Leftovers

• Hackaday ☛ The Audiophile Carrot

  The widely quoted carrot factoid that the vegetable’s orange colour is the result of patriotic Dutch farmers breeding them that way may be an urban myth, but it’s certainly true that they can pass an audio signal in a time of need. [Julian Krause] follows up on a Reddit meme of a carrot being used to join two phono plugs, and appears to find the organic interconnect to be of good quality.

• Hackaday ☛ New Tullomer Filament Claims To Beat PEEK

  Recently a company called Z-Polymers introduced its new Tullomer FDM filament that comes with a lofty bullet list of purported properties that should give materials like steel, aluminium, and various polymers a run for their money. Even better is that it is compatible with far lower specification FDM printers than e.g. PEEK. Intrigued, the folks over at All3DP figured that they should get some hands-on information on this filament and what’s it like to print with in one of the officially sanctioned Bambu Lab printers: these being the X1C & X1CE with manufacturer-provided profiles.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Mysterious Fossils Suggest Neanderthals Were Capable of Abstract Thought

    Why did they collect these things?

  • Science Alert ☛ Quantum Censorship Could Hide The Awful Truth of What Lies Inside a Black Hole

    Don't look!

  • Science Alert ☛ Record-Breaking Super-Earth Has The Density of Lead, Scientists Say

    The densest known planet in its class.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Tiny NFC-Powered Keychain Thermometer

    What if your keychain could tell you the temperature, all while staying battery-free? That’s the essence of this innovative keychain ‘NFC_temp’ by [bjorn]. This nifty gadget harnesses energy from an NFC field—like the one created by your smartphone—to power itself just long enough to take a precise temperature reading. Using components like an ATTiny1626 microcontroller, a TMP117 thermometer, and an RF430CL330H NFC IC, NFC_temp cleverly stores harvested power in a capacitor to function autonomously.

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Acceptable public use cases for smartphone speakers

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ What Doctors Like Myself Know About Americans’ Health Care Anger

    As a doctor, I’ve been on both sides of frustrating health care debacles.

  • CS Monitor ☛ UnitedHealthcare tragedy sparks conversations about insurance reform

    The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare's CEO has sparked a wave of frustration over the insurance industry. Patients are sharing personal stories, with many hoping the amplified voices lead to change in an industry often criticized for prioritizing profits over people.

  • New York Times ☛ NYPD Releases New Images of Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO Shooting

    The manhunt for the gunman who fatally shot Brian Thompson, chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, entered its fifth day, and the police released two new images.

  • The Straits Times ☛ India’s craving for baked chips, protein bars spurring growth of health food market

    India today has the world’s fastest-growing health food and wellness market.

  • JURIST ☛ Canada high court rules that suspected drug sales justify warrantless searches amid ‘opioid crisis’

    The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that a suspected drug sale constitutes an “exigent circumstance” that justifies warrantless search, which would otherwise be considered a violation of privacy under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

  • RFERL ☛ Afghan Women Say Ban On Midwife Training Will Mean Health Risks

    A Taliban shutdown on midwife and nurse training in Afghanistan has students worried over the health consequences for women. Medical trainees have launched singing protests and taken to social control media to decry the latest restriction on Afghan women's education.

  • Science Alert ☛ Mysterious Fatal 'Disease X' Outbreak in Congo Still Can't Be Explained

    Here's what we know.

  • Science Alert ☛ An Ancient Killer Is Rapidly Becoming Resistant to Antibiotics, Study Warns

    This is a global problem.

  • Science Alert ☛ Promising New Malaria Vaccine Can Be Injected by Mosquito Bite

    Close to a 90 percent success rate.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel XeSS 2 DLL files leaked days before launch — Frame Generation and Low Latency libraries surface at Nexus Mods

    DLL files for Intel's XeSS 2 suite of technologies has been leaked but are likely still dependent on support from game developers.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-11-27 [Older] Thousands of Lebanese return home as ceasefire takes hold

  • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-11-26 [Older] Egypt: 4 bodies found after tourist boat capsizes in Red Sea

  • The Straits Times ☛ S. Korean commander involved in martial law says soldiers were ‘victims’ of ex-defence minister

    South Korea's former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun stepped down from his role on Dec 4.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s martial law plans were drawn up in November, says lawmaker

    The plans were directed by the chief of the military counter-intelligence unit.

