Leftovers

• Computers Are Bad ☛ 2025-02-17 of psychics and securities

  September 6th, 1996. Eddie Murray, of the Baltimore Orioles, is at bat. He has had 20 home runs in the season; 499 in his career. Anticipation for the 500th had been building for the last week. It would make Murray only the third player to reach 500 home runs and 3000 hits. His career RBI would land in the top ten hitters in the history of the sport; his 500th home run was a statistical inevitability. Less foreseeable was the ball's glancing path through one of the most famous stories of the telephone business.

• The Straits Times ☛ Chengdu Snow Village in China apologises for fake cotton snow

  It was criticised by visitors online and the area has since been closed.

• Science

  • NYPost ☛ Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson warns about ‘mansion-sized asteroid’ that could hit Earth in 2032

    "At the moment, mansion-sized Asteroid 2024-YR4 has a one-in-fifty chance of hitting Earth in the next eight years. Now might be a bad time to reduce spending on Science. Just sayin," Tyson wrote.

  • New York Times ☛ Louis Pasteur’s Relentless Hunt for Germs Floating in the Air

    In 19th-century France, the young chemist challenged the theory of spontaneous generation and discovered an invisible world of airborne microbes.

• Career/Education

  • CER ☛ How K-12 CS teachers support students for whom English is not their first language

    Emma Dodoo is an Engineering Education Research PhD student working with me. She was born in the United States but grew up in Ghana. Her world growing up was multi-lingual and multi-cultural.

• Hardware

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Why defective chip maker Intel must stay independent, spin out its foundry and rebuild its iconic brand

    Few brands in technology carry the storied pedigree of defective chip maker Intel Corp. For decades, “Intel Inside” was synonymous with progress in computing — an American icon that repeatedly raised the bar for processor performance and innovation.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ Pope Francis Will Remain in Hospital for ‘Complex’ Clinical Issue

    Pope Francis was admitted on Friday with a respiratory infection. The announcement on Monday did not provide further detail, but raised fresh concerns about the pontiff’s health.

  • New York Times ☛ An Invisible Medical Shortage: Oxygen

    Oxygen is vital to many medical procedures. But a safe, affordable supply is severely lacking around the world, according to a new report.

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Illy Intenso coffee beans

    When I first started making coffee for myself and my family when we lived in Singapore in the early 2000s, I reached for a few different types of beans. Illy coffee was one of them. It was consistently decent, widely available, and adverb coffee. When we moved to Malaysia, ditto.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ India reassures Nepali students after suicide sparked protest

    Police have taken into custody a male student as they investigate the Feb 16 death.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim makes rare visit to father’s tomb

    It was the first time in four years that Kim visited the palace housing the body of his father.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Setia Alam mall gunman killed in shootout with Malaysian police

    Police seized two pistols with bullets from a hotel room.

  • New York Times ☛ Okinawa Is a Japanese Island Caught Between the U.S. and China

    Residents of the Japanese island see U.S. bases as a legacy of war and colonialism, but younger generations also worry about a threat from China.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. Marines Start to Leave Japan, Decades Behind Schedule

    The American base on Okinawa has relocated 105 Marines. But an agreement to move 9,000 in total is colliding with the perceived threat from a rising China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan Strait not China’s, Taipei says after Canadian warship passes through

    The US Navy also transits the strait, about once a month.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China urges US to ‘correct its mistakes’ after website removes Taiwan independence reference

    The US State Department called the removal of the wording from its website part of a routine update.

  • China condemns US for tweak to Taiwan reference; Washington calls it ‘routine’ update

    The US dropped wording stating that it does not support independence for Taiwan.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China condemns US after ‘we do not support Taiwan independence’ cut from gov’t website

    China condemned the United States on Monday for removing a reference to the status of Taiwan from the State Department website, urging Washington to “correct its mistakes”.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan to allow Taiwan as place of origin in family registry

    Currently, people from Taiwan are described as from China.

  • Taiwanese army officer’s failed defection to China ends in 13-year sentence

    The espionage case involved a planned flight to China and forced propaganda videos.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ US 'wants to please Putin': Zelensky

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview broadcast Monday that the US is trying to "please" Moscow after a shock policy shift on the Ukraine war under President The Insurrectionist. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Europe's current military capabilities "weak" in an interview broadcast on Monday, after the continent's leaders held emergency talks in Paris on defence and Ukraine war. FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg reports from Lviv in Ukraine.

