Leftovers

• Leon Mika ☛ Devlog: Blogging Tools — Finished Podcast Clips

  Well, it’s done. I’ve finally finished adding the podcast clip to Blogging Tools. And I won’t lie to you, it took longer than expected, even after enabling some of the AI features my IDE came with. Along with the complexity that came from implementing this feature, that touched on most of the key subsystems of Blogging Tools, the biggest complexity came from designing how the clip creation flow should work. Blogging Tools is at a disadvantage over clipping features in podcast players in that it: [...]

• The Register UK ☛ OpenWebSearch – a European index for European search engines

  As search engines are intentionally made worse, and software grows ever bigger and more complex, a possibly unexpected ally emerges: the European Union.

• Modus Create LLC ☛ Why we blog

  I was the chief editor for this blog for the past 8 years or so, and I’ve just recently passed the mantle to Chris Harrison. I thought I’d take the opportunity to write a little bit about this blog, how it’s operated and what it means to us. Besides, we do like when things get meta here, so this is a blog post about the blog.

• Science

  • Artyom Bologov ☛ Making Sense of Lambda Calculus 5: Bring Computation to (Aggregate) Data

    So we've covered numbers as compositions and booleans as branches in this series of posts. But both of these are "primitive" data types. We need aggregate types to build the whole world out of! This post goes over simple techniques to build data types in Lambda Calculus. And some conventional types too.

  • Amit Gawande ☛ Transistors 101

    In my last issue on binary format, I mentioned that transistors are the building blocks of modern computers. That's a specific purpose, though. In a broader sense, transistors are the fundamental building blocks of modern electronics, enabling a wide range of devices, from computers and smartphones to medical devices and automobiles. Transistors are like the LEGO bricks of modern electronics—small, simple pieces that build up to incredible things. The latest smartphones have billions of these incredibly tiny components.

  • Matt Wedel ☛ Whatever happened to the Munich Diplododcus?

    In a perfect world, I would like to illustrate this post with photos of the Munich Diplodocus, still in its basement at the time of writing. I do have a few such photos; but the person who sent them to me said that the museum prefers that they not be made public, so I’m going to sit on them. Toss in the fact that much of what we found out for the paper was a personal communication from someone who doesn’t want to be named[2], and the whole thing feels rather mysterious.

  • Garry Kasparov ☛ Space United Us. Putin Tore Us Apart.

    These are men and women who know better. They have lived in the West, trained with American and European astronauts, speak English, and have been sufficiently exposed to foreigners and non-Russian media to know that Putin’s lies are just that: lies. And yet they decided that fancy SUVs, bougie apartments in Moscow, plum jobs for their kids, and the promise of more spaceflights are worthwhile tradeoffs for supporting an evil regime and an evil war.

    Seeing my former friends and crewmates sell their souls to Putin has been one of the saddest and most maddening experiences of my life. Watching Sasha, Max, and Yelena (as well as other cosmonauts) turn to the dark side is not representative of something that only happens in Russia but a troubling lesson about how normal, intelligent people can support a tyrant in exchange for some creature comforts. It can happen anywhere, and we need to recognize that.

• Career/Education

  • Mass protest by parents prompts reversal of private school closure in China

    Authorities change plans after hundreds stage angry demo outside municipal office in Hebei province.

  • BoingBoing ☛ 3 Yale professors explain why they're leaving America before it's too late (Video)

    In a six-minute New York Times Opinion video, historians and philosophers Marci Shore, Timothy Snyder, and Jason Stanley explain their decision to leave their prestigious positions at Yale for the University of Toronto. Their evidence of democratic decay is specific and chilling: federal judges threatened with impeachment for ruling against the administration, students detained for expressing opinions, and U.S. residents sent to foreign prisons without due process.

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ China’s Tencent boasts of 'strong stockpile' of Hey Hi (AI) GPUs - looking at alternative Hey Hi (AI) accelerators

    Tencent claims it has a strong stockpile of GPUs for Hey Hi (AI) development in the face of investor concerns.

  • Herman Õunapuu ☛ Home is where the home server is

    I moved recently, and so did my home server. You might have noticed it due to the downtime.

    This time I have built a dedicated shelf for it, which allows for more flexibility and room for additional expensive ideas.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ Baby Is Healed With World’s First Personalized Gene-Editing Treatment

    The technique used on a 9½-month-old boy with a rare condition has the potential to help people with thousands of other uncommon genetic diseases.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Almost one-third of LGBTQ-identifying people report symptoms of moderate to severe depression, survey finds

    Almost one-third of people identifying as LGBTQ in Hong Kong reported symptoms of moderate to severe depression, a study has found, with some saying they were treated poorly because of their sexual identity when seeking help.

