Leftovers

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ SpaceX Starship Loses Control on Test Flight 9 as Rocket Re-enters Earth

    Much was riding on Flight 9 for MElon’s giant moon and Mars rocket after debris from January and March flights fell into the Atlantic Ocean, disrupting air travel.

  • New York Times ☛ Maternal Mental Health Has Declined, Study Says

    New research involving nearly 200,000 mothers found that one in 12 rated her mental health as fair or poor.

  • Science Alert ☛ Watch: 1,000-Foot Lava Jets Erupt From Hawaii's Kīlauea Volcano

    Biggest of the bunch.

  • Science Alert ☛ 60% of The Ocean Floor Could Harbor 'Rare' Supergiant Crustacean

    Dominating in darkness.

  • Science Alert ☛ Rubik's Cube Record Smashed in Less Time Than It Takes to Blink

    Beat that, humans.

  • Science Alert ☛ Earliest Known Whale Bone Tools Discovered in Europe's Museum Collections

    Long before we hunted them.

  • Science Alert ☛ Who Gets Your 'Digital Remains' When You Die? Here's Some Expert Advice.

    A different kind of will.

  • Science Alert ☛ The Big Bang's Glowing 'Echo' May Be Something Else Entirely

    This changes things.

  • Science Alert ☛ JWST's Deepest Gaze at a Single Spot in Space Reveals Ancient Wonders

    120 hours of sheer concentration.

  • France24 ☛ Reversing the brain drain: Can Europe successfully woo scientists amid US research cuts?

    US President The Insurrectionist recently announced a spate of funding cuts to universities and research institutions across the US, leaving thousands of scientists and researchers unemployed or in a state of limbo. European agencies and research institutions are rushing in to woo them with promises of grants and work visas – but the void in global research will not be easy to fill.

• Career/Education

  • Pro Publica ☛ Tennessee School Expelled 12-Year-Old Without Proper Threat Assessment

  • Latvia ☛ Baltic universities join forces on defence innovation

    Riga Technical University (RTU), Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), and Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) have signed a memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation in defence and security research and innovation, reports Labs of Latvia.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ 2025 Pet Hacks Contest: Fytó – Turn Your Plant Into A Pet

    This entry into the 2025 Pet Hacks Contest is about bringing some fun feedback to normally silent plants. Fytó integrates sensors and displays into a 3D printed planter. The sensors read the various environmental and soil conditions that the plant is experiencing, and give you feedback about them via a series of playful expressive faces that are displayed on the screen embedded in the planter.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ 'Instead of crippling China's semiconductor ambitions, U.S. sanctions may be inadvertently accelerating them': Report claims Washington measures could be bolstering China's chip market

    A new report claims U.S. sanctions could be fuelling more resilience in China's semiconductor ecosystem.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ China’s Hygon and Sugon merge to form a vertically integrated supercomputing giant as they fend off US sanctions

    A highly impactful vertically integrated supercomputing giant may have just been born in China.

  • Hackaday ☛ Hands-On: EufyMake E1 UV Printer

    The modern hacker and maker has a truly incredible arsenal of tools at their disposal. High-tech tools like 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC routers have all become commonplace, and combined with old standbys like the drill press and mini lathe, it sometimes seems like we’ve finally peaked in terms of what the individual is realistically capable of producing in their own home. But occasionally a new tool comes along, and it makes us realize that there are still avenues unexplored for the home gamer.

  • Hackaday ☛ Reconditioning A Vintage CRT Tube

    Plenty of readers will be familiar with CRT televisions, not least because many of us use them with retrocomputers and consoles. But perhaps fewer will have worked with CRTs themselves as components, and of those, fewer still will be familiar with the earlier generation of tubes. In the first few decades of color TV the tubes were so-called delta gun because their three electron guns were arranged in a triangular form. [Colorvac] has put up a video in which they demonstrate the reconditioning of one of these tubes from a late-1960s Nordmende TV.

  • Hackaday ☛ New Supermaterial: As Strong As Steel And As Light As Styrofoam

    Today in material science news we have a report from [German Science Guy] about a new supermaterial which is as strong as steel and as light as Styrofoam!

