Leftovers

• Zimbabwe ☛ Beta software is fun, until your phone becomes a brick. Some Pixel users can’t even navigate

  We techies love living on the edge. It can be exciting, running Android 16, One UI 7 or iOS 26 before everyone else.

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ Octopuses’ 8 Arms Snoop on Microbiomes

    Scientists discovered that octopuses use their limbs to sample the microbiomes on the surfaces they touch.

  • Science Alert ☛ How Long Would Humans Survive Once The Last Baby Is Born?

    Not as long as you'd think.

  • Science Alert ☛ Did a Passing Star Cause Earth to Warm 56 Million Years Ago?

    Our Moon may have protected us.

• Career/Education

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s online literature expands overseas readership in cultural export push

    The growth was driven by younger consumers, with readers aged 26 to 45 accounted for half the total readership.

• Hardware

  • NYPost ☛ This popular smartphone can overheat and explode — so it’s banned from planes: ‘Nobody should have that phone anymore’

    The phone is on the TSA’s official no-fly list, where feds make it clear: this gadget’s grounded for good.

  • Hackaday ☛ Dead Amstrad Becomes Something New

    When you run into old hardware you cannot restore, what do you do? Toss it? Sell it for parts? If you’re [TME Retro], you hide a high-end mini PC inside an Amstrad-shaped sleeper build.

  • Hackaday ☛ The Most Trustworthy USB-C Cable Is DIY

    We like USB-C here at Hackaday, but like all specifications it is up to manufacturers to follow it and sometimes… they don’t. Sick of commercial cables either don’t label their safe wattage, or straight up lie about it, [GreatScott!] decided to DIY his own ultimate USB-C-PD cable for faster charging in his latest video, which is embedded below.

  • Hackaday ☛ Capturing Screenshots Using A Fake Printer

    If you have very old pieces of analogue test equipment with CRTs on your bench, the chances are they will all have surprisingly similar surrounds to their screens. Back when they were made it was common to record oscilloscope screens with a Polaroid camera, that would have a front fitting for just this purpose.

  • Hackaday ☛ Weighing An Airplane As It Flies Overhead

    Recently, [AlphaPhoenix] weighed an airplane. Normally, that wouldn’t be much of an accomplishment. Except in this case, the airplane happened to be in flight at the time. In fact we’re not sure what is more remarkable, as he not only weighed real actual airplanes but a paper airplane too!

  • Hackaday ☛ Keeping Snap And Crackle Under Control With Prunt Printer Firmware

    For quite some time now, Marlin has been the firmware of choice for any kind of custom 3D printer, with only Klipper offering some serious competition in the open-source world. [Liam Powell] aims to introduce some more variety with the development of Prunt, a 3D printer control board and firmware stack.Smooth motion control is Prunt’s biggest advantage: Klipper and Marlin use trapezoidal (three-phase) motion profiles, which aim for acceleration changes with physically impossible rapidity, leading to vibrations and ringing on prints. By contrast, Prunt uses a more physically realistic 31-phase motion profile. This lets the user independently adjust velocity, acceleration, jerk, snap, and crackle (the increasingly higher-order derivatives of position with respect to time) to reduce vibration and create smoother prints. To avoid sharp accelerations, Prunt can also turn corners into 15-degree Bézier curves.The focus on smooth motion isn’t just a software feature; the Prunt control board uses hardware timers to control step generation, rather than the CPU. This avoids the timing issues which Klipper sometimes faces, and avoids slowing other parts of the program down. The board also seems to have a particular focus on avoiding electrical damage. It can detect short circuits in the heaters, thermistors, fans, and endstops, and can cut power and give the user a warning when one occurs. If the board somehow experiences a serious electrical fault, the USB port is isolated to prevent damage to the host computer. The firmware’s source is available on GitHub. If you’re more interested in well-established programs, we’ve given a quick introduction to Klipper in the past. We’ve also seen people develop their own firmware for the Bambu Lab X1.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ South Africa Built a Medical Research Powerhouse. Convicted Felon Cuts Have Demolished It.

    The budget cuts threaten global progress on everything from heart disease to H.I.V. — and could affect American drug companies, too.

