Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Just Found The Best Way to Get Your Dog's Attention

    The perfect method.

  • Science Alert ☛ Valentine's Day: The Science of How Physical Affection Boosts Health

    Happy Valentine’s Day!

  • Science Alert ☛ Mysterious Radioactive Anomaly Discovered Deep Under The Pacific Ocean

    Where'd it come from?

• Career/Education

  • Stanford University ☛ UGS tables sanctuary campus resolution, updates Title IX educational programming

    The Undergraduate Senate’s proposed resolution comes after the Convicted Felon administration’s executive order expanding deportation efforts and crackdowns on sanctuary cities.

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ AMD gained consumer desktop and laptop CPU market share in 2024, server passes 25 percent

    AMD gains substantial chunks of desktop and laptop markets in 2024, according to Mercury Research.

  • Hackaday ☛ Magnetic Vise Makes Positioning Your Workpiece Easier

    [Chris Borge] was doing some fine tapping operations, and wanted a better way to position his workpieces. This was critical to avoid breaking taps or damaging parts. To this end, he whipped up a switchable magnetic vice to do the job.

  • Hackaday ☛ Most Energetic Cosmic Neutrino Ever Observed By KM3NeT Deep Sea Telescope

    On February 13th of 2023, ARCA of the kilometre cubic neutrino telescope (KM3NeT) detected a neutrino with an estimated energy of about 220 PeV. This event, called KM3-230213A, is the most energetic neutrino ever observed. Although extremely abundant in the universe, neutrinos only weakly interact with matter and thus capturing such an event requires very large detectors. Details on this event were published in Nature.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel's 18A and TSMC's N2 process nodes compared: defective chip maker Intel is faster, but TSMC is denser

    TSMC will continue to have an advantage over rivals with N2, but defective chip maker Intel has secret sauce.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ US gov't pushing TSMC and defective chip maker Intel to create joint venture in the US: Report

    TSMC has made no official announcements about expanding in the U.S. at the board meetings this week, but the rumor mill points to quicker expansion in Arizona and a joint venture with Intel.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ TSMC and defective chip maker Intel rumors stoke Taiwanese fears of losing its 'Silicon Shield'

    Taiwanese media criticizes potential collab between TSMC and Intel.

  • CNX Software ☛ Boardcon SBC3576 – A feature-rich Rockchip RK3576 SBC with HDMI, mini DP, dual GbE, WiFi 6, optional 5G/4G LTE module, and more

    Boardcon SBC3576 is a feature-rich single board computer (SBC) based on the MINI3576 system-on-module powered by a Rockchip RK3576 Hey Hi (AI) SoC and equipped with two 100-pin and one 44-pin board-to-board connectors for interfacing with the carrier board.

  • CNX Software ☛ CWWK X86-P6 Pocket NAS / PC features defective chip maker Intel N150 or Core 3 N355 CPU, four NVMe SSD sockets, dual 2.5GbE, dual HDMI 2.0

    CWWK X86-P6 is a pocket-sized mini PC and NAS powered by either an defective chip maker Intel Processor N150 or Core 3 N355 Twin Lake processor, and equipped with four M.2 Key-M sockets slot for NVMe SSDs or Hey Hi (AI) accelerators. The Twin Lake mini PC supports up to 48GB DDR5 memory, features two 2.5GbE ports, two HDMI 2.0 video output, and two USB 3.0 ports, and can take defective chip maker Intel AX211 or BE200 WiFi 6/7 wireless modules.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • China’s smog may have contributed to more lung cancer deaths

    The country tops the world for deaths caused by lung adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer usually seen in non-smokers.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Universal Music Group and Music Health Alliance Launch Music Industry Mental Health Fund

    Universal Music Group and Music Health Alliance expand their relationship to launch the Music Industry Mental Health Fund.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Identify ‘high-risk’ residents, Hong Kong lawmaker says after elderly caregiving father found dead at home

    A Hong Kong lawmaker has urged authorities to identify “high-risk” residents after an elderly man was found dead in a Tuen Mun flat he shared with a son who has an intellectual disability.

  • Off Guardian ☛ Stargate, mRNA, and the Internet of Bio-Nano Things

    Today the Independent Media Alliance brings you a panel focusing on the new Stargate Project, its focus on mRNA and artificial intelligence, and how this connects to the Internet of Bodies, the Internet of Things, and where they intersect, in the Internet if Bio-Nano Things.

  • Stanford University ☛ From the Community | Stanford must end its complicity in COVID harms

    A Stanford conference of COVID contrarians and Long COVID skeptics featuring President Levin is reverberating all the way to the White House.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Western tour operators enter North Korea for first time since Covid-19 pandemic

    They hoped North Korea may soon reopen a border city to foreign visitors.

