Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Something Truly Scary Discovered at The Bottom of Belize's Great Blue Hole

    A warning of what's to come.

  • Science Alert ☛ New Quark Discovery Reveals a Critical Clue About The Birth of The Universe

    A new window into the Big Bang.

• Career/Education

  • Defence Web ☛ Seventy-five years of tertiary military education in South Africa

    The Faculty of Military Science at Saldanha on the west coast of the Western Cape province on 1 April marked its 75th anniversary with celebratory events over the prior weekend, including a Freedom of the City right of entry parade.

• Hardware

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Updated: TSMC reportedly discussing chipmaking joint venture with Intel

    Updated: Troubled chipmaking giant defective chip maker Intel Corp. is discussing a deal with its rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to create a joint venture that will take over the running of its chip fabrication plants in the U.S. The news comes from a report in The Information that originally cited two sources saying there was a tentative agreement.

  • Hackaday ☛ Vintage Computer Festival East This Weekend

    If you’re on the US East Coast, you should head on over to Wall, NJ and check out the Vintage Computer Festival East. After all, [Brian Kernighan] is going to be there. Yes, that [Brian Kernighan].

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Rejects Proposal for Medicare to Cover Wegovy and Other Obesity Drugs

    Administration officials reversed a decision made during the Biden presidency that would have given millions of people access to weight-loss drugs paid for Medicare and Medicaid.

  • University of Michigan ☛ Eisenberg Family Depression Center hosts the 21st Mental Health on College Campuses Conference

    The Eisenberg Family Depression Center hosted their annual Mental Health on College Campuses Conference at the Rackham Graduate School April 1 and 2.

  • JURIST ☛ US Supreme Court to rule on South Carolina bid to defund abortion service provider

    The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday for South Carolina to remove Planned Parenthood from the state’s Medicaid coverage since it performs abortions. The petitioners, South Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services, raised several issues of interpretation of the federal Medicaid Act.

  • Latvia ☛ Maps: E. coli outbreak in Latvia

    The Disease Prevention and Control Centre (SPKC) has received information on 58 cases of acute intestinal infection with E. coli as of Thursday, 3 April. The prevalence has increased fivefold in two weeks. Latvian Television summarised how the situation developed and what is known so far.

  • Latvia ☛ Three for the Weekend: 2ANNAS, Health Dating, Green Sunday

    For this weekend, we offer you a selection of events, perhaps joined by a theme of mutual benefits or symbiosis, whether it be your health, the earth, or cinematic and societal.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China retaliation on US farm goods hits soybeans, bolstering Brazil

    This move accelerates Beijing’s move towards alternative suppliers for agricultural goods, including Brazil.

  • Science Alert ☛ Hormone-Free Male Birth Control Pill Enters Clinical Trials For The First Time

    This could be a tipping point.

  • Science Alert ☛ How You Hear May Have More to Do With Your Sex Than Your Age

    But why?

• Proprietary

  • Beta News ☛ DaVinci Resolve 20 beta brings over 100 new features and Hey Hi (AI) tools to Windows, macOS, and GNU/Linux -- download it now!

    Blackmagic Design has launched the public beta for DaVinci Resolve 20, and folks… it’s a big one. This massive update to the video editing software adds more than 100 new features, and it’s available right now for folks using Windows, macOS, and Linux. And yes, there is even a backdoored Windows ARM version too!

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Microsoft Copilot is now fully integrated with backdoored Windows 11 and backdoored Windows 10

    The new Abusive Monopolist Microsoft [SLOP] update is available for backdoored Windows 10 and backdoored Windows 11 users with full integration into the backdoored Windows OS for a more [SLOP].

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • New York Times ☛ Why Convicted Felon’s Tariffs Are Rattling Even Meta

      Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, would not seem to be in the line of fire from tariffs. But Hell Toupée’s trade actions are hitting even social networking businesses.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan’s top security official visits US for talks, source says

    Mr Joseph Wu's visit comes days after China concluded war games around Taiwan.

  • France24 ☛ Democrats slam Convicted Felon's reported firing of US National Security Agency director

    Members of the Democratic Party denounced the apparent dismissal of US National Security Agency director Timothy Haugh and his deputy Wendy Noble on Thursday. It remains unclear exactly why The Insurrectionist fired the two senior officials.

