Leftovers

• Jonathan Dowland ☛ Jonathan Dowland: Orbital

• Hackaday ☛ LED Layer Makes Plywood Glow

  Plywood is an interesting material: made up of many layers of thin wood plys, it can be built up into elegantly curved shapes. Do you need to limit it to just wood, though? [Zach of All Trades] has proved you do not, when he embedded a light guide, LEDs, microcontrollers and touch sensors into a quarter inch (about six millimeter) plywood layup in the video embedded below.

• Standards/Consortia

  • Digital Camera World ☛ What is RAW video? And do I really need it on my camera?

    RAW video is like RAW files for photographers – the actual image data captured by the sensor – but do you really need it, and can you handle it?

  • CoryDoctorow ☛ Pluralistic: Are the means of computation even seizable?

    Bad clients would be muscled aside by third-party clients. Locked bootloaders would be hacked and replaced. Code that confirmed you were using OEM parts, consumables or adapters would be found and nuked from orbit. Weak APIs would be replaced with muscular, unofficial APIs built out of unstoppable scrapers running on headless machines in some data-center. Every time some tech company erected a 10-foot enshittifying fence, someone would show up with an 11-foot disenshittifying ladder.

    Those 11-foot ladders represented the power of interoperability, the inescapable bounty of the Turing-complete, universal von Neumann machine, which, by definition, is capable of running every valid program. Specifically, they represented the power of adversarial interoperability – when someone modifies a technology against its manufacturer's wishes. Adversarial interoperability is the origin story of today's tech giants, from Microsoft to Apple to Google: [...]

• Licensing / Legal

  • Digital Music News ☛ Understanding Copyright in Music: Types of Music Licensing

    There are many kinds of music licenses. What and how you license will depend on the type of work you are licensing—whether it is a musical work or sound recording (or both)—and what kinds of uses you are allowing the licensee to do with your work. Below is a list of several types of music licenses and how they are used: [...]

  • The Register UK ☛ VPN Secure parent co CEO explains why lifetime deals axed

    Customers are blasting VPN Secure's new parent company after it abruptly axed thousands of "lifetime" accounts. The reason? The CEO admits in an interview with The Register that his team didn't dig deep enough before acquiring the virtual private network outfit, and simply can't afford to honor those legacy deals.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Sun Unleashes Most Powerful Flare We've Seen in 2025

    Strong enough to cause radio blackouts.

  • Science Alert ☛ Walking Daily Linked to Lower Risk of 13 Cancers, Major Study Finds

    Here's how many steps you need.

  • Science Alert ☛ Hotter Climate Could Fuel Spread of Dangerous Fungi, Scientists Warn

    The last of us?

  • Science Alert ☛ The Martian Night Sky Was Seen Turning Green in a Stunning First

    An aurora like we've never seen.

  • Science Alert ☛ Incredible Detail on This Archaeopteryx Fossil Could Help Settle Flight Debate

    The 'first bird' like we've never seen it before.

  • Science Alert ☛ No, There Isn't a Mysterious Brain Disease Spreading in Canada

    Well that's a relief.

  • Science Alert ☛ Probiotics vs Prebiotics: What's The Difference And Do You Need Both?

    Ask your microbiome.

  • Science Alert ☛ Mystery About The Way Fingers Wrinkle in Water Might Have an Answer

    It all started with a curious kid's question.

  • Science Alert ☛ Venus May Be More Earth-Like Than We Thought – And It's Still Moving

    Hidden forces exist under the surface.

• Hardware

  • dwaves.de ☛ What are the most reliable harddisks in 2023?

  • CNX Software ☛ Backy is a nRF52840-powered wearable for real-time posture monitoring and injury prevention

    TACNIQ Backy is an AI-enabled wearable monitoring device designed to reduce workplace injuries caused by improper lifting and posture, based on a Nordic nRF52840 wireless microcontroller and a 6-point piezo-resistive sensor array measuring direct force sensing. While most ergonomic tools rely on motion tracking or vision-based systems,

  • Hackaday ☛ 2025 Pet Hacks Contest: Automatic Treat Dispenser Makes Kitty Work For It

    Treat dispensers are old hat around here, but what if kitty doesn’t need the extra calories — and actually needs to drop some pounds? [MethodicalMaker] decided to link the treat dispenser to a cat wheel, and reward kitty for healthy behaviors. The dispenser can be programmed to make the cat run long enough to burn the calories of its treat. Over time, kitty can be trained to run longer between treats to really melt off the pounds.