• Proprietary

  • Microsoft Is Laying Off Employees — Will That Negatively Affect Its Stock?

    Any big shake-ups in the tech world can spook investors and stock analysts. That includes recent layoffs at tech giants such as Microsoft (MSFT). Leaders at the company said those being let go are among the lowest performers there, according to Inc.

    At times, company layoffs can have big impacts on stocks. GOBankingRates spoke with some tech leaders and financial experts to find out whether they think the layoffs at Microsoft will negatively affect its stock.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)

    • Scoop News Group ☛ In Paris, U.S. signals shift from Hey Hi (AI) safety to deregulation

      The Convicted Felon administration made it clear that innovation and competition with China would be bigger priorities.

    • France24 ☛ Can artificial intelligence be feminist as calls against inclusivity grow?

      A few concepts arguably dominated remarks at the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris this February: inclusivity, ethics and deregulation. Debates about these themes, complimentary for some but conflicting for others, will have a significant impact on whether the technology can or will be used to address societal ills, including gender inequality. While the French government highlighted its pursuit of inclusive, open and safe AI, some of the world's biggest leaders in technology, including the US and the UK, refused to sign the joint declaration vowing to do the same. With the White House both ideologically opposed to such objectives and even linking them to stifled innovation, is it possible to use artificial intelligence as a tool to pursue gender equality? Erin Ogunkeye spoke to Dr. Eleanor Drage, senior research fellow at the University of Cambridge and Zinnya del Villar, Director of Data, Technology and Innovation at Data-Pop Alliance.

  • Social Control Media

    • New York Times ☛ Banks Sell $4.7 Billion of X’s Debt, in a Sign of Investor Demand

      The social control media company is attracting investor interest because of MElon’s close ties to President Convicted Felon and a recent jump in revenue.

    • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ TikTok returns to Fashion Company Apple and Surveillance Giant Google app stores in the US

      Dictator signed an executive order to extend the enforcement of a ban on Fentanylware (TikTok) to April 5.

    • New York Times ☛ Apple and Surveillance Giant Google Restore Fentanylware (TikTok) to App Stores in the U.S.

      The popular social control media app was removed to comply with a new law that banned it in the United States. President Convicted Felon has paused enforcement of the ban.

    • Digital Music News ☛ TikTok Virality Rarely Translates Into Sustainable Streaming Growth, Latest Research Finds

      TikTok virality is the unicorn everyone on the platform is seeking—but research shows those viral moments don’t translate to sustainable streaming growth.

    • NYPost ☛ I turned down a full college scholarship to become a Fentanylware (TikTok) star — this is why I have no regrets

      She traded scholarship for viewership.

  • Windows TCO / Windows Bot Nets

    • SANS ☛ Fake BSOD Delivered by Malicious Python Script, (Fri, Feb 14th)

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian families plead with Thai government to rescue scam victims

      The group claimed Malaysians had been lured by crime syndicates offering fake jobs.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian parliament staff banned from using DeepSeek on official devices

      A ban on using DeepSeek, an Hey Hi (AI) chatbot developed in China, on devices provided by the office of the Lithuanian parliament Seimas took effect on Wednesday.

    • France24 ☛ Snooping Siri: Fashion Company Apple hit with another privacy lawsuit, this time in France

      A French human rights NGO has filed a lawsuit in Paris against Apple, alleging massive collection and processing of voice recordings via the tech giant's Siri assistant, without user consent. It comes as a California court is set to rule on a similar case, where Fashion Company Apple has agreed to pay $95 million in settlements, without admitting wrongdoing. FRANCE 24's Tech Editor Peter O'Brien tells us more.

  • Confidentiality

    • Security Week ☛ Virginia Attorney General’s Office Struck by Cyberattack Targeting Attorneys’ Computer Systems

      The chief deputy attorney general of the agency sent an email on Wednesday that said nearly all of is computer systems were offline.

    • Federal News Network ☛ Treasury watchdog begins audit of MElon DOGE team’s access to federal government’s payment system

      The Treasury Department’s Office of Inspector General says it's launching an audit of the security controls for the federal government’s payment system. That's after Democratic senators raised red flags about the access provided to Convicted Felon aide MElon’s Department of Government Efficiency. The audit will also review the past two years of the system’s transactions as it relates to MElon’s assertion of “alleged fraudulent payments.” That's according to a letter from Treasury’s deputy inspector general obtained Friday by The Associated Press.

    • NVISO Labs ☛ What’s new for TIBER-EU?

