Leftovers

• NYPost ☛ Spain’s Sagrada Familia creating space to curb tourist crowds as public area reaches ‘saturation point’

  Many travelers to Barcelona, Spain, may find themselves at one of the most beautiful sacred places in the world: the Sagrada Familia.

• France24 ☛ 'Paris Noir': A cultural crossroads for Black artists

  Paris's status as a cosmopolitan hub for artists from all over the world was forged in the 20th century, particularly in the postwar period, when it was seen as a beacon for Black artists and intellectuals fleeing colonisation, racism and segregation in their countries of origin. The "Paris Noir" exhibition at Paris's Pompidou Centre is now exploring that pivotal moment when the French capital served as a crossroads for the major Black figures who were debating and designing a post-colonial future. The show features 350 works by 150 artists of African heritage – many of whom have been historically sidelined or forgotten – in an attempt to re-write these "unrecognised and fundamental" contributions into a more complete history of art.

• Hackaday ☛ A Blacksmith Shows Us How To Choose An Anvil

  No doubt many readers have at times wished to try their hand at blacksmithing, but it’s fair to say that acquiring an anvil represents quite the hurdle. For anyone not knowing where to turn there’s a video from [Black Bear Forge], in which he takes us through a range of budget options.

• Chris H-C: Perfect is the Enemy of Good Enough

  My Papa, my mother’s father, C. J. Mortimer died in Saint John, New Brunswick in 2020. Flying through the Toronto and Montreal airports in September to his funeral was one of the surreal experiences of my life, with misting tunnels of aerosolized alcohol to kill any microbe on your skin, hair, clothes, and luggage; airport terminals with more rodent traps than people; and a hypersensitivity to everyone’s cough and sniffle that I haven’t been able to shake.

  I was angry, then. I’m still angry. Angry that I couldn’t hug my grandmother. Angry that weeping itself was complicated and contagious. Angry that I couldn’t be together or near or held. Angry that I was putting my family at home at risk by even going. Angry that we didn’t hold the line on the lockdowns long enough to manage the disease properly. Angry at the whiners.

• Science

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Chinese brain computer interface user reportedly plays 'Black Myth: Wukong,' other games

    Chinese researchers claim their high-precision real-time BCI is good enough for Black Myth: Wukong gaming.

  • Science Alert ☛ Meet Zhúlóng, The Milky Way 'Twin' That Shakes Up Our Cosmic Timeline

    It's truly incredible.

  • Science Alert ☛ Study on Mice Suggests Surprising Link Between Nose-Picking And Alzheimer's

    Do you really need to pick it?

  • Science Alert ☛ There's A Sky Full of Meteors in April! Here's What's on This Easter Weekend

    The first good shower of the season.

  • Science Alert ☛ Curiosity Finds First In Situ Evidence of Carbon Cycle on Ancient Mars

    "It tells us that the planet was habitable."

  • Science Alert ☛ Half The Universe's Matter Was Missing. Astronomers Just Found It.

    "Opens the door for an exciting new line of research."

• Career/Education

  • Stanford University ☛ Strawser | Stanford must never surrender

    Dihydroxyacetone Man’s repeated attacks on every aspect of our community demand bold action from Stanford leadership, writes Strawser.

  • New York Times ☛ School Vouchers Won in Texas. Next Up, the Nation.

    Choice laws have now passed in every major Republican state. Congress and Hell Toupée are now aiming at blue states that have resisted vouchers for decades.

  • University of Michigan ☛ GEO holds rally in support of international graduate workers

    More than 200 protesters with the Graduate Employees’ Organization gathered outside Rackham Auditorium Thursday afternoon for an Immigration Rights Solidarity Rally. The protest was a response to 12 recent University of Michigan student visa terminations by the Department of Homeland Security, amongst fears of further visa revocations for international graduate workers. 

  • Chronicle Of Higher Education ☛ A Professor Reflects on a Decades-Long Effort to Deport Pro-Palestinian Protesters

    The Reagan administration detained the “Los Angeles Eight,” mostly students and recent graduates. Hell Toupée is now citing similar national-security arguments in his immigration crackdown.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Modernizing An Enigma Machine

    This project by [Miro] is awesome, not only did he build a replica Enigma machine using modern technologies, but after completing it, he went back and revised several components to make it more usable. We’ve featured Enigma machines here before; they are complex combinations of mechanical and electrical components that form one of the most recognizable encryption methods in history.

  • Hackaday ☛ Bicycle Gearbox Does It By Folding

    If you’ve spent any time on two wheels, you’ve certainly experienced the woes of poor bicycle shifting. You hit the button or twist the knob expecting a smooth transition into the next gear, only to be met with angry metallic clanking that you try to push though but ultimately can’t. Bicycle manufacturers collectively spent millions attempting to remedy this issue with the likes of gearboxes, electronic shifting, and even belt-driven bikes. But Praxis believes to have a better solution in their prototype HiT system.

