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The president of Kyoto Animation, Hideaki Hatta, denied the arsonist Shinji Aoba's claims that the studio stole his novel during an 11th trial hearing for the deadly 2019 arson attack. Hatta stated the company does not steal ideas. While Aoba admitted carrying out the attack, his defense argued he was mentally incompetent. The fire killed 36 people and injured 33 others. After pausing productions, Kyoto Animation resumed work in 2022 with the release of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid season 2.

Memorials honoring the victims are planned to be unveiled on the 5th anniversary of the tragic incident in 2024.

Archive.today link to animehunch.com

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Thailand police arrest 14-yr-old suspected gunman after 3 killed at luxury mall. According to the article, chaos erupted after gunfire was reported at the upscale Siam Paragon mall in Bangkok. Three people were killed and four others injured in the shooting. Police arrested a 14-year-old boy suspected of being the gunman. Hundreds of people, including children, were seen pouring out of the mall in torrential rain. Gun violence is not uncommon in Thailand, with the incident coming a year after a nursery shooting killed 36 people, including 22 children.

Siam Paragon is Thailand's most famous mall, known for its high-end stores and popular food court.

Archive.today link to www.reuters.com

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Temperatures in Spain shattered heat records for early October according to the country's meteorological agency AEMET. Nearly 40% of weather stations recorded highs above 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit to start the month. Two cities, Badajoz and Montoro, broke continental Spain's record for the warmest October temperature with readings of 38 and 38.2 degrees respectively, surpassing the previous mark of 37.5 degrees. Most of the Iberian Peninsula saw temperatures 7 to 14 degrees above normal. Even Madrid's historic Retiro Park matched its October heat record of 30 degrees from 1930. The weather expert noted almost 100 individual records were broken just on October 1st alone. If the trends continue, future summers may not only be hotter but also longer, extending well into autumn which is usually milder.

The article notes that scientists widely attribute the rising global temperatures to human activity.

Archive.today link to www.reuters.com

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Dutch regulator rejects Apple’s objections to fines is about a decision by the Dutch Competition Authority (ACM) regarding Apple. The ACM had previously ruled that Apple violated competition laws in the Dutch dating app market and fined them 50 million euros for failing to comply with orders to open its App Store payment options. Apple objected to the fines but the ACM rejected all of Apple's objections in a July 2023 decision. While Apple has complied with most demands, it has not met a still undisclosed third condition. Apple disagrees with the original order and says it does not support user privacy or security. The company will appeal the decision in Dutch courts. The ACM said it would disclose the undisclosed part of the proceedings if Apple loses its court appeal.

In summary, the Dutch regulator upheld sizable fines against Apple for noncompliance related to payment options for dating apps in the Netherlands.

Archive.today link to www.reuters.com

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Indonesia is launching Southeast Asia's first high-speed railway connecting the capital Jakarta with Bandung. Largely funded by China under its Belt and Road Initiative, the 142 km railway will cut travel time from 3 hours to around 40 minutes on the Whoosh bullet trains reaching speeds up to 350 kph. The $7.3 billion project was constructed by a Chinese-Indonesian joint venture and faced delays due to land and environmental issues. Indonesian President Joko Widodo championed the project and will inaugurate commercial operations on Monday. During test runs, Chinese and Indonesian leaders rode the trains and were comfortable even at top speeds.

However, some experts question the financial viability of the high-speed rail for such a short route, as existing transportation is far cheaper.

Archive.today link to apnews.com

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Cloudflare's DDoS protections can be bypassed through a specific attack process uncovered by researchers. By setting up a free Cloudflare account and pointing the domain to a victim's IP address, an attacker can disable protections and route traffic through Cloudflare's infrastructure, bypassing the company's security checks. This is possible due to flaws in Cloudflare's use of a shared certificate for all customers and reliance on traffic originating from its IP ranges. A proof-of-concept demonstrated how easy it is to leverage these logic gaps. While the issues were reported to Cloudflare in March, they have not committed to fixing the problems.

If left unaddressed, these vulnerabilities could render Cloudflare's protections less effective at stopping attacks on its clients.