      A brief look at the updated TIBER-EU framework with DORA TLPT coming into play. In our previous post, we have discussed the “transition” from TIBER to TLPT (Threat-Led Penetration Testing), highlighting some differences between the previous TIBER specification and the requirements as indicated by DORA.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Deterring Chinese aggression takes real-time intelligence

    LTG (R) Scott D. Berrier argues that transforming the Intelligence Communit's early-warning system and attaining real-time awareness is crucial to deterring Chinese aggression.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia accuses China fighter jet of ‘unsafe’ conduct above South China Sea

    It said the aircraft dropped flares near its air force plane patrolling the contested waters.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China accuses Australia of deliberate provocation in South China Sea

    China accused the Australian military aircraft of ignoring the main routes in the busy waterway.

  • Australia protests to China about ‘unsafe’ aircraft maneuver over Paracels

    Tensions loom as Canberra issued an alert about Chinese warships near Australia.

  • The Strategist ☛ China drops flares ahead of RAAF plane, sends ships to Australia’s northern approaches

    Highly provocative and unprofessional action by the Chinese military has again put the Albanese government’s approach to relations with Beijing under pressure. So has deployment of a powerful Chinese naval flotilla close to Australia.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China opposes US missile deployed by Philippines

    China has urged the Philippines to withdraw the United States' "Typhon" intermediate range missile, the defence ministry said on Friday, accusing the Southeast Asian nation of breaking its "promises" by introducing the missile system.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Does Philippines need a China rethink in Convicted Felon era?

    A conversation with Don McLain Gill, Manila based foreign policy lecturer and expert on South China Sea.

  • China condemns US ships in Taiwan transit, conducts drills

    The US voyage came amid a flurry of military exercises in the Asia Pacific region.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China sees 'in-depth' Cook Islands talks, partnership deal expected

    China acknowledged a visit by the Cook Islands leader for the first time on Thursday, amid exasperation in New Zealand that it was not consulted about expected agreements involving the South Pacific nation, with which Wellington has constitutional ties.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China targets online leaks of military information with new rules, which could stifle public debate

    While military secrecy is guarded by every country, China’s broad new rules appear to take this up a notch.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Panama exits China’s Belt and Road Initiative – which Latin American country is next?

    Analysts expect more US pressure on Latin American countries, but say China won't be easily dislodged.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Couple from China charged in court after undressing at KLIA terminal gate

    The husband and wife – an IT worker and a teacher – have pleaded guilty.

  • Several thousand stuck in Myanmar border town now able to return home

    Some 4,000 people have been staying in Muse since August as they waited to be hired at garment factories in China.

  • China expels 1,000 monks and nuns from Larung Gar Buddhist Academy

    The major religious center has suffered demolitions and authorities have forced clergy to leave.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S.S. Harry S. Truman Carrier Collides With Commercial Ship Off Egypt

    The U.S.S. Harry S. Truman, which had launched airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen, struck a commercial vessel near Port Said on Wednesday, Navy officials said.

  • New York Times ☛ Dozens Injured as Driver Crashes Car Into Munich Protest

    The authorities believe the crash, into a union’s strike-day demonstration, was a deliberate attack. The suspect is a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker who was known to the police.

  • RFERL ☛ Afghan Man Detained In Munich Car Attack Sparking Fears Among Rest Of Community

    Police in Munich arrested an Afghan asylum seeker after he rammed a car into a crowd in the German city, injuring 28 people and leaving many Afghans in the country on edge amid calls during an election campaign for tougher immigration laws.

  • New York Times ☛ Indian Migrant Says Deportation Flight Was ‘Torture’

    As India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, meets with President Convicted Felon, issues around immigration are likely to be a source of tension, including a U.S. military flight that returned shackled migrants to India.

  • RFERL ☛ Munich: Vance Warns Europe About Free Speech And 'Unvetted' Immigration

    U.S. Vice President JD Vance on February 14 used his address at the Munich Security Conference to warn that free speech appears to be “in retreat” across Europe and that “unvetted” immigration represents a dire threat to the continent.

  • The Strategist ☛ The Pacific needs greater cyber resilience as malicious actors break into networks

    Samoa and Papua New Guinea’s recent experiences with cyber intrusions are the latest reminders of the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity resilience in the Pacific. What’s needed is capacity building and coordinated response initiatives.

  • New Yorker ☛ The Strategy Behind Convicted Felon’s Defiance of the Law

    His violations follow an old playbook—trigger lawsuits, giving the Supreme Court a chance to declare statutes unconstitutional.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ MElon aims to remake the federal government by breaking it

    This week, it was all Elon, all the time. Let’s see: MElon offers to buy Proprietary Chaffbot Company (translation: gums up the works for Scam Altman’s attempt to turn Proprietary Chaffbot Company for-profit). Makes Convicted Felon look like a babysitter for MElon’s four-year-old son prop at a press conference.