  • New York Times ☛ ‘I’ll Never Try Again’: For Some Gazans, Seeking Aid Is Just Too Risky

    The Gaza health ministry said that more than 50 Palestinians were killed on Tuesday, and 20 on Monday, in violence around the new aid distribution system in the territory.

  • Pro Publica ☛ ProPublica Sued the FDA for Withholding Records About Drug Safety

    ProPublica has sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in federal court in New York, accusing the agency of withholding information about the safety and availability of generic drugs critical to millions of Americans.

    For years, Congress, watchdog groups, doctors and others have questioned the quality of generic drugs made in factories overseas. To better understand how the FDA regulates the industry and protects consumers, ProPublica submitted four records requests last year under the Freedom of Information Act.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Covid-19 pandemic ‘miracle’ was a deadly lie, report says

    Officials drastically understated outbreaks and deaths, depriving citizens of help.

  • CS Monitor ☛ ‘It’s worse than COVID.’ ICE raids empty LA produce markets and restaurants.

    Immigration raids in Los Angeles are keeping immigrant communities on edge, leading many workers and customers to stay home. Business owners say sales are dropping sharply and the local economy is suffering.

  • New York Times ☛ The Independent Hospitality Coalition Gives L.A. Restaurants Hope

    Through Covid, protests, strikes and fires, the Independent Hospitality Coalition is helping local business navigate a volatile civic landscape.

  • New York Times ☛ North Korea’s Pandemic ‘Miracle’ Was a Deadly Lie, Report Says

    Officials drastically understated outbreaks and deaths, depriving citizens of help, two U.S. research groups report, citing interviews with people inside North Korea.

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Brain Emits a Secret Light That Scientists Are Trying to Read

    Brilliant.

  • New York Times ☛ Anne Burrell, Chef and Food Network Star, Dies at 55

    Her distinctive hairstyle and swagger in the kitchen made her one of America’s most recognizable Italian chefs.

  • Science Alert ☛ Something in Your Poop May Predict an Imminent Death

    Gross, but life-saving.

  • Science Alert ☛ Microplastics Have a Concerning Effect on The Microbes in Our Gut

    It's not just about our own cells.

  • Science Alert ☛ Parkinson's Discovery Suggests We Could Have an FDA-Approved Treatment Already

    Exciting!

  • New York Times ☛ Is Fake Grass Safe? A Manufacturer Sues to Stop a Discussion.

    Four experts were sued for defamation ahead of a seminar where they planned to talk about research into the potential health risks on playgrounds and sports fields nationwide.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Trump Administration’s Termination of NIH Grants Ruled Illegal

    What Happened: A federal judge ruled on Monday that the Trump administration’s termination of hundreds of grants by the National Institutes of Health was “void and illegal,” ordering some of them to be reinstated, including many profiled by ProPublica in recent months.

    District Judge William G. Young made the ruling in two lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s directives and cancellations: One case was brought by more than a dozen states’ attorneys general, and the other was led by the American Public Health Association alongside several other organizations and researchers.

  • Pro Publica ☛ The Secret Gamble at the FDA That Exposed Americans to Risky Drugs

    On a sweltering morning in western India in 2022, three U.S. inspectors showed up unannounced at a massive pharmaceutical plant surrounded by barricades and barbed wire and demanded to be let inside.

    For two weeks, they scrutinized humming production lines and laboratories spread across the dense industrial campus, peering over the shoulders of workers at the tablet presses, mixers and filling machines that produce dozens of generic drugs for Americans.

  • Pro Publica ☛ We Spent a Year Investigating How the FDA Let Risky Drugs Into the U.S. Market

    It’s been 17 years since tainted blood thinner from China injured or killed hundreds of people in the United States, and since then, contaminants and other defects have appeared in a cross section of America’s generic drugs.

    To understand how risky drugs could end up in our medicine cabinets, ProPublica spent more than a year investigating the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s oversight of foreign factories accused of violating critical quality standards. Reporters focused largely on factories in India, a key supplier of the world’s generic drugs.

  • Digital Music News ☛ R. Kelly’s Lawyers Allege The Singer Suffered an ‘Overdose’ of Medications Provided by Prison Staff

    R. Kelly lawyers allege the disgraced star suffered an overdose from medication provided to him by prison staff in a new filing. The singer is currently being housed at the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina—a medium security federal prison.

