NuseReal

UN General Assembly votes for independent body to investigate fate of 130,000 people missing in Syria war — ground.news: 39 media reports — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

The world is about to miss a key deadline to craft rules for deep-sea mining — www.theverge.com — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

— The deadline for the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to decide on regulations for deep–sea mining is July 2023. That deadline to craft regulation is nearly here — and the ISA, an international organization established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is expected to miss it. Once the deadline has passed, companies eager to reap previously out-of-reach resources will be able to formally apply for permits to mine the deep sea.

At least 45 killed in road accident in western Kenya: truck rammed into several other vehicles and market traders in notorious Londiani, western Kenya — ground.news: 152 media reports — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

Brazil's electoral court bans Bolsonaro from running for office for eight years — what amounts to two presidential terms — for making false claims about the country's voting systems. — www.semafor.com — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

South African president cleared of wrongdoing in scandal over US$580,000 in cash stolen from his farm — ground.news: 28 media reports — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

— The investigation did find that the head of the Presidential Protection Service, Major General Wally Rhoode, acted improperly in conducting his own investigation into the burglary. Rhoode did not have the authority to launch the off-the-books investigation.

Human Rights Watch reports new evidence of Ukrainian use of banned landmines — reuters/www.thestar.com — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

Russia's timber trade is sidestepping the EU's Ukraine war sanctions — www.icij.org — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

— Paper Trail Media, Der Spiegel, ZDF and others analyzed trade data to trace the pathway of banned wood through third countries, including China, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Russia is one of the world's largest timber exporters, harboring more than a fifth of the world's forested areas. In 2021, the country was the European Union's fifth largest trading partner, exporting more than $3 billion worth of timber to the bloc that year, according to the European Commission.

Biden proposes new measures for student loan relief after Supreme Court defeat" — www.reuters.com ● — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

No, Supreme Court ruling does not eliminate other student loan forgiveness programs — — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

— The Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration plan to forgive $10,000 to $20,000 in student debt for most borrowers. However, other forgiveness programs that have existed for years remain in place, although only borrowers who meet specific conditions qualify for those.

www.factcheck.org: FactChecking Biden's Campaign-Style Speeches: Biden has been giving a series of campaign-style speeches, touting the success of his economic policies, which he calls "Bidenomics," and talking about his efforts to diversify the federal courts. But we found that some of his claims were wrong or imprecise. — www.factcheck.org — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

— Biden wrongly claimed to have "appointed more African American women" to federal judgeships than "every other president combined." He's had more African American women confirmed than any other president, but not more than all of them combined. Biden exaggerated the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on reducing carbon emissions. Biden noted that the share of "working-age Americans" in the workforce is the highest it's been in roughly 20 years, which is correct for those age 25 to 54. But when including those age 55 and older, labor force participation rates are still below the pre-pandemic level.

UNECE blockchain pilot for sustainable cotton tracking with Stella McCartney paves the way for more sustainable fashion — unece.org — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

Swiss chalets become target of amid East Europe's office developers — www.bloomberg.com ● — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

US FTC seeks to ban fake reviews with new proposed rule — ground.news: 29 media reports — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

— The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is planning to file a suit against Amazon.com's online marketplace, alleging that the company leverages its power to reward merchants using its logistics services and punish those who don't. The FTC has also proposed a new rule that aims to ban fake online reviews. The rule would prohibit companies from buying or selling fake reviews, suppressing negative reviews, engaging in "review hijacking," or leaving undisclosed reviews by company insiders.