  • AccessNow ☛ How Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws entrap people online

    As we mark the IDAHOBIT 2025, we highlight research on Uganda's anti-LGBTQ+ laws and show how they can lead to digital entrapment and human rights violations.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Proposed ban on flavoured tobacco not ‘over the top,’ Hong Kong gov’t says

    Hong Kong’s proposed ban on traditional smoking products with added flavourings is not “over the top,” the government has said, adding that the city has to “align itself” with international tobacco policies.

  • France24 ☛ 'As humanitarian workers aid Gazans, they are struggling for their own survival'

    Human Rights Watch said on Thursday that Israel's total blockade of the Gaza Strip, in place since March 2, has become "a tool of extermination". For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's Delano D'Souza welcomes Sandrine Simon, Director of Health and Advocacy at Médecins du Monde.

• Proprietary

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man takes issue with Apple’s manufacturing investments in India

    U.S. President The Insurrectionist told Fashion Company Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook that he disapproves of the company’s supply chain buildout in India.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man tells Fashion Company Apple CEO Tim Cook 'I don't want you building in India,' says Fashion Company Apple will increase U.S. manufacturing

    Hell Toupée says he told Fashion Company Apple CEO Tim Cook to stop building plants in India and make devices in the U.S. instead.

  • New York Times ☛ What the Changes in Apple’s App Store Mean for iPhone Users

    A federal judge created a path for app makers like Spotify and Patreon to avoid paying Fashion Company Apple hefty commissions. Is this a win for consumers? It’s complicated.

  • India ☛ 'Worked Over 60 Hours A Week, Never Asked For Raise': Wife of Sacked Microsoft Employee Writes Heartfelt Note

    IT giant Microsoft has announced that it is laying off 3 per cent of employees across teams and geographies. Following this, employees and their family members who have been hit by the layoffs took to social media to share their feelings. One of them, the wife of a sacked Microsoft employee, said her husband has been laid off randomly by a “computer algorithm" despite him working over 60 hours a week, taking on-call shifts during Christmas and Thanksgiving, and never asking for raises or promotions.

  • Financial Express ☛ Microsoft lays off pregnant employee, she asks what’s next for me amidst maternity leave concerns

  • My husband was laid off from Microsoft by an algorithm — after 25 years, his last day is his birthday

    My husband has worked for Microsoft for 25 years. He was just laid off — randomly selected by a computer algorithm. His last day is this Friday — his 48th birthday.

    He is autistic and has multiple sclerosis. He’s the most quietly loyal, brilliant person I’ve ever met. Never missed a day of work. Rarely called in sick (and would then work from home). Worked 60+ hours a week. Took on-call shifts during Christmas and Thanksgiving so coworkers with children could be home. He never asked for raises or promotions — he just kept showing up and solving impossible problems.

    He’s won awards for fixing multi-million-dollar bugs. He’s mentored hundreds of coworkers, including some who went on to lead teams and divisions. Even the CEOs knew his name. And yet he was let go — by a spreadsheet.

    He got his 25-year crystal a few months ago. Now he’s being walked out.

    He would be so embarrassed if he knew I was writing this. He’s proud of keeping a stiff upper lip and not making a fuss. But I couldn’t let him leave without someone hearing the story.

    I don’t need pity. I just need someone to know what this world does to the people who give it everything — quietly, consistently, and without ever asking for more.

  • HowTo Geek ☛ Linux Wouldn't Recognize My Windows Partitions. Here's How I Solved It

    If you dual-boot Linux and Windows, you expect to move between the two without much fuss. But I’ve had moments when I booted into Linux and suddenly couldn’t see my Windows partitions. It’s frustrating when you just need to grab a file quickly. Thankfully, this is usually something you can fix without too much effort.

  • Web Pro News ☛ Microsoft Makes Linux Validation Tool Available As a Service [Ed: Company that attacks Linux would not be trusted for this]

    Microsoft has made its Linux Integration Services Automation (LISA) tool available as a service to distro publishers, giving them a powerful tool to validate images for Microsoft Azure.

    Microsoft may be best known for its Windows, Office, Xbox, and its Azure cloud platform. What many may not realize, however, is that Microsoft is a powerful force within the Linux community. Gone are the days when Microsoft execs called Linux a cancer. The modern Microsoft has fully embraced Linux, has its own Linux distro it runs on its cloud services, and is a large contributor to Linux kernel development.

