Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ New Equation Can Reveal Hidden Asteroids Set to Strike Earth

    A trick of the light.

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Putin's 'sovereign' gaming console projects detailed, one with a homegrown Elbrus CPU, the other a Chinese knockoff — Russian gov't admits they can't compete with PS5 or Xbox

    Russian politicians call for 'unconventional' approaches to overcome poor performance of homegrown console gaming hardware.

  • Standards/Consortia

    • The Local SE ☛ EU universal charger rules come into force

      "Starting today, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, speakers, keyboards and many other electronics sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port," the EU Parliament wrote on social media X.

    • Adafruit ☛ Cable Types and Differences | Understanding USB Type C: Cable Types, Pitfalls and More.

      USB C cables can have variations in speed, power, and protocol capabilities. Additionally there are different length requirements to watch out for. When in doubt, buy cables from the device manufacturer. You can also buy USB C cables from Adafruit as we have specific cables for specific needs that are all tested and researched.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • France24 ☛ Fifth infant dies of hypothermia in Gaza as winter cold sets in

    20-year-old baby died of hypothermia in Gaza on Sunday – the fifth to die of cold in recent weeks according to local health officials. Thousands of displaced families in the Palestinian territory are struggling to stay warm as temperatures plummet.

• Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • TechRadar ☛ Xbox in 2025: a make-or-break year for Microsoft's console

    There have been multiple rounds of layoffs, with thousands of Xbox staff losing their jobs...

    [...]

    According to the latest financial reports, Xbox's revenue is up significantly. However, that growth is almost entirely down to folding Activision-Blizzard's earnings into Xbox's numbers, not because Xbox's games and hardware sold better.

• Security

  • Email: Three Things to Check

    Email is still an attack vector for malware.

    Treat unsolicited emails with caution.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea launches ‘toughest’ US strategy at key party meeting

    South Korea has become an “anti-communism outpost” for the US, a report of the meeting said.

  • New York Times ☛ Anger and Agony in South Korea After Jeju Air Passenger Jet Crashes, Killing 179

    A Jeju Air passenger jet carrying 181 people from Bangkok sped off the runway and burst into flames. Two crew were rescued in what was the country’s worst air disaster in decades.

  • New York Times ☛ Video of South Korea Plane Crash Offers Clues to Cause, but No Immediate Answers

    The cause of the crash probably won’t be determined for months, with investigators expected to focus on a wide range of issues.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • North Koreans kill themselves to avoid capture by Ukraine: US official

      The U.S. said Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating the troops as ‘consumables.’

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Forces Claim Capture Of Town In Pokrovsk Area, But Next Steps Unclear

      Russia on December 29 claimed to have seized another town in Ukraine's Donetsk region as it continues its long, bloody drive against the strategic -- but nearly destroyed -- southern logistics hub of Pokrovsk.

    • France24 ☛ Georgia inaugurates far-right ruling party loyalist as new president

      Former soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili was formally inaugurated as president of Georgia on Sunday, cementing the ruling party's grip in what the opposition calls a blow to the country’s EU aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia. Outgoing pro-Western Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said Sunday morning that she would vacate her residence at the Orbeliani Palace in Tbilisi, but insisted she was still the legitimate office holder.

    • France24 ☛ Salomé Zourabichvili: Georgia's first female president

      Outgoing Georgian President Salomé Zourabichvili became the country's first female president in 2018 with the support of the governing party Georgian Dream. Now, six years later, with the ruling party becoming more pro-Russian despite its promises of further European integration, pro-EU Zourabichvili is pushed out of the presidential palace to make way for Mikheil Kavelashvili, a party loyalist.

    • New York Times ☛ Georgia Inaugurates Mikheil Kavelashvili as President Amid Anti-Western Drift

      Even though a figurehead, Mikheil Kavelashvili occupies a symbolic role as the country moves further from the West and toward Russia and China.

    • New York Times ☛ What We Know About the Azerbaijani Plane Crash in Kazakhstan

      The Embraer 190 was traveling to Grozny, Russia, but crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people onboard. Investigators are focusing on Russian air defense as the likely cause.

    • France24 ☛ Experts question bird strike as cause of S. Korea's deadly plane crash

      Experts are questioning whether a collision with a bird could have caused an airliner crash that killed 179 people in South Korea on Sunday after a Boeing 737-800 belly landed at Muan International Airport before skidding down the runway and into a brick wall, where it exploded into flames.

    • New York Times ☛ Bird Strikes Are a Common Problem for Flights

      It is not uncommon for planes to strike wildlife, but most episodes don’t result in deaths or serious injuries.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Experts question bird strike as cause of deadly Jeju Air crash

      It is unlikely a bird strike would cause the landing gear to malfunction or quickly shut down an engine, they say.