  • TuMFatig ☛ Tinkering with Fujitsu FUTRO S930

    After watching Wolfgang’s review of the S920 , I went for chasing one and found a refurbished Fujitsu FUTRO S930 for 54€. I bought it with a few extra electronics parts and tested it with a few FOSS operating systems I know.

  • Computers Are Bad ☛ 2025-05-27 the first smart homes

    Sometimes I think I should pivot my career to home automation critic, because I have many opinions on the state of the home automation industry---and they're pretty much all critical. Virtually every time I bring up home automation, someone says something about the superiority of the light switch. Controlling lights is one of the most obvious applications of home automation, and there is a roughly century long history of developments in light control---yet, paradoxically, it is an area where consumer home automation continues to struggle.

    An analysis of how and why billion-dollar tech companies fail to master the simple toggling of lights in response to human input will have to wait for a future article, because I will have a hard time writing one without descending into incoherent sobbing about the principles of scene control and the interests of capital. Instead, I want to just dip a toe into the troubled waters of "smart lighting" by looking at one of its earliest precedents: low-voltage lighting control.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • RFERL ☛ Pakistani Police Officer Killed In Attack On Polio Vaccine Team

    A Pakistani police officer was killed when gunmen opened fire on a delegation of health workers carrying out a polio vaccination drive in the volatile Balochistan province.

  • Latvia ☛ Latvia will compensate medicines for urgent patients

    To prevent cases where life-saving treatment is not available under the state compensation system, on Tuesday, 27 May, the government approved amendments to the Cabinet of Ministers' regulations on the reimbursement of expenses for the purchase of medicines and medical devices intended for outpatient treatment.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Health Ministry confirms 6 cases of human screwworm infestations in Chiapas and Campeche

    Meanwhile, Mexico's agriculture minister is negotiating with U.S. authorities to reopen cattle trade and coordinate mitigation efforts.

  • The Straits Times ☛ S’porean man and wife nabbed in Malaysia for peddling drug-laced vape liquids to schoolkids

    The total value of the items seized is about $10,000.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia stirs ‘hotpot diplomacy’ with palm-based fat for China

    Malaysia is working with Chinese researchers to develop a substitute to tallow.

  • Defence Web ☛ SA Department of Defence not off the hook for COVID-19 acquisitions

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa used the Government Gazette to authorise a further investigation into Department of Defence (DoD) purchases of personal protective equipment (PPE) by the by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).

  • The Straits Times ☛ South-east Asia sees near 150 per cent rise in heart disease, study shows [Ed: Did the virus cause it any more than the experimental solutions to it?]

    During the Covid-19 pandemic, the incidence of deaths due to cardiovascular disease rose more than predicted.

  • New York Times ☛ Under RFK Jr., the CDC Says Healthy Children Don’t Need Covid Vaccines. Is That True?

    Here’s what the data tells us about Covid’s risks to children — and the benefits of vaccination.

  • New York Times ☛ The U.S. Ended Some Covid Vaccine Recommendations

    Also, chaos overran an aid site in Gaza. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.

  • Hackaday ☛ Fixing A Fatal Genetic Defect In Babies With A Bit Of Genetic Modification

    Genetic defects are exceedingly common, which is not surprising considering just how many cells make up our bodies, including our reproductive cells. While most of these defects have no or only minor effects, some range from serious to fatal. One of these defects is in the CPS1 gene, with those affected facing a shortened lifespan along with intensive treatments and a liver transplant as the only real solution. This may now be changing, after the first successful genetic treatment of an infant with CPS1 deficiency.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Nearly half of Hongkongers who lost loved ones to suicide at high risk of PTSD, survey shows

    Nearly half of Hongkongers who lost their loved ones to suicide are at high risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a survey has found.

  • France24 ☛ France's assisted dying bill: What's in it?

    For this edition of Entre Nous, we’re focusing on an ever-important societal question – the right to die. As the French parliament is set to vote on two “end-of-life” and palliative care bills, we take a look at the criteria that was decided upon to be able to receive help in dying. We also look at what other nations have decided when it comes to assisted suicide and euthanasia.

  • Bryan Lunduke ☛ Canadian BSD Conference to Require Masks, Social Distancing

    It's 2025.