  • The Register UK ☛ Ex-DoorDash driver cops to scamming over $2.5M

    A former DoorDash driver has pleaded guilty to participating in a $2.59 million scheme that used fake accounts, insider access to reassign orders, and bogus delivery reports to trigger payouts for food that was never delivered.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • PC World ☛ YouTube wants to place ads at the 'most exciting' moments of its videos

      At its own Brandcast 2025 event, YouTube presented a new way of inserting advertisements in particularly exciting places, which was recapped in this official YouTube blog post.

    • 404 Media ☛ Why Did Grok Start Talking About ‘White Genocide’?

      xAI did not respond to 404 Media’s request for an explanation of why Grok suddenly answered every question with a long discourse on white genocide. LLMs like Grok are black boxes. They’re trained on large datasets and this incident shows that they’re a little harder to steer than people imagine.

    • Pivot to AI ☛ Even Elon Musk can’t make Grok claim a ‘white genocide’ in South Africa

      There is not a “white genocide” in South Africa. It’s a completely made-up conspiracy theory promoted by neo-Nazis. It’s also a theory that Elon Musk believes is true.

      Normally, Grok says the white genocide theory is false and cites a pile of sources to this effect. This time, Grok talked about the theory as if it was credible — then went back to its original sensible responses: [...]

    • The Register UK ☛ Deepfake voices of senior US officials used in scams: FBI

      "The malicious actors have sent text messages and AI-generated voice messages — techniques known as smishing and vishing, respectively — that claim to come from a senior US official in an effort to establish rapport before gaining access to personal accounts," the warning reads.

    • International Business Times ☛ Rogue AI or Responsible Chatbot? Elon Musk Slams Grok for Trusting 'Mainstream Media'

      Normally, people don't tear down their own creations in public. However, Elon Musk might just do that, even with his AI. As the Economic Times reported it appears Musk's patience with Grok, the xAI chatbot he developed, wore thin over the weekend after it checked the facts of a conspiracy-like post and pointed to traditional media as trustworthy.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ AI-Generated Law - Schneier on Security

      The primary concern with using AI in lawmaking is that it will be wielded as a tool by the powerful to advance their own interests. AI may not fundamentally change lawmaking, but its superhuman capabilities have the potential to exacerbate the risks of power concentration.

  • Social Control Media

    • Abishek Muthian ☛ Owning my Social Network

      After yet another Mastodon drama1 and tired of migrating from one Mastodon instance to another I have decided to self-host a Mastodon instance.

      But Mastodon is an overkill for a single user instance, Luckily GoToSocial2 an ActivityPub social network server written in Go serves my needs perfectly.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ South Korea fines China’s e-commerce giant Temu for user data violations

      South Korea has fined Chinese e-commerce giant Temu nearly one million US dollars for illegally transferring Korean users’ personal information to China and other countries, a data protection watchdog said Thursday.

    • Politico ☛ Apple to appeal €500M digital fine over EU’s silence in compliance talks

      Apple is preparing to appeal the European Commission’s €500 million fine for breaking the bloc’s digital rules, accusing the EU executive of spurning the firm’s efforts to comply with the law and resolving to impose a large fine months ahead of the official decision.

      It’s a showdown that will determine how far the Commission needs to hold companies’ hands toward compliance before issuing fines under the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which sets out rules for Big Tech companies operating on the European market.

    • Scott Smitelli ☛ Et tu, Panera? § Scott Smitelli

      If I scroll down, it remembers even older orders that I had placed while signed in with this phone number. Most of these are substantially the same—in the summer I’ll often get a salad instead, and sometimes I skip the cookie. Similar to the missed opportunity on the initial page, there is no single-tap way to repeat this entire order all at once. The best I can do is tap the three separate Add to Order buttons to resubmit the order piecewise.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ Mirrors, glass plates: Fans of S. Korean presidential candidate Lee react to ‘shooter attack’ alert

    The items are meant to distract potential shooters in the vicinity.

  • New York Times ☛ Syrian Business Owners Energized by U.S. Promise to Lift Sanctions

    Since the overthrow of the dictator Bashar al-Assad, business owners have been waiting for Washington to ease sanctions and pave the way for an economic renewal.

  • The Verge ☛ TikTok will show teens guided meditation after 10PM

    While testing its meditation feature, TikTok says it found 98 percent of users under 16 kept it on after trying it for the first time. Teens can ignore the initial 10PM reminder, but the app will display another full-screen prompt later that’s harder to dismiss.