  • New Yorker ☛ What Does It Mean to Resist Convicted Felon in 2025?

    “I think the Democrats have worked themselves into a bit of a corner,” the writer Brady Brickner-Wood says. “They’re going to need to soul search in a way that’s not just performative and is consistent with their values.”

  • University of Michigan ☛ ‘There is tremendous uncertainty’: UMich researchers grapple with the effects of Convicted Felon’s executive orders

    Elizabeth Evans, Research Center for Group Dynamics researcher and lecturer at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, was working on an application for a grant that would allow her to implement Promoting Community Conversations About Research to End Suicide, a suicide-prevention and community-building program for Alaskan Indigenous communities in the state of Michigan.

  • RFERL ☛ Two Killed In Botched Suicide Bombing Attack On Taliban Ministry

    A suicide bombing attack on the Taliban-led Ministry for Urban Development office in the Afghan capital, Kabul, has killed two people and injured three more.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Family in China accuses mall of negligence after escalator slices off toddler’s fingers

    A video shows the boy approaching the escalator and falling on the moving steps.

  • New York Times ☛ Fire at Busan Resort Construction Site Kills 6

    The fire at an unfinished hotel in the southeastern port city of Busan spread quickly, leaving 25 others injured.

  • The Straits Times ☛ 6 dead in hotel construction site fire in South Korea’s Busan

    Twenty-five people suffered minor injuries due to smoke inhalation while 14 others were rescued from the roof.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan begins talks with US to sound out Convicted Felon’s reciprocal tariff details

    Dictator has singled out Japan and South Korea as nations that he believes are taking advantage of the US.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea can negotiate with US on tariffs, acting president says

    South Korea's Acting President Choi Sang-mok said on Thursday the country should be able to negotiate with the administration of President The Insurrectionist on tariffs as its investment in the United States is sizeable.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea to review non-tariff barriers to respond to US reciprocal tariff plan

    South Korea’s Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said it will be necessary to monitor the situation.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Asian Insider: Convicted Felon’s tariffs blitz leaves Asia scrambling | How rural China celebrates CNY

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean woman punished for biting off tongue of attempted rapist to get retrial 60 years later

    Ms Choi Mal-ja, then 18, was attacked near her home in 1964 by a man who tried to rape her.

  • Seoul court orders North Korea to compensate for 2020 killing of public official

    Lee Dae-jun was shot under direct orders from North Korean authorities near the maritime border with the South.

  • EXPLAINED: North Korea is dismantling a family reunion facility. What’s next?

    At least in the short term, the demolition will create even greater obstacles for separated families.

  • Pen Test Partners ☛ New mandatory USCG cyber regulations. What you need to know

    TL;DR US Coast Guard introduces mandatory new Marine Transportation System cybersecurity requirements

  • Pen Test Partners ☛ PCI DSS v4.0 Evidence and documentation requirements checklist

    TL;DR PCI DSS is complex and challenging

  • Calls grow for US to counter Chinese control, influence in Western ports

    Experts say Washington should consider buying back some ports, offer incentives to allies to decouple from China.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • LRT ☛ US isn’t abandoning its allies, but Europe ‘must do more’ – Lithuanian minister

      The US is not turning away from its allies but is demanding that Europe do more for its security, Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said following the comments of the new US secretary of defence.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China ‘happy’ that US, Russia talking more after Ukraine peace summit reports

      China on Thursday said it was “happy” to see the United States and Russia “strengthen communication”, after US President The Insurrectionist said he expected to meet his Russian counterpart for Ukraine peace talks.

    • France24 ☛ Live: Zelensky says he will only meet with Putin after Kyiv's allies agree plan

      Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky said Friday that the only Russian official he was prepared to talk to was President Vladimir Putin, and that he would only do so once Ukraine had agreed on a common plan with US President The Insurrectionist and European leaders. Zelensky's comments came after US Vice President JD Vance said that Europe must bolster its own defences to allow Washington to focus on threats in the rest of the globe. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.

    • LRT ☛ A Convicted Felon-Putin deal on Ukraine would be ‘deadly trap’ – Lithuanian MoD

      Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė says it is up to Europe whether it will take part in peace talks over Ukraine.

    • RFERL ☛ Dictator Proposes Talks With Pooh-tin And Putin On Cutting Nuclear Stockpiles

      President The Insurrectionist said he would like to hold nuclear arms control talks with Russia and China after conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine are resolved.