  • Scoop News Group ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man fires Gen. Timothy Haugh from leadership of Cyber Command and NSA

    Gen. Haugh is one of the most high-profile national security officials to be removed by Hell Toupée in the early months of his second term.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man abruptly fires the 4-star general who headed the National Security Agency

    U.S. officials and members of Congress say Insurrectionist has abruptly fired the director of the National Security Agency.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man fires NSA director, deputy and ‘at least’ five NSC aides

    President The Insurrectionist has fired General Timothy Haugh, the director of the U.S. National Security Agency. The dismissal was first reported by the Washington Post on Thursday.

  • Defence Web ☛ South Africa increases deportation of illegal immigrants

    The Department of Home Affairs deported 46 898 illegal immigrants in the 2024/25 financial year ending 31 March 2025, representing an 18% increase compared to the previous financial year. The department revealed it deported 39 672 people in 2023/24, and attributed the increase to improved collaboration between stakeholders, among others.

  • Latvia ☛ Future cybersecurity experts undergo training in Latvia

    Rīga Technical University (RTU) started training cybersecurity specialists in March. Around 500 applied, and around 100 specialists are currently undergoing training. After the training, students will have a 2-month paid internship, so local authorities and companies, especially in the Kurzeme and Latgale regions, are invited to apply, Latvian Radio reported on 4 April.

  • Defence Web ☛ Sudan’s civil war: What military advances mean, and where the country could be heading next

    A series of advances by the Sudanese military has led some observers to posit that the African nation’s yearslong civil war could be at a crucial turning point.

  • New Yorker ☛ “Warfare” Offers a Hyperrealist Rebuke of the American War Movie

    Alex Garland’s latest film, which he co-directed with the former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza, dramatizes a little-known 2006 episode from the Iraq War.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim fires new sniper rifle while visiting troops

    Mr Kim said that their training is “the most vivid expression of patriotism and loyalty to the country”.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits military training base

    Mr Kim also conducted the test-firing of a sniper rifle, to be newly supplied to special operation units.

  • France24 ☛ South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is ousted. What comes next?

    PRESS REVIEW – Friday, April 4: We bring you reactions from South Korea after the constitutional court upholds parliament's impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. What comes next for the disgraced leader? Also, we look at reactions from Hungary after Prime Minister Viktor Orban withdraws his country from the ICC. Plus: a US tourist is arrested after leaving a can of Diet Coke for an isolated tribe in the Andaman Islands and King Charles plays a carrot instrument in his first public outing since being hospitalised.

  • New York Times ☛ What to Know About South Korea President Yoon’s Impeachment Over Martial Law

    The country’s Constitutional Court on Friday upheld the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, dismissing him from office four months after his short-lived imposition of martial law.

  • New York Times ☛ What Is Next for Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea’s Ousted President?

    South Korea’s former president still faces criminal charges of leading an insurrection when he declared martial law. If found guilty, he could be imprisoned for life.

  • New York Times ☛ Celebrations as South Korean Court Removes Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol

    The country’s Constitutional Court formally ended the presidency of Yoon Suk Yeol for declaring martial law, ending months of turmoil. But the country remains deeply divided.

  • South Korean court removes President Yoon from office after martial law debacle

    The court ruling could benefit North Korea if a new government eases Yoon’s hard-line stance toward Pyongyang.

  • CS Monitor ☛ South Korean court upholds president’s impeachment – and democratic values

    Months after a failed martial law attempt rattled South Korea, a top court has unanimously decided to remove the president from office.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea to head to the polls after President Yoon Suk Yeol is ousted

    He had declared martial law on Dec 3, 2024, only to be forced to overturn his decision hours later. 

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s President Yoon ousted: Who are the top presidential contenders?

    Recent opinion polls show Mr Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, is well ahead.

  • The Straits Times ☛ In leaderless South Korea, Convicted Felon’s tariffs will overshadow snap election

    South Korea has been governed for almost four months by a revolving pair of interim presidents.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Most S. Koreans relieved and ready to move on after impeachment verdict

    Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is widely tipped to be front runner in the next presidential election.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korean media reports on South Korea’s court ruling to oust impeached President Yoon: KCNA

    KCNA also said major foreign media outlets urgently reported on the ruling.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Foreign recruitment agencies from new sources tapped to hire auxiliary police officers for Singapore

    More officers come from places beyond the traditional sources of Malaysia and Taiwan.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China, US make first known military contact since Convicted Felon’s inauguration

    Both sides discussed measures to improve maritime military safety.

  • The Straits Times ☛ One Beijing man’s quest to keep cooking - and connecting with Americans - on camera

    BEIJING - From his kitchen in Beijing, Yu Bo is running a campaign to connect China with America – one slapstick cooking video at a time.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China demands compensation from Taiwan after collision of navy ship, trawler

    Taiwan’s navy said an investigation led by Taiwan’s coast guard was ongoing.