US federal judge blasts Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder as a "bully," sentences him to 20 years for being the ringleader of a racketeering scandal in which Akron-based FirstEnergy paid him more than $59 million in bribes in exchange for a $1.3 billion bailout, most of which was intended to save two failing nuclear plants in Northern Ohio. — energynews.us — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

More than 400 arrested as third night of violent protest sweeps France after 17-year-old shot dead by police — edition.cnn.com — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

France suspends all bus and tram services amid riots over police shooting — ground.news: media reports — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

UN nuclear agency chief to visit Fukushima plant to see final preparations for release of wastewater — ground.news: 33 media reports — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

16 kidnapped police employees released in southern Mexico — ground.news: 21 media reports — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

Staff at Geneva airport end first-ever strike after deal agreed with management: staff were angry over a proposal to freeze wages — www.euronews.com — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

Pakistani security forces kill 6 militants in separate raids near the border with Afghanistan: the Pakistani Taliban, affiliated with the Afghan Taliban, has become more active and emboldened since the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan. — ground.news: media reports — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

Smoke on the water, and music in the air: the magic of Montreux, Switzerland (and Cully) — www.theguardian.com — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

Plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful, UK appeal court rules — ground.news: 73 media reports — factuality: mixed rating 29 June 2023 (LINK)

— The UK government is expected to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, but this ruling is a major setback for their deportation plans.

WHO questions safety of aspartame: list of popular foods and beverages containing it — www.cbsnews.com — 29 June 2023 (LINK)

Human Right Watch report accuses Burkina Faso's military of killings, torture — www.voanews.com — 29 June 2023 (LINK)

UN warns that 90% of Syrians are below the poverty line, while millions face cuts in food aid — ground.news: 25 media reports — 29 June 2023 (LINK)

Man hoping for 60+-days survival record on uninhabitable Scottish island of Rockall defeated after 30 days: A lot of his equipment was destroyed by the wind and waves, and on several occasions overnight, he was almost swept away — themessenger.com — 29 June 2023 (LINK)

Switzerland adopts sanctions against people involved in undermining Moldova's sovereignty — www.reuters.com — 29 June 2023 (LINK)

Israel seizes millions of dollars in digital funds, averts terror financing plot — www.cryptopolitan.com — 29 June 2023 (LINK)

Mike Pence meets with Volodymr Zelenskyy in surprise trip to Ukraine, first Republican presidential candidate to meet with Zelensky during the U.S. Presidential campaign, highlighting his commitment to strong American support for Ukraine and breaking with other candidates who question the need for US military aid. — ground.news: 80 media reports — 29 June 2023 (LINK)

Chinese spy balloon didn't collect intelligence as it flew over US: Pentagon — abcnews.go.com — 30 June 2023 (LINK)

— The Chinese spy balloon that was shot down over the Atlantic Ocean in early February was built, at least partly, using American off-the-shelf parts, a U.S. official has confirmed to ABC News.

Post wrongly compares firearm offenses of Hunter Biden and Kodak Black: Biden is a first-time offender and Black has prior offenses that factored into his sentence — eu.usatoday.com — 29 June 2023 (LINK)

Deputy unanimously acquitted of all charges for failing to act during deadly Florida school shooting that left 17 dead, concluding the first trial in U.S. history of a law enforcement officer for conduct during an on campus shooting — ground.news: 171 media reports — 29 June 2023 (LINK)

Republican House Oversight Committee chair Comer claims Biden family 'may' have taken $40 million in payments → — ground.news: 8 media reports — factuality: mixed rating 30 June 2023 (LINK)

The working-from-home illusion fades: it is not more productive than being in an office, after all, but... — www.economist.com ● — 29 June 2023 (LINK)

— 2020 working paper that found an 8% increase in the number of calls handled per hour by employees of an online retailer that had shifted from offices to homes when revised, found in fact a 4% decline. The researchers had not made a mistake. Rather, they received more precise data, including detailed work schedules. Not only did employees answer fewer calls when remote, the quality of their interactions suffered. They put customers on hold for longer. More also phoned back, an indication of unresolved problems. Other studies are also covered. But perhaps the greatest virtue of remote work is that it leads to happier employees. People spend less time commuting and can fit in other demands in their lives.