  • NYPost ☛ South Korea martial law fallout deepens as President Yoon Suk Yeol targeted in criminal probe

    South Korea's leadership crisis deepened on Sunday as prosecutors named President Yoon Suk Yeol as a subject of a criminal investigation over last week's martial law attempt.

  • New York Times ☛ South Korea Unsure Who Is Running the Government

    President Yoon Suk Yeol’s ill-fated bid to impose martial law has created a power vacuum in his governing camp, pushing the country deeper into what analysts call a constitutional crisis.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Yoon’s impeachment motion puts focus on South Korea’s generational gap

    At the heart of the divide are two very different experiences of life in South Korea.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea martial law fallout deepens as prosecutors close in on President, ex-defence minister

    His party says it obtained his agreement to step down in exchange for blocking impeachment.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s opposition brands ruling party’s plan to fill in for Yoon unconstitutional

    “South Korea cannot be safe unless Yoon is no longer president,” said a Democratic Party representative.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Can South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol be suspended without impeachment?

    Impeachment is often perceived as the most severe form of political accountability.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean interior minister resigns: Media

    President Yoon Suk Yeol accepted his resignation, the paper said.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean opposition will again try to impeach Yoon

    Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, said it will try again on Dec 14.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Visually impaired South Korean lawmaker tried to scale walls on martial law day

    Ms Kim Yea-ji was among only three lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party to participate in the vote.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea turmoil: What next?

    South Korea’s main opposition is plannning a new push to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol.

  • The Straits Times ☛ After failed martial law, South Koreans ask: Who’s in charge?

    Its Constitution does not allow for the president to be replaced unless he resigns or is impeached.

  • France24 ☛ Parisians gather to celebrate the fall of Assad's regime in Syria

    Syrian rebels declared they had ousted President Bashar al-Assad after seizing control of Damascus on Sunday, forcing him to flee and ending his family's decades of autocratic rule after more than 13 years of civil war. This event resonates around the world, including in Paris, where people have gathered at Place de la République to celebrate.

  • France24 ☛ What is the stance of the Syrian rebels who have toppled Assad?

    Celebrations erupted around Syria and crowds ransacked President Bashar al-Assad's home after Islamist-led rebels swept into Damascus and declared he had fled the country. International actors have, on their part, been more cautious in their reaction, as the main rebel group who has ousted Assad is a globally designated terrorist organization. Analysis by Mariam Benraad, professor of international relations at Schiller International University.

  • France24 ☛ Lebanon says boosting troops on Syria border after Assad's fall

    The Lebanese army said it was reinforcing its presence on the border with neighbouring Syria, after the government of longtime President Bashar al-Assad fell and rebels took the capital Damascus. More information with FRANCE 24 correspondent in Beirut, Rawad Taha.

  • France24 ☛ Suspected Israeli strikes hit Syrian capital Damascus

    Suspected Israeli airstrikes hit Mazzeh district of Damascus on Sunday, one Lebanese and one Syrian security source said. Additionally, jets believed to be Israeli bombed the Khalkhala air base in southern Syria that was evacuated by the Syrian army overnight. Details with FRANCE 24 correspondent in Jerusalem, Noga Tarnopolsky.

  • France24 ☛ What role did Israel play in the toppling of Syria's Assad?

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in Syria was a "historic day in the... Middle East" and the fall of a "central link in Iran's axis of evil". He also took part credit for the the fall of Assad, saying it is a direct result of blows dealt to Hezbollah and Iran by Israel. What role did Israel really play in the toppling of Syria's Assad? Answer by FRANCE 24 Kethevane Gorjestani.

  • France24 ☛ What did life look like in Syria under Bashar al-Assad's regime?

    Syrian rebels declared they had ousted President Bashar al-Assad after seizing control of Damascus on Sunday, forcing him to flee and ending his family's decades of autocratic rule after more than 13 years of civil war. What did life look like under Assad's regime? FRANCE 24's Erin Ogunkeye asked Radwan Ziadeh, executive director at the Syrian Center for Political and Strategic Studies.

  • France24 ☛ What will become of Bashar al-Assad now that he has been ousted by Syrian rebels?

    Syrian rebels have toppled President Bashar al-Assad after a lightning offensive which in under two weeks has seen major cities slip from government's fingers, culminating in rebels capturing the capital Damascus. What will become of the former president now? Answer by Radwan Ziadeh, executive director at the Syrian Center for Political and Strategic Studies.