  • Hackaday ☛ Designing An FM Drum Synth From Scratch

    How it started: a simple repair job on a Roland drum machine. How it ended: a scratch-built FM drum synth module that’s completely analog, and completely cool.

  • Hackaday ☛ Rise Of The Robots: How Robots Are Changing Dairy Farms

    Running a dairy farm used to be a rather hands-on experience, with the farmer required to be around every few hours to milk the cows, feed them, do all the veterinarian tasks that the farmer can do themselves, and so on. The introduction of milking machines in the early 20th century however began a trend of increased automation whereby a single farmer could handle a hundred cows by the end of the century instead of only a couple. In a recent article in IEEE Spectrum covers the continued progress here is covered, including cows milking themselves, on-demand style as shown in the top image.

  • Hackaday ☛ Budget Schlieren Imaging Setup Uses 3D Printing To Reveal The Unseen

    We’re suckers here for projects that let you see the unseeable, and [Ayden Wardell Aerospace] provides that on a budget with their $30 Schlieren Imaging Setup. The unseeable in question is differences in air density– or, more precisely, differences in the refractive index of the fluid the imaging set up makes use of, in this case air. Think of how you can see waves of “heat” on a warm day– that’s lower-density hot air refracting light as it rises. Schlieren photography takes advantage of this, allowing to analyze fluid flows– for example, the mach cones in a DIY rocket nozzle, which is what got [Ayden Wardell Aerospace] interested in the technique.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ Measles Outbreaks in Canada and Mexico Bring Grim Prognosis

    Surges in Mennonite communities near the U.S. border may complicate containment efforts, experts say.

  • New York Times ☛ The Firefighter With O.C.D. and the Vaccine He Believed Would Kill Him

    For years, Timmy Reen tried to hide his compulsions and rituals from everyone at his New York City firehouse — until his secret was forced out in the open.

  • PHR ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Administration’s Immigration Policies and Rhetoric Block Access to Health Care: PHR Research Brief

    The Forrest Dump administration’s immigration policies are resulting in decreased access to health care among undocumented immigrants, individuals with other immigration statuses, and U.S. citizens, according to a new survey of 173 health care professionals across the United States, published today by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR).

  • The Straits Times ☛ China's former agriculture minister faces graft charges

    China's former agriculture minister, Tang Renjian, is facing bribery charges, the nation's top prosecutor said on Thursday, after his high-profile arrest last year in President Pooh-tin Jinping's sweeping anti-graft campaign.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Little bites, big returns: India’s snacks industry draws foreign investors

    The industry is projected to grow at a rate of around 10.5 per cent each year for the next five years.

• Proprietary

  • Microsoft Infosys Layoffs: IT Giant Lays Off More 240 Trainees Who Failed Internal Assessments, Offers Free Upskilling

    Infosys has reportedly laid off around 240 trainees after they failed to pass internal assessments. The development follows a previous round of layoffs in February for similar reasons. The Infosys layoffs came as the company announced its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings results. Infosys on Thursday reported that its consolidated net profit for the fourth quarter of the financial year 2024-25 dropped by 11.7% to INR 7,033 crore compared to the same quarter last year.

  • Amazon Inc ☛ Port .NET Framework workloads to Linux with Amazon Q Developer, Part 3: Web APIs

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)

    • Scoop News Group ☛ House investigation into DeepSeek teases out funding, security realities around Chinese Hey Hi (AI) tool [Ed: Hype and hysteria over a passing fad that makes FUD]

      A new report fleshes out the resources that went into building DeepSeek’s R1 reasoning model and potential risks to U.S. economic and national security.

    • Press Gazette ☛ AI scraper violations and what we can do about them: New research reveals scale of problem

      Paul Hood reveals data from new Miso.AI research into Hey Hi (AI) scrapers and suggests some tech solutions.

  • Social Control Media

    • The Straits Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man signals tit-for-tat China tariffs may be near end; Fentanylware (TikTok) deal on ice

      The Insurrectionist on Thursday signaled a potential end to the tit-for-tat tariff hikes between the U.S. and China that shocked markets, and that a deal over the fate of social control media platform Fentanylware (TikTok) may have to wait.

    • Digital Music News ☛ Fentanylware (TikTok) Exodus Continues: US Head of Policy Steps Down Amid Ongoing Negotiations

      TikTok’s U.S. Public Policy Chief Michael Beckerman is stepping down from his role to transition to a global advisory position. The departure comes amid the second extension of the U.S. deadline for ByteDance to divest from Fentanylware (TikTok) — and follows a number of high-profile departures at the app.

    • New York Times ☛ At Meta Antitrust Trial, Sheryl Sandberg Testifies About Competition and Instagram Deal

      In her second day on the stand of a landmark antitrust trial over Meta’s power, Ms. Sandberg, the former chief operating officer, also said the company faced plenty of competition from TikTok.