• Proprietary

  • The Register UK ☛ German court parks four Volkswagen execs in jail over Dieselgate scandal

    Germany’s Braunschweig Regional Court has reportedly sentenced four Volkswagen executives to jail over “Dieselgate” – the 2015 scandal in which the automaker was found to have fudged software used to test its vehicles’ pollution emissions.

    The matter concerned nitrogen oxide emissions, which software installed by Volkswagen rated as low enough to comply with environmental laws. Independent tailpipe testing produced different results, leading the USA’s Environmental Protection Agency to claim the German auto giant had violated clean air laws.

    Volkswagen staff admitted to a conspiracy to fudge emission results, the company pled guilty and paid substantial fines and recalled around 11 million cars.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • dwaves.de ☛ Instagram & Facebook (Farcebook) (META) how to opt out of data usage for Hey Hi (AI) training – how social control media such as x.com is not neutral at all but biased in order to manipulate elections – opted out or not hackers might have all facebook user data

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Mandiant flags fake Hey Hi (AI) video generators laced with malware

      A Vietnam-based group has spread thousands of advertisements, fake websites and social control media posts promising access to popular prompt-to-video Hey Hi (AI) generation tools, delivering infostealers and backdoors instead. 

    • Digital Music News ☛ Envato’s ‘MusicGen’ AI-Generated Sync Licensing Arrives — But at What Cost to the Music Industry?

      Creative marketplace Envato has launched a new AI-generated music tool for creators to make custom tracks from text prompts within seconds.

    • France24 ☛ From Beyoncé to R. Kelly, Hey Hi (AI) music videos praise Burkina Faso's junta leader Ibrahim Traoré

      Since the beginning of May, a surge of music videos singing the praises of Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso's military leader, voiced by top English-speaking singers. These are deepfakes generated by artificial intelligence, featuring stars like Beyonce, Justin Bieber, R. Kelly, Rihanna -- and experts say it could be a "coordinated campaign." The France 24 Observers did a deep dive into when and why this wave of English pro-Traoré content began appearing. Vedika Bahl talks us through it.

  • Social Control Media

    • Meduza ☛ TikTok bathroom ritual leads to police investigation at Russian cadet school — Meduza

• Pseudo-Open Source

  • Openwashing

    • Linux Magazine ☛ Microsoft Makes Surprising WSL Announcement [Ed: Carrying water for Microsoft lies]

      In a move that might surprise some users, Abusive Monopolist Microsoft has made backdoored Windows Subsystem for GNU/Linux open source.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Meduza ☛ Former Moscow State University professor dies by suicide after losing life savings to scammers — Meduza

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • New York Times ☛ Texas Requires Fashion Company Apple and Surveillance Giant Google to Verify Ages for App Downloads

      The state’s governor signed a new law that will give parents more control over the apps that minors download, part of a raft of new legislation.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Chinese-Owned VPNs

      One one my biggest worries about VPNs is the amount of trust users need to place in them, and how opaque most of them are about who owns them and what sorts of data they retain.

• Defence/Aggression

  • JURIST ☛ Malaysia urges extension of Myanmar ceasefire following devastating earthquake

    Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan called for the extension and expansion of a ceasefire in Myanmar on Sunday during an ASEAN meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Asean leaders meet China Premier Li and Gulf state dignitaries to bolster ties

    Asean as a body has historically avoided choosing a side between the US and China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Smoke still rising one day after deadly China chemical plant blast

    Five people were killed and nineteen more were injured in the explosion, with six still missing.

  • The Straits Times ☛ At least 5 dead, 6 missing after chemical plant blast in China’s Shandong

    The company develops, produces and sells chemical components for use in pesticides and pharmaceuticals.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan says China conducted research near Pacific atoll

    The alleged activity took place on May 26 near the remote atoll of Okinotori in the Philippine Sea.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Southeast Asia, Gulf and China 3-way talks ‘response to call of times’

    By Rebecca Bailey and Isabelle Leong Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Tuesday that the first-ever summit between his country, Southeast Asian leaders and Gulf states was “a response to the call of the times” in a geopolitically uncertain world.