    • France24 ☛ The death of NATO? Europe in crisis over Convicted Felon-Putin talks

      European leaders are meeting in Paris for an emergency summit on Ukraine, following last week’s call between The Insurrectionist and Vladimir Putin. With NATO’s most powerful member sidelining its allies in talks with Russia, is the U.S. still a reliable partner? As the Convicted Felon administration follows through on its promise to engage with Moscow on its own terms, European leaders are scrambling to support Ukraine and rethink their defense strategy. We’ll discuss the fallout from the Munich Security Conference, where the U.S. vice president warned Europe that Washington would act unilaterally and criticized Germany’s ruling party for refusing to govern with a far-right faction ahead of next Sunday’s election. We’ll also examine Europe’s military capabilities and deterrence—during the Cold War, that meant nuclear weapons. France and the UK have them, but is it enough to give Moscow pause?

    • France24 ☛ France hosts emergency summit on Ukraine: US treats EU as 'junior partner'

      The US is treating the EU like a "junior partner" in attempting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, FRANCE 24’s Armen Georgian said in an analysis. Citing President Convicted Felon's phone call with Vladimir Putin and potential talks with Ukraine's Zelensky, Georgian said "the EU comes as sort of a third element in all of this further down the line".

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Won't 'Recognize' U.S.-Russia Talks In Saudi Arabia, Zelenskyy Says

      Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Putin's foreign-policy aide Yuri Ushakov will fly to Saudi Arabia for talks with their American counterparts, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

    • RFERL ☛ Britain To 'Consider' Troops In Ukraine If Peace Agreed, But Wants 'U.S. Backstop'

      U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he is prepared to consider deploying British forces in Ukraine to help enforce any peace agreement, but only under certain conditions.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Top Russian and American officials will discuss ending the Ukraine war without Kyiv

      The talks scheduled for Tuesday in Saudi Arabia mark another pivotal step by the Convicted Felon administration to reverse U.S. policy towards Russia.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian media to jointly play Ukrainian anthem on February 24

      For the third year in a row, the Ukrainian national anthem will be played in more than 50 Latvian media outlets on February 24 at 12:00 to demonstrate our position and express our unity in support of Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia sends medical, police cars to Ukraine

      Thirty vehicles donated by the Latvian interior services are currently on their way to Ukraine. On Monday, the State Police, together with the Entrepreneurs for Peace Foundation and other partners, officially sent the aid convoy to Ukraine, Latvian Radio reported on February 17.

    • The Strategist ☛ Tanks for the memories

      The start and the end of two decades of Australia’s Abrams M1A1 tanks came together in a moment of policy symmetry.

    • The Strategist ☛ The underexploited potential of Ukrainian defence tech

      Western companies and entrepreneurs are largely missing a chance to invest in the thriving and innovative Ukrainian defence tech industry and take its experience back to their home markets.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Dispatch from Munich: Sorting signal from noise in the Convicted Felon team’s Ukraine moves

      Despite the Convicted Felon team’s twists and turns regarding the war in recent weeks, the contours of a plan that could produce a durable peace remain clear. 

    • Atlantic Council ☛ What Munich means for Ukraine peace talks

      Atlantic Council experts who were on site at the Munich Security Conference break down the Convicted Felon team's approach to negotiations on the war in Ukraine and the European reaction.

    • Defence Web ☛ Ukrainian combat unmanned systems and African security in focus at panel discussion

      The Embassy of Ukraine, in collaboration with SpetsTechnoExport, and the Institute for Security Studies, will host a high-level panel discussion on “Advanced Developments in Ukrainian Combat Unmanned Systems and New Opportunities for African Regional Security,” chaired by defenceWeb. The event is scheduled for 25 February 2025 at the Pretoria Country Club.

    • France24 ☛ Rubio in Saudi Arabia ahead of US, Russia talks on Ukraine

      US Secretary of State Marco Rubio continued his Middle East tour on Monday, arriving in Saudi Arabia ahead of a controversial meeting on Tuesday between the US and Russian delegations to discuss the war in Ukraine. European leaders and Ukraine decried the bilateral talks, insisting any talks on the future of Ukraine must include both Ukraine and its European allies.