    • RFERL ☛ No Deals Without Us, Zelenskyy Says In Response To Convicted Felon-Putin Call On Ukraine

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reacted sharply to U.S. President The Insurrectionist's agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to begin negotiations to end the war with Ukraine, saying he won't accept any deals made without Ukraine's involvement.

    • France24 ☛ Trump's call: Does direct overture to Putin betray Ukraine?

      How about that phone call? The US president has gone over the heads of the Ukrainians and the Europeans by promising talks "immediately" with Vladimir Putin, this on the same day that his new defence secretary told NATO counterparts that returning to Ukraine's borders of 2014 was "unrealistic". The Insurrectionist may not have forced a sit-down on Day One of his presidency, as he had boasted as a candidate, but here it comes.

    • France24 ☛ Trump's disregard for Europe confirmed in phone call with Putin over Ukraine

      PRESS REVIEW – Friday, February 14: The Insurrectionist and Vladimir Putin's phone conversation continues to spark concern, panic and worry among European leaders. What does this mean for the future of Europe? Also, The New York Times takes us inside the family succession drama that has torn apart Rupert Murdoch's family. Plus: for the non-romantics this Valentine's Day, name rats after your exes and watch them being devoured by owls!

    • Atlantic Council ☛ A Putin-friendly peace deal would be disastrous for global security

      As US President The Insurrectionist announces the start of negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, Ihor Smeshko warns that a Putin-friendly compromise peace would have catastrophic consequences for the future of international security.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Dispatch from Munich: Convicted Felon has put European history in motion again

      As the annual Munich Security Conference opens, there is a palpable sense that the city might again be a place where history is made.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Azerbaijan sues Armenia in Hague arbitration court for environmental damage

    Azerbaijan has filed a lawsuit against Armenia in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague over what it says is evidence of extensive environmental destruction in areas of Azerbaijan once controlled by Yerevan.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ China’s coal surge challenges climate pledges, green investment: Study

      In 2024, coal power construction activity in China surged to 94.5GW, its highest level in a decade.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s 2024 coal projects threaten climate goals, report says

      China last year began construction on projects with the greatest combined coal power capacity since 2015, jeopardising the country’s goal to peak carbon emissions by 2030, according to a report published Thursday. The world’s second-largest economy is the biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases that drive climate change, but also a renewable energy powerhouse.

    • MIT Technology Review ☛ China’s EV giants are betting big on humanoid robots

      At the 2025 CCTV New Year Gala last month, a televised spectacle watched by over a billion viewers in China, 16 humanoid robots took the stage. Clad in vibrant floral print jackets, they took part in a signature element of northeastern China’s Yangko dance, twirling red handkerchiefs in unison with human dancers.

    • France24 ☛ US plane crash victims honoured by fellow figure skater at Asian Winter Games

      Two young figure skaters who died in a Washington plane crash last month were honoured by a fellow skater and friend who brought their portraits and memories to the Asian Winter Games in China this week. "I wanted to take them on an international stage and do it for them," Teekhree Silpa-Archa said. Most of the 67 crash victims were from the figure skating community.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong taxi drivers threaten to strike next month over ride-hailing services like Uber

      Hong Kong’s taxi drivers have threatened a citywide strike in early March if the government fails to crack down on unlicensed ride-hailing services such as Uber.

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea to limit power banks on flights following plane fire

      The measures to strengthen aviation safety rules will come into effect on March 1.

    • NYPost ☛ Passenger panics after being stranded at airport for 22 hours — with only 2 snack bars to eat: ‘Absolutely ridiculous’

      It was "Survivor: Airport Edition."

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia hands lengthy sentences to Javan rhino poachers

      It drew praise from conservationists who said it would help deter lucrative wildlife crime.

    • Science Alert ☛ Whale Song Reveals Eerie Similarities to Human Speech, Scientists Find

      A stunning truth surfaces.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Sssneak attack: Malaysian boy gets bitten by python hiding in toilet bowl

      The reptile was later caught by the authorities.

    • Science Alert ☛ Sea Turtles Dance to Orientate With Earth's Magnetic Field, Study Reveals

      An incredible discovery!

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Senior but slaying it: Interns over 50 go full-time at Malaysia’s Gen Z-run start-up

    Leslie Mah, 62, and Loh Kit Lan, 55, left retirement to join a young team that sells pimple patches.

  • The Straits Times ☛ In Ne Zha 2, China finds its latest vehicle for cultural pride

    As its animated film rolls out this week in some countries, all eyes are on how well its cultural export will do overseas.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin Jinping to chair symposium attended by Jack Ma and other business leaders: Sources

    The event underscores the numerous challenges currently facing China Inc.