  • LRT ☛ Holocaust memorial in north Lithuania draws condemnation from Jewish community

    A newly installed Holocaust memorial in the Vilkiaušis Forest near Joniškis, in northern Lithuania, has stirred controversy and condemnation from Lithuania’s Jewish communities, who say the project violates religious burial laws and was carried out without proper consultation or permits.

  • France24 ☛ Israel attorney general says PM's nomination for Shin Bet chief 'illegal'

    Israel's attorney general has said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nomination of an army major general as head of domestic intelligence is "illegal", after the supreme court found his move to sack the incumbent chief unlawful.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s premier urges Asean, Gulf nations to remove trade barriers

    Mr Li Qiang was speaking at a leaders' summit in Kuala Lumpur with Asean and Gulf Cooperation Council nations.

  • France24 ☛ South Africa is not changing policy to suit MElon's Starlink

    In tonight's edition, South Africa’s communications minister is insisting that the country is not relaxing its Black Economic Empowerment laws that would suit MElon's Starlink.

  • New York Times ☛ French Crypto Chiefs Step Up Security After Violent Kidnappings

    ​Big players in the crypto sector argue that new European cryptocurrency rules may be enabling recent abductions and are demanding changes and more security.

  • Defence Web ☛ “Triple crisis” in Mozambique – UN refugee agency representative

    Northern Mozambique, destination for another rotation of Rwandan soldiers and police, is gripped by ongoing conflict exacerbated by natural disaster which has seen 25 000 plus people flee what the United Nations (UN) refugee agency calls “a worsening humanitarian crisis”.

  • SA Sees Surge in Asylum Applications, But Processing Backlogs and Low Acceptance Rates Persist

    The Department of Home Affairs has disclosed a concerning five-year snapshot of South Africa’s asylum system, revealing persistently high application volumes, sluggish processing times, and a strikingly low acceptance rate of asylum seekers.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Jordan-Israel security cooperation continues quietly but unabated

    Despite diplomatic setbacks from the Israel-Gaza war, military and intelligence cooperation continues to thrive between the two neighbors.

  • The Strategist ☛ A chance for Australia to grab: Europe’s offer of a security pact

    Australia should accept the European Union’s proposal to form a defence and security agreement. The closer relationship would complement Australia’s main security arrangements—the US alliance and AUKUS—and in no way displace them.

  • The Strategist ☛ Australia’s national security depends on robust, sustainable food and nutrition security

    Australia has a vast agricultural sector, diverse agroecological zones, a multicultural population and strong regional partnerships. It must treat sustainable food security as both a domestic imperative and a strategic priority.

  • Site36 ☛ Distorted picture of anti-Semitism: Study accuses German ‘reporting centres’ of one-sidedness and lack of transparency

    The RIAS organisation is considered the first port of call for documenting anti-Semitic incidents in Germany. This has been criticised from a Jewish-diasporic perspective A theatre piece that was celebrated in Tel Aviv – and is considered ‘Israel-related anti-Semitism’ in Germany. T-shirts printed with ‘Free Palestine’ – evidence of hatred of Jews.

  • Site36 ☛ Schengen Information System: 41 million daily searches in Europe and a increase in manhunts for persons

    Member states receive almost 1,100 hits from the Schengen Information System every day. The number of people searched has risen by more than 50 per cent in four years. France, Germany and Italy are power users. The Schengen Information System (SIS II) saw a further increase in entries and searches in 2024.

  • Bryan Lunduke ☛ Nerd Fests Ban Conservatives, Invite Leftists Promoting Terrorism

    Game & Geek Expo bans conservatives.

  • Fears of a purge in shipyard town after North Korea destroyer launch goes wrong

    Meanwhile, authorities scramble to make the warship upright, possibly using balloons for ballast.

  • New York Times ☛ How North Korea Botched Its Warship Launch

    Satellite images and videos show how launching a 5,000-ton warship into the water sideways can cause it to capsize if done incorrectly.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s Warming Toward Syria Complicates Israel’s Military Strategy

    Since Hell Toupée’s embrace of the new Syrian leader, Israeli airstrikes on the country have subsided.