    • JURIST ☛ Amnesty International demands truth and accountability one year after death of Russian activist Alexei Navalny

      Amnesty International condemned the Russian government on Sunday for its failure to answer questions about opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s death on the first anniversary of the anti-corruption activist’s demise.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine peace talks: Did Convicted Felon exclude the EU?

      In viral claims spread by pro-Russian accounts on X, users say that President Convicted Felon declared that the EU would be excluded from the Ukraine peace talks in an alleged interview with CNN. We debunk these claims in this edition of Truth or Fake.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine and European allies have reasons to be worried about peace deal, expert says

      FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks to Natia Seskuria, Associate Fellow at Royal United Services Institute. She says that the signals coming from the Convicted Felon administration give European allies and particularly Ukraine "reason to be really worried" about the potential peace deal.

    • France24 ☛ European leaders hold emergency talks, fearing that Convicted Felon has abandoned age-old allies

      European leaders sought to form a united front Monday at emergency talks in Paris, called after a U.S. diplomatic blitz on Ukraine which has thrown a once-solid alliance into turmoil and left the Europeans questioning the reliability of their key transatlantic partner. Leaders of Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark and the European Union met at the Elysee Palace for talks on Europe’s security quandary. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was also there.

    • France24 ☛ European leaders race to respond after US policy shift on Ukraine

      European leaders sought to find a unified response at an emergency summit in Paris Monday following a shock policy shift on the war in Ukraine by US President The Insurrectionist. The talks were held as Washington and Moscow's top diplomats were due Tuesday to have a first face-to-face meeting since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly three years ago.

    • France24 ☛ On the ground with Ukraine’s volunteer drone hunters

      In a small town south-east of Kyiv, a team of civilians sit in the back of a pickup truck with machine guns pointed at the sky hoping to shoot down Iranian-made drones that target the Ukrainian capital on a near-daily basis. The drone hunters’ local knowledge and military-style training have made them a force to be reckoned with.

    • JURIST ☛ UN asserts Ukraine peace negotiations must adhere to Charter

      The UN reaffirmed Monday during a Security Council session that any peace negotiations in Ukraine must adhere to the UN Charter while “respecting the country’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.”

    • JURIST ☛ ECHR announces Russia-Ukraine conflict case updates

      The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) released a summary on Monday of inter-state cases alleging that Russia has breached the European Convention on Human Rights in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

    • LRT ☛ Too early to talk about sending Lithuanian troops to Ukraine – speaker

      Parliament Speaker Saulius Skvernelis says it is too early to talk about Lithuania sending troops to Ukraine for a peace mission.

    • Ukraine broadcasts appeal to North Korean soldiers to surrender

      The move marks Kyiv’s latest psychological warfare tactic to encourage North Koreans in Kursk to defect.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Reportedly Frees U.S. Prisoner As Crucial Talks In Saudi Arabia Set To Begin

      On the eve of U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, Moscow has released Kalob Byers Wayne, who had been held since February 7 on drug charges, according to The New York Times, following a series of prisoner swaps and releases by Moscow in recent weeks.

    • RFERL ☛ Europe ‘Willing’ to Offer Ukraine Security Guarantees, But Eyes U.S. Support

      Following an emergency summit in Paris, European leaders expressed willingness to offer security guarantees to Ukraine, but they warned that the level of such assurances would be based on Washington’s participation in the event of a comprehensive peace agreement.

    • RFERL ☛ Saudi Arabia Hosts U.S.-Russia Talks To Carve A Bigger 'Diplomatic Footprint'

      Saudi Arabia is hosting talks between Russia and the United States to end the war in Ukraine. Experts see the event as part of Riyadh’s effort to assume a central role in international diplomacy.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Preparing For Elections, Claims Zelenskyy's Predecessor Poroshenko

      Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has claimed that Ukrainian authorities are planning to hold presidential elections by the end of this year.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskyy Arrives In Middle East, But Kyiv Says Peace Talks Not On Agenda

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv has not been invited to attend U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia over ending Moscow's war on Ukraine.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Laughter, with no strings attached: Ukrainian puppeteers bring joy amid war

      From a basement space in Kharkiv, a puppet theater troupe allows the show to go on even if air raid sirens blare.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Frees American Prisoner Before Talks With U.S.