  • Hackaday ☛ Your Own Core Rope Memory

    If you want read-only memory today, you might be tempted to use flash memory or, if you want old-school, maybe an EPROM. But there was a time when that wasn’t feasible. [Igor Brichkov] shows us how to make a core rope memory using a set of ferrite cores and wire. This was famously used in early UNIVAC computers and the Apollo guidance computer. You can see how it works in the video below.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • France24 ☛ Europe on brink of endemic dengue and chikungunya as mosquitoes move north due to global warming

    Climate change is pushing disease-carrying tiger mosquitoes deeper into Europe, raising the risk that once-tropical viruses like dengue and chikungunya could become endemic across the continent, new research warns.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s Focus on Punishing Drug Dealers May Hurt Drug Users Trying to Quit

    Public health and addiction experts fear millions could lose access to treatment and prevention services if the administration’s proposed cuts are enacted.

  • New York Times ☛ Drug Overdose Deaths Plummeted in 2024, C.D.C. Reports

    The progress comes as the Convicted Felon administration is proposing to cut funding for many programs believed to have contributed to the improvement.

  • Latvia ☛ Saeima committee nays menstrual leave idea in Latvia

    At a meeting on Wednesday, 14 May, members of the Saeima Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee rejected the initiative to introduce two paid days off for women during menstruation.

  • New York Times ☛ RFK Jr. Defends HHS Overhaul as Democrats Denounce ‘War on Science’

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr., testifying before Congress for the first time as health secretary, also said he did not think Americans should be taking “medical advice from me.”

  • Federal News Network ☛ RFK defends 25% cut to HHS budget in FY 2026 request after shrinking workforce

    HHS Secretary Kennedy said the department would increase hiring at the Indian Health Service, which he said is “chronically understaffed.”

  • CS Monitor ☛ ‘Motivated and inspired’: California inmates are improving mental health behind bars

    Four years after two incarcerated men sought ways to help their peers face mental health issues, Los Angeles County is expanding their successful efforts.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysians switch to cheaper alternatives as pork prices hit 2-year high due to African swine fever

    A whole pig from local farms now costs RM1,780 per 100kg, up from RM1,600 in 2024, says a butcher.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Even the Face of Georgia’s Medicaid Experiment Couldn’t Escape its Red Tape

  • Pro Publica ☛ Inside Deloitte’s Multi-Million Promotion of Georgia’s Medicaid Experiment

  • New York Times ☛ Court Sides With New York Times Over Access to E.U. Covid Vaccine Messages

    The case revolved around whether texts between a top official and a drug company executive counted as a public record that might need to be disclosed.

• Proprietary

  • Qt ☛ Proprietary Qt Creator 16.0.2 released

    We are happy to announce the release of Qt Creator 16.0.2!

  • LinkedIn hit by Microsoft’s global layoffs; impact on India still unclear

    However, details of any India-specific layoffs have not been publicly disclosed.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Silicon Angle ☛ XAI’s chatbot Grok just went on the fritz and couldn’t stop talking about white genocide in South Africa

      MElon’s Hey Hi (AI) chatbot Grok had a funny turn over the last few days when it started responding to random questions with information about violence against white people in South Africa, which some people have controversially alleged is a “white genocide.” In some cases, the X user was merely asking a question about sports.

    • New York Times ☛ A.I. Was Coming for Radiologists’ Jobs. So Far, They’re Just More Efficient. [Ed: Computers have long been used to aid in this area. Just rebranding it all as "AI" does not change anything.]

      Experts predicted that artificial intelligence would steal radiology jobs. But at the Mayo Clinic, the technology has been more friend than foe.

  • Social Control Media

    • Science Alert ☛ TikTok Trend Has Men Shaving Their Eyelashes – Here's Why You Shouldn't

      There's a dangerous myth behind this.

    • New York Times ☛ Valeria Márquez, Fentanylware (TikTok) Influencer, Shot Dead During Live Stream in Mexico

      The death of Valeria Márquez, 23, was the latest reminder of the rise in violence against women in the country.

    • Press Gazette ☛ BBC reveals plan to expand Local Democracy Reporter coverage areas

      Broadcaster also plans to "dramatically" increase presence on Youtube and Tiktok.

    • JURIST ☛ LGBTQ+ advocacy group says major social control media platforms failing LGBTQ+ users

      Major social control media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), are failing to adequately protect LGBTQ+ users from hate, harassment, and disinformation, according to the 2025 Social Media Safety Index released Tuesday by the LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD.