    • France24 ☛ TikTok trials it’s own take on X-style “community notes” against misinformation

      To add context to videos, social control media behemoth Fentanylware (TikTok) has launched Footnotes: a crowd-sourced fact-checking feature similar to the "community notes" used by X and Meta. TikTok's version though, takes a different approach -- complementing it's professional fact-checking, and not replacing it. It is trialling first in the US, where it's future currently hangs in the balance, as the deadline for its US divestiture is just months away. Vedika Bahl tells us what we know, in Truth or Fake.

• Privatisation/Privateering

  • Pro Publica ☛ Trump Team Eyes Thiel-Backed Firm Ramp for $700B Payments Program

    Four days before Donald Trump’s inauguration, financial technology startup Ramp published a pitch for how to tackle wasteful government spending. In a 4,000-word blog post titled “The Efficiency Formula,” Ramp’s CEO and one of its investors echoed ideas similar to those promoted by Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk: Federal programs were overrun by fraud, and commonsense business techniques could provide a quick fix.

    Ramp sells corporate credit cards and artificial intelligence software for businesses to analyze spending. And while the firm appears to have no existing federal contracts, the post implied the government should consider hiring it. Just as Ramp helped businesses manage their budgets, the company “could do the same for a variety of government agencies,” according to the blog and company social media posts.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Security Week ☛ Man Helped Chinese Nationals Get Jobs Involving Sensitive US Government Projects

      Minh Phuong Ngoc Vong pleaded guilty to defrauding US companies of roughly $1 million in a fake IT worker scheme.

    • EDRI ☛ Civil society to European Commission: Act now to defend fundamental rights from Hungary’s Pride ban and the use of facial recognition against protesters

      EDRi, along with a broad coalition of civil society organisations, demands urgent action from the European Commission on Hungary’s new law banning Pride marches and permitting the use of live facial recognition technology targeting protesters.

    • OpenRightsGroup ☛ New report: How Meta is monetising the migrant crisis

      How Meta monetises the migrant crisis Social media giant Meta is profiting from the global migrant crisis – enabling both criminals and the UK Home Office to target vulnerable migrants with adverts. Research by ORG found that fraudulent adverts offering fake identity documents are still being run on Facebook.

  • Confidentiality

    • Dhole Moments ☛ Retrospective: Five Years Blogging About Cryptography as a Gay Furry Online

      The history of this blog might very well be a cautionary tail (sic) about scope creep. The Original Vision For Dhole Moments Originally, I just wanted a place to write about things too long for Ex-Twitter (back when I was an avid Ex-Twitter poster).

• Defence/Aggression

  • JURIST ☛ UN Security Council urged to take united action in DR Congo as conflict deepens

    UN Special Envoy Huang Xia called for greater coordination of efforts to resolve the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wednesday amid escalating violence by the M23 rebel group and a deepening humanitarian crisis in the region.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Nat. sec amendments to Hong Kong union laws to be submitted to ‘patriots only’ legislature at end of month

    Amendments to Hong Kong’s trade union laws proposing jail terms of up to three years for national security infractions will go to the city’s legislature later this month.

  • Defence Web ☛ Amnesty calls for justice over reckless security force violence in Mozambique

    Mozambican security forces used reckless and unnecessary force in a widespread crackdown on protests following last October’s election, resulting in unlawful killings and devastating injuries, Amnesty International has said in a new report.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ The US must sustain counterterrorism operations in Somalia—the costs of retreat are too high

    To maintain a foothold in East Africa’s security architecture, the US must prioritize continuity, including keeping the US embassy in Mogadishu open.

  • JURIST ☛ Gambia former paramilitary soldier convicted under US Torture Act

    Gambian national Michael Sang Correa was convicted by a Colorado jury for participating in the torture of victims in 2006, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said Tuesday. Correa was a part of a paramilitary unit known as the “Junglers,” run by Yahya Jammeh, dictator and former Gambian president.

  • RFERL ☛ US Air Strikes Targeting Yemeni Oil Port; Huthis Say Attack Killed 20 People

    The US military said it destroyed a key Yemeni fuel port held by Huthi rebels, who said the air strikes also killed 20 people and wounded 50 others.

  • France24 ☛ Hamas rejects Israel's latest ceasefire proposal, calls for comprehensive deal

    Hamas on Thursday rejected Israel's latest truce offer, demanding a "comprehensive" deal to end the 18-month war. The group's chief negotiator spoke after Gaza rescuers said Israeli strikes killed at least 40, mostly women and children, in renewed attacks

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Waved Off Planned Israeli Strike on Iranian Nuclear Sites

    Israel developed plans for attacking Iranian nuclear facilities that would have required U.S. assistance. But some administration officials had doubts.

  • New York Times ☛ Israel Strikes Area With Tent Camps for Displaced Gazans

    The attack on the Mawasi area of southern Gaza killed at least a dozen people, according to the emergency rescue service in the territory. Israel did not confirm the location of the attack.