Trip Advisor publishes its 2023 Travelers' Choice selections: No 1. Grand Circle Island and Haleiwa 9-hour tour — www.tripadvisor.com — 29 June 2023 (LINK)

Swiss Digital Days 4 September–6 December launches website — digitaltage.swiss — 29 June 2023 (LINK)

Jan. 6 participant, identified nearly two years ago, is arrested near Obama home — www.nbcnews.com — 29 June 2023 (LINK)

Italian authorities identify British tourist caught defacing Roman Colosseum — www.thedailybeast.com — 29 June 2023 (LINK)

UN human rights official says arms embargo and deployment of special force needed for Haiti — ground.news: 12 media reports — factuality: high 28 June 2023 (LINK)

— On June 27, after completing its article-by-article examination, the European Parliament's Environment Committee rejected the bill on nature restoration. Less than two weeks earlier, on June 15, the same MEPs had voted against an amendment to reject the same legislation, which aims to enshrine in European Union law the Montreal Agreement on biodiversity and its objectives, such as restoring 30% of degraded land and marine areas by 2030.

Legal protection essential for people displaced by climate change: UN expert — news.un.org — 28 June 2023 (LINK)

— "In 2020 alone, 30.7 million people were displaced from their homes due to weather-related events. Droughts were the main factor. We must take immediate steps to give legal protection to these people."

European Green Pact under threat after vote in EU Parliament — www.lemonde.fr ● — 28 June 2023 (LINK)

Fact check: Biden administration drops all charges against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried: False — eu.usatoday.com — 28 June 2023 (LINK)

— Assertion was retweeted more than 8,000 times in nine days. It was also shared more than 800 times on Facebook. Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, was arrested in December 2022 and charged him with eight crimes, including fraud, money laundering and campaign finance violations. Five more charges were added to the indictment after Bankman-Fried's extradition from the Bahamas. Federal prosecutors in June said they would withdraw the charges added after his extradition, The New York Times reported, noting that the withdrawn charges include accusations of bank fraud and bribing a foreign government.

— The eight original charges will be the focus of a trial expected to start in October, while a trial for the five more recent charges is scheduled for February 2024. News outlets, including CNN and ABC News, also reported several charges were withdrawn.

National Geographic magazine has laid off the last of its staff writers — edition.cnn.com — 28 June 2023 (LINK)

UBS looks to axe 30% of staff and keep Credit Suisse's domestic business — www.reuters.com ● — 28 June 2023 (LINK)

First misinformation susceptibility test finds 'very online' Gen Z and millennials are most vulnerable to fake news — phys.org — 28 June 2023 (LINK)

— When it came to age, only 11% of 18- to 29-year-olds got a high score (more than 16 headlines correct), while 36% got a low score (10 headlines or fewer correct). By contrast, 36% of those 65 or older got a high score, while just 9% of older adults got a low score.

Additionally, the longer someone spent online for fun each day, the greater their susceptibility to misinformation, according to the MIST. Some 30% of those spending 0–2 recreation hours online each day got a high score, compared to just 15% of those spending 9 or more hours online.

The survey also analyzed channels through which respondents receive their news. The "legacy media" came out top. For example, over 50% of those who got their news from the Associated Press, or NPR, or newer outlets such as Axios, achieved high scores.

Social media had the news audiences most susceptible to misinformation. Some 53% of those who got news from Snapchat received low scores, with just 4% getting high scores. Truth Social was a close second, followed by WhatsApp, TikTok and Instagram.

Game theory study uncovers secret to taming bullies and extortionists: be unbending — /boingboing.net — 28 June 2023 (LINK)

Nigeria leads the pack: ConsenSys study shows crypto recognition at 92% globally — www.newsbtc.com — 28 June 2023 (LINK)

Which countries have the best crypto tax laws? — decrypt.co — 28 June 2023 (LINK)

— Report names countries like El Salvador or The Bahamas as highly crypto positive, with zero tax rates; Bulgaria and Hong Kong fall into the "positive outlook for crypto" group with low taxation (19% or less); and crypto-friendly countries like Brazil or Estonia come in at 20-29%.

— Further down the list there are nations with high tax rates — like Switzerland or Canada — but are "crypto advocates," finalizing their report with those nations that have uncertain regimes or directly prohibitive crypto stances such as China.