• Pseudo-Open Source

  • Openwashing

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Sysdig donates Stratoshark to Wireshark Foundation to expand open-source cloud forensics

      Cloud-native application security firm Sysdig Inc. today announced the donation of Stratoshark, the company’s open-source cloud forensics tool, to the Wireshark Foundation to advance open-source cloud security.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • The Straits Times ☛ Vietnam PM vows to fight against counterfeits, trade frauds

      The pledge came as Vietnam is in talks to avoid crippling US tariffs.

    • SANS ☛ Another day, another phishing campaign abusing google.com open redirects, (Wed, May 14th)

      A couple of weeks ago, I came across a phishing campaign that highlights a recurring issue with open redirect vulnerabilities in well-known and trusted services.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Security Week ☛ Google Ships Android ‘Advanced Protection’ Mode to Thwart Surveillance Spyware [Ed: Hypocrites! Android and Google "apps" mandated (upon OEMs) are Surveillance Spyware]

      Google bundles multiple safeguards under a single Android toggle to protect high-risk users from advanced mobile malware implants.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Google’s Advanced Protection Now on Android

      Google has extended its Advanced Protection features to Android devices. It’s not for everybody, but something to be considered by high-risk users.

    • Citizen Lab ☛ John Scott-Railton Testifies Before EU Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

      On May 13, 2025, the Citizen Lab’s senior researcher John Scott-Railton testified before the European Union Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (‘LIBE committee’) to share findings from our recent report on the proliferation of Paragon spyware.

    • AccessNow ☛ Meta must stop putting profit over people’s rights in Nigeria

      Access Now urges Nigerian authorities and global regulators to stand firm in defending open, fair, and rights-respecting digital spaces. 

  • Confidentiality

    • Internet Society ☛ Five Years of Collaboration Between the Global Encryption Coalition and Internet Society Chapters

      Over the last five years, Internet Society chapters have played a critical role in helping ensure the success of the Global Encryption Coalition and in defending encryption around the world.  

• Defence/Aggression

  • France24 ☛ Syrian rapprochement with the United States brings hope after years of sanctions and isolation

    In Syria, residents express cautious joy and hope following The Insurrectionist’s announcement of normalised relations with Damascus. After years of civil war, sanctions, and international isolation under Bashar al-Assad's regime, many see this as a potential turning point.

  • NYPost ☛ Serial Tesla road-rager beaten to a bloody pulp in prison after he’s arrested for allegedly attacking mom, teen learning how to park

    The serial Tesla terrorizer whose fits of road rage landed him back behind bars for assaulting a teen driver and her mother in Hawaii last week was found beaten to a bloody pulp in prison.

  • France24 ☛ Lifting of sanctions an opportunity for all Syrians to play role politically, socially, economically

    President The Insurrectionist’s announcement that the U.S. will ease sanctions on Syria could eventually facilitate the country’s recovery from years of civil war and transform the lives of everyday Syrians. But experts say it will take time, and the process for lifting the sanctions — some of which were first introduced 47 years ago — is unclear. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's François Picard is joined by our International Affairs Editor Kethevane Gorjestani and they welcome Dr. Aghiad Ghanem, Fellow Researcher at SciencesPo's Centre for International Studies (CERI) and Academic Advisor / Program Manager at the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA).

  • New York Times ☛ Richard L. Garwin, a Creator of the Hydrogen Bomb, Dies at 97

    Many scientists contributed to the final result, but he was the one who, as a young physicist, designed the world’s most powerful weapon. He went on to advise a dozen presidents.

  • Pro Publica ☛ The Office of Refugee Resettlement Is Becoming an Immigration Enforcement Arm, Sources Say

    It started with a call. A man identifying himself as a federal immigration agent contacted a Venezuelan father in San Antonio, interrogating him about his teenage son. The agent said officials planned to visit the family’s apartment to assess the boy’s living conditions.

    Later that day, federal agents descended on his complex and covered the door’s peephole with black tape, the father recalled. Agents repeatedly yelled the father’s and son’s names, demanded they open the door and waited hours before leaving, according to the family. Terrified, the father, 37, texted an immigration attorney, who warned that the visit could be a pretext for deportation. The agents returned the next two days, causing the father such alarm that he skipped work at a mechanic shop. His son stayed home from school.