• Proprietary

  • Scoop News Group ☛ Researchers say Hey Hi (AI) hacking tools sold online were powered by Grok, Mixtral

    A pair of Hey Hi (AI) tools advertised on hacking forums were developed using commercial Hey Hi (AI) models from xAI and Mistral, according to Cato Networks.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Microsoft has broken backdoored Windows Hello facial recognition — it no longer works in the dark

    The newest revision of backdoored Windows Hello Face requires a color camera to authenticate logins in addition to the use of IR sensors, somewhat limiting the function's usability in low-light scenarios.

  • Social Control Media

    • Digital Music News ☛ Looks Like the Fentanylware (TikTok) Forced Sale Deadline Is Being Extended Again — Convicted Felon Says He’ll ‘Probably’ Delay the June 19th Cutoff

      The Fentanylware (TikTok) ban deadline looks like it’s being extended once again – according to Hell Toupée, who will “probably” delay the current June 19th cutoff. The president disclosed as much when speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man to Again Extend TikTok’s Reprieve From U.S. Ban

      The president plans to sign another executive order this week that would give the popular video app more time to change its ownership structure.

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man will push Fentanylware (TikTok) sale deadline another 90 days

      President The Insurrectionist will grant the popular short-video app Fentanylware (TikTok) another temporary reprieve so it has time to find a buyer to remain operating in the U.S., according to the White House today. The app, owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance Ltd., has been at the center of national security concerns for years.

• Pseudo-Open Source

  • Openwashing

    • OMG Ubuntu ☛ Microsoft’s New CLI Text Editor Works Great on Ubuntu

      [Ed: Nano exists and is Free software. OMG Ubuntu carries on with dubious Microsoft cheerfulness.]

      Edit is a new open source command line text editor from Abusive Monopolist Microsoft that supports Windows, macOS and Linux. Learn what it can do, and how to try it on Ubuntu.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • SANS ☛ How Long Until the Phishing Starts? About Two Weeks, (Tue, Jun 17th)

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • NYOB ☛ Years of inactivity in “Pay or OK” cases: noyb sues German DPAs

      Years of inactivity in “Pay or OK” cases: noyb sues German DPAs

      Almost four years after the filing of noyb complaints against faz.net and t-online.de, the DPAs of North-Rhine Westphalia and Hesse still haven’t issued a decision on the merits

    • New York Times ☛ China’s Spy Agencies Are Investing Heavily in A.I., Researchers Say

      A new report comes amid rising concern about how China will use new tools to power covert actions, as Western intelligence services also embrace the technology.

• Defence/Aggression

  • France24 ☛ Parliamentary report urges Paris to apologise for French Polynesia nuclear tests

    A French parliamentary report released on Tuesday called for Paris to apologise to French Polynesia for decades of nuclear tests that exposed locals to dangerous radiation. France detonated 193 nuclear bombs from 1966, especially at Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls – leaving a lasting legacy of serious health damage.

  • Latvia ☛ Rally for Latvian cancer centre's renovation on Tuesday in Rīga

    Under the slogan ‘No one can postpone their cancer treatment’ and others, on Tuesday, 17 June, the breast cancer patient association ‘Vita’ and the bowel cancer patient association ‘EuropaColon Latvija’ rallied by the government building, demanding that a specific deadline be set for the reconstruction of the Oncology Centre.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan, South Korea pledge closer ties after Ishiba-Lee meeting on sidelines of G-7 summit

    The two leaders agreed to beef up cooperation with the US to respond to geopolitical risks.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea's Lee cites 'inseparable' relationship with Japan in first summit

    South Korea's new President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba vowed to deepen a relationship prized by Washington and closely watched by China and North Korea, as the pair met for their first summit.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China downplayed nuclear-capable missile test: Classified NZ govt papers

    Beijing had launched a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean in September 2024.

  • New York Times ☛ China Is Unleashing a New Export Shock on the World

    As Hell Toupée’s tariffs close off the U.S. market, Chinese goods are flooding countries from Southeast Asia to Europe to Latin America.