  • JURIST ☛ ICRC calls for Gaza ceasefire following killing of employees

    The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Sunday called for an urgent ceasefire and protection of civilians in Gaza following Israeli airstrikes that killed two of its employees.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ 'We should respond in kind': Putin calls for Russia to 'strangle' foreign tech firms like Zoom and Microsoft — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Spoiler: the USSR is still dead: A Putin adviser claims the Soviet Union still legally exists — what’s that about? — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Accuses Putin of ‘Playing With Fire’ as He Mulls Sanctions on Russia

      It remained to be seen whether Hell Toupée’s latest comments indicated a new aggressive phase against Russia.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Russia is extinguishing all traces of Ukrainian identity in occupied Ukraine

      Throughout occupied Ukraine, the Russian authorities are seeking to consolidate their control by eradicating all traces of Ukrainian statehood and national identity while imposing a reign of terror on the civilian population, writes Kateryna Odarchenko.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Russia’s summer offensive could spark a new humanitarian crisis in Ukraine

      As the Russian army gears up for a major summer offensive, Ukraine could soon be facing its most serious humanitarian crisis since the initial phase of the full-scale invasion more than three years ago, write Viktor Liakh and Melinda Haring.

    • North Korean POWs in Ukraine excluded from Moscow-Kyiv prisoner swap: South lawmaker

      The exclusion was in response to a request from South Korea, a lawmaker said.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Ukrainian climber released from detention days after record-breaking Everest ascent

      Andrew Ushakov was arrested in Nepal for allegedly carrying undeclared foreign currency.

    • New York Times ☛ Republicans Urge Convicted Felon to Put New Sanctions on Russia Amid Ukraine Strikes

      A group of G.O.P. senators has grown more vocal about urging penalties on Russia for its aggression against Ukraine, offering a counterpoint to Hell Toupée’s hands-off stance.

    • New York Times ☛ Zelensky Is Expected in Berlin as Merz Steps Forward as Key Backer of Ukraine

      A likely focus of talks between the two leaders will be military aid and whether Germany will provide Ukraine with the Taurus cruise missile.

    • New York Times ☛ Satellite Images Suggest a Russian Plan to Restart Seized Ukrainian Nuclear Plant

      Snaking power lines are part of Moscow’s goal to harness the power of the Zaporizhzhia facility, according to Greenpeace.

    • Meduza ☛ Trump considering lifting Biden-era restrictions on Ukraine’s military operations — Kyiv Post — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Zelensky vows ‘symmetrical response’ as Moscow threatens Ukraine for ‘playing drone games’ on Russian territory — Meduza

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Do Convicted Felon’s criticisms of Putin mark a turning point in his Russia policy?

      On Sunday, the US president called his Russian counterpart “crazy” on social control media, revealing an increasing impatience with Russia over its unwillingness to engage in US-led cease-fire talks.

    • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Says Putin ‘Playing With Fire’ After 3 Days Of Deadly Russian Attacks On Ukraine

      US President The Insurrectionist again lashed out at Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin after Russia capped a three-day bombing spree on May 26 with its biggest aerial attack of the more than three-year war.

    • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man warns Putin 'playing with fire' as US weighs new sanctions over Ukraine

      US President The Insurrectionist warned Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Tuesday he was "playing with fire," escalating tensions as Washington considers new sanctions over Ukraine. The remarks follow Convicted Felon calling Putin "absolutely CRAZY" after a drone strike, as ceasefire talks stall

    • Security Week ☛ Russian Government Hackers Caught Buying Passwords from Cybercriminals

      Microsoft flags a new Kremlin hacking team buying stolen usernames and passwords from infostealer markets for use in cyberespionage attacks. 

    • Security Week ☛ Dutch Intelligence Agencies Say Russian Hackers Stole Police Data in Cyberattack

      The agencies said that the group, which they called Laundry Bear, is actively trying to steal sensitive data from EU and NATO countries and is “extremely likely Russian state supported.”

    • LRT ☛ Company owned by Lithuanian official supplied Western luxury brands to Russia – media

      A company owned by an adviser at Lithuania’s Ministry of Social Security and Labour allegedly exported millions of euros worth of luxury Western-brand clothing to Russia, circumventing sanctions through third countries, according to an investigation published by the investigative journalism centre Siena.