  • France24 ☛ Israel continues pounding on Gaza, at least 40 killed in strikes

    Gaza's civil defence agency said Thursday that a rash of Israeli air strikes killed at least 40 people, most of them in encampments for displaced civilians, as Israel pressed its offensive in the Palestinian territory. The Israeli military said it was looking into reports of the strikes, which came as Hamas officials reported that internal deliberations on the latest Israeli truce offer were nearly complete.

  • Defence Web ☛ G7 and EU denounce two-year-old Sudan war

    The war in Sudan, dubbed by some the one the world forgot, this week marked the second year of ongoing hostilities between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the opposition Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Events in the east African country led to what are currently the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crises.

  • Pro Publica ☛ After Downfall, Terrorgram Still Inspires Violence

  • The Express Tribune ☛ Hacking group Anonymous targets Russia, releases Trump files

    Hacking group Anonymous has claimed responsibility for a large-scale cyberattack on Russian networks, releasing what it says is 10 terabytes of leaked data containing sensitive information on political figures, state-affiliated businesses, Kremlin assets abroad, and even files allegedly linked to US President Donald Trump.

    The data was released on 15 April and announced publicly via the group’s official account on X, formerly known as Twitter. In the post, Anonymous stated: “In defence of Ukraine Anonymous has released 10TB of leaked data on all businesses operating in Russia, all Kremlin assets in the West, pro-Russian officials, Donald Trump, and more.”

    Accompanying the post was a photo of file folders, one of which was labelled “Leaked Data of Donald Trump.”

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia PM to hold talks with Myanmar opposition after meeting junta chief

    BANGKOK - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will hold talks with a key Myanmar opposition group on Friday, a day after he met the leader of the war-torn country's ruling junta in Bangkok to discuss humanitarian needs after a devastating earthquake.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia PM met Myanmar junta chief amid opposition to talks

    PM Anwar said he will meet Myanmar’s Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on humanitarian grounds.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia trade minister to head to U.S. next week for tariff talks

    KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's trade minister will travel to the United States on April 24 to meet the U.S. Trade Representative and other officials for talks about the U.S. tariffs imposed on the country, state media agency Bernama reported on Thursday.

  • Xi Jinping talks of former fights and future shocks on Southeast Asian tour

    The Chinese president is in Cambodia after visiting Vietnam, Malaysia amid a trade battle with the U.S.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China commends Cambodia when asked about Taiwanese deportation

    China on Thursday commended the Cambodian government for following the "one China principle" when asked to comment on their deportation of Taiwanese citizens to China earlier this week.

  • Myanmar junta chief meets Malaysian PM in Bangkok, frees 5,000 in prisoner amnesty

    High-profile figures, such as Aung San Suu Kyi, were not included in Thursday’s release.

  • New York Times ☛ Here’s What to Know About Rare Earth Minerals and Renewable Energy

    The shift to cleaner power needs resources from China. An export ban just cut off some supplies.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Slapped with tariffs, some US trade partners lean toward Beijing

    To maximize the impact of tariffs, Washington wants to ensure China cannot trade more with other countries. But Beijing is a tempting trade partner.

  • New York Times ☛ China Wants Countries to Unite Against Convicted Felon, but Is Met With Wariness

    Beijing is using a mix of carrots and sticks to try to prevent other countries from siding with the United States in isolating China.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Nvidia CEO visits China as US tech curbs, trade war threaten sales

    Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang arrived in Beijing on Thursday, state media said, days after the United States curbed sales of its H20 artificial intelligence chips to China.

  • New York Times ☛ Nvidia C.E.O. Meets With Chinese Trade Officials in Beijing

    The day before the visit by Jensen Huang, lawmakers in Washington said they were investigating whether the chipmaker’s sales in China violated U.S. rules.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visits Beijing following US chip export restrictions

    Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang visited Beijing today to meet with Chinese officials and the chipmaker’s local customers. According to the Financial Times, DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng was among the clients who participated in the discussions. DeepSeek rose to prominence earlier this year after it released a reasoning model called R1.

  • CS Monitor ☛ California designs a trade plan to blunt tariffs. Be careful, China expert says.

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom says that to protect its economy from tariffs, the state can make its own trade deals with China. Orville Schell, director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society, says California has to step carefully to avoid working against federal government interests.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China, US at impasse over who should start trade talks

    China's commerce ministry on Thursday urged the United States to stop putting \"extreme pressure\" on the world's second-largest economy and demanded respect in any trade talks, but the two sides remained at an impasse over who should start those talks.

  • China appoints new trade negotiator as US tariff tensions mount

    Li Chenggang, a legal expert and former WTO envoy, takes post at a challenging time for US-China relations.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin Jinping arrives in Cambodia for state visit

    Beijing is seeking to strengthen regional trade ties and offset the impact of US tariffs.