Archive.today link to www.bleepingcomputer.com

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Major advances in AI voice technology were announced this week, including ChatGPT gaining voice capabilities and Meta introducing AI characters with celebrity voices. This marks a shift where synthetic voices may become more common in social contexts. While companionship apps could benefit lonely users, mixing AI into social media feeds raises questions about feeling authentic versus hollow. OpenAI and Meta show interest in consumer-focused AI is growing, though challenges remain around regulating harmful uses and compensating creators. Advances in generative AI, virtual reality, and AI tools for content creators were also announced at industry events. However, executives largely avoided substantive discussions about mitigating AI risks at scale.

Overall, the week highlighted rapid progress and interest in blending AI into media and social platforms.

Archive.today link to www.platformer.news

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Colorado Governor Jared Polis gave local officials a ride on an electric passenger train to generate support for a new Front Range rail line between Pueblo and Fort Collins. The officials were excited about the smooth and quiet ride showcasing the future of transportation. Federal infrastructure funds provide an opportunity to pursue the project, but support and funding from local communities will be important for grants. Polis wants to put a measure on the November 2024 ballot. Some officials remain skeptical given past problems with RTD's unfinished rail lines. Representative Jennifer Parenti will only support a ballot measure if planners provide a solid plan showing the project is ready. Unlike RTD, the new line may partner with Amtrak, potentially avoiding issues from freight track owners. Planners envision starting with minimal service between major cities while ramping up over time.

The electric train ride helped transform the long-discussed project into something more tangible and imminent.

Archive.today link to www.cpr.org

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Many small-town newspapers in Colorado are struggling to stay in business amid rising costs and declining revenues. After a major printing press closed in Pueblo, some papers had to find new options for printing. In Liberal, Kansas, one publisher took on several Colorado papers to help keep them published. However, some papers have still closed down completely. Others are experimenting with new business models like shifting to monthly magazines or improving their digital offerings. In some communities, local residents have banded together to revive defunct papers and provide news coverage again. The revived Pikes Peak Bulletin in Manitou Springs appointed its first board and is now publishing weekly issues again. Maintaining a local paper is seen as important for keeping rural towns informed and engaged.

Publishers note that community support through subscriptions and advertising is critical to sustaining papers into the future.

Archive.today link to coloradosun.com

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Mainstream Western media frequently engages in relentless China-bashing by regurgitating trivial or fabricated stories without evidence. Positive stories about China are rare. Reporting typically adheres to three ideas - that China is a threat, must be linked to all global issues, and that curbing its rise is legitimate despite hundreds of millions gaining a better life. This betrays an imperial view that the West decides which nations participate in the global economy. The media war is powered by technology in a new propaganda era, with Western outlets assuming conflict is inevitable rather than promoting multilateralism.

Dismantling the dominance of Western media will be difficult but investing in alternative sources worldwide could provide more balanced views for local audiences.

Archive.today link to thediplomat.com

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Panasonic plans to start selling all-solid-state batteries for drones and factory robots by 2029. The new batteries will initially target industrial applications but may eventually be used in electric vehicles. Panasonic's chief technology officer Tatsuo Ogawa revealed the plans, noting some solid-state battery technologies could apply to automotive uses. Companies like Toyota are racing to develop solid-state batteries as a safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries in EVs. Solid-state batteries allow for faster charging times, potentially charging drone batteries within minutes. Panasonic will produce the batteries at its factory in Wakayama Prefecture.

The announcement shows progress towards next-generation batteries with improved safety and performance characteristics.

Archive.today link to asia.nikkei.com

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Brazil's Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling rejecting efforts to restrict indigenous land rights. The case involved the Xokleng people who were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands in southern Brazil in the late 19th century. While the Xokleng were granted rights to a 15,000 hectare reservation in 1996, they argued this land represented only a fraction of their original territory. The ruling sets a precedent against the "marco temporal" argument that indigenous groups must prove occupancy of disputed lands as of 1988. This decision will impact hundreds of similar land disputes and represents a boost for indigenous rights amid attacks on these rights during Jair Bolsonaro's presidency. Anthropologists have documented the brutal tactics used to drive the Xokleng from their lands, including mercenaries collecting the ears of those killed.

The Supreme Court victory was met with celebrations and tears of joy from indigenous groups nationwide.

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