      The release of Kalob Byers Wayne, who was arrested on drug charges on Feb. 7, came on the eve of talks about the war in Ukraine.

    • New York Times ☛ How Can the Russia-Ukraine War End? A Guide to a Possible Peace Deal

      Balancing Ukraine’s sovereignty with Russia’s demand for its own “security guarantees” promises to be the hardest part of any negotiation. But experts see possible compromises.

    • New York Times ☛ Rubio [sic] Meets Saudi Crown Prince for Talks on Gaza and Ukraine

      Marco Rubio’s visit to Riyadh, his first as secretary of state, came amid uncertainty about the future of Gaza and Ukraine and criticism of unilateral U.S. moves over the wars in both places.

    • New York Times ☛ European Leaders Meet to Discuss Ukraine War as Convicted Felon Officials Prepare For Russia Peace Talks

      The hastily called gathering was part of a flurry of diplomacy expected to center on Ukraine this week as Convicted Felon officials prepare to start talks with Russia on their own.

    • New York Times ☛ The Land Ukraine Could Be Forced to Give Up to End the War

      President Convicted Felon has promised to bring a quick end to the war in Ukraine, suggesting that Russia could keep at least some of the Ukrainian territory it had captured. Andrew Kramer, the New York Times bureau chief in Kyiv, explains how this would leave Ukraine divided in two: one side with its government in Kyiv, and the other a battered Russian satellite to the east.

    • New York Times ☛ Tuesday Briefing: E.U. Discusses Security and Ukraine

      Plus, the jury’s out on meat alternatives.

    • New York Times ☛ Monday Briefing: E.U. Leaders Set to Meet on Ukraine

      Plus, searching for ISIS’s forgotten victims.

    • France24 ☛ US, Russia to discuss Ukraine in Saudi Arabia with Zelensky sidelined

      Senior US and Russian diplomats are set to meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to begin bilateral talks that have spread alarm throughout Europe. The delegations have framed the meetings as a first step to repair frayed relations between both countries, but Ukraine and its allies fear that scheduled preliminary talks on ending the war in Ukraine could lead to an agreement made over their heads.

    • France24 ☛ EU pledges to boost defense spending to ensure Ukraine security

      European leaders sought to portray unity in Paris on Monday, pledging at an Ukraine Summit to "unlock" billions of Euros in the event that the US restricts its military aid to Ukraine. US President The Insurrectionist announced he would sideline Ukraine and its European as the US and Russian delegations prepare to meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to carry out bilateral talks on ending the war in Ukraine: "Defense spending will no longer be treated as excessive spending," said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

    • Meduza ☛ Trump’s resource demands from Ukraine cover ‘everything from ports and infrastructure to oil and gas’ and are harsher than reparations imposed on Germany after WWI — The Telegraph — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘A moment of truth’: As Trump’s team sidelines allies in Munich, Ukraine hopes Europe is waking up to the threat ahead — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian security service: Russia is ramping up its sabotage plans

      The Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB) published its public report February 17, reviewing its activities during 2024.

    • Security Week ☛ Russian State Hackers Target Organizations With Device Code Phishing

      Russian hackers have been targeting government, defense, telecoms, and other organizations in a device code phishing campaign.

    • The Straits Times ☛ India opposition slams Convicted Felon's F-35 offer, Russia makes its own pitch

      India's opposition parties have criticised U.S. President The Insurrectionist's offer to sell F-35 fighters to the country, citing their high costs, even as Russia has discussed producing its most advanced jets locally in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's goals.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russian Navy warship holds artillery firing drills in Sea of ​​Japan (East Sea): Report

      The exercises were carried out as part of planned combat training activities.