Russia drops charges against Prigozhin and others who took part in brief rebellion — ground.news: 143 media reports — factuality: not rated 27 June 2023 (LINK)

Belarus' president says Prigozhin, who led a weekend rebellion in Russia, is in his country — ground.news: 94 media reports — factuality: not rated 27 June 2023 (LINK)

WHO warns Covid 'has not gone away' with 1,000 dying each week in Europe — ground.news: 27 media reports — factuality: high 27 June 2023 (LINK)

Inside Geneva: what now for women in Afghanistan? (podcast) — www.swissinfo.ch — 27 June 2023 (LINK)

Sierra Leone's president wins second term with 56% and no need for runoff, election commission announces: however, the opposition has disputed the count — ground.news: 36 media reports — factuality: mixed rating 27 June 2023 (LINK)

Tropical forests shrunk by 10% in 2022: an average of 11 football pitches of forest lost every minute. Brazil was responsible for the majority of deforestation, with commodity agriculture being the main driver — ground.news: 33 media reports — factuality: high 27 June 2023 (LINK)

Swiss Sustainable Finance: Total sustainability-related investment volume now at CHF 1.610 billion (-19% compared to 2021) — marketstudy2023 — 27 June 2023 (LINK)

— "The reduction can be attributed to the negative market performance in 2022 (18%), tighter definitions by respondents managing sustainability-related investments in Switzerland, and lower reported volumes for asset owner stewardship approaches as a result of methodology changes. Sustainability-related fund volumes correspond to about 52% of the entire Swiss funds market, similar to last year's level."

Trump is only living US president not descended from slaveholders, report says — ground.news: 24 media reports — factuality: mixed rating 27 June 2023 (LINK)

— rump has a history of defending symbols of the Confederacy despite not having any ties to slavery, while at least 100 lawmakers and two Trump-appointed Supreme Court Justices have ancestors who enslaved Black people.

That's no pizza: A wall painting found in Pompeii doesn't depict Italy's iconic dish, say experts — ap / www.coastreporter.net — 27 June 2023 (LINK)

— They noted that key ingredients needed to make Italy's iconic dish — tomatoes and mozzarella — were not available when the fresco was painted some 2,000 years ago.

Klimt's final masterpiece Lady with a Fan sells for €86 million to become Europe's most expensive artwork sold at auction — ground.news: 69 media reports — factuality: mixed rating 27 June 2023 (LINK)

Swiss authorities seize $26m in crypto tied to Terraform Labs — cryptodaily.co.uk — 27 June 2023 (LINK)

Dogecoin investors vs. Elon Musk: lawyers seek disqualification for misconduct — thenewscrypto.com — 27 June 2023 (LINK)

Audi ex-boss becomes first top manager sentenced for fraud in 2015 diesel scandal — ground.news: 106 media reports — factuality: high 27 June 2023 (LINK)

Torture as a weapon of war must cease, rights experts demand — news.un.org — 26 June 2023 (LINK)

79% of plants remaining on earth must be saved to meet UN climate goals, study says — www.ecowatch.com — 26 June 2023 (LINK)

Hunger kills over 700 after US and UN pause food aid to Ethiopia's Tigray region — ground.news: 22 media reports — factuality: mixed rating 26 June 2023 (LINK)

Emergency aid leaders and donors met in Geneva. Here's what happened — www.thenewhumanitarian.org — 26 June 2023 (LINK)

Shock withdrawal of Gavi CEO-designate as board ponders COVAX funds surplus — healthpolicy-watch.news — 26 June 2023 (LINK)

— Gavi said that its board had appointed Chief Operating Officer David Marlow as interim CEO.