  • Matt Birchler ☛ This is happening now

    A majority of our elected representatives have failed to protect the American people from the abuses of an unfit president and a rogue governor. They have no concern or idea of what it means to be deeply American. The America that I've sung to you about for 50 years is real. And regardless of its faults, it's a great country with a great people. So we'll survive this moment.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Danish minister heads to China, days after Taiwan ex-leader's contested Denmark trip

    Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen will travel to China on Saturday for high-level meetings, just days after a visit by former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to Copenhagen drew strong condemnation from Beijing.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan cannot rule out China holding more drills as President marks a year in office

    May 20 will be one year since President Lai Ching-te’s inauguration.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China retains rare earth export controls as bargaining chip amid trade war truce with US

    It dominates the rare earth supply chain, and processes some 90 per cent of the global supply.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan’s representation at Pope’s inauguration a delicate balancing act for the Holy See

    The absence of President Lai has to do with the Vatican not wanting to ruffle China's feathers, say analysts.

  • France24 ☛ Gaza: Airstrikes intensify as hopes for ceasefire fade

    Airstrikes in Gaza have escalated, with 94 reported dead since midnight on May 15, 2025, marking the second consecutive day of heavy bombing. The violence comes despite hopes that the return of the last surviving American-Israeli hostage and The Insurrectionist's visit to the Middle East might help pave the way for de-escalation or a ceasefire.

  • New York Times ☛ Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens in Gaza, Health Ministry Says

    Israel intensified its military campaign against Hamas, despite a U.S.-backed push for the two sides to agree a new cease-fire.

  • Stanford University ☛ Students and faculty launch hunger strike for Palestine

    Over ten Stanford affiliates launched a hunger strike on Monday to protest for a free Palestine. The strikers have made four demands of the University, including divestment from Israel.

  • JURIST ☛ India dispatch: Pakistan strikes on civilian targets in Kashmir conflict threaten norms of humanitarian law

    The correspondent filing this dispatch is a law student in Mumbai who must remain anonymous. The past week has witnessed an unprecedented escalation of the conflict between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the terrorist killings of tourists on Indian soil in the town of Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir (‘J&K’).

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ Talks in Turkey: Putin not willing to sit down and talk, while Ukraine seeks to send signal to Convicted Felon

      Moscow sees talks with Kyiv as a "continuation" of failed negotiations in 2022 at the start of its invasion, Russia's delegation head Vladimir Medinsky, insisting the Kremlin's team had "necessary competencies" for the negotiations. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's Genie Godula welcomes Peter Zalmayev, Director of the Eurasian Democracy Initiative.

    • France24 ☛ Putin snubs talks: Does Convicted Felon pivot towards Ukraine?

      No, Vladimir Putin did not go to Istanbul for the mano a mano on offer.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine's Zelensky says he is 'ready' for talks with Putin in a news conference in Turkey

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a newsconference in Turkey, he said he will send a team headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to the Turkish city of Istanbul for peace talks with a Russian delegation. He also said that he was 'ready' for talks with Putin.

    • RFERL ☛ Putin's No-Show Tempers Hopes For Breakthrough In Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks

      The first direct peace talks in more than three years are set to take place between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul on May 16, though neither side has sent high level delegations, tempering expectations of major progress toward a halt in Europe's longest conflict since World War II.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Putin discussed Ukraine talks with Russia's most senior officials

      MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin held a late night meeting with some of Russia's most powerful officials to discuss the upcoming peace talks with Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Thursday.

    • New York Times ☛ Officials From Russia and Ukraine Are in Turkey, But Will Peace Talks Take Place?

      The first peace talks in three years were supposed to begin on Thursday but amid posturing and accusations, they were pushed back at least until Friday.

    • France24 ☛ Zelensky, US expectations low for Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday dimmed expectations for the first direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in three years after Russia's Vladimir Putin announced he would send a "decorative" delegation in his stead to Turkey on Friday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted that no progress would be achieved without Putin directly meeting with US President The Insurrectionist.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Why would he go if I’m not going?’ Trump says of Putin skipping Istanbul talks — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Talker, technocrat, soldier, spy Zelensky called Russia’s delegation for the Istanbul talks a ‘sham.’ Here’s who Putin sent to negotiate with Ukraine — and why they matter. — Meduza

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Russia’s aerial attacks on Ukrainian civilians must not go unpunished

      Holding Russia legally accountable for the ongoing air offensive against Ukraine’s civilian population is particularly important as this form of total war looks set to make a return, write Anastasiya Donets and Susan H. Farbstein. 