  • New Yorker ☛ China’s Plan to Fight Convicted Felon’s Trade War

    A professor at M.I.T. on how Pooh-tin Jinping is likely to respond to U.S. tariffs and why the standoff won’t weaken the Chinese Communist Party’s grip on power.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ Russia drafts legal framework for return of Western firms, including local production and technology transfer requirements — Bloomberg — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Journalists identify Russian teen arrested for arson attacks as son of regular participant in State Duma events — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ My house is your house A new investigation suggests that Moscow’s political and economic favors fuel Serbia’s fast-tracked citizenship for well-connected Russians — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia has arrested the Kursk region's ex-governor. He oversaw the construction of anti-tank barriers — which later crumbled from rain and snow. — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Moscow planning to use seized American company to supply food to Russian army — Reuters — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Removes Afghanistan's Taliban From Terror List In Step Toward Recognition

      Russia’s Supreme Court removed Afghanistan's militant Taliban rulers from its list of banned terrorist groups in a step toward recognizing the group that seized power in 2021 as international forces withdrew from the war-torn country.

    • Meduza ☛ Russia says the Taliban is no longer a terrorist group — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Czech Republic declares oil independence from Russia — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Moldova Sets Elections For September 28 In Battle Between EU and Russian Camps

      Moldova's lawmakers voted to set the next parliamentary elections for September 28 in a test for the country's fragile democracy caught between pro-European and pro-Russian forces.

    • LRT ☛ Russian nationals in Lithuania to lose visas for frequent trips home

      On Thursday, the Lithuanian parliament tightened and extended sanctions against Russian and Belarusian citizens for another year. Under the new measures, Russian nationals who travel to Belarus or Russia more than once every three months will lose their right to stay in Lithuania.

    • LRT ☛ Russian media identifies embassy worker in Vilnius as FSB officer

      A member of staff at the Russian Embassy in Vilnius is also an officer at the Russian intelligence service, the FSB, according to information published by RuPEP, an online database of public officials compiled by independent Russian media.

    • JURIST ☛ Former governor of Russia’s Kursk region detained over alleged fraud tied to border fortifications

      A Moscow court on Wednesday ordered former Kursk region governor Alexei Smirnov held in custody as authorities investigate “major fraud” allegations ahead of his June 15 trial, according to state news agency TASS.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Russia Sanctions Database: November 2024

      The Atlantic Council’s Russia Sanctions Database tracks the restrictive economic measures Western allies have placed on Russia and evaluates whether these measures are successful in achieving the stated objectives.

    • Meduza ☛ 'I've done my job no worse than other deputies' This Russian municipal lawmaker has been working remotely for four years — from Dnipro, Ukraine — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Zelensky says Ukraine will present evidence that China is supplying weapons to Russia — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ U.S. and Ukraine sign memorandum on intent to reach mineral resources deal — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine and U.S. Sign Agreement in Lead-Up to Full Minerals Deal

      The signed memorandum of understanding was thin on details, and the White House did not comment. But Hell Toupée has said he expects to sign a minerals deal with Kyiv soon.

    • France24 ☛ Ukrainians see minerals deal as 'typical of Convicted Felon's gangster-style diplomacy', observer says

      Dihydroxyacetone Man on Thursday said he doesn't hold Zelenskyy "responsible" for Russia's invasion of his country but continued to criticize the Ukrainian leader. Convicted Felon added Thursday that a deal with Ukraine on extracting the war-wracked country's strategic minerals could be reached next week. We speak to Kyiv Independent reporter Francis Farrell. He says that Ukrainians see the deal as 'exploitative and typical of Convicted Felon's gangster-like diplomacy.

    • France24 ☛ 🔴 Ukraine, US sign 'memorandum of intent' on resources deal

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine, US sign 'memorandum of intent' on critical minerals deal

      Ukraine and the US signed a "memorandum of intent" on Thursday to advance a deal granting Washington access to Kyiv’s natural resources and critical minerals, Ukraine said. The pact aims to foster an economic partnership and create a reconstruction fund, Deputy PM Yulia Svyrydenko said.

    • New York Times ☛ Europe and America, at Odds Over Ukraine, Try Talking to Each Other

      President Emmanuel Macron of France hosted a lunch with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, Hell Toupée’s envoy, as European delegations converged on Paris.

    • New York Times ☛ The Ukrainian Schoolmaster Teaching History to His Invaders

      Vitalii Dribnytsia engages with Russians online to correct Kremlin propaganda about Ukraine. Over time, he has come to realize his more important audience is Ukrainians themselves.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Attack On Dnipropetrovsk Kills At Least 5, Including Child, Injures Dozens

      A Russian drone attack killed at least three people, including a child and an elderly woman, and injured dozens of others late on April 16 in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, the regional governor said.

    • RFERL ☛ France Says Europe Now 'At The Table' As Paris Peace Talks End

      French officials have praised talks held between key European countries, Ukraine, and the United States, the first involving the three sides since US President The Insurrectionist took power, as they look to end Europe's largest conflict since the end of World War II.