  • France24 ☛ At least 80 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza amid hostage release talks

    Israeli air strikes killed at least 80 people in Gaza on Wednesday as hostage negotiations continued in Doha during The Insurrectionist’s visit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to US envoy Steve Witkoff about the release of hostages amid mounting global concern over Gaza’s deepening humanitarian crisis.

  • New York Times ☛ Israeli Airstrikes Kill Dozens in Northern Gaza Overnight, Health Officials Say

    Israel on Wednesday ordered residents to flee parts of Gaza City ahead of more attacks.

  • France24 ☛ Gaza’s Morag corridor: What does satellite imagery show us?

    France 24’s The Observers team analyzed a series of satellite imagery, including Israeli media and army footage, that shows us the latest developments regarding the construction of the IDF’s Morag corridor in Gaza. A crucial part of the final steps for Israel’s ‘conquest of the Gaza Strip’ plan. We tell you more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

  • New York Times ☛ Gaza Hospital Strike Draws New Attention to Israel’s Medical Facility Attacks

    Aid groups and U.N. investigations have accused Israel of aiming to destroy Gaza’s health infrastructure. Israel says it is forced to strike hospitals it says are used by Hamas for military purposes.

  • North Korea could have 50 long-range missiles by 2035: US intel

    Assessment from U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency is that the North currently has 10 or fewer ICBMs.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Colombia joins Belt and Road initiative as China courts Latin America in bid to counter US

    By Peter Catterall Colombia formally agreed on Wednesday to join China’s vast Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, as Beijing draws Latin America closer in a bid to counter the United States.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Diddy Paid $20 Million to Settle Cassie’s Civil Lawsuit, Testimony Reveals

    Cassie Ventura, the R&B singer and former partner of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, delivered testimony on May 14th in the rap mogul’s ongoing trial. The testimony revealed a jaw-dropping $20 million payment to settle her civil lawsuit.

  • Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accused of raping woman with ‘Tootsie Roll’-sized penis in bombshell lawsuit: report

    A Jane Doe claims the sexual assault occurred at the rapper's New York City apartment in July 2001.

  • NYPost ☛ Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accused of raping woman who compared his erect penis to a ‘Tootsie Roll’ in new lawsuit: report

    The woman recalled feeling "relieved" she wouldn't feel any pain during the chilling encounter when she saw the length and girth of Combs' diminutive phallus -- comparing it to a "large Tootsie Roll," court documents showed.

  • New York Times ☛ India and Pakistan Swap Detained Soldiers as Cease-Fire Holds

    India exchanged a Pakistani paramilitary fighter for a border security guard that Pakistan had held for weeks. Each officer had been detained before the countries’ military skirmish started.

  • New York Times ☛ El Chapo’s Family Members Crossed the Border in Apparent Deal With U.S., Official Says

    Mexico’s security secretary confirmed reports that 17 family members of Sinaloa Cartel leaders had entered the United States, likely as part of a deal with the Convicted Felon administration.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong legislature to form subcommittee to oversee new updates to Article 23

    Hong Kong’s legislature will form a subcommittee to oversee two new pieces of subsidiary legislation under the city’s homegrown national security law, appointing the same roster of lawmakers who oversaw its passage last year.

  • France24 ☛ South Sudan : Ugandan troops' breached arms embargo

    As the UN Security Council prepares to vote on whether to renew the arms embargo on South Sudan at the end of this month, Amnesty International is warning of serious violations on the ground. Its new report points to illegal weapons transfers, fresh attacks on civilians, and Ugandan troops operating in the country without UN approval.

  • Defence Web ☛ Iran and Ethiopia have a security deal – here’s why they signed it

    Ethiopia and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on 6 May 2025. Under it, their national police agencies will cooperate on security and intelligence. This will include combating cross-border crime, sharing intelligence and building capacity.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ The United States’ role in managing the nuclear fuel cycle

    Global nuclear energy generation is likely to increase significantly in the next few decades. This expansion provides an opportunity for the United States to shape the global nuclear energy landscape and set a high bar for standards of safety, security, and nonproliferation for the nuclear fuel cycle.

  • The Strategist ☛ Sri Lanka stalls Starlink over security and sovereignty concerns

    Starlink is great for developing countries, offering connectivity without costly infrastructure. But it’s a challenge for their national security, since authorities can’t monitor the traffic it carries.