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Ukraine’s vibrant civil society wants to be heard during peace talks

      While officials in Moscow, Washington, Brussels, and Kyiv discuss technicalities and potential concessions, members of Ukraine’s vibrant civil society are attempting to define the contours of a lasting and meaningful peace, writes Ana Lejava.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Fancy Bear campaign sought emails of high-level Ukrainians and their military suppliers

      Russian hackers aren’t just targeting Ukraine — they also appear to be going after their defense contractors in other countries, new ESET research surmises.

    • France24 ☛ Macron, Pope Leo XIV call for 'lasting peace' in Ukraine and Gaza in first phone call

      French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with newly elected Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, discussing global peace efforts in Ukraine and Gaza during their first official conversation. Macron praised the pontiff’s commitment to social and environmental causes and reiterated France’s support for his leadership.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine in the spotlight at Cannes Film Festival

      This year’s Cannes film festival is giving geopolitics a starring role, most notably, the ongoing war in Ukraine. Three documentaries were screened on the day of the opening ceremony, as well as Sergei Loznitsa’s latest film ‘The Prosecutor’ being part of the official selection. FRANCE 24's Jennifer Ben Brahim looks at how the world of cinema is tackling this three-year conflict.

    • France24 ☛ Turkey turns into diplomatic hub for Ukraine peace and NATO talks

      A lot is unfolding in Turkey this Wednesday. As Russian aides arrive in Istanbul for the first direct talks with Kyiv since 2022, NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Antalya. The gathering is a key step in preparing for next month’s summit on European security, closely tied to the future of the war in Ukraine and prospects for lasting peace.

    • JURIST ☛ Rights groups urge Council of Europe to publish draft statute for Ukraine tribunal

      A coalition of several human rights organizations urged the Council of Europe on Wednesday to publish a draft statute for the new Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, endorsed by the Council’s Committee of Ministers this week.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukrainian Is Charged After Fires at Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Properties

      One of the blazes took place outside the doorway of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s family home in Kentish Town, in north London, which is currently being rented out.

    • Meduza ☛ Zelensky arrives in Ankara ahead of Ukraine–Russia talks, accuses Moscow of sending 'prop' delegation — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Zelensky to send delegation led by Ukrainian defense minister to talks with Russia in Istanbul — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian delegation head addresses media in Istanbul before heading to palace where talks with Ukraine are planned — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia–Ukraine talks in Istanbul to begin on Friday, Russian state media reports — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Textbook revisionism Russian Security Council’s WWII essay collection reveals Kremlin mindset, three years into Ukraine war — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Ukraine confirms loss of another F-16 during combat mission — Meduza

    • Security Week ☛ Andrei Tarasov: Inside the Journey of a Russian Hacker on the FBI’s Most Wanted List

      Once a key figure in the Angler exploit kit underworld, Tarasov’s life has unraveled into detention, paranoia, and an unwanted return to the Russia he publicly despised.

    • JURIST ☛ Hungary proposes controversial Russia-style legislation to investigate foreign-funded organizations

      Hungarian lawmakers on Tuesday proposed a bill that would impose sweeping restrictions on organizations seen as threats to national sovereignty. The bill expands the powers of the controversial Sovereignty Protection Office (SPO) and tightens government control over civil society, including nonprofits, advocacy groups, independent media, and other community actors that operate independently from the government.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania alone cannot implement sanctions effectively – Seimas speaker

      One country cannot ensure effective implementation of sanctions, Lithuanian Parliament Speaker Saulius Skvernelis says, as the Foreign Ministry proposes national sanctions against Russia and Belarus.

    • RFERL ☛ Estonia Accuses Russia Of 'Serious Threat' To NATO After Fighter Jet Disrupts Tanker Inspection

      Estonia has accused Russia of creating a "serious threat" to NATO in the Baltic Sea after a Russian fighter jet disrupted operations by the Estonian Navy to inspect an unflagged tanker that is on the United Kingdom's sanctions list.