    • Meduza ☛ U.S.-Russian negotiations planned for Tuesday, February 18, in Saudi Arabia — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Moscow court fines Russia’s Central Bank for illegal firearms storage — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian foreign minister and top Kremlin aide traveling to Saudi Arabia for talks with U.S. officials, says Kremlin — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Statistical illusions’: What’s hidden behind Russia’s wartime economic triumphalism? — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Starmer says U.K. willing to send peacekeepers to Ukraine — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure trigger nationwide emergency blackouts — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Ukraine was not informed about talks in Saudi Arabia and will not participate in or recognize them, says Zelensky — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Avdiivka, one year later Looking back on the battle that left a longtime Ukrainian stronghold in ruins and under Russian occupation — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Keir Starmer Offers to Send U.K. Troops to Ukraine as Part of Peace Deal

      Prime Minister Keir Starmer said for the first time on Sunday that he was “ready and willing” to deploy troops to help guarantee Ukraine’s security.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Barry Kauler ☛ Staying with SolveSpace for new trike project

      Here is the previous blog post: [...]

    • Gannett ☛ 'I loved my job': FAA employees in Oklahoma fired in purge of federal workers

      President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's quest to cut the federal government by firing thousands of employees has reached Oklahoma.

      About midnight on Friday, an unknown number of employees at the Federal Aviation Administration facility in Oklahoma City got an email telling them they'd lost their jobs. The FAA is responsible for ensuring the safety of air travel and the nation's airspace.

      It's not yet clear how many people are affected or whether the firings were limited to specific departments. USA TODAY reported that about 400 people have been fired across the agency. Reports about other mass firings across the nation suggest that many recently hired, transferred or promoted federal employees are now unemployed.

• Finance

  • France24 ☛ What's wrong with Germany's economy?

    As Germany enters the final week of election campaign, the economy is a top concern for voters.  Having long been Europe's manufacturing powerhouse, the country has shown no meaningful growth since the pandemic and capped 2024 with a second consecutive annual GDP contraction.  We take a closer look at what's been holding the German economy back. Plus, Alibaba founder Jack Ma, a Chinese tech icon turned Beijing's crackdown target, was seen shaking hands with President Pooh-tin Jinping.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Where China’s exports begin: Inside the vast markets of Guangzhou

    Duty-free shipments to the US has risen more than tenfold since 2016.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin meets business leaders, including Jack Ma, amid economic, geopolitical headwinds

    Other attendees include Huawei’s Ren Zhengfei and BYD’s Wang Chuanfu.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Look who’s back: Alibaba’s Jack Ma shakes Xi’s hand at meeting of China’s business titans

    Ma's appearance at the meeting signals Beijing's desire to inject confidence into the private sector.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s President Pooh-tin meets top business leaders including Alibaba’s Jack Ma

    Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping held a meeting Monday with top private business leaders including Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma, state media footage showed.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Cook Islands PM pledges to release details of China deal

    China will provide the Pacific nation of 15,000 people with a one-time grant of about S$5.3 million.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China, Cook Islands sign action plan for partnership deal

    China and the Cook Islands signed an action plan last week for a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday, giving further details about a deal expected to raise concerns in New Zealand.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexico’s tech exports to US surged 35% in 2024, closing gap with China

    Mexico's advanced tech product exports to the United States were worth US $102.48 billion last year, an increase of $26.66 billion, or 35.2%, compared to 2023.

  • Business Standard ☛ HSBC lays off 40 dealmakers in Hong Kong as part of revamp to cut costs

    HSBC has laid off around 40 investment bankers in Hong Kong, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, as part of a global restructuring exercise at the Asia-focused lender to cut costs. The job cuts in its regional hub Hong Kong started on Monday, said the person and another source with knowledge of the matter, and comes ahead of the London-headquartered bank releasing its full-year results on Wednesday. At least four managing directors were let go, with three of them based in Hong Kong and one in Singapore, said one of the sources, who declined to be named as the job cuts at the bank were not public.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia to host inaugural summit of Asean, China, Gulf bloc in May

    This will ensure Asean’s “strategic relevance in a multipolar world”, says PM Anwar Ibrahim.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • 2 Lao women warn of pitfalls of agreeing to ‘sham marriages’ in China

    In interviews with RFA, the women said promised payments for their arranged marriages never materialized.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Kid Rock Calls Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Show “the Epitome of DEI Blowing Up”

    Kid Rock commented on Kendrick Lamar’s record-breaking Super Bowl halftime performance on the latest episode of Real Time with Bill Maher. The aging rockstar called the performance the “epitome of DEI blowing up.”

Monopolies/Monopsonies