    • LRT ☛ Russian-Belarusian drills won’t be ‘bigger or more threatening’ – Lithuanian military

      The Russian-Belarusian large-scale joint military exercise Zapad, scheduled for this autumn, will not be “bigger or more threatening” than it was four years ago, says Remigijus Baltrėnas, chief of the Defence Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

    • RFERL ☛ EU Finds China Responsible For 80 Percent Of Russia Sanctions Avoidance, Says German Report

      The European Union says China, including Hong Kong, is responsible for "approximately" 80 percent of the circumventions of sanctions against Russia even though Beijing continues to deny it.

    • New York Times ☛ How to Hide a 350-Foot Megayacht

      Russian oligarchs use the offshore system to shield their luxury assets. The Forrest Dump Administration is ending an effort to find and seize them.

    • New York Times ☛ Caught Between Russia and the U.S., Germany Aims to Be a Stronger Force in NATO

      As Germany’s new chancellor increases military spending, he has presided over the activation of a German tank brigade based in Lithuania and raised alarms about the threat from Russia.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Prison diary’: Convicted Russian agent Maria Butina’s memoir of her U.S. justice system experience comes to the small screen — Meduza

    • ADF ☛ Russia Using False Information to Prop Up Junta Regimes

      Throughout West Africa it has become difficult to avoid the blitz of viral videos, memes and social control media posts glorifying the military rulers of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia-Belarus border guards see over 60 illegal crossing attempts daily

      The enhanced border security regime on the border with Belarus will most likely be extended, and even stricter measures will have to be decided upon, said Guntis Pujāts, head of the State Border Guard, in an interview with Latvian Television's programme Morning Panorama on 27 May.

    • Meduza ☛ Man tries to poison lynx and leopards at Moscow Zoo — Meduza

    • European Commission ☛ EU Member States endorse €150 billion SAFE defence loan instrument to boost European defence capabilities

      European Commission Press release Brussels, 27 May 2025 The European Commission welcomes today's agreement in the Council of the EU on the Security for Action for Europe (SAFE) Instrument.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ Another Suspect Is Charged in Bitcoin Kidnapping and Torture Case

      The man, William Duplessie, surrendered to the police Tuesday morning. Authorities have said the victim was an Italian man who was tormented in a luxury Manhattan townhouse for weeks.

    • Hackaday ☛ Look To The Sky With This Simple Plane Tracker

      Do you ever get tired of stressing your neck looking for planes in the sky? Worry not! Here is a neat and cheap Arduino/Ras Pi project to keep your neck sore free! [BANK ANGLE] presents a wonderfully simple plane tracking system using an affordable camera and basic microcontrollers.

    • Latvia ☛ Rīga Airport reports EUR 3.4 million in profits for 2024

      RIX Riga Airport passenger numbers in 2024 exceeded pre-pandemic levels, i.e. 2019 levels, while profits more than doubled compared to 2023, reaching EUR 3.4 million, according to the company's audited annual report for 2024, the airport announced.

    • Hackaday ☛ Hand Truck Turned Into Motorcycle

      For those motorcyclists looking to get a classic American-style cruiser, often the go-to brand is Harley-Davidson. However, these bikes not only have reputations for being stuck in the past, both in terms of design and culture, but they also tend to be extremely expensive—not only upfront, but in maintenance as well. If you want the style without all of that baggage, you might want to try out something like this custom motorcycle which not only looks the part, it reduces those costs by being built around a hand truck.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • BIA Net ☛ Defending life against mining: 17 years of resistance in Hesandin Highland

      Six villages in the Kulp district of Diyarbakır have been defending the Hesandin Highland against mining companies and the state's security policies since 2008. Villagers speaking to bianet say that road construction, under the pretext of establishing a military base, is actually being carried out to secure mining activities.

    • Science Alert ☛ Trees May Be Able to Warn Us When a Volcano Is About to Erupt

      Vital early warning.

    • Science Alert ☛ World's First CRISPR-Edited Spiders Shoot Fluoro Red Silk From Their Butt

      Welcome to the Spiderverse.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia sees reducing US’ proposed tariff to 10% as a good outcome

    Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz concedes that a previously hoped for duty of zero may not be possible.