  • LRT ☛ WTO case over China’s trade with Lithuania could ‘end with no result’ – PM

    The European Commission’s case against China at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over Beijing’s alleged trade restrictions on Lithuania could end without a result, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said on Thursday.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Beijing fails to reassure skeptical investors and responds with more regulation

    Beijing has tried to stabilize its struggling, volatile stock market by building up institutional investors, but it will take more than rules and action plans to change China’s market psychology.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Sri Lanka's new president presents first budget with focus on crisis recovery

    COLOMBO - Sri Lanka's new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will outline the government's revenue and policy goals in his first full-year budget on Monday, seeking to extend the country's recovery from a financial crisis and signal its alignment with a $2.9 billion IMF bailout program.

  • The Strategist ☛ Economic coercion tests international organisations

    The rising use of economic coercion is a symptom of an increasingly unstable world that is struggling to contain rise of China [...]

  • Fortune ☛ Housing markets with a lot of federal workers have been thrown into disarray by Trump’s RTO order and layoff fears

    The Trump administration’s return-to-office mandate and layoffs are disrupting housing markets with big federal footprints, as workers search for closer commutes and struggle with job insecurity.

    Trump has said that if federal employees opt to stay remote, they will be dismissed. In addition, Elon Musk’s DOGE is targeting agencies for steep budget and personnel cuts.

    “Since the inauguration, I’ve met with a few people including one federal government employee, who are selling specifically because of anticipated return-to-office orders,” said Kansas City, Mo.-based Redfin agent Jo Chavez, in a Redfin report.

    Chavez spoke to a client who had plans to upgrade to a larger home, “but he canceled those plans because he’s worried about losing his job due to restructuring of government jobs.”

  • Lao officials charge hefty fees for photographers in tourism hotspot Luang Prabang

    Out-of-province freelancers must pay for permits to shoot at the region’s many tourist sites.

  • New Yorker ☛ Bonus Daily Cartoon: Beastly Inflation

    “Gaston can’t eat five dozen eggs every morning with these prices!”

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ India's Modi brings a tariff 'gift' to Convicted Felon talks, meets MElon

    WASHINGTON - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will come bearing gifts when he meets The Insurrectionist on Thursday, hoping concessions on tariffs, fresh business deals and the prospect of cooperation on China will win the U.S. president's favor.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • Press Gazette ☛ Two Birmingham Live headlines ‘actively misleading’ says IPSO

      Clickbait headlines on two Birmingham Live stories were breach of Editors' Code.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • NYPost ☛ Meta censors internal dissent over Mark Kapo-berg cozying up to Convicted Felon: report

    The tech giant has been working to suppress employee discontent by restricting criticism on its internal Workplace platform, sources told CNBC.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Chinese team bans fans over photos of S. Korean military dictator Chun Doo-hwan

    Chinese football team Shandong Taishan apologised to South Korea’s Gwangju FC on Friday after fans held up photos of a hated military strongman at an Asian Champions League match. An unknown number of home fans on Tuesday displayed images of Chun Doo-hwan, the autocratic former South Korean president, during the game against visiting Gwangju.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Independent Hong Kong pollster halts work after police action

    Police launched an investigation into its CEO and put his former deputy on a wanted list for national security crimes.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ New HKFP Anti-Harassment Policy

    Harassment against journalists and news outlets has become more common around the world, and has seen an uptick in Hong Kong, according to press freedom NGOs. Independent media in the city have seen a surge of smear campaigns, trolling, surveillance, libel/defamation, message bombing, doxxing, cyberattacks, false/fake complaints to the authorities, unlawful use of branding [...]

  • BIA Net ☛ Turkey’s largest journalists' union fails to reach deal with nine outlets in collective bargaining talks

    The Journalists’ Union of Turkey criticized media employers for proposing wage increases below the inflation rate.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia to ease rally rules after critics slam probes into peaceful student protest

    The Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 will be amended so that rally organisers no longer need to seek permission from venue owners.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China rights monitors suspend work, lay off staff after US aid freeze

    The suspension of US funding for the causes will deal a very heavy blow to global civil society.

  • Thai court considers petition to free detained Uyghurs

    Rights groups say the Uyghurs are at risk of being deported to China where they face torture.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China rejects Swiss report on 'transnational repression' of Tibetans, Uighurs

    China has been accused of torture, forced labour and “large-scale” arbitrary detention of Uighur minorities.

  • China denies Swiss accusations of targeting Uyghur, Tibetan diaspora

    A recent study suggests Tibetans, Uyghurs in Switzerland face surveillance and cyberattacks initiated by Beijing.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Sheinbaum: Mexico may sue Surveillance Giant Google over ‘Gulf of America’ name change

    Trump's order refers to renaming the U.S. continental shelf area of the Gulf, not the entire body of water, Sheinbaum noted.