  • The Strategist ☛ Unlike China’s flotilla, the Great White Fleet came in friendship

    When the US Navy’s Great White Fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour in 1908, it was an unmistakeable signal of imperial might, a flexing of America’s newfound naval muscle.

  • Meduza ☛ How far-right groups bolster Russia’s wartime migrant crackdown

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ U.S. denies parole to Harvard scientist from Russia, citing national security threat. She fears persecution for anti-war statements if deported. — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Preemptive intimidation’ A Russian pensioner spent nearly three years in prison after protesting the war. She returned to a home damaged by arsonists. — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Europe Calls Out Putin For Failing To Make Ukraine Peace Deal

      Several of Europe's top diplomats called out Russian President Vladimir Putin for failing to agree to a US-led peace proposal to end halt the war in Ukraine amid signs Washington has grown wary of the Kremlin's intentions during several weeks of talks.

    • Meduza ☛ Trump advised not to call Putin until ceasefire agreed

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia and Ukraine team up in space

      A memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia, the Ministry of Economics, and the State Space Agency of Ukraine on cooperation in space exploration and utilisation outlines new collaboration opportunities that will foster innovation and strengthen both countries’ presence within the global space industry, reports Labs of Latvia.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Lithuanians pay tribute to US soldiers killed in training exercise tragedy

      Thousands of Lithuanians paid tribute this week to four United States soldiers who died during a training exercise in the Baltic nation, writes Agnia Grigas.

    • France24 ☛ Playgrounds, swimming pools and skateparks: Finland’s network of underground bomb shelters

      The cavernous Itakeskus swimming hall in Finland houses a complex of pools and saunas, but in just a couple of days it can be transformed into a vast underground bomb shelter with a capacity of nearly 4,000 people. It's just one of a number of shelters across the country that during peacetime house everything from skateparks to playgrounds, but also form a vital part of Finland’s civil defence strategy and could provide a model for other European nations looking to ramp up preparedness after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

    • Meduza ☛ At least a dozen killed and 50 injured in Russian ballistic missile attack on Kryvyi Rih — Meduza

    • France24 ☛ Russian missile strike kills more than a dozen in Zelensky's home city of Kryvyi Rih

      A Russian missile strike on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's hometown of Kryvyi Rih killed 16 people, including six children, Ukrainian authorities said Friday. Russia's defence ministry said it had struck a gathering of Ukrainian servicemen and foreign instructors, killing up to 85.

    • France24 ☛ The brave women of Ukraine

      With the war with Russia now in its fourth year, the number of women joining the Ukrainian army continues to soar to some 70,000 up from 56,000 at the start of the Russian invasion. Our colleagues at France 2 went to meet the female fighters of Bucha. Also the number of indigenous women murdered in the US is 10 times higher than any other ethnic group. Annette Young talks to French-American director, Sabrina Van Tassel, whose latest documentary focuses on the plight of one such woman.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Strike Kills 18 In Zelenskyy's Hometown In One Of The Worst Attacks On Civilians This Year

      A Russian missile attack that hit in a residential area of the industrial Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih on April 4 killed at least 16 people, including six children, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Executes P.O.W.s Without Caring Who Watches, Ukraine Says

      Live drone footage allows Ukraine to observe what it views as war crimes unfold in real time, soldiers say.

    • New York Times ☛ Russian Strike Kills 16, including Six Children, Ukraine Says

      The missile strike was the latest in a series of attacks that have caused civilian casualties, despite ongoing cease-fire talks. Russia said it had targeted a meeting of Western military instructors.

    • New York Times ☛ Rubio Warns Russia that U.S. Patience on Ukraine War Is Running Out

      Whether the Kremlin is serious about peace talks to end the Ukraine war will become clear soon, the secretary of state said.

    • Meduza ☛ Russia offers mortgages in Ukrainian city it doesn’t control

    • France24 ☛ Space race intensifies between EU, US, Russia and China

      Strategic autonomy is a buzz phrase in Brussels, as the EU tries to ramp up its capabilities in key industrial sectors. Defence is of course a major focus for those efforts. But calls have grown for the bloc to boost its presence in space as well. Space is seeing weaponisation and hybrid warfare; indeed, the EU Commission says it is just as contested as land, sea, air or the cyber field.  Europe does have some world-class systems such as Galileo or Copernicus, but when it comes to the space sector as a whole, it suffers from fragmentation and underinvestment, similar to the problems that have bedevilled its defence sector.