    • JURIST ☛ Azerbaijan president holds Russia responsible for plane crash

      Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev asserted on Sunday that the recent crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft was the result of an unintentional missile strike by Russian forces.

    • RFERL ☛ Black Box Sent To Brazil As Baku Accuses Russia Of 'Covering Up' Cause Of Crash

      Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has accused Russia of trying to hide the cause of a deadly plane crash this week, calling on Moscow to admit responsibility.

    • New York Times ☛ What to Know About South Korea’s Worst Plane Crash in Decades

      A plane carrying 181 people crashed while landing, killing most on board. Officials were investigating a possible malfunction with the landing gear and a bird strike.

    • New York Times ☛ Azerbaijan Blames Russia for Plane Crash and Rebukes Kremlin

      The leader of Azerbaijan criticized the Russian response to the crash of a passenger jet that Azerbaijani officials said had most likely been hit by Russian air defenses.

    • France24 ☛ Azerbaijan's president says Russia unintentionally shot down crashed jetliner

      Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said that Russia unintentionally shot down an Azerbaijani Airlines flight that crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38 people. Aliyev on Sunday called for Russia to admit guilt and pay compensation for the incident.

    • RFERL ☛ Syria's De Facto Leader Wants To Maintain 'Respectful' Ties With Iran, Russia

      New Syrian de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa said the Middle East nation wants to maintain relations Iran and Russia, but he insisted any ties must be based on mutual “respect."

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Arrested For Running Gay Travel Agency Found Dead In Cell

      A Russian man arrested in October for allegedly operating a travel agency for gay customers was found dead in his Moscow cell while in pretrial detention, the OVD-Info rights group said on December 29.

    • JURIST ☛ Belarus President pardons 20 accused of ‘extremist crimes’

      Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko announced on Saturday that he has pardoned 20 individuals accused of committing “extremist crimes.” Human rights activists have identified these individuals as political prisoners. This latest act of clemency marks the eighth such pardon since the summer of 2024, bringing the total number of political prisoners released to 207.

    • JURIST ☛ UK to increase funding for war crimes prosecution amid Russian invasion of Ukraine

      The UK Government announced on Sunday a pledge of £4.5 million to support the prosecution of war crimes perpetrated in Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion.

    • New York Times ☛ Putin Apologizes for Azerbaijani Plane Crash but Does Not Take Responsibility

      President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia told the Azerbaijani leader, Ilham Aliyev, in a phone call, “that the tragic incident took place in Russian airspace.”

    • France24 ☛ Zelensky calls for 'thorough investigation' into Azerbaijani airliner crash

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Friday for a "thorough investigation" into the Azerbaijan Airlines crash and pointed to "clear visual evidence" of Russian involvement. Pointing to the Malaysia Airlines MH17 Flight that ws shot down over eastern Ukraine by separatist forces in 2014, FRANCE 24's Emmanuelle Chaze said Zelensky is now calling for the same level of scrutiny into Wednesday's incident.

    • France24 ☛ Croatia's President Milanovic faces off against ruling party candidate

      Croatia’s left-leaning president, an outspoken critic of Western military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, is running for reelection in the Adriatic Sea state, but is unlikely to get an outright majority in the first round of voting on Sunday. President Zoran Milanović, who is often compared to Donald Trump for his combative style of communication with political opponents, faces seven other contenders, including Dragan Primorac, the candidate of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Earthquake of magnitude 5.6 strikes Luzon, Philippines, GFZ says

    A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Luzon in the Philippines on Monday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said.

  • Energy/Transportation/South Korea

    • Ars Technica ☛ Power company hid illegal crypto mine that may have caused outages - Ars Technica

      Russia’s crackdown on illegal mines outs power provider as unexpected accomplice.

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s impeachment feud pauses in wake of deadly Jeju Air plane crash

      Both the People Power Party and Democratic Party cancelled previous plans and convened emergency meetings.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Crisis after crisis: Jeju Air plane crash tests acting South Korean president’s administration

      The crash came just two days after Mr Choi Sang-mok was appointed interim leader.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Impeached South Korean President defies summons third time in a row

      He faces impeachment and criminal charges of insurrection.

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s joint investigation unit requests arrest warrant for Yoon over martial law

      The suspended President has failed to respond to multiple summons for questioning.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Air crash tests South Korea's acting president two days into the job

      SEOUL - When South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok arrived at the scene of the deadliest air disaster on the country's soil on Sunday, he had been on the job for less than 48 hours.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Jeju Air crash deadliest on South Korean soil

      The crash of Jeju Air flight 7C2216 on Sunday marks the deadliest ever on South Korean soil and the worst involving a South Korean airline since a 1997 Korean Air Lines crash in Guam that killed more than 200.