  • France24 ☛ Syria's quest for 'national unity': On paper, principles of diversity & inclusivity 'almost perfect'

    The Paris conference to chart Syria’s political future will include all segments of Syrian society except for the Kurdish-led administration in the northeast and loyalists of the repressive former government of Bashar Assad. Interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa has promised to launch an inclusive political process to set up a new constitution and representative government for all Syrians. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on the national dialogue conference, FRANCE 24's Mark Owen is joined by our Senior Reporter James André and Marc Pierini, Senior Fellow at Carnegie Europe and former EU ambassador to Syria and Turkey.

  • France24 ☛ 'New steps, new commitments would be proof of good faith from this new Syrian authority'

    French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday urged Syria's new leaders to ensure "governance that is representative and respectful of all" at a Paris conference on the transition in the war-torn country after Bashar al-Assad's fall. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on the national dialogue conference taking place in Paris, FRANCE 24's François Picard welcomes Souhire Medini, Visiting Fellow at The Washington Institute, currently in residence from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

  • NYPost ☛ Former Marvel exec claims ex-Disney boss denied him promotion because he was ‘another old white guy’: lawsuit

    A former high-ranking Marvel executive claims ex-Disney CEO Bob Chapek refused to give him a promotion because he was just “another old white guy,” according to a blockbuster lawsuit against the media giant.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Wall St Journal breached Hong Kong labour law by firing journalist who took on union leadership role, court hears

    Selina Cheng, chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), has accused her ex-employer, The Wall Street Journal, of breaching the city’s laws protecting employees’ right to join union activities by firing her after she took on the union’s leadership role.

  • France24 ☛ The lost children of Romania's Ceaușescu dictatorship

    Thirty-five years after the horrors of the Ceaușescu dictatorship were discovered in Romania, our reporters investigated one of the darkest episodes in the country's history – the squalid, state-run institutions where thousands of children were locked away and abused. An estimated 15,000 children died, mostly in so-called hospitals for those often misdiagnosed as severely disabled. While part of society is nostalgic for the Communist era, the work of collective memory and justice is far from complete.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ Clifford Chance boosts Paris team with David Por [Ed: Marketing spam disguised as news. A low-level person changing employers isn't news.]

    Por will join Clifford Chance as a partner. Two associates will follow, one of which is dual qualified as lawyer and engineer. Cyril Riffaud will become counsel at Clifford Chance.

  • JUVE ☛ How two law firms secured Bayer millions for Xarelto in Germany

    The anitcoagulant Xarelto with the active ingredient rivaroxaban is one of the Bayer Group’s most important blockbusters. Currently, the German pharmaceutical company lacks new active ingredients with blockbuster potential.

  • JUVE ☛ Teva Santé and August Debouzy fend off Biogen’s PI request in Tecfidera case

    The latest twist in the Tecfidera saga comes via a ruling from the Paris Judicial Court.

  • JUVE ☛ “The EU Commission has missed a great opportunity” [Ed: Lobbying disguised as news, sponsored by Team UPC and litigation fanatics]

    Let’s be honest for once. In the end, it’s all about the money. And the SEP licensing business is worth billions. Licences can have a serious impact on the balance sheets of SEP owners, but also on the sale price of implementers’ products. Accordingly, market participants negotiate hard over licences.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ When Properties Define Structure: Eligibility of Composition Claims

    The Federal Circuit has reversed a controversial ITC decision that had invalidated composition of matter claims as abstract ideas. US Synthetic Corp. v. Int'l Trade Comm'n, No. 23-1217 (Fed. Cir. Feb. 13, 2025). This case marks an important limitation on the seemingly ever-expanding realm of patent monopoly ineligibility under Section 101. Writing for a unanimous panel, Judge Chen wrote that US Synthetic's patent monopoly claims covering polycrystalline diamond compacts (PDCs) used in drill bits are patent monopoly eligible, rejecting the ITC's determination that claims defining a composition by its material properties could be deemed abstract ideas.

  • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 awarded for Avant Technologies mobile station patent monopoly prior art

    Unified is pleased to announce PATROLL crowdsourcing contest winners, Dinesh Swami and Sukhdeep Singh, who split a cash prize of $2,000 for their prior art submissions on U.S. Patent 9,042,910, owned and asserted by Avant Location Technologies LLC, an NPE and entity of Anjay Venture Partners LLC. The ‘910 patent monopoly focuses on a method for monitoring a mobile station within special areas using radio signals to define the area's perimeter. The mobile station discerns these signals, differentiating them as distinctive to the area, and communicates with a mobile network to adjust operating parameters accordingly.