  • CS Monitor ☛ US and China try a trade thaw, but latest ‘deal’ signals bumpy road ahead

    The world’s two largest economies are trying to tamp down escalating tariffs and export controls. The latest agreement offers a reset in the relationship, yet challenges remain.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s civil servants banned from dining out in groups in Xi’s austerity drive

    The revised rules came after 3 highly publicised cases of cadre deaths due to excessive drinking at banquets.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China accuses Convicted Felon of ‘pouring oil’ on Iran, Israel conflict

    China’s embassies in Iran and Israel also urged Chinese citizens to leave the countries “as soon as possible”.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Anonymous shell companies pose a threat to US national security. Here is how to address it.

    On March 26, the Department of the Treasury scrapped critical federal rules that would have made most anonymous shell companies illegal. The rules would also have prevented them from being abused by drug cartels, human traffickers, foreign adversaries like Iran and China, terrorist groups, and other bad actors.

  • Site36 ☛ Freedom for Marjan Jamali: Iranian refugee in Italy acquitted of charges of migrant smuggling

    Marjan Jamali was deprived of her liberty for 598 days and was even separated from her child for seven months. She experienced particular solidarity in a political mountain village in Calabria.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Explosion at fireworks factory in southern China kills 9, injures 26

    It took firefighters more than 20 hours to contain the blaze.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Xi says China 'deeply worried' about Israel-Iran conflict, urges de-escalation

    China is "deeply worried" about Israel's military operation against Iran that has escalated tensions in the Middle East, President Pooh-tin Jinping said on Tuesday, in his first public comments on the conflict that erupted last Friday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin signs treaty to elevate ties with Central Asia

    Beijing has been stepping up efforts to boost economic ties with Central Asian nations.

  • China’s nuclear arsenal is growing faster than any other country’s: report

    Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates China has at least 600 nuclear warheads.

  • Defence Web ☛ Sino/South African military co-operation to expand

    Ahead of being part of the government contingent welcoming home SA soldiers returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Africa’s senior soldier, SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Chief, General Rudzani Maphwanya, was in China wearing his military diplomat hat.

  • ACLU ☛ Jose Antonio Vargas on What We Get Wrong About Immigration Reform

    This Mother’s Day was the first one that Jose Antonio Vargas celebrated with his mother in person in 32 years. It was also the first one his grandmother, who immigrated to the states in 1984 and helped raise Vargas from the age of 12, had celebrated with her daughter in as many years.

    “I don’t have language for what [the reunion] was like,” says Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and immigrant rights activist. “There are just no words.”

  • JURIST ☛ German court sentences Syrian doctor for crimes against humanity and war crimes

    A German regional court sentenced a former Syrian doctor to life in prison Monday for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and murder. The Syrian national, Alaa M., had been actively involved in the Assad regime’s crackdown on opposition members. According to the judgment, he tortured and sexually abused his patients in this context, killing two.

  • Defence Web ☛ Milkor and Hanwha Systems sign agreement for AESA radar integration on Milkor 380 UAV

    South Korea’s Hanwha Systems has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to integrate its Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) on the Milkor 380 Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong leader lauds gov’t approach as city climbs to 3rd spot in global competitiveness index

    Hong Kong has been ranked third in a global competitiveness index, up two places from last year, with Chief Executive John Lee lauding his administration for improving government efficiency.

  • France24 ☛ Oriane Zerah's floral focus on Afghan men

    As one of a handful of Western photographers working in Afghanistan, Oriane Zerah has a unique perspective on daily life in the country. Her work is on show at the Fragonard museum in Grasse, in the south of France, in an exhibition entitled "Unveiled Women, Men with Flowers: A new face of Afghanistan", with images that upend stereotypes about masculinity and femininity under the Taliban. She tells us about the place of beauty in Afghan culture, about her own experience during the Taliban takeover of 2021 and why art is even being prescribed to young women in Afghanistan who are suffering under the oppressive regime there.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin in Kazakhstan to cement Central Asia ties

    This is Mr Xi's second trip to the region in under a year.

  • France24 ☛ Iranian and Israeli official channels broadcast fake images of the conflict

    Fake images of the conflict are not only going viral on social control media, but on television as well – Iranian State TV broadcast at least two images unrelated to the conflict and/or created using artificial intelligence, while the Israeli military published old footage on their official account on X. We explain in this edition of Truth or Fake.

  • CS Monitor ☛ As political violence hits home, local lawmakers struggle with how to stay safe

    Attacks on Minnesota lawmakers are part of a wave of political violence that has local officeholders grappling with how to increase their security.

