raised the city’s base rate by 75 basis points to 2 per cent, following the Fed’s most aggressive hike since 1994. ⌘ Read more

Western outcry over Hong Kong’s anti-doxxing laws smacks of hypocrisy
Data privacy is a global concern, with many countries developing legislation to protect individuals’ personal details. Yet, in Hong Kong, such laws are suspected of masking a hidden agenda. ⌘ Read more

‘No basis’ for attack fears in China’s new rules for PLA activities
Regulation covers PLA missions from disaster relief to humanitarian aid and peacekeeping, as well as its response to political crises at home and overseas. ⌘ Read more

Anthony Fauci, Joe Biden’s top Covid-19 adviser, tests positive
The US top scientist, 81, is experiencing mild symptoms, and will work from home while he recovers. ⌘ Read more

Suspects confess to killing and dismembering UK journalist and Brazilian guide, media report says
Reporter Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira have been missing for a week in the Amazon rainforest, sparking an ongoing search and investigation. ⌘ Read more

Top US human rights official decries ‘transnational repression’ campaign by China
Uzra Zeya, undersecretary of state for civilian security, democracy and human rights, says federal government lacks funding to meet all requests for protection; China denies targeting dissidents overseas. ⌘ Read more

US Federal Reserve makes historic interest hike to combat inflation, may repeat in July
The increase of 75 basis points is the biggest since 1994, with the central bank’s chief saying a 50 or 75 point raise could come next month to cool prices. ⌘ Read more

FSFE open letter: “The universal right to install any software on any device”
The Lunduke Journal has signed this letter and enthusiastically supports it. ⌘ Read more

Apple: “Sideloading is the DEVIL!”
Apple, Google, and others are attempting to demonize the act of installing software. We can’t let them succeed. ⌘ Read more

Joe Biden unveils US$1 billion in new weapons for Ukraine
The package includes anti-ship and artillery launchers, as well as additional ammunition for rocket systems. ⌘ Read more

Ukraine parades new French Caesar howitzer
The heavy artillery system highly prized for its accuracy is part of the new arsenal of modern weaponry provided to Kyiv by multiple allies. ⌘ Read more

US military looks to allies to tackle ‘significant logistics challenge’ in Indo-Pacific
Deputy defence secretary Kathleen Hicks says US has to develop ‘combat-credible capability that can deter aggression’. ⌘ Read more

Prebuilding codespaces is generally available
Teams and GHEC customers can now create blazing fast codespaces, even for your largest and most complex projects. ⌘ Read more

Ukraine war: Japanese man arrested over Vladimir Putin straw doll nailed to shrine tree
Mitsunobu Hino, 72, is accused of trespassing and making holes in a sacred tree to put up a figure with a note wishing death to the Russian leader. ⌘ Read more

China’s party congress promotions to emphasise political security
Appointments are expected to sharpen focus on potential threats to the state and draw a line under the corruption scandals of recent years. ⌘ Read more

Rainbow toys seized in Saudi ‘homosexuality’ crackdown
Items targeted in raids include rainbow-coloured bows, hats and pencil cases – the colours send a ‘poisoned message’ to children, a local news report said. ⌘ Read more

GitHub now publishes malware advisories in the GitHub Advisory Database
To combat the prevalence of malware in the open source ecosystem, GitHub now publishes malware occurrences in the GitHub Advisory Database. These advisories power Dependabot alerts and remain forever free and usable by the community. ⌘ Read more

Xi Jinping tells Vladimir Putin all parties should ‘promote a proper solution’ to the Ukraine crisis
Chinese, Russian leaders speak for a second time since the start of Putin’s war. ⌘ Read more

Sanctioned hardline former Xinjiang chief Chen Quanguo moves to rural affairs role for ‘last job before retirement’
Chen Quanguo, the most senior official sanctioned by the US over alleged human rights abuses, is expected to spearhead a crackdown on rural gangs in his new post. ⌘ Read more

Cathay Pacific to hire 4,000 staff by the end of 2023 as part of ambitious recruitment drive, CEO Augustus Tang says
Across the Cathay Pacific Group, a total of 8,000 new staff will be hired from now to the end of next year, CEO says. ⌘ Read more

Thailand’s opposition party files no-confidence motion against ‘flawed’ PM, elections just months away
Opposition parties hope to bring down Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s 17-party government, but his parliamentary majority of 253 seats verses 208 means he is likely to prevail, say analysts. ⌘ Read more

US and allies must stay focused on Ukraine during ‘pivotal’ moment, Pentagon chief says
‘We cannot afford to let up and we cannot lose steam. The stakes are too high,’ US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said. Western countries promised Nato-standard weapons but Ukraine will need support to transition. ⌘ Read more

Yahoo joins Facebook owner Meta in testing metaverse tech in Hong Kong
The US internet company says it will hold virtual concerts and exhibitions on a metaverse platform, after Facebook owner Meta announced similar plans. ⌘ Read more

EU launches fresh legal action against Britain over post-Brexit changes
EU says UK’s unilateral decision to remove customs checks on some goods entering Northern Ireland from rest of UK is violating international law, but European Commission insists on joint solution outside courts. ⌘ Read more

Alien hunters detect mystery radio signal from direction of Earthlike planet
Narrowband signal picked up by FAST from direction of the star Kepler-438 meets initial criteria for extraterrestrial intelligence, preprint says. ⌘ Read more

Patients almost 10 times more likely to survive cardiac arrests with CPR or AED applied, but few in Hong Kong receive such aid, research finds
Of the 829 young patients studied, only 34 per cent received CPR while less than 7 per cent had help with AED. ⌘ Read more

China’s digital currency: e-CNY trials move beyond retail to cover corporate loans for small businesses and tax payments
Since China started trials of its digital currency in 2019, more than 20 cities have conducted consumer-targeted promotions and now the country is exploring corporate use cases. ⌘ Read more

UN human rights chief ‘not able to speak to’ any detained Uygurs or their families in Xinjiang
Michelle Bachelet tells the UN Human Rights Council that she couldn’t move freely through the Chinese region when she visited last month. ⌘ Read more

Can Joe Biden’s proposed Middle East trip unite fractured region by aligning militaries against Iran?
The US President will visit Saudi Arabia in mid-July for a scheduled summit, where he is expected to table a “national security programme” for Israel and eight Arab states, to integrate their militaries into an alliance against Iran. ⌘ Read more

Meet China’s new live-streaming e-commerce star: an English-language tutor who lost his off-campus teaching job
Former off-campus English-language tutor Dong Yuhui has become China’s new live-streaming e-commerce star, as more established hosts Viya and Austin Li Jiaqi are away from the limelight. ⌘ Read more

As Taiwan reopens its borders, is it ready to live with Covid?
Tourists can travel to the island from Wednesday, but case numbers remain high and hospital workers say they have been overwhelmed in the latest surge. ⌘ Read more