    • Meduza ☛ Harvard scientist from Russia charged with smuggling frog embryos into U.S., sent to federal prison — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian authorities arrest employees of largest publishing house over alleged ‘LGBT propaganda’ in books — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian court fines Meduza nearly $5,000 for violating ‘foreign agent’ law — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Foretelling failure: The Kremlin has instructed Russia’s news media to prepare the public for no breakthroughs in Istanbul — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Rainbow-wigged Pepe the Frog meme too fabulous for Russia’s justice system — Meduza

    • LRT ☛ Controversial Lithuanian politician Vaitkus under investigation following Minsk visit

      Lithuanian politician and former presidential candidate Eduardas Vaitkus is under investigation by the police after visiting Minsk and meeting with Belarusian politicians. The Lithuanian is suspected of acting against Lithuania’s interests.

    • Meduza ☛ Restored sculpture of Stalin unveiled in Moscow metro station — Meduza

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man can cement his Middle East successes by calling Putin’s bluff

      After lifting Syria sanctions and semiconductor restrictions, Convicted Felon has a historic opportunity when it comes to Russia's war in Ukraine.

    • NYPost ☛ Rubio asserts ‘peacemaker’ Convicted Felon sitting down with Putin is the ‘only’ way war in Ukraine ends

      Rubio, who is leading a US delegation in Turkey for talks — proposed by Putin — aimed at settling the bloodiest European conflict since World War II, lauded Convicted Felon as a peace-centric president.

• Environment

  • YLE ☛ Report: Finland leads Europe in river restoration

    The record number of removals of migration barriers is in line with the EU Restoration Regulation's goal of restoring at least 25,000 kilometres of free-flowing rivers, the WWF said.

  • MIT Technology Review ☛ How US research cuts are threatening crucial climate data

    Over the last few months, and especially the last few weeks, there’s been an explosion of news about proposed budget cuts to science in the US.

  • European Commission ☛ Questions and Answers on the 'Choose Europe for Science' pilot scheme

    Are there any specific themes or orientations for the ‘Choose Europe for Science' pilot?

  • New York Times ☛ New N.I.H. Policy Threatens Global Science Collaborations

    Restrictions on payments to foreign partners may jeopardize studies of cancer and other conditions that would benefit Americans.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China first-quarter emissions fell despite rising power demand

    But emissions could rise again if Beijing stimulates carbon-intensive sectors in response to its trade war.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • NYPost ☛ NJ Transit engineers on strike after contract negotiations fail — wreaking havoc on commuters

      NJ Transit has failed to reach a contract agreement with locomotive engineers, resulting in the first major transit strike to hit New Jersey since 1983.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Korean crypto CEO to join Convicted Felon’s inner circle of ‘meme coin’ millionaires

      Mr Oh Sang-rok is likely behind a wallet holding roughly $3.9 million worth of $TRUMP.

    • The Drone Girl ☛ ANRA achieves big milestone in European U-space implementation

      The U.S. drone industry doesn’t typically use the term “U-space” — that’s Euro-speak. But conceptually, it’s similar to what the FAA calls “UTM” (Uncrewed Traffic Management). It’s all a term for the type of digital infrastructure that allows drones to safely operate in low-altitude airspace alongside each other, and alongside traditional aircraft. Think air traffic control, but for thousands of autonomous flying robots.

      With its new certification, ANRA now has EASA’s blessing to manage drone traffic across Europe. This change to European airspace marks a huge shift in how commercial drones could operate on the continent. It opens the door for BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) operations, complex drone delivery networks, emergency response missions and even autonomous air taxis. In short, we’re one step closer to the kind of Jetsons future we’ve been hearing about for more than a decade now.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ ‘Adopt, don’t shop,’ Consumer Council says after finding most online pet sellers suspected of conducting illegal business

      Hong Kong’s Consumer Council has urged people to adopt pets after its investigation found that over 90 per cent of online pet shops were suspected of smuggling animals from mainland China or being unlicensed local breeders.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ NGO urges stronger protection of Hong Kong’s oyster reefs as gov’t invites public views on biodiversity strategy

      Hong Kong’s environmental authorities should include more robust measures to protect and restore oyster reefs in the city’s waters in their forthcoming update of a biodiversity policy blueprint, an international NGO has said.

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ Here’s What’s in House Republicans’ Big Tax Bill to Deliver Convicted Felon’s Agenda

    A large tax cut, as well as more money for defense and immigration enforcement, would be financed by slashing health, nutrition, education and clean energy programs.

  • France24 ☛ The price of Paris: What does it cost to live in the French capital?

    Paris is a popular tourist destination and many people dream about moving to the City of Light permanently. But how much does it actually cost to live in the French capital? Paris is not only the most expensive place to live in France, it’s one of the world’s priciest cities to reside in. Whether it's food, entertainment, healthcare, transport or most importantly housing, the cost of living is high. Why is it so pricey? And what are public officials doing to try to stop the city from turning into a ghetto for the wealthy? We take a closer look in this edition of French Connections.