  • New York Times ☛ Members of Congress Press for More Security After Minnesota Attacks

    A Capitol security official briefed senators on enhanced security precautions, and lawmakers in both parties said more funding was needed to protect themselves.

  • New York Times ☛ Adams Bars Reporter From News Conferences for Being ‘Disrespectful’

    After a contentious exchange, Mayor Eric Adams said, “Make sure security knows he’s not allowed back into this room.”

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan tests sea drones as China’s military pressure continues

    A Taiwanese-made sea drone capable of carrying bombs skimmed across waters off the island Tuesday in a display of uncrewed surface vehicles that could boost its military firepower against China.

  • The Strategist ☛ Taiwan’s accession to Pacific trade pact would uphold economic order

    The Indo-Pacific’s economic and security architecture is under strain. Strategic competition, supply chain fragility and the contesting of trade norms demand bold moves—greater efforts in strengthening diplomatic and economic ties and supporting the rules-based order.

  • France24 ☛ 🔴 Israel-Iran war live: Hypersonic missiles used in latest attack on Israel, says Iran's Revolutionary Guard

    Iran's Revolutionary Guard said early Wednesday it had fired hypersonic missiles towards Israel, as the arch nemeses continue to trade blows. While Israel's most recent strikes pummeled Tehran, G7 leaders convened in the Canadian Rockies, widely backing Israel's targeting of Iranian nuclear sites after The Insurrectionist demanded Iran's "unconditional surrender".

  • New York Times ☛ Underground Halls at Iran’s Natanz Nuclear Site Suffered ‘Direct Impacts’ From Israel Strikes, U.N. Atomic Watchdog Says

    The International Atomic Energy Agency had initially said that the Friday attack had destroyed the aboveground part of the Natanz fuel enrichment plant, but its latest statement indicates more significant damage.

  • New York Times ☛ Live Updates: Israel Conducts New Strikes on Tehran and Convicted Felon Calls for Iran’s ‘Unconditional Surrender’

    Evidence continued to grow that the United States was considering joining Israel’s bombing campaign. Israel’s latest attacks followed two rounds of Iranian missiles fired into Israel.

  • New York Times ☛ Iran Is Preparing Missiles for Possible Retaliatory Strikes on U.S. Bases, Officials Say

    American commanders have put troops on high alert throughout the region as fears of a wider war grow.

  • France24 ☛ What does Israel really want in Iran?

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon is the main goal of Israel’s military offensive. But Israeli defence forces have also carried out strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure and military sites, raising questions about Netanyahu’s real end game: Is regime change in Iran a realistic goal for Israel?

  • France24 ☛ Anatomy of an air strike: Israeli strike hits busy Tehran intersection

    While Israel’s initial attacks on Iran on June 13 targeted military and nuclear facilities and personnel, subsequent strikes have hit a broader range of targets, with an increasing number of civilians killed. This was evident on June 15 when two air strikes hit Tehran’s Tajrish neighbourhood. One struck a building, while the other hit one of northern Tehran's busiest intersections, rupturing a main water pipe. The strikes resulted in the deaths of 17 people, according to Iranian authorities.

  • France24 ☛ 'There's a sense of defiance' among Tel Aviv residents as Israel and Iran trade strikes

    'It's something that they've become hardened to' - FRANCE 24's Catherine Norris-Trent reports from Tel Aviv on how Israelis are coping with the daily missile strikes from Iran.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Why Hezbollah is unlikely to engage in the Israel-Iran war—for now

    As wave after wave of Israeli jets continue to strike Iran, Tehran's proxy on Israel’s northern border remains quiet.

  • NYPost ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man must show remarkable leadership qualities if he makes the tough call – a preemptive strike on Iran to thwart nuke threat

    Preemptive action sometimes works, but it requires remarkable leadership qualities.