  • France24 ☛ Israel's Netanyahu hails fall of Assad as 'historic day'

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad as an "historic day" that followed the blows delivered by Israel against Assad's supporters Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

  • France24 ☛ Iran's embassy in Damascus stormed by Syrian rebels

    Iran's embassy in Syria was vandalised after Islamist-led rebels declared the fall of Tehran ally Bashar al-Assad following a sweeping offensive that culminated in Damascus. Details by FRANCE 24 correspondent in Tehran Saeed Azimi.

  • France24 ☛ The fall of Syria's Assad resonates all the way to Paris, where people are gathering to celebrate

    The fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria is resonating worldwide. Across Europe, people are gathering to celebrate. FRANCE 24’s Clovis Casali reports from Paris, France.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China says hopes Syria ‘returns to stability as soon as possible’

    China’s foreign ministry said Sunday it hopes Syria “returns to stability as soon as possible”, after Islamist-led rebels announced they had taken Damascus and sent President Bashar al-Assad fleeing.

  • New Yorker ☛ The Fall of Assad’s Syria

    In the wake of President Bashar al-Assad’s remarkable abdication of power, jubilation and fear collide as the country—and the region—faces an uncertain future.

  • New York Times ☛ Biden Weighs Approach to Rebels in Syria Amid Secret Message Exchange

    President Biden faces the challenge of deciding how to engage the main armed group that toppled President Bashar al-Assad, even though it remains designated a terrorist organization by the United States.

  • New York Times ☛ With Assad’s Fall, Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance’ Unravels

    Tehran’s main regional allies are weakened or collapsing: Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, has fled his country, Hezbollah is battered by conflict with Israel, and Hamas is still at war.

  • New York Times ☛ Syrians Mourn All They Have Lost, Even as They Celebrate

    Thoughts of loved ones dead or missing complicate joyous relief at the prospect of Bashar al-Assad’s losing power.

  • New York Times ☛ Syria’s Army Was Hollowing Out Long Before Rebels’ Advance

    While multiple factors contributed to the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, corrosion inside his own military did not help, analysts say.

  • New York Times ☛ Who Is Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, Leader of Syrian Rebel Offensive?

    Abu Mohammad al-Jolani spearheaded a lightning assault that led to the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.

  • New York Times ☛ As Syrian Rebels Take Charge, Freeing Prisoners of Assad Is a Priority

    Many people want to determine the fates of loved ones who disappeared into a notorious military prison that was a symbol of human rights abuses under President Bashar al-Assad.

  • New York Times ☛ Syria Civil War: What to Know About the Rebels and the Fall of Assad

    President Bashar al-Assad fled the country as rebels claimed the capital, Damascus.

  • New York Times ☛ The Assad Family’s Legacy Is One of Savage Oppression

    A dynasty bombed and detained thousands of opponents, building fearsome internal security agencies to quash unrest.

  • France24 ☛ Syrians wake up to a new country, after rebels ousted Assad during the night

    Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule but raising questions about the future of the country and the wider region. Story by Emily Boyle.

  • Off Guardian ☛ DISCUSS: Syrian Government Falls, Assad Flees Damascus

    Syrian “Rebels” have declared total victory after claiming to have taken Damascus. In a television broadcast on Syria’s state broadcaster opposition leaders said Syria has been “liberated”. President Bashar al-Assad has reportedly fled the capital and country, with some social control media accounts sharing unconfirmed reports that his plane crashed.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Experts react: Rebels have toppled the Assad regime. What’s next for Syria, the Middle East, and the world?

    Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has been ousted as opposition forces quickly took the Syrian capital. Atlantic Council experts share their insights on the developments.

  • France24 ☛ Why the Assad regime collapsed in Syria – and why so fast

    Syrian insurgents toppled President Bashar al-Assad's on Sunday after a stunning, two-week offensive that saw major cities slip from the regime’s fingers one by one, until rebel forces captured the capital Damascus almost without a fight.

  • New York Times ☛ Monday Briefing: Al-Assad Flees Syria as Rebels Claim Power

    Plus, Notre-Dame reopens.

  • France24 ☛ Trump says Russia abandoned Syria's Assad, never should have been involved

    U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said that Russia's abandonment of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad led to his downfall, adding Moscow never should have protected him in the first place and then lost interest because of a war in Ukraine that never should have started. Details with FRANCE 24 correspondent in New York, Fraser Jackson.