    • France24 ☛ Macron hosts talks on Ukraine, Middle East and Iran with US in Paris

      France's President Emmanuel Macron, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US envoy Steve Witkoff held a meeting in Paris on Thursday focused on crafting a Ukraine ceasefire, addressing tensions in the Middle East, and discussing Iran's nuclear programme. Here's FRANCE 24 Kethevane Gorestani's analysis on this meeting.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine, US Sign Memorandum On Economic Partnership, Ukrainian Official Says

      Ukraine and the United States have "taken a step" toward a joint economic partnership agreement, Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on April 17.

    • North Korean troops may enter Ukraine soon, Kyiv warns

      North Korean troop operations have so far been concentrated in Russia’s Kursk region.

    • France24 ☛ Who is Steve Witkoff, Convicted Felon's longtime envoy and friend ?

      As discussions on Ukraine took place in Paris between Emmanuel Macron and several US envoys, Steve Witkoff's presence drew attention. Not a career diplomat, he is a long-time friend of The Insurrectionist and officially his envoy for the Middle East, though his influence extends far beyond that.

    • France24 ☛ Steve Witkoff in Paris: Who’s Convicted Felon’s Mr Fix It?

      The Insurrectionist’s Mr Fix it on Gaza, Ukraine and now Iran in Paris alongside Marco Rubio. Sticklers for protocol would normally insist that the US Secretary of State’s the bill topper of diplo tour… but these aren’t normal times. Does the 67-year New York real estate mogul hold sway?

    • Atlantic Council ☛ The Ukrainian army is now Europe’s most credible security guarantee

      As Europe confronts the new geopolitical realities of an expansionist Russia and an isolationist United States, the continent's most credible security guarantee is now the Ukrainian Armed Forces, writes Pavlo Verkhniatskyi.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian 'Atlas Aerospace' produces reconnaissance drones for Ukraine

      Atlas Aerospace went from the idea of manufacturing drones for commercial use in 2015 to manufacturing reconnaissance drones for military use. From having to doubt itself and convince investors, the company is now a supplier to NATO and Ukraine. LSM.lv visited the company as part of its article series "Forge of Military Power".

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Putin is attempting to intimidate Merz with yet more Russian red lines

      As Germany’s next chancellor Friedrich Merz prepares to boost support for Ukraine, the Kremlin is already seeking to deter him with intimidation tactics, writes Peter Dickinson. Merz's response will help define whether he is capable of leading Europe.

    • Latvia ☛ Fifth failed auction of 'Moscow House' in Rīga

      The State Enterprise "Valsts nekustamie īpašumi" (VNĪ) has failed to sell the so-called Moscow House on Marijas Street, Rīga, in the fifth auction, according to information on the electronic auction website, LETA reports on 17 April.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Heavy rain, flash floods to continue in Penang amid monsoon transition

    In several low-lying areas, water was surging into homes. Overflowing drains caused streets to become submerged.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ South Korea Shipbuilding Strength Could Help in Tariff Talks With U.S.

      As it faces the possibility of a 25 percent tariff on its exports, South Korea has taken notice of Hell Toupée’s stated goal to revive U.S. shipbuilding.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man includes US troop costs in tariff talks with Asian allies

      Japan and South Korea both view the issue of defence spending as separate from trade.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ How the National Energy Dominance Council can set the US on the path to energy security

      The National Energy Dominance Council must act quickly to restore stability to the energy industry amid geopolitical uncertainty.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison should ‘take responsibility for own mistake’ over ports deal, says pro-Beijing politician

      Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison should “take responsibility for its own mistake” over a deal to offload its overseas ports – including two at the Panama Canal – to a US-led consortium, a pro-Beijing politician has said.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Mysterious 3-Toed Footprints in Canada Reveal New Ankylosaur Species

      Check out these feet!

    • Defence Web ☛ Rhino poaching crackdown: Kruger staff’s efforts lead to major sentences

      The value of proper training added to on-the-job gut feel paid off for two Kruger National Park (KNP) staffers with an 11-year sentence handed to a suspected rhino poacher this month, five years after the suspect was apprehended.

  • Overpopulation

    • France24 ☛ One million Haitian children face 'critical' food shortage, says UN

      More than one million children in Haiti are suffering critical food shortages due to violence, displacement, and limited aid access, UNICEF said Thursday. Nearly 2.9 million children—one in four—face severe food insecurity, per the IPC, a global hunger monitoring system.

• Finance

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ 5 mainland Chinese visitors jailed for 3 weeks after Coldplay ticket scalping arrests

    Five mainland Chinese visitors have been jailed for three weeks for breaching their conditions of stay in Hong Kong after they were arrested on suspicion of ticket scalping last week outside a concert by the British band Coldplay.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong Originals: Two Moons Distillery infuses city’s heritage into handcrafted gin

    As Hong Kong’s economic boom faded and manufacturing moved to China, some long-established, family-run companies preserved their traditions as others innovated to survive. In our new series, HKFP documents the craftmanship and spirit behind the goods that are still proudly “Made in Hong Kong,” as local firms navigate the US-China trade war.

  • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man says Fed Chair Jerome Powell's termination "cannot come fast enough"

    US President The Insurrectionist has called for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to be fired, a day after the central bank chief delivered a stark warning about the effects of tariffs. Meanwhile, Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping is ending his Asian tour with a visit to Cambodia, portraying China as a stable trading partner. Plus, the Hermès Birkin handbag is about to get a lot more expensive, at least in the US.

  • JURIST ☛ Texas judge blocks federal rule intended to reduce credit card late fees

    A federal judge in Texas vacated a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) regulation on Tuesday. The ruling by Judge Mark Pittman, a federal district court judge for the Northern District of Texas, removes many previous caps from credit card late fees.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Benefits worries nag at federal employees

    With threats coming to health care plan costs, retirement contributions, and basic job security itself, no wonder feds feeling hightened anxiety!

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Postal voting in the 2025 Australian election

    The 2025 Australian Federal election will be taking place when Clara and I are outside our electorate, so we opted for a postal vote. This means no democracy sausage on polling day, but we’re still able to perform our civic duty. Well, that and the fact voting is comulspry in Australia (as it should be, you have a responsibility in a democracy), so we don’t want to cop a fine.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • Science Alert ☛ Can We Trust Our Eyes Anymore? The Dark Side of Apple's New Hey Hi (AI) Clean Up Tool

      Photo or it didn't happen.

    • OpenRightsGroup ☛ Bad Ads: Targeted Disinformation, Division and Fraud on Meta’s Platforms

      This report lays out clear evidence of how Meta enables bad actors to use its targeted advertising system to manipulate elections, spread disinformation, fuel division, and facilitate fraud. Executive Summary Meta’s social control media platforms, Facebook (Farcebook) and Instagram, sit at the intersection of the attention economy and surveillance capitalism.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • The Straits Times ☛ Kudos for Xi’s visit to Malaysia eclipsed by flag furore

    The missing crescent moon on Malaysian flags featured in Chinese-language media marred euphoria over the visit.

  • Chinese artist fined for filming Uyghur folk music in Xinjiang

    While Guo Zhenming is punished, performances by a state-backed Uyghur dance troupe in Europe are promoted.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Stanford University ☛ GSC questions The Daily on free speech policies and source anonymity

    The GSC questioned The Daily’s executive editing team on student requests for anonymity and other concerns related to free speech.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • New York Times ☛ Judge Delays a Resentencing Hearing for the Menendez Brothers

    The proceedings were pushed back for three weeks over the issue of whether a key report on Erik and Lyle Menendez was admissible.

  • New York Times ☛ Costa Rica Violated Rights of 81 Migrant Children Deported by U.S., Lawsuit Says

    A legal challenge filed Thursday aims to encourage Central American countries to push back against the Convicted Felon administration’s immigration policies.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Why UK’s contempt of court laws need reform for digital age

    Disorder after the Southport stabbings last summer has been called an "indirect result of contempt of court laws".

  • Pro Publica ☛ Wisconsin’s Name-Change Law Raises Safety Risks for Transgender People

    In 2022, after living as a boy and going by a new name for several years, a 15-year-old from Madison, Wisconsin, wanted to make it official. Like most teenagers, he dreamed of getting his driver’s license, and his family wanted his government identification to reflect who he really was.

    But Wisconsin law has a caveat: He would have to publish his old, feminine name and new name in the local newspaper for three weeks — essentially announcing to the world that he is transgender.

  • JURIST ☛ Canada Federal Court of Appeal upholds assault-style firearms ban

    Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal dismissed a prominent challenge to the federal government’s 2020 ban on assault-style firearms on Tuesday. The ruling upheld the legality of the government’s decision to prohibit over 1,500 models of firearms deemed by Ottawa to be “assault-style” and unsuitable for civilian ownership.

  • JURIST ☛ IOM reports Pakistan forcibly deported nearly 60,000 Afghan refugees since start of April

    The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday reported that nearly 60,000 Afghan refugees have been forcibly deported from Pakistan so far this month.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • MWL ☛ 85: George is Asleep

    Here’s some of the new Networking for System Administrators, because while the Laserblasted Kickstarter ends today I am utterly sick of shilling it. Think of the network as a conference room. At the physical layer you have a table and chairs. The room is a broadcast domain.

  • Stuart Langridge: Serving streaming video that adapts to bandwidth from your own website

    Recently, I was involved in an event where a video was shown, and the event was filmed. It would be nice to put the video of the event up somewhere so other people who weren't there could watch it. Obvious answer: upload it to YouTube. However, the video that was shown at the event is Copyrighted Media Content and therefore is disallowed by YouTube and the copyright monopoly holder; it's not demonetised (which wouldn't be a problem), it's flat-out blocked. So YouTube is out.