  • France24 ☛ Israel pursuing 'decapitation' of Iran's nuclear capabilities and military, scientific leadership

    Israel struck dozens of targets linked to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes overnight and has got Iran's military leadership "on the run", an Israeli military official explained, speaking on condition of anonymity. He has also stated that they have succeeded in damaging Iran's ability to launch missiles. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, Carys Garland welcomes Yoram Schweitzer, Israeli intelligence official, Senior Research Fellow at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Beijing official Xia Baolong to visit Hong Kong ahead of 5th anniversary of nat. security law

    Beijing’s top official on Hong Kong affairs will visit the city for five days this week to attend a forum marking the fifth anniversary of the national security law, Chief Executive John Lee has announced.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia to begin talks on security, defence with EU

    SYDNEY - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday the country would commence negotiations on a security and defence partnership with the European Union, and was also hopeful of a "symbolically important" trade deal.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ The president’s rival The feud between Zelensky and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko goes back years. Here why it’s flaring up again. — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian Post launches package delivery service to North Korea — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Pyongyang to send sappers and construction workers to help rebuild Russia’s Kursk region, Shoigu says — Meduza

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s President Pooh-tin in Kazakhstan to cement Central Asia ties

      Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping will meet Central Asian leaders at a summit in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, his second trip to the region in under a year as Beijing competes with Russia for influence there. The summit in the Kazakh capital brings together Pooh-tin — who arrived in Astana on Monday — and the leaders of […]

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania searches for man who fled Russian transit train

      Lithuanian authorities have launched a search for a man who fled from a Russian Kaliningrad transit train on Tuesday morning.

    • Meduza ☛ State Duma approves law to punish ‘foreign agents’ for offenses committed outside Russia — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ White House disbands working group focused on pressuring Russia, three months after creating it — Reuters — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Drone drops paint on Russian trade mission in Sweden, embassy says — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian independent news outlet Svobodnye Novosti shuts down after 13 years amid pressure from federal censor — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ State Duma passes legislation limiting non-Russian languages in public spaces — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘You owe me one’: Russia shelves waste processing plants amid complaints from Rostec about high interest rates — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ SPIEF’s propaganda pivot The theme of ‘social optimism’ permeates the Kremlin’s media coverage guidelines for this year’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Canada sanctions Putin’s ex-wife, his cousin’s son, and Yeltsin’s daughter — Meduza

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russian presidential security official Shoigu arrives in North Korea, reports TASS

      Russia's top presidential security adviser Sergei Shoigu was expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after arriving in Pyongyang \"on special instructions\" from President Vladimir Putin, Russia's Tass news agency reported on Tuesday.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia’s Prabowo to hold talks with Putin to cement ‘strategic partnership’

      Putin will meet Mr Prabowo in St Petersburg on June 19.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Top Russian security official holds talks with North Korea’s Kim for second time in two weeks

      Sergei Shoigu said he was carrying out "special instructions" from President Vladimir Putin.

    • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Says Iran's Ayatollah Safe 'For Now' As Tehran Residents Flee

      President The Insurrectionist says the United States knows where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is hiding and that Iran's leader is safe "for now," as resident of Tehran fled the capital in droves amid Israeli warnings of "significant" air strikes.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Putin’s Kyiv blitz sends message to G7 leaders: Russia does not want peace

      As G7 leaders gathered on Monday for a summit in Canada, Russia unleashed one of the largest bombardments of the Ukrainian capital since the start of Moscow’s invasion more than three years ago, writes Peter Dickinson.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Russia and Ukraine are locked in an economic war of attrition

      As the Russian army continues to wage a brutal war of attrition in Ukraine, the two nations are also locked in an economic contest that could play a key role in determining the outcome of Europe’s largest invasion since World War II, writes Anders Åslund.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Are Albania and Montenegro on the fast track to EU membership?

      Albania and Montenegro are capitalizing on the European Union’s renewed momentum for enlargement as a result of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

    • France24 ☛ G7 pledges support for Ukraine after Convicted Felon makes abrupt exit from summit

      Group of Seven powers pledged their support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday as Russia stepped up its attacks on Kyiv. The US president left the G7 summit early to return to Washington to focus on the Israel-Iran conflict.

    • France24 ☛ North Korea to send military construction workers, deminers to rebuild Russia's Kursk region

      North Korea will send military builders and deminers to help restore Russia's Kurk region, Russian news agencies reported Moscow's security chief as saying Tuesday while he was on a trip to Pyongyang. North Korea has become one of Russia's main allies during Moscow's years-long war in Ukraine.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian NATO envoy backs Israel's strike on Iran, weighs Ukraine's NATO prospects

      Lithuania’s ambassador to NATO, Darius Jauniškis, has voiced support for Israel’s decision to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, while also warning that NATO’s wording on Ukraine’s future membership could change at next week’s summit in The Hague.