The announcement came as the Gavi board was meeting this week in Geneva, amidst a Reuters report that a $2 billion surplus remains to be spent in COVAX, the WHO co-sponsored COVID-19 vaccine platform that Gavi co-operdinates alongside the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Australia to provide $74 million assistance package to Ukraine — ground.news: 7 media reports — 26 June 2023 (LINK)

— The package did not include the Hawkei light armoured patrol vehicles or more Bushmaster infantry vehicles requested by Kyiv. The additional commitments take Australia's total contribution to support Ukraine to 790 million Australian dollars ($529m), just more than three-quarters of it in military assistance. There will, however, be an extra 10 million Australian dollars ($6.7m) for the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, a United Nations-led fund to meet the urgent needs of millions of Ukrainian civilians caught up in the conflict.

Curfews imposed after 22 dead in night of violence in north Honduras — ground.news: 37 media reports — 26 June 2023 (LINK)

— Gunmen entered a pool hall in Choloma, Honduras, killing 11 people on June 26.

Israel approves plans for over 5,000 new settlement homes amid White House's calls for restraint — ground.news: 48 media reports — 26 June 2023 (LINK)

Hollywood mogul acknowledges gifts to Netanyahu may have been 'excessive' in 2nd day of testimony — ground.news: 44 media reports — 26 June 2023 (LINK)

Conditions at Guantánamo Are Cruel and Inhuman, U.N. Investigation Finds — ground.news: 88 media reports — 26 June 2023 (LINK)

— The report was the result of the first visit by an independent human rights investigator to the prison in its two-decade history.

Swiss say dozens of Russian spies disguised as diplomats are active in the Alpine nation — source — 26 June 2023 (LINK)

— "Of the roughly 220 people that are accredited as diplomatical or technical-administrative personnel at the diplomatic and consular representations in Geneva and Bern, at least a third are likely still active for Russian intelligence agencies," said the report by Switzerland's main intelligence agency. Europe-wide, Switzerland is one of the states in which the most Russian intelligence personnel are deployed under diplomatic cover, including due to its role as a host country for international organizations."

While China is also believed to have dozens of spies at its diplomatic missions in Switzerland, their number is significantly less than Russia's, the agency said. It said China is more likely to have spies masquerading as scientists, journalists and businesspeople.

Fukushima nuclear plant operator says equipment to release treated wastewater into sea is complete — ground.news: 30 media reports — 27 June 2023 (LINK)

— The release of the treated water is expected to commence this summer, subject to receiving a safety permit. The water will be gradually released into the ocean over decades. The plan has faced protests from local fishing groups and concerns from nearby countries. Some scientists have called for the release to be delayed, while others have called for more transparency in sampling and monitoring.

Greece's conservative New Democracy party wins landslide election victory for second 4-year term, Kyriakos Mitsotakis being sworn in today as prime minister — ground.news: 176 media reports — 26 June 2023 (LINK)

— Mitsotakis, who was prime minister from 2019 until stepping down in favour of a caretaker premier following an inconclusive May 21 vote, said he will push ahead with reforms to rebuild the country's credit rating after the debt crisis which wracked the nation for a decade.

Battle for key police base kills at least 14 Sudan civilians — ground.news: 11 media reports — factuality: 26 June 2023 (LINK)

Colorado Springs LGBTQ+ club mass killer gets life in prison — ground.news: 125 media reports — factuality: 26 June 2023 (LINK)

— Anderson Lee Aldrich, who identifies as non-binary, has pleaded guilty to killing five people and injuring 17 others in a shooting at an LGBT nightclub in Colorado. Aldrich's claims of being "on a very large plethora of drugs" have been disputed by prosecutors.

Crypto Travel Rule implementation 'remains relatively poor,' says FATF — cointelegraph.com — 26 June 2023 (LINK)

Oil spill from Shell pipeline fouls farms and a river in a long-polluted part of Nigeria — ground.news: 41 media reports — 26 June 2023 (LINK)

Authorities announced late Monday that they had arrested a 41-year-old man in the weekend killing of a Massachusetts couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, along with another family member, in the small city outside Boston. — AP.com — 26 June 2023 (LINK)

Climate change blamed for 11 June collapse of Fluchthorn mountain in the Mischabel range of Austria-Switzerland's Silvretta Alps, shortening peak by 100m and new official height by 60m with another peak — www.livescience.com — 26 June 2023 (LINK)