  • France24 ☛ 🔴 Syria's Assad and his family in Moscow after Russia granted them asylum, says Kremlin source

  • RFERL ☛ Syria's Assad Flees To Moscow, Reportedly Granted Asylum

    Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Moscow, a Russian diplomat said, as rebels took control of the capital, Damascus, bringing to an end the brutal, half-century rule of the Assad family.

  • RFERL ☛ Russia Says Syria's Assad Granted Asylum In Moscow

    Syrian rebels claimed early on December 8 to have taken control of the capital, Damascus after launching a lightning offensive in recent days that advanced quickly through the country.

  • RFERL ☛ Georgescu, Supporters Protest Outside Bucharest Polling Station After Runoff Scrapped

    Romania’s far-right, pro-Russian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu and dozens of his supporters staged a protest at a shuttered polling station in Bucharest after an election runoff was scrapped by the country's Constitutional Court.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Russian Ex-ASML employee indicted for stealing critical trade secrets — currently in custody, faces 20-year Netherlands entry ban

    A Russian engineer at ASML has been accused of stealing trade secrets at the company and now faces litigation and an entry-ban.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Ousted Syrian President reportedly in Moscow after rebel takeover

    Syrian President Bashar Assad has reportedly arrived in Moscow with his family, granted asylum by Russia after rebel advances. Russian state media says Assad fled Syria following negotiations with rebels, sparking celebrations nationwide.

  • New York Times ☛ As Assad’s Dictatorship in Syria Ends, New Risks for the Middle East Are Huge

    The overthrow of the Assad government could mean Russia’s bases in Syria are closed and Iran’s pathway to Hezbollah is cut off. Now Iran, newly vulnerable, will have to decide between negotiation and the bomb.

  • New York Times ☛ Assad Arrives in Russia After Fleeing Syria, Russian Media Says

    President Bashar al-Assad landed in Russia, according to state media outlets there and two Iranian officials, after fleeing the country as rebels took control of Syria’s capital.

  • New York Times ☛ Bashar al-Assad of Syria Falls to Rebels

    President Bashar al-Assad had kept opposition forces at bay for a decade with help from Russia and Iran. But rebels struck at a moment of weakness for those countries.

  • New York Times ☛ As Syrian Government Loses Control, the Skies Above Go Quiet

    For years, people lived in terror of airstrikes by Syrian and Russian planes that helped keep the country’s authoritarian leader in power.

  • Meduza ☛ Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Russia, state media reports — Meduza

  • Meduza ☛ Syrian rebels reportedly capture Jableh, city near Russia’s Khmeimim Air Base — Meduza

  • Meduza ☛ Moscow confirms that Assad has stepped down as Syria’s president and fled the country — Meduza

  • France24 ☛ Syrians celebrate end of Assad's brutal reign after the president flees

    Syria's Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow as Islamist-led rebels captured Damascus Sunday, ending five decades of Baath party rule. Celebrations erupted nationwide. Assad's luxurious home was overrun as the government collapsed 11 days into a surprise rebel offensive, over 13 years after Syria's civil war began.

  • NYPost ☛ What’s at stake for America in Syria after Bashar al-Assad

    Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s murderer-in-chief, has fled to Moscow. The people are celebrating, tearing down posters of Assad and statues of his equally vicious father, who founded the regime.

  • New York Times ☛ Bogged Down in Ukraine, Russia Pays a Price in Syria

    With the fall of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, Vladimir V. Putin has suffered one of the biggest geopolitical setbacks of his quarter-century in power.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan reports near doubling of Chinese warships nearby

    Security sources expect this to be a new round of war games.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia PM says suspected synagogue arson appears to be terrorist act

    Police are still looking for two people suspected of deliberately starting the fire.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Yoon’s signature industrial policies at risk

    Ongoing impeachment proceedings have raised doubts about the future of these initiatives.

  • New York Times ☛ Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against Linda McMahon, Trump’s Education Secretary Pick, Is Paused

    Linda McMahon is accused of failing to stop abuse in the 1980s within W.W.E., which she led at the time. The suit is on hold pending a ruling over a state law related to such cases.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Ukraine’s entrepreneurial class can drive the country’s economic recovery

      The Ukrainian SME sector has demonstrated remarkable wartime resilience and is poised to be at the forefront of efforts to create a modern, innovative, postwar economy, writes Anton Waschuk.