    • RFERL ☛ Massive Russian Attack Kills 16 In Kyiv, 2 In Odesa As G7 Summit Fails To Agree To Strong Statement On War

      Russia unleashed a massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight, killing at least 10 people and wounding over 100 in the capital in one of the deadliest assaults since the start of the full-scale invasion. At least two people were killed in Odesa, authorities said.

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea to send army builders, deminers to Russia: Russian news agencies

      North Korea has become one of Russia’s main allies during Moscow’s Ukraine offensive.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan seals Ukraine combat-tested drone software deal to help deter China

      The deal could eventually lead to the technology being used in millions of drones for Taiwan.

    • CS Monitor ☛ A more inclusive G7 finds a way to work around US objections

      The United States posed an obstacle to solidarity at the Group of Seven summit. But under Canada’s guidance, the group was able to make progress.

    • CS Monitor ☛ In this Ukrainian workshop, ordinary cars become battlefield ambulances

      With emergency vehicles in short supply in Ukraine, volunteers are building armored ambulances to carry medics and soldiers around the battlefield.

    • New York Times ☛ Russian Drone and Missile Strikes on Kyiv Kill at Least 10

      It was the deadliest attack on the Ukrainian capital in almost a year, and came as Moscow has intensified air assaults on the city.

    • New York Times ☛ North Korea Will Send 5,000 Workers to Russia, Kremlin Says

      Thousands of North Korean laborers are already toiling in Russia. A new contingent is headed to the region where North Korean troops fought Ukraine.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Stands Aside as Israel Attacks Iran

      Analysts say the Kremlin is prioritizing its own war against Ukraine, as well as its relations with Gulf nations that don’t want to see a stronger Iran.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Says Macron ‘Always Gets It Wrong’ as They Clash Over Mideast

      In an angry post on social control media, Hell Toupée suggested that President Emmanuel Macron of France was a publicity seeker with no clue about American plans in the Israel-Iran conflict.

    • ADF ☛ Cameroonian Soldiers Enticed to Fight for Russia in Ukraine

      Regardless of whether Awamo Mitterrand was tricked or coerced into enlisting in the Russian Army, he was sent to the front lines in Ukraine and killed in battle on February 26, his body abandoned by the Russians in a forest.

    • France24 ☛ G7 pledges support for Ukraine without US after Convicted Felon makes abrupt exit from summit

      Group of Seven powers pledged their support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday as Russia stepped up its attacks on Kyiv, but fell short of issuing a joint statement after the US attempted to "water it down." The US president left the G7 summit early to return to Washington to focus on the Israel-Iran conflict.

    • Meduza ☛ Russian Foreign Ministry says Israeli attacks on Iran are illegal and risk destabilizing the Middle East — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Six more bodies recovered from rubble of Kyiv apartment building hit by Russian strike — Meduza

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Atlantic Council ☛ UAE Minister Sultan Al Jaber on how to solve AI’s energy conundrum

      Meeting the demand for energy associated with Hey Hi (AI) "is not just a technical challenge,” but a “once-in-a-generation" opportunity, Al Jaber said at the 2025 Global Energy Forum.

    • The Straits Times ☛ For sightseers in China, pilotless ‘flying taxi’ rides are on the horizon

      People will soon be able to use flying vehicles for sightseeing in Guangzhou and Hefei.

    • France24 ☛ Spain says 'overvoltage' caused major April power outage

      Spain's government said Tuesday that the massive April power blackout across Spain and Portugal that disrupted businesses, internet connectivity, transit systems and other critical infrastructures was caused by a surge in voltage that triggered a chain reaction across the grid.

    • New York Times ☛ MElon’s Hey Hi (AI) Company Faces Lawsuit Over Gas-Burning Turbines

      The company, xAI, has installed several dozen turbines in Memphis without proper permits, the group said, polluting a nearby community.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Great White Sharks Were Scared From Their Habitat by Just 2 Predators

      There's something even the great white fears.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Can South Korea afford a 4.5-day work week?

    One of President Lee's most eye-catching campaign pledges includes introducing a shorter work week.