  • Why Burberry’s 1,700 job cuts signal a luxury market shift

    Burberry, the iconic British luxury fashion house, recently announced plans to cut approximately 1,700 jobs globally. This move, detailed in the Burberry profit and earnings report of 2025, has sent shockwaves through the global fashion industry. Burberry layoffs have now raised questions about the brand’s legacy and its place in a shifting luxury market.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian minister more hopeful after trade talks with US

    He hoped to see "some sort of a conclusion" before the end of the 90-day pause Mr Convicted Felon announced in April.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia committed to 2025 petrol subsidy cut but no fixed date

    Cutting subsidies on the most popular petrol is expected to save the government $2.5 billion a year.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Apec warns of stalling trade due to tariffs as China, US officials meet

    It projected that exports in the region would rise by only 0.4% in 2025, compared with 5.7% in 2024.

  • The Straits Times ☛ How Convicted Felon’s man in Beijing swung from trade globalist to China hawk

    David Perdue’s arrival will be closely watched after both sides reached an unexpected truce over trade tariffs.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Four questions (and expert answers) about the China-Latin America summit

    At the summit, China offered billions of dollars’ worth of credit and Colombia entered into the Belt and Road Initiative.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China grants visa-free entry to some of Latin America's biggest economies

    China will extend its visa-free policy to nationals of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay, putting some of Latin America's largest economies on equal footing with many European and Asian countries as it sought stronger ties with the region.

  • Bryan Lunduke ☛ Coinbase Hacker Demands $20 Million Dollar Ransom

    In filing, Coinbase says damages may be upward of $400 Million.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man to keep 30% China tariffs through late 2025: Analysts

    US levies on Chinese products imposed this year will likely hold at 30 per cent through late 2025.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China to open more tax refund stores to boost inbound tourism and consumption

    In 2024, total expenditure of inbound tourists in China reached S$122 billion.

  • Elderly Chinese woman’s death fuels public outrage over bank’s rigid withdrawal rules

    The critically ill woman died outside the Hunan bank after being forced to appear in person to withdraw her money.

  • Tech Layoffs Continue: Amazon Trims 100 Roles In Devices Unit Following Microsoft's Workforce Cuts

    Amazon.com (AMZN) told Reuters and CNBC on Wednesday that it is laying off 100 employees in its devices and services division.

    Though small in scale, the cuts reflect how tech firms continue to make targeted layoffs, responding to a shifting business landscape driven by AI expansion and U.S. tariffs.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Wired ☛ The Middle East Has Entered the AI Group Chat

    Trump said that the US companies will help G42, an Emirati company, build five gigawatts of AI computing capacity in the UAE.

  • Mike Brock ☛ On Patriotism

    True patriotism is not abstract love of country divorced from its foundational principles. It is not blind loyalty to whoever currently holds power. It is certainly not the willingness to abandon constitutional principles in the name of partisan advantage or cultural grievance. True patriotism is the moral courage to stand for the democratic republic even—especially—when doing so comes at personal cost.

    We find ourselves at a moment when the meaning of patriotism itself has become contested. When those who would dismantle democratic institutions claim the mantle of patriotic defenders. When loyalty to a person is conflated with loyalty to the nation. When the symbols of patriotism are weaponized against the very principles those symbols were meant to represent.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • The Strategist ☛ Pacific island countries need support to address information manipulation

      Pacific island countries are being drawn into broader foreign information manipulation and interference efforts by countries such as Russia and China, which want to shape the global narrative in their favour.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Bryan Lunduke ☛ Adobe Caves When Challenged by Lunduke

    After filing multiple fraudulent YouTube copyright monopoly claims, in order to silence a critical journalist, Adobe failed to follow through with legal action when challenged.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taking photos of ‘prohibited’ sites illegal under Article 23 only if criminal intent involved, Hong Kong security chief says

    Hong Kong’s security minister Chris Tang has said that taking photos of sites designated as “prohibited places” is illegal under the city’s security legislation only if there is “a criminal intent.”

  • 404 Media ☛ CBP Seizes Shipment of T-Shirts Featuring Swarm of Bees Attacking a Cop

    Customs and Border Protection seized a shipment of t-shirts from a streetwear brand that sells an “Eliminate ICE” t-shirt and multiple shirts critical of police and capitalism. Among the shirts seized was a design that features a swarm of bees attacking a police officer. Emails seen by 404 Media indicate that the shirts are going to be shipped back to China or will be “destroyed.”