    • France24 ☛ Trump discusses cutting Ukraine aid, mass deportations in first post-election TV interview

      US President-elect Donald Trump said in an NBC interview aired Sunday that his incoming administration would "probably" reduce aid to Ukraine and deport all undocumented immigrants in the United States. Trump also said he would consider taking the US out of the NATO alliance.

    • LRT ☛ Disappointed with Berlin, Poland seeks new partners in Baltics and Scandinavia

      Disappointed with Germany, Poland is reorienting its security policy. Warsaw wants to work with the Scandinavian and Baltic countries to help Ukraine, and stand up to Russia.

    • New York Times ☛ 43,000 Ukrainian Soldiers Killed Since Russia Invaded, Zelensky Says

      The tally differs sharply from estimates by U.S. officials and military analysts, who have said the number is closer to 70,000.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine’s Aggressive Draft Efforts Are Facing a Backlash

      After being left for dead by Russian soldiers, Mykola Kulichenko doesn’t think he should be forced to serve. His experience highlights the vagaries of Ukraine’s aggressive mobilization.

    • Meduza ☛ Trump, Zelensky, and the Kremlin spar over ceasefire talks and how many soldiers have died in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Two Latvian writers attend congress in Moscow

      The Latvian Writers' Union has suspended two members, Vija Laganovska and Sergejs Moreino. The reason is their trip to Russia and their participation in the Congress of Translators in Moscow this autumn. The Writers' Union is still waiting to hear from the State Security Service on the possible expulsion of the two members, Latvian Television reported December 7.

    • RFERL ☛ Trump Says Russia, Iran In 'Weakened State,' Calls On Putin To Make Ukraine Deal

      Trump said Russia and Iran are in a “weakened state” and called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

    • Meduza ☛ Trump was ‘reluctant’ to meet with Zelensky in Paris, but Macron talked him into it — Axios — Meduza

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia Airlines pilots praised on social control media after difficult UK landing

      They were seen performing a “crabbing” technique before safely landing the aircraft.

    • 3 years on, displaced families await compensation for Lao-China Railway project

      At least 371 families have rejected what they say is an inadequate offer by the government.

    • New York Times ☛ Steve Mensch, President of Tyler Perry Studios, Dies at 62

      Mr. Mensch, a longtime supporter of the film industry in Georgia, died in a plane crash on Friday in Florida, according to officials.

    • Hackaday ☛ Silicon Carbide May Replace Zirconium Alloys For Nuclear Fuel Rod Cladding

      Since the construction of the first commercial light water nuclear power plants (LWR) the design of their fuel rods hasn’t changed significantly. Mechanically robust and corrosion-resistant zirconium alloy (zircalloy) tubes are filled with ceramic fuel pellets, which get assembled into fuel assemblies for loading into the reactor.

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-11-26 [Older] Costa Rica plane crash kills 5

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-11-27 [Older] Volkswagen to exit China's Xinjiang, sell factory

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-11-27 [Older] Unlicensed German driver lets boy steer, tries to flee cops

    • Deutsche Welle ☛ 2024-11-27 [Older] Surprise solar surge in Pakistan shocks experts and grid

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • NYPost ☛ Shelter staff rescue stray dog found 1,200 miles and four states away from home

      Staff at a shelter in Indiana rescued a stray dog — and were floored to discover the pup had trekked all the way from Colorado. The adventuring stray, named Diva, turned up at the Oak Knoll Vet Clinic in late November.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • JURIST ☛ Brazil court sentences three officers for asphyxiation death of Black man

    The Public Ministry of the Brazilian state of Sergipe announced Saturday that three former police officers have been sentenced to long prison terms for the death of Genivaldo de Jesus Santos, a Black man with schizophrenia, in 2022.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ IXP from scratch: Part 1 — Building a new IXP

    Guest Post: How to build an IPv6-only IXP from grassroots including technical design decisions.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Dual Sanctions: Courts Can Layer Inherent Power Sanctions on Top of § 285 Awards

    In PS Products, the Federal Circuit has affirmed that district courts may impose deterrence sanctions under their inherent powers even after (or in addition to) awarding attorney fees under 35 U.S.C. § 285. PS Prods. Inc. v. Panther Trading Co., No. 2023-1665 (Fed. Cir. Dec. 6, 2024).