  • Developing nations face ‘tidal wave’ of debt repayments to China in 2025: report

    China now collects more in debt from borrowers in the developing world than it extends in loans: Lowy Institute

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Developing nations face ‘tidal wave’ of China debt, report warns

    The world’s poorest nations face a “tidal wave of debt” as repayments to China hit record highs in 2025, an Australian think tank warned Tuesday in a new report.

  • Why McKinsey layoffs signal trouble in 2025

    The shock value that 2025 brings has no end. For now, it is McKinsey layoffs making headlines as the consulting giant announced it is trimming 10% of its global workforce, i.e. approximately 5,000 job cuts.

  • France24 ☛ Developing countries face "tidal wave of debt repayments" to China: report

    China is set to receive a record amount of debt repayment from developing countries this year, a majority of which is owed by the world's 75 poorest nations. New research by Australian think tank Lowy Institute says with new loans drying up and more loans maturing, China has now switched from being a leading lender for low-income nations to a major debt collector.  Plus, a days-long taxi drivers' strike continues across France even as their main unions are negotiating with the government.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Teachers in Mexico just got a raise. Why are they protesting?

    CNTE teachers are protesting around the country. What are their demands, and what does the strike mean for schools and families?

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ Timor-Leste to be granted full Asean membership in October, says Malaysia PM Anwar

    Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta expressed deep appreciation to the regional grouping.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Teacher in viral ‘affair case’ relieved of duties: Malaysia’s education minister

    The woman has also been transferred out of the school to ensure the investigation proceeds smoothly.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea police impose travel ban on former PM Han and ex-finance minister Choi

    The travel ban was imposed in mid-May, the Yonhap news agency reported.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Candidate spouses take centre stage in South Korea's heated presidential race

    SEOUL - The wife of South Korea's main conservative party candidate has taken a leading role ahead of next week's elections, campaigning on her own to tarnish the image of the liberal frontrunner and his spouse and turbocharge her husband's bid.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean presidential candidates debate about various issues in televised address

    Besides foreign policy, the candidates also focused on political polarisation and ways to heal the political divide.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Here’s what a Texas oil executive from DOGE is doing inside the Interior Department

    Interior Secretary Doug Burgum recently directed Tyler Hassen to reorganize the Interior Department.

  • France24 ☛ King Charles' speech marks opening session of Canada's parliament

    King Charles III said Canada is facing unprecedented challenges in a world that's never been more dangerous as he opened the Canadian Parliament on Tuesday with a speech widely viewed as a show of support in the face of annexation threats by U.S. President Donald Dihydroxyacetone Man. For more, FRANCE 24's International Affairs Commentator, Douglas Herbert.

  • France24 ☛ King Charles highlights 'self-determination' of Canada after Convicted Felon annexation threats

    In a speech to open Canada’s parliament on Tuesday, King Charles III underscored the country's sovereignty and democratic values as tensions rise over US President The Insurrectionist’s threats to annex Canada. The king’s so-called throne speech was the first by a monarch in nearly half a century. “The world is a more dangerous and uncertain place than at any point since the Second World War," he said.

  • New York Times ☛ King Charles Warns Canada’s Parliament of a ‘Dangerous and Uncertain’ World

    The king was invited to open Canada’s Parliament as a subtle rebuke to Hell Toupée’s economic and annexation threats against Canada.

  • France24 ☛ Replay: Listen to King Charles historic speech in Ottawa, Canada

    Replay: Listen to King Charles historic speech in Ottawa

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • JURIST ☛ Russia authorities detain activists during anti-political imprisonment event

    Russian pro-state media outlets reported on Sunday that local police forces in Yekaterinburg stormed an event hosted by the democratic opposition party ‘Yabloko’ (Apple), aimed at corresponding with ‘political prisoners’ and bringing the issue of unjust and politically motivated imprisonment to the public attention.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ South London Press closes down after 160 years covering UK capital

    Abrupt closure of title has seen the website shutdown and staff sent home.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong leader’s comments prove taxpayers ‘penalised’ before audit results, press union says

    The Hong Kong Journalists’ Association (HKJA) has criticised the city’s top leader for saying that journalists “have no privilege to evade taxes,” following the press union’s accusation of “unreasonable” tax audits targeting independent media outlets.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Evan Hahn ☛ List of "tech for good" job boards

    The world is in a lot of trouble right now. Many of us are asking: how can I help?