    • LRT ☛ NATO ready to respond during Zapad drills if needed – Lithuanian MFA

      With the joint Russian-Belarusian military exercise Zapad (West) set to take place this autumn, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys says NATO is prepared to respond if necessary.

    • RFERL ☛ Samarkand Summit Marks A New Era In EU-Central Asia Relations Amid Geopolitical Challenges

      The European Union says it is entering a "new era" in its relationship with Central Asian nations following a summit aimed at making inroads in a region dominated by Russia and China.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Tanker barred from India transferring its Russian oil at sea, sources say

      An ageing tanker loaded with Russian oil that was barred by Indian authorities is transferring its cargo to a second ship to complete the delivery, according to two sources and ship tracking data.

    • Meduza ☛ Zelensky says Kremlin envoy’s trip to Washington this week is part of Moscow’s push to unfreeze Russian assets — Meduza

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Myanmar quake death toll at 3,354, junta leader returns from summit

    The injured number some 4,850, and 220 people are still missing.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia gas pipeline fire: Excavator feared buried at site, no bodies found, say police

      The blast had altered the original landscape of the area causing a hole that is 7m deep and 30m wide.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia gas pipeline fire: Gas pipelines are no-go zones, experts say

      PETALING JAYA - The area around gas pipelines have to be stringently protected at all times, with no unauthorised work allowed there.

    • Latvia ☛ Salacgrīva's temporary bridge under repairs yet again

      The temporary bridge in Salacgrīva has encountered problems again - it had to be repaired for several hours on Thursday evening. A few weeks ago, Latvian State Roads said the bridge would undergo more substantial works but this episode was unrelated, Latvian Radio reports 4 April.

• Finance

  • France24 ☛ Trade shock: How will Convicted Felon's tariff bazooka impact Asian economies?

    The US president's "Liberation Day" tariffs have hit Asian nations particularly hard, including America's closest partners like Japan and South Korea. Six Southeast Asian economies were slapped with much higher tariffs than they had expected, of up to 49 percent. Yuka Royer asks the Asia Centre's Jean-François Di Meglio about their implications and what The Insurrectionist is trying to achieve in his attempt to reshape the global trading order.

  • New York Times ☛ What Will Convicted Felon’s Tariffs Do to EU-China Trade Relations?

    The European Union is deepening other trade partnerships as U.S. relations sour. But with China, the relationship could get closer — or more combative.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Is Defiant as Tariff Moves Roil Markets a Second Day

    After China announced new retaliatory measures against the United States, Hell Toupée responded that Beijing “PLAYED IT WRONG.”

  • China to impose new tariffs on US goods after Convicted Felon upended global trade status quo

    Stock markets have fallen as investors fear an escalating trade war will stunt the global economy.

  • France24 ☛ China hits back at Convicted Felon with double-digit tariffs on US goods as global stocks plunge

    China announced Friday that it would impose a 34 percent tariff on imports of all US products starting April 10, part of a flurry of countermeasures following US President The Insurrectionist’s slate of new tariffs. Meanwhile, global stocks tumbled for a second day.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China hits back hard in global trade war with tariffs on US goods

    Beijing announced additional tariffs of 34 per cent on US goods on April 4.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China hits back at US tariffs with export controls on key rare earths

    China produces around 90 per cent of the world’s rare earths, and is the US's main supplier.

  • France24 ☛ China hits back hard in global trade war with a 34% tariff on imports of all U.S. products

    China announced Friday that it will impose a 34% tariff on imports of all U.S. products beginning April 10, part of a flurry of retaliatory measures following U.S. President The Insurrectionist’s “Liberation Day” slate of double-digit tariffs. Analysis by Moshe Lander, senior lecturer of economics at Concordia University.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Mexican peso and stock market dip as China tariffs spark fears of global recession

    After staying strong through a rough week, the peso’s value dipped on Friday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China says 'market has spoken' after US tariffs spark selloff

    Several Chinese commerce associations called for unity in exploring alternative markets and warning that the tariffs would worsen inflation in the US.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • France24 ☛ After 'Qatargate', 'Huaweigate' scandal rocks EU: What happened to anti-corruption reforms? [Ed: What about EPOgate and when will the EU tackle EPO and UPC corruption?]

    It was not supposed to happen again. Two years ago, after the cash-for-favours scandal known as "Qatargate" rocked the European Parliament and sent shockwaves through the EU, reforms were introduced to improve transparency. But now, fresh allegations of bribery have hit the EU's legislature – purportedly to the benefit of China's tech giant Huawei, according to the Belgian prosecutor's office.