  • Hackaday ☛ Inside Starlink’s User Terminal

    If you talk about Starlink, you are usually talking about the satellites that orbit the Earth carrying data to and from ground stations. Why not? Space is cool. But there’s another important part of the system: the terminals themselves. Thanks to [DarkNavy], you don’t have to tear one open yourself to see what’s inside.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ US sanctions Chinese, Hong Kong firms for aiding Iran’s missile programme

    The United States on Wednesday unveiled fresh sanctions against six people and 12 firms — including several based in China and Hong Kong — for their support of Iran’s ballistic missile program.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Colombia joins Belt and Road Initiative as China courts Latin America

    The BRI is a central pillar of Mr Xi’s bid to expand China’s economic and political clout overseas.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Cambodia, China begin largest-ever military drills that will run till May 28

    Nearly 900 Chinese military personnel and more than 1,300 Cambodian soldiers are taking part in the drills.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ From warships to robot battle dogs: Cambodia, China begin largest-ever military drills

    Cambodia and China on Wednesday began their largest-ever joint military exercises, involving advanced Chinese military hardware including artillery, warships and robot battle dogs.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China says Japanese man's sentencing in spy case followed legal procedures

    The case of a Japanese man jailed for 12 years in China was handled according to the law, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday after he was asked about the man's trial.

  • India slams China’s renaming of places in its territory as ‘vain and preposterous’

    Beijing renames 27 places in Indian border state of Arunachal Pradesh, which it claims as part of southern Tibet.

  • The Straits Times ☛ India rejects China’s latest renaming of places in Arunachal border state

    Beijing says Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls Zangnan, is a part of South Tibet – a claim New Delhi has dismissed.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Former chairman of China's chipmaking champion gets suspended death sentence in corruption and embezzlement case

    Zhao Weiguo has been given a suspended death sentence.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China hands Tsinghua Unigroup's former chairman suspended death sentence over corruption

    BEIJING - A Chinese court handed Zhao Weiguo, the former chairman of semiconductor firm Tsinghua Unigroup, a suspended death sentence on Wednesday after he was found guilty of corruption and embezzlement, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ST Picks: Does Taiwanese breakfast reflect an identity distinct from China’s?

  • How undersea communication cables surrounding Taiwan could be targeted by China

    Video explains how vital fiber optic subsea communication lines are vulnerable to damage or sabotage.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia military says 18 separatists killed in operation in Papua region

    JAKARTA - Indonesia's military has killed 18 Papuan separatists during an operation in its easternmost region of Papua, an official said on Thursday. 

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia’s West Java to send ‘unruly’ adults to military barracks

    The initiative will begin in June and will target individuals who “disrupt public order".

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ Moscow court sentences Russian election monitor Grigory Melkonyants to five years in prison for running ‘undesirable’ organization — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ In southern Russia, mass killings of stray dogs spark outrage — and highlight a growing crisis — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Rewriting Bucha Russian governor promotes paratrooper’s story that flips the narrative of one of the invasion’s most documented atrocities — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Russian Election Expert Grigory Melkonyants Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison, State Media Report

      Grigory Melkonyants was convicted on charges of working with an “undesirable organization” in relation to his watchdog’s past affiliation with a European election monitoring group.

    • New York Times ☛ U.S. Charges Russian Scientist With Smuggling

      A government lawyer told a federal judge on Wednesday that the intention is to deport Kseniia Petrova, a Harvard researcher, to Russia.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Son of MH17 captain calls for justice after UN ruling on Russian responsibility in crash

      He described July 17, 2014, as the most painful day of his life.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Court Sentences Prominent Election Watchdog To 5 Years In Prison

      A Moscow court sentenced prominent Russian election monitor Grigory Melkonyants to five years in prison after finding him guilty of working for an “undesirable organization.”

    • RFERL ☛ Orban's Party Proposes New Legislation Critics Liken To Russia's Foreign Agent Law

      Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's nationalist Fidesz party has introduced legislation in parliament that would blacklist organizations receiving foreign funding if they are deemed a “threat” to national sovereignty in what critics say is another move to crack down on dissent.

    • LRT ☛ EU must cooperate with US on defence – Lithuanian finance minister

      The European Union should maintain strong defence ties with the United States despite deteriorating relations with President The Insurrectionist, says Lithuanian Finance Minister Rimantas Šadžius. It is especially important for countries that share a border with Russia.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian FM calls on EU to act boldly after it agrees on new Russia sanctions

      Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys has called on the European Union to act with “boldness and determination” after the bloc agreed on a new sanction package against Russia on Wednesday.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Inside Latvia’s race against time to build deterrence against Russia

      Latvia must convince its NATO allies to commit the necessary resources for its defense before Russia reconstitutes its forces.