  • Attorney Misconduct in EDTX Exposes Patent Troll’s Blatant Judge Shopping

    In late January, Judge Rodney Gilstrap of the Eastern District of Texas (EDTX) ordered attorney Randall Gartesier to “relearn the fundamentals of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure” after he misled the court and ignored basic legal standards regarding venue selection.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Are Pizza Parlors and Baked Goods Related Under Section 2(d)?

    The USPTO refused to register the mark PIZZERIA SAPIENZA, in standard character and logo form, for "restaurant and catering services; pizza parlor" [PIZZERIA disclaimed] on the ground of likelihood of confusion with the registered mark SAPIENZA for "bakery products, namely, cream puffs, cannoli, eclairs and assorted pastries." Keeping in mind that the Office must show "something more than that similar or even identical marks are used for food products and for restaurant services," how do you think this came out? Do bakeries sell pizza, you might ask? Do pizza parlors sell cannoli? In re Amore Food Group LLC, Serial Nos. 97524502 and 975588431 (February 12, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Catherine Dugan O'Connor).

  • TTAB Blog ☛ RTC RICH TRAPPERS CLUB Logo Not Confusable with RTC for Clothing, Says TTAB

    Despite the overlap in goods and the presumed overlap in channels of trade and classes of consumers [which the Board sometimes weighs "heavily" against the applicant], the Board reversed a refusal to register the mark shown below for "Clothing, namely, pants, shirts; footwear; headwear; all of the foregoing excluding apparel for collegiate institutes and not related to educational services and the promotion thereof” and for “On-line wholesale and retail store services featuring clothing; all of the foregoing excluding apparel for collegiate institutes and not related to educational services and the promotion thereof," finding confusion unlikely with the registered mark RTC for "Hats; Hooded sweat shirts; Scarves; Scrubs not for medical purposes; Shirts; Sweat pants; T-shirts." In re Rich Trappers Club LLC, Serial No. 97774077 (February 11, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Elizabeth K. Brock).

  • Right of Publicity

    • Cloudbooklet ☛ Scarlett Johansson Deepfake Video Goes Viral

      Explore how Scarlett Johansson deepfake video is shocking the internet, blurring reality, and raising serious concerns about AI, privacy, and digital trust!

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Boyz II Men Deliver Letter Signed by Over 300 Major Recording Artists to Capitol Hill Lawmakers, Asking for Passage of American Music Fairness Act

    Boyz II Men visited Capitol Hill to meet with top lawmakers on the American Music Fairness Act, with a letter signed by over 300 recording artists. Artists of all manner of genres, eras, and styles have signed the letter, which Boyz II Men shared today with lawmakers.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Who’s suing Hey Hi (AI) and who’s signing: 14 publishers join lawsuit against start-up Cohere

    14 major publishers sue Hey Hi (AI) start-up Cohere Inc.

• Gemini* and Gopher

  • Personal/Opinions

    • My Time in the Codex

      At first I regarded The Codex Indumentum Oris, hereafter referred to as The Codex, with suspicion. What could be the point of such a thing? A vast collection of volumes lining the shelves of a library the extent of which was unknowable. A library open to all, yet endowed by a shadowy benefactor of uncertain motive such that any intimations of altruistic purpose were surely waylaid by the possibility of a more sinister intent.

      No grand classical edifice, this; no Bodleian or El Escorial. Only a cinderblock groundscraper on the edge of town, within which an endless succession of utilitarian metal shelves stand atop beige linoleum tile. Illuminated by flickering flourescent lights embedded in the ceiling a foot or so above one's head, the shelves and their contents extend far into shadowy depths of the building's interior. A curious odor pervades the space, a faint trace of solvent in place of the expected smell of slowly acidifying paper.

  • Politics and World Events

    • Quote

      The first step in a fascist movement is the combination under an energetic leader of a number of men who possess more than the average share of leisure, brutality, and stupidity. The next step is to fascinate fools and muzzle the intelligent, by emotional excitement on the one hand and terrorism on the other.

      — Bertrand Russell

  • Games

    • Village Witch (Solo Journalling Game)

      You start by deciding on some information about your witch (name, age, gender, abilities, background etc), then roll a die to determine the biome of the village you will be moving to at the start of Spring. After describing your new home and your thoughts/feelings about it, you enter the core gameplay loop of drawing cards to receive prompts for journal entries. At the end of the season (which is decided by you, there's no mechanics that determine when to end), you can decide to either stay in the same place or roll the die again to choose a new location for the next season. The game ends at the end of Winter.