  • BoingBoing ☛ British citizen sentenced to 10 years in Saudi prison over deleted tweet

    A British father of four has been sentenced to 10 years in a Saudi Arabian prison over what appears to be a deleted tweet from seven years ago.

  • India Times ☛ Ahmed al-Doush: Saudi Arabia sentences British banking analyst to a decade in prison, apparently over a tweet; here's what he wrote that sparked the controversy

    Saudi Arabia has sentenced a British man Ahmed al-Doush to a 10-year jail for posting a tweet. Ahmed al-Doush, who is a banking analyst at Bank of America, posted the tweet back in 2018. The tweet was about Sudan, not even about Saudi Arabia. Subsequently, the post was deleted.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • OpenRightsGroup ☛ How to Fix the Online Safety Act: A Rights First Approach

    In this report, we analyse the Online Safety Act (OSA or ‘the Act’) 2023, which imposes new duties on online service providers to protect children from harmful content, and Ofcom’s guidance to compliance with these duties.

  • Manuel Moreale ☛ Web Accessibility. A follow-up.

    The other day, I wrote about my quest to find a good web accessibility course because that’s an area I wanted to get better at for a variety of reasons and also because it’s important. Many of you emailed me and the overwhelming majority suggested Practical Accessibility by the always great and lovely Sara Soueidan.

  • JURIST ☛ Michigan judge strikes down abortion restrictions

    Michigan Judge Sima Patel struck down three of Michigan’s abortion restrictions, including its 24-hour waiting period, on Tuesday. The court ruled that the restrictions served to “deny, burden, or infringe” upon the reproductive freedom of individuals seeking abortion care. Moreover, the three restrictions were found to neither serve a state interest nor protect patient health.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• The Verge ☛ Meta asks judge to throw out antitrust case mid-trial

  The FTC has made its case with testimony from several high-profile players in Meta’s businesses, including Instagram’s co-founder Kevin Systrom — who aired complaints about Meta’s handling of his company — and its current head, Adam Mosseri, who offered a more optimistic take. Meta has countered by emphasizing the company’s persistent struggles against social networks that the FTC doesn’t consider full competitors, particularly TikTok, which, in the war for those aforementioned 17-year-olds’ attention, Meta portrays as a constant scourge.

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ No damages for Glenmark in battle over Mundipharma’s Targin

    For years, Frankfurt-based Mundipharma defended market exclusivity for its painkiller Targin against various generic drug manufacturers. The product combines two active ingredients, oxycodone and naloxone. The drug has long been one of the pharmaceutical innovator’s top-selling products.

• Copyrights

  • Creative Commons ☛ Understanding CC Licenses and Hey Hi (AI) Training: A Legal Primer

    Whether you are a creator, researcher, or anyone licensing your work with a CC license, you might be wondering how it can be used to train AI. Many Hey Hi (AI) developers, who wish to comply with the CC license terms, are also seeking guidance.  The application of copyright monopoly law to Hey Hi (AI) training is complex.

  • Techdirt ☛ AI Is Making Many People Rethink Copyright

    Until now. The latest iteration of artificial intelligence has captured the attention of politicians around the world. It seems that the latter can’t do enough to promote and support it, in the hope of deriving huge economic benefits, both directly, in the form of local AI companies worth trillions, and indirectly, through increased efficiency and improved services. That current favoured status has given AI leaders permission to start saying the unsayable: that copyright is an obstacle to progress, and should be reined in, or at least muzzled, in order to allow AI to reach its full potential. For example, here is what OpenAI’s proposals for the US AI Action Plan, which is currently being drawn up, say about copyright: [...]

  • The Register UK ☛ Anthopic's law firm blames Claude hallucinations [sic] for errors

    An attorney defending AI firm Anthropic in a copyright case brought by music publishers apologized to the court on Thursday for citation errors that slipped into a filing after using the biz's own AI tool, Claude, to format references.

  • Torrent Freak ☛ Wrong Logo, No Piracy Proof: French Court Rejects DNS Piracy Blocking Bids

    French courts continue to expand the scope of sports piracy related DNS blocking, as requested by rightsholders. While perceived as too broad by the targeted DNS resolvers, the orders are not signed blindly. A new court order issued this month rejects blocking requests for several sports streaming domains, noting that sports network beIN failed to supply sufficient proof that 'their' streams were pirated.