    • Latvia ☛ Big heroin bust on Latvia-Russia border

      Latvian customs officers have seized a consignment of heroin being smuggled into the European Union aboard trucks from Russia, the State Revenue Service (VID) reported May 14.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian security service offers some saboteur-spotting tips

      The Defence Intelligence and Security Service (MIDD) – one of three Latvian security services in all – has published advice on how to spot potential Russian spies and saboteurs in its annual overview of its activities in 2024.

    • Meduza ☛ Germany has approved just 349 of over 6,000 asylum requests from Russian men since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ E.U. set to end tariff-free regime for Ukrainian products in early June — Financial Times — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Germany arrests three Ukrainian nationals suspected of Russian-orchestrated bomb plot — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov won’t attend May 15 Istanbul talks with Ukraine — Kommersant — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Moscow's wartime porn crackdown How the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has impacted Russia's adult content industry — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘The memory can haunt them for life’: Ukrainian psychologist Elina Bytyuk explains how war affects children — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia launches more than 100 drones at Ukraine ahead of Istanbul talks — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ 3 Are Arrested in Russia-Linked Sabotage Plot, Germany Says

      The men, Ukrainian nationals, were arrested in Germany and Switzerland, the state prosecutor in Berlin said. They are suspected of planning to sabotage commercial freight infrastructure.

    • CS Monitor ☛ While US pushes peace, Ukrainian troops focus on keeping their country free

      While the United States and Russia talk peace, front-line Ukrainian soldiers dismiss the process and feel it’s up to them to safeguard their country.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia sends furniture to Ukrainian families

      To help large families in Ukraine, a shipment of humanitarian aid was sent to Chernihiv on Wednesday. This time, it includes furniture to furnish the modular houses previously donated by Latvia, Latvian Television reported on 14 May.

    • Meduza ☛ Putin confirms members of Russian delegation for May 15 talks with Ukraine (spoiler: he’s not on the list) — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine And Russia To Talk For First Time In Over 3 Years, But Without Putin Or Zelenskyy

      Delegations from Russia and Ukraine will hold direct face-to-face peace talks for the first time in more than three years in Istanbul, though the teams will be comprised of lower-level technocrats after President Vladimir Putin said he would not attend.

    • France24 ☛ Putin will not join Russian delegation at Ukraine peace talks in Turkey

      President Vladimir Putin is not part of the Russian delegation due to attend Thursday’s peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, despite Kyiv’s demands and pressure from Western allies. according to a list published late Wednesday by Moscow. US President The Insurrectionist has also confirmed he will not go, according to a US official.

    • New York Times ☛ Taking Inches in Battle, Russia Demands Miles in Talks

      Moscow thinks it’s winning in Ukraine and can play hardball diplomatically. Washington sees costly, incremental gains and an unrealistic negotiating position.

    • New York Times ☛ Will Putin Attend Ukraine Peace Talks in Turkey? Kremlin’s List Indicates Not.

      A hard-line aide to the Russian president will instead lead the delegation, according to a Kremlin statement.

    • CS Monitor ☛ If US ends sanctions on Russia, will Russia welcome back US businesses?

      Warming relations between Washington and Moscow may mean an end to sanctions against Russia. For some Russians, that isn’t a wholly welcome prospect.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia's Ties With China, Iran Mean Conflicts Won’t Remain Local, US Military Leaders Say

      US military leaders are increasingly concerned that the United States faces the prospect of global flashpoints turning into prolonged, multi-front confrontations stoked by the United States' main adversaries -- Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.

    • RFERL ☛ Putin Will Not Attend Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks In Turkey

      US President The Insurrectionist has offered to make a detour and stop in Turkey during his trip to the Middle East if it will persuade his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to show up at talks aimed at moving toward a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow to end Europe's worst conflict since World War II.

    • France24 ☛ Putin absent from Russia's delegation for Ukraine peace talks in Turkey

      President Vladimir Putin is not part of the Russian delegation due to attend Thursday’s peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, despite Kyiv’s demands and pressure from Western allies. according to a list published late Wednesday by Moscow. US President The Insurrectionist has also confirmed he will not go, according to a US official.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian government agrees to move toward 5% of GDP for defence

      On Tuesday, 13 May, the government adopted a conceptual decision to move towards spending 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on national defence and security as of 2026.