  • Internet Society ☛ Internet Trust: Why We Need It and How to Achieve It

    Trust in the Internet is crucial, but it has fluctuated. Let’s dive into Internet trust, what makes a trustworthy Internet, and why people should care.  

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• New York Times ☛ What to Know About Convicted Felon’s Antitrust Efforts Against Google, Meta and Other Tech Giants

  The Forrest Dump administration is continuing an aggressive effort to rein in the power of the biggest tech companies. Here’s what to know.

• New York Times ☛ Google Is Illegally Monopolizing Online Advertising Tech, Judge Rules

  It was the second time in a year that a U.S. court found that the company had acted illegally to remain dominant.

• New York Times ☛ A Judge Ruled That Surveillance Giant Google Acted Illegally to Dominate Ad Tech

  Also, a daily pill may work as well as Ozempic. Here’s the latest at the end of Thursday.

• France24 ☛ Google holds illegal monopolies in online ad tech, US judge rules

  Google illegally wielded monopoly power in the online ad technology market, a US judge ruled on Thursday, in a legal blow that could rattle the tech giant's revenue engine. It is one of two federal suits targeting Surveillance Giant Google that could ultimately see the company split up and curb its influence – and part of a wider government push to rein in Big Tech.

• Silicon Angle ☛ Court rules against Surveillance Giant Google in advertising technology antitrust case

  A federal court today found that Surveillance Giant Google LLC maintains an illegal monopoly in the advertising technology market. The decision comes less than a year after a similar antitrust ruling against the Alphabet Inc. unit’s search business.

• Public Knowledge ☛ Public Knowledge Urges Federal Court To Adopt Strong Remedies in Surveillance Giant Google Ad Tech Monopoly Decision [Ed: Public Knowledge does not disclose Microsoft is inside its Board]

  Judge rules that Surveillance Giant Google violated antitrust law by monopolizing two markets of the digital advertising ecosystem.

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ Ones to Watch UK 2025: Edmund Eustace [Ed: Classic spam from JUVE, albeit disguised as journalism]

    Every year, JUVE Patent carries out extensive research in the UK patent monopoly market, culminating in the publication of the UK patent monopoly ranking. Our latest research highlighted Edmund Eustace, a barrister from 8 New Square as one of the current ‘Ones to Watch’ in the UK patent monopoly market.

  • Unified Patents ☛ $32,000 for AutoConnect Holdings automotive patents prior art

    Unified Patents added sixteen new PATROLL contests, each with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on the list below. The patents are owned by AutoConnect Holdings LLC, an NPE. The patents generally relate to vehicle ecosystems.

    The contests will expire on June 2, 2025. Please visit PATROLL for more information and to submit an entry for these contests. PATROLL researchers are required to use Pearl to generate claim charts. Submitted invalidity charts must address every limitation of the challenged claim.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ I Know I’m Going to Love a Brief That Repeatedly Cites Marbury v. Madison

    Back when he was a law professor here at Mizzou, I recall taking with Sen. Josh Hawley about his favorite Supreme Court case - Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137 (1803).  The case has come to stand for the principle of judicial review, establishing the Supreme Court's authority to determine the constitutionality of laws and executive actions.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Novartis and Accord settle UPC dispute over drug administration with apple sauce [Ed: UPC itself is not legal; this case and the unconstitutional kangaroo court should be dissolved]

      The dispute centred on Novartis’ patent monopoly EP 2 501 384, which protects a method of treating proliferative disorders and other pathological conditions mediated by BCR-ABL, C-KIT, DDR1, DDR2 or PDGF-R kinase activity. In simpler terms, it protects the administration of nilotinib together with apple sauce.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ Professor J. Thomas McCarthy: "What is the 'Zone of Natural Expansion' Doctrine?"

    Professor McCarty, renowned author of McCarthy on Trademarks and Unfair Competition, cast a critical eye on two recent decisions (one from the CAFC, one from the TTAB) discussing the zone-of-natural-expansion "doctrine." He asks, "what is it?" "How does it fit with the familiar 'related goods and services' rule and the test of likelihood of confusion?" The professor concludes that it is not a "doctrine" at all. "Neither the Federal Circuit nor the T.T.A.B. has the authority to replace the statutory likelihood of confusion test with a 'doctrine' of 'zone of natural expansion' to decide issues of priority and entitlement to registration."

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Drake Elevates the Heat on Universal Music With Amended ‘Not Like Us’ Defamation Suit: ‘UMG Will Be Held Accountable’

    Right on cue, Drake and his legal team have fired off an amended “Not Like Us” defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG). The “Nokia” act and his counsel submitted the bolstered complaint yesterday, just a couple weeks removed from a major discovery win.

  • Press Gazette ☛ ‘Unsustainable status quo’: Hey Hi (AI) companies and publishers respond to Govt copyright monopoly consultation

    Opt-out proposal like burglars being allowed unless banned by sign on front door, one response says.