  • Breach Media ☛ Don’t count out Pierre Poilievre yet

    Desmond Cole and Martin Lukacs unpack the first days of the federal election

  • Breach Media ☛ Taking the election pulse in 905 battleground

    Desmond Cole heads to Markham-Unionville, a riding that has historically flipped between Liberals and Conservatives

  • New York Times ☛ Australia’s Relationship with United States Gets a Second Look

    The country has doubled down on its defense relationship with the United States in recent years. Hell Toupée’s treatment of allies is prompting some to question the wisdom of that path.

  • The Straits Times ☛ India’s Modi aims for stronger energy, defence ties with Sri Lanka visit

    The visit will see pacts signed on key sectors such as energy, digitalisation, security and healthcare.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Report: X could be looking at $1B fine from EU over illicit content and misinformation

      Regulators in Europe are considering fining MElon’s X Corp. $1 billion, according to a report in the New York Times today. The report is based on information provided to the Times by four insiders who each declined to give their names or get into the specifics of a current investigation.

    • New Yorker ☛ The Play Where Everyone Keeps Fainting

      Dozens of audience members have lost consciousness watching Eline Arbo’s adaptation of “The Years.” The internet has come to believe that a conspiracy is afoot.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Netizens demand China reinstate Tibetan language use in schools

    Beijing claims Tibetans have right to use their own language but reality shows widespread suppression

  • JURIST ☛ Rights group urges US to stop deporting pro-Palestine student activists

    Human Rights Watch urged the US government Thursday to end arrests and deportations of student activists who advocate for Palestine in an effort to crack down on noncitizen students. Human Rights Watch reported that the Department of Homeland Security has revoked hundreds of student visas.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ The Economist 1843’s remit for life after print: ‘Do stuff that will win prizes’

    1843 editor Jonathan Beckman has remit to publish "one really good piece a week".

  • RFA radio transmissions to China, Tibet halted

    Relay stations owned or leased by US government no longer carrying Radio Free Asia broadcasts

  • Press Gazette ☛ Guardian journalist on Noel Clarke investigation: ‘I felt that it was a story to be made public’

    Guardian journalist Sirin Kale gives evidence at High Court.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Print is still top-three revenue driver for US publishers says AAM chief

    AAM says some publishers are not reporting key digital readership figures, creating an inaccurate picture of the industry's health.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • New York Times ☛ YouTuber Is Arrested After Leaving Diet Coke on Isolated Tribe’s Island

    A 24-year-old American man went to a far-flung island in hopes of filming an encounter with the Sentinelese, the Indian authorities said. It is illegal to make contact with the tribe.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Federal News Network ☛ How internet search algorithms could help critical infrastructure

    Researchers found the algorithms that rank pages in internet searches also can help planners understand how to prevent failures in electrical systems.

  • BIA Net ☛ Report: Turkey to require social control media platforms to set up local companies

    The internet authority's power to restrict access to platforms without court orders will reportedly expand.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ Trademark Reporter: Call for Submissions for Theme Issue on Third-Party Liability and Related IP and Product Disputes

    The Trademark Reporter is seeking submissions for an upcoming theme issue on the topic of third-party liability in trademark and related IP and product disputes. Last year, the Reporter hit it big with a theme issue on artificial intelligence and its impact on trademark and related intellectual property law. [TTABlogged here]. We're expecting another home run with this next effort.

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Grants HALFANIMAL Cancellation Petition on the Ground of Abandonment

    The Board granted a petition for cancellation of Jesus "Half Animal" Villa's 2008 registration for the mark HALFANIMAL for "Beanies; Hats; Pants; Shorts; Sweat pants; Sweat shirts; Sweat shorts; Sweat suits; T-shirts; Wind resistant jackets" on the ground of abandonment. It declined to reach Petitioner Garan's Section 2(a) false association claim predicated on Garan's registered GARANIMALS mark for clothing. Garan Services Corp. v. Jesus Villa, Cancellation No. 92074777 (March 31, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Elizabeth A. Dunn).

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Isaac Hayes Estate’s Infringement Suit to Proceed Against The Insurrectionist — Judge Denies Dismissal, Discovery Stay Motions

    A federal judge has rejected a pair of motions to dismiss the infringement complaint filed against The Insurrectionist and others over Isaac Hayes-penned “Hold On, I’m Coming.” Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. denied the dismissal pushes (and ruled on several other motions) during a recent 50-minute hearing.