    This is a short list of “tech for good” job boards I’ve found: [...]

  • Bianca Censori leaves nothing to the imagination — again — in fishnet top and sheer tights with no underwear

    The former Yeezy architect accessorized the skin-baring look with mules and dark sunglasses.

  • NYPost ☛ Kanye West’s wife Bianca Censori faces calls for her arrest after going naked in public again: ‘How do they get away with this?’

    Another day, another naked public outing.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Concluding the Draft RIR Governance Document Consultation

    Thank you to everyone who participated and provided feedback on the draft RIR Governance Document. The feedback period has no officially concluded.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Battlefield 2024 requires secure boot for anti-cheat, following in Valorant's footsteps [Ed: They demand that Microsoft controls the computer remotely]

    Battlefield 2042 introduces Secure Boot enforcement, requiring all players to have the security feature turned on to play the game. The change will prevent cheats from sneaking in during the backdoored Windows boot process.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Unified Patents ☛ DigitalDoors cloud storage patent monopoly challenge instituted

    On May 23, 2025, less than 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 9,015,301, owned and asserted by Digital Doors Inc., an NPE. The ‘301 patent monopoly relates to an information management system for processing data over a distributed computing system using filters.

  • Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ Brazil: PTO publishes patent monopoly re-examination guidelines & Post-Appeal prosecution

    The Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office (BRPTO) published Ordinance No. 04/2025 (May 27, 2025), which formalizes the internal workflow for resuming the technical examination of patent monopoly applications following an appeal against a previous rejection decision (identified by publication code 100.2).

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Paris local division hands NUC victory in slow juicer battle with Hurom [Ed: UPC is illegal; this is an illegal, unconstitutional kangaroo court pretending to have authority on patents, just like the corrupt EPO does]

      Korean kitchen appliance manufacturers Hurom and NUC are embroiled in a battle over slow juicers that both companies sell worldwide. Hurom sued its competitor at the UPC over two different patents.

    • JUVE ☛ MED-EL and Advanced Bionics settle shortly before Mannheim UPC judgment [Ed: UPC is illegal and they ought to have challenged its very legitimacy rather than play along]

      The UPC local division in Mannheim had already prepared its ruling by 8 May, with presiding judge Peter Tochtermann keeping it under wraps. Now it will never see the light of day. Plaintiff MED-EL and its opponent Advanced Bionics have reached a settlement to end all ongoing disputes over cochlear implants.

  • Software Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ KAIST/ETRI HEVC/AV1 patent monopoly revocation confirmed by EPO appeal [Ed: Software patents must never be granted in the EPO in the first place; but it is corrupt]

      On May 9, 2025, the EPO's appellate board confirmed the decision to revoke EP 2627085.

    • Unified Patents ☛ Flexiworld data mining patent monopoly challenged

      On May 23, 2025, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent RE48,066, owned and asserted by Flexiworld Technologies, Inc., an NPE. The ‘066 patent monopoly relates to an internet-based transactional system involving data mining. It has been asserted against Indeed.

      View district court litigations by Flexiworld. Unified is represented by in-house counsel, Jordan Rossen and Alyssa Holtslander, in this proceeding.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ CAFC Affirms TTAB's VETEMENTS Genericness Ruling

    Holding that a party opposing translation of a term under the doctrine of foreign equivalents has the burden to show that it is unlikely that the ordinary American purchaser would stop and translate the word into its English equivalent, the CAFC upheld the Board's affirmance [TTABlogged here] of the USPTO's refusals to register the term VETEMENTS (in standard character and slightly stylilzed form) for various clothing items and for related retail store services, on the ground of genericness. There was no dispute that the English translation of the French word "vetements" is "clothing," and the court ruled that substantial evidence supported the Board's finding that the ordinary American purchaser would stop and translate the mark. In re Vetements Group AG, 2023-2050, 2023-2051 (Fed. Cir. May 21, 2025) [precedential].