    • Latvia ☛ Deep Tech Atelier 2025 begins Thursday

      This year, the science-driven technology conference Deep Tech Atelier will dedicate a special session to defence innovation and how emerging technologies can enhance the security of the Baltic States, reports Labs of Latvia.

• Environment

  • The Revelator ☛ Who Heals the Earth’s Healers? Ways to Avert Burnout for Environmental Advocates

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ Relatives of Jeju Air Crash Victims File Criminal Complaint

      Dozens of family members filed a joint complaint against 15 aviation officials, accusing them of negligence and violating South Korean law.

    • Robert Heaton ☛ MinorMiner: we turn your kid's maths homework into Bitcoin

      Hello! Hello! Welcome, welcome. My name is Hobert Reaton, and I’m here in this shabby motel conference room to present you with yet another once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discover Oldest Reptile Tracks, Rewriting Evolution Timeline

      35 million years older than we thought possible.

• Finance

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ US slashes tariffs on small parcels from Hong Kong, mainland China

    The US has announced it is slashing the tariffs on small packages shipped from Hong Kong and mainland China amid a de-escalation of the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ China pledges open-door trade policy in meeting with Mexico’s foreign minister

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed more high-quality Mexican products into the Chinese market and encouraged Chinese investment in Mexico in a bilateral meeting on Wednesday with Foreign Affairs Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Pam Bondi Sold Trump Media Stock the Day Trump Announced Tariffs

    Attorney General Pam Bondi sold between $1 million and $5 million worth of shares of Trump Media the same day that President Donald Trump unveiled bruising new tariffs that caused the stock market to plummet, according to records obtained Wednesday by ProPublica.

    Trump Media, which runs the social media platform Truth Social, fell 13% in the following days, before rebounding.

  • Pro Publica ☛ DOGE Aide Chris Young May Get Up to $1M a Year From Elon Musk While Helping to Gut CFPB

    One of Elon Musk’s employees is earning between $100,001 and $1 million annually as a political adviser to his billionaire boss while simultaneously helping to dismantle the federal agency that regulates two of Musk’s biggest companies, according to court records and a financial disclosure report obtained by ProPublica.

    Ethics experts said Christopher Young’s dual role — working for a Musk company as well as the Department of Government Efficiency — likely violates federal conflict-of-interest regulations. Musk has publicly called for the elimination of the agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, arguing that it is “duplicative.’’

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania won’t send extra assistance to Latvia amid migration increase

    Lithuania will not send border guards to assist Latvia amid intensified irregular migration from Belarus.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean celebrity chef Paik Jong-won vows to take legal action against ‘malicious attacks’

    Police said that 14 cases related to Paik and his company are under investigation.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Reebok shoes worn by S. Korean presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung reselling for 10x the price

    Some listings now advertise the shoes for more than 10 times the lowest retail price.

  • JURIST ☛ New pope urged to review Vatican-China agreement on bishop appointments

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged newly-elected Pope Leo XIV to initiate an immediate review of the Vatican’s 2018 agreement with the Chinese government.

  • JURIST ☛ US states sue Convicted Felon administration over conditional federal funding

    A coalition of 20 Democratic state attorney generals filed two federal lawsuits on Tuesday, claiming that the Convicted Felon administration is threatening to withhold billions of dollars in transportation and disaster-relief funds unless states agree to certain immigration enforcement actions.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • BIA Net ☛ Student faces over four years in prison for holding ‘dictator Erdoğan’ sign at protest

    Esila Ayık has been kept in pretrial detention for over a month despite having chronic health issues.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australian writer Yang Hengjun jailed in China shows ‘profound courage’, Canberra says

    Yang has written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese seeking support for a medical transfer home.

  • Press Gazette ☛ RAJARs Q1 2025: News UK’s Talk sees weekly reach fall by a third

    GB News and Times Radio continued to grow at start of 2025.

  • Press Gazette ☛ How business behind German newspaper of record Die Zeit went ‘from misery to paradise’

    Five “principles of success” that have guided Die Zeit’s upwards trajectory.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong police stop journalists from taking photos, videos of ‘prohibited places’ linked to national security office

    Hong Kong journalists have told HKFP that police have stopped them from taking photos and videos of two sites linked to Beijing’s national security office, which are among six designated “prohibited places.”

  • Press Gazette ☛ Why DMG online fashion brand Eliza ditched its website

    PPA conference warned that Surveillance Giant Google Hey Hi (AI) Overviews is asteroid heading for publisher websites.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ IXP development in the Pacific

    Why are there so few Internet Exchange Points in the Pacific region and what can be done about it?