    • The Straits Times ☛ What we know about the Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea

      The plane was almost completely destroyed, officials said.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Recap: Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea kills 179 people, 2 crew rescued

      The airliner was carrying 181 people when it veered off the runway and slammed into a wall at Muan airport.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Jeju Air plane crashes upon landing in South Korea, 179 on board confirmed dead

      It was carrying 175 passengers and six crew members.

    • South Korean plane crash kills 179; only 2 survivors

      Authorities say 2 people survived after the plane went off the runway and exploded.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ What to know about the Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea that left at least 177 dead

      A Jeju Air plane flying from Bangkok to South Korea with 181 people on board crashed on landing Sunday, leaving all but two people plucked from the wreckage feared dead. Here’s what we know so far. What happened?

    • The Straits Times ☛ Biden offers US assistance to South Korea after Jeju Air plane crash

      He says as close allies, the American people share deep bonds of friendship with the South Koreans.

    • New York Times ☛ Plane That Crashed in South Korea Was a Boeing 737-800, a Precursor to the 737 Max

      Nearly 200 airlines use the 737-800, which makes up about 15 percent of the world’s fleet of aircraft.

    • France24 ☛ Jeju Air accident 'worst crash' in South Korea since 1997

      Sunday's plane crash – Jeju Air Flight 7C 2216 – that killed at least 176 people on board in South Korea has become the country's worst accident since the 1997 Korean Air crash that killed more than 200, FRANCE 24's Yena Lee said.

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea orders air safety probe after the country’s worst crash kills 179

      The top priority for now is identifying the victims, supporting their families and treating the two survivors.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Condolences pour in from across the world for Jeju Air plane crash

      Only two survived after the plane skidded off the runway and slammed into a wall.

    • France24 ☛ S. Korea investigators request arrest warrant for President Yoon

      South Korean law enforcement officials on Monday requested a court warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol as they investigate whether his short-lived martial law decree on Dec. 3 amounted to rebellion.

    • France24 ☛ South Korea orders air safety probe after plane crash kills 179

      South Korea has ordered an air safety investigation after one of the country's worst aviation disasters. A jetliner skidded off a runway, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames Sunday in South Korea after its landing gear apparently failed to deploy. All but two of the 181 people aboard were killed.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Anger and agony in South Korea after Jeju Air plane crash, killing 179

      As the tragic day closed, only 65 of the dead could be identified through their fingerprints and other means.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • New Yorker ☛ The Elephantine Memories of Food-Caching Birds

      Some animals can remember where they’ve buried hundreds of thousands of seeds. Why can’t we remember where we’ve put our eyeglasses?

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim lauds new fish farm, calls for regional development

      He has been pushing to modernise the farming industry and rural communities in North Korea.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • CS Monitor ☛ Jimmy Carter and Monitor Breakfasts: A long, storied history

    On nine different visits to the Monitor Breakfast, the former president displayed his keen intellect and trademark decency. He also made news.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • JURIST ☛ Israel warplanes kill five Palestine journalists in front of Gaza hospital

    The Palestinian Ministry of Health stated on Thursday that Israeli warplanes bombed a van belonging to journalists who worked for the Al-Quds Al-Youm television channel in front of Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat of central Gaza Strip overnight, resulting in the death of five journalists.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Off Guardian ☛ Magdeburg, “the Great Replacement” & conspiracy theories: OffG’s informal debate with Simon Elmer

    Just before Christmas the OffG eds (mainly myself) had what proved to be an interesting exchange with our erstwhile regular contributor Simon Elmer on X/Twitter. We think the discussion is quite relevant on many levels so we are reproducing it here. (NB – the exchange was public and can still be seen on X).

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Three of the best: George Michaelson

    In 2024, George Michaelson touched on topics ranging from news to explainers. Here are three of George’s best.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Voluntary Dismissals and Attorney Fees

    The Copyright Act and the Patent Act each include an attorney fee provision — permitting the district court to award “a reasonable attorney’s fee to the prevailing party.”  Because of similarities in the provisions, they tend to be interpreted together — at least with regard to what qualifies as a “prevailing party” under the statute.  (Unlike in copyright monopoly law, the patent monopoly law limits fees to “exceptional case[s]”).

    On the Copyright side, there is a growing circuit split on the issue of whether defendants can recover attorney’s fees after a plaintiff voluntarily dismisses under Rule 41(a)(1).   That rule permits for voluntary dismissal and does not require a court order.