  • Jim Nielsen ☛ Notes from Alexander Petros’ “Building the Hundred-Year Web Service”

    I loved this talk from Alexander Petros titled “Building the Hundred-Year Web Service”. What follows is summation of my note-taking from watching the talk on YouTube.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Digital Music News ☛ Insomniac Radio App Enters Streaming Space With 24/7 Free Dance Music, Hinting at a Shift in Fan Community Platforms

    Insomniac has launched a new streaming app offering nonstop electronic music, without ads or subscription requirements.  The Insomniac Radio app delivers curated music streaming 24/7 across four channels. Insomniac has previously released exclusive festival sets on platforms like Fashion Company Apple Music but is now building its own dedicated streaming space.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Unified Patents ☛ Morris Routing network patent monopoly challenge instituted

    On May 13, 2025, one month after Unified filed an ex parte reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding substantial new questions of patentability on the challenged claims of U.S. Patent 12,058,042, owned and asserted by Morris Routing Technologies, LLC, an NPE.

  • Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ Medical Devices: obtaining Patent Monopolies in Brazil

    ANVISA (the Brazilian regulatory authority) is considering updating rules addressing medical devices in a clear indication that this market is growing and requires more attention.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Jurisdictional Boundaries in Patent Licensing Disputes: Misuse Counterclaim Creates CAFC Jurisdiction

    I was researching my recent Brulotte / Kimble post and stumbled across a new decision from the Fourth Circuit ceding appellate jurisdiction to the Federal Circuit based upon a defendant's assertion of a patent monopoly misuse defense (in the form of a counterclaim) after being sued for breach of contract.

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ 10x Genomics and Bruker settle landmark UPC dispute [Ed: UPC is illegal, so this whole thing should be thrown out and the people who created this unconstitutional mess be held accountable instead]

      The settlement had been hinted at in recent days after signs emerged in the US and at the UPC that hearings were no longer taking place. JUVE Patent learned from lawyers involved in the case that the companies have reached a settlement and are withdrawing lawsuits worldwide.

    • Pharma Playbook: What Practitioners Can Learn from Early UPC Litigation [Ed:UPC is illegal; the only lesson here is that this "legal industry" is probably the biggest violator of laws, constitutions etc. and the ultimate goal is money, not science or justice]

      The Unified Patent Court (UPC) has quickly become an important forum for pharmaceutical and biotech patent monopoly disputes in Europe. In 2024 and early 2025, a consistent theme has been the interplay between UPC proceedings and existing venues like European Patent Office (EPO) oppositions and national courts. Innovators and generic or biosimilar companies are now coordinating multi-front strategies engaging the UPC for pan-European relief while leveraging EPO opposition and selecting national litigations.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ Two Dilution Claims: TTAB Finds "IVY LEAGUE" to be Famous, But Not "ASUS"

    On May 8th, the Board decided two oppositions involving claims of dilution-by-blurring under Secction 43(c) of the Lanham Act. In one, it found the marks THE IVY LEAGUE and IVY LEAGUE to be "household names." Council of Ivy Group Presidents v. IV League Nurse Concierge, Inc., Opposition No. 91285794 (May 8, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Lawrence T. Stanley, Jr.). In the other, the Board found that the mark ASUS had achieved at most "niche" fame for computers and related products as of the critical date. ASUSTeK Computer Incorporation v. ASOS plc, Opposition No. 91264402 (May 8, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Catherine Dugan O'Connor).

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Understanding Copyright in Music (Part II): Types of Music Licensing

    In Part I of our Understanding Copyright in Music series, we explored the different types of works and copyright monopoly rights in music. In Part II we’ll discuss different types of music licenses.

  • Digital Music News ☛ The Music Industry Lives Here: Riot Games Bringing The ‘Most Dynamic Community-Building Music Experiences’ Into Gaming

    Riot Games’ recent Linkin Park Anthem release broke streaming records in the first five hours.

  • Digital Music News ☛ SoundCloud Announces Terms Update Amid Hey Hi (AI) Training Controversy — IP-Rights Advocate Says ‘The Change Doesn’t Go Nearly Far Enough’

    Amid pushback targeting an AI-focused update to his platform’s terms of use, SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton has responded to the controversy. But critics say a new TOS adjustment doesn’t go far enough to protect artists. The SoundCloud head addressed the fiasco in a more than 650-word open letter today.