  • Widespread pay cuts in China drive down consumer spending, fuel deflationary fears

    Chinese civil servants and state-owned enterprise employees see significant salary cuts and layoffs.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Postal Service strikes deal with another of its unions

    Members of another union, the National Association of Letter Carriers, voted against a tentative agreement with USPS in January.

  • France24 ☛ Venice locals plan to disrupt Amazon founder Bezos' wedding

    For some cities around the world, tourism has become a double-edged sword, bringing in stimulus to the local economy - but often coring out local communities to the advantage of incoming visitors. And now the city of canals, Venice, has seen its waters futher troubled by the upcoming marriage of Amazon boss and billionnaire Jeff Bezos, with inhabitants furious over what they see as the privatisation of their home.

  • The Straits Times ☛ New Zealand PM to discuss trade, tourism and security on first visit to China

    PM Christopher Luxon will meet China's President Pooh-tin Jinping and Premier Li Qiang on June 20.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin blasts tariff war, protectionism at China-Central Asia Summit

    Russia says China’s growing influence in the region does not pose a threat.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea and Japan to hold meeting on sidelines of G-7 summit

    South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba will meet on June 17.

  • New York Times ☛ Obama Steps Back Into the Public Eye Amid Political and Global Unrest

    He will appear on Tuesday evening in Hartford, Conn., alongside the writer Heather Cox Richardson, at a time of deep volatility for his party, the country and the world.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Is Free Speech the New Price of Merger Approval from the FTC?

    According to news reports, the FTC may require advertising agencies not to “boycott” platforms before granting approval for a merger. But “boycott” is being used by the FTC in the same way as “censorship” – as a cudgel to ensure control of information and further the Convicted Felon administration’s goals.

  • NYPost ☛ Young white men feel the need to ‘walk on eggshells’ and censor themselves at work — here’s why

    Nearly two in three white men aged 18 to 29 — around 12 million guys — feel this way.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • The Straits Times ☛ Want to file for divorce in China? You may need a booking agent

    One agent has earned 5,000 yuan since March – nearly half her monthly salary from her day job.

  • JURIST ☛ ILO’s commitment to developing binding global standards deemed a ‘positive breakthrough’

    The new commitment by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to developing binding global standards on “gig work” is a “positive breakthrough,” according to Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday. HRW advocate Lena Simet stated that the ILO’s recent resolution on the issue was a “major win” for “advancing binding standards for platform work.”

  • JURIST ☛ UN expert report: Taliban dismantle Afghanistan justice system

    Afghanistan is gripped by a “deep human rights crisis” as the Taliban systematically dismantles legal and institutional frameworks, abolishing crucial protections for women and girls, a UN expert warned today.

  • New York Times ☛ $5.4 Million Attack Ad and ICE Arrest Add Drama to N.Y.C. Mayor’s Race

    Plus: We looked at key endorsements and dug into the polls with our in-house expert. Primary Day is just a week away.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • The Straits Times ☛ China, Central Asian countries agree better connectivity by land, flights

    Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping signed a treaty to elevate ties with Central Asian nations.

  • New York Times ☛ The internet across Iran is being disrupted, experts and Iranians say.

    Many people believed the government was responsible for restricting services, and the authorities were urging Iranians to use the national internet network.

  • Internet Society ☛ How Nonprofits Run the Internet

    A handful of nonprofits in the Internet community manage a lot of the unseen work that makes the Internet function. They are critical for ensuring that networks on the Internet have unique addresses and that people can read those addresses.

  • APNIC ☛ Event Wrap: bdNOG 19 and BTRC IPv6 Seminar

    APNIC supported and participated in bdNOG 19 and the BTRC IPv6 Seminar, held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 21 to 24 May 2025.

  • APNIC ☛ A QUIC progress report

    Reviewing QUIC’s design motivations, protocol innovations, and current adoption across the public Internet.

  • APNIC ☛ Fiji’s Strengthening Internet infrastructure

    Fiji stands at a pivotal point in its digital journey, with strong foundations and a clear vision.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Public Knowledge President and CEO Chris Lewis Returns from Sabbatical [Ed: But that does not solve the issue of Microsoft in the Board]

    Recently, Public Knowledge welcomed back Chris Lewis as President and CEO of Public Knowledge. Lewis has returned from a 12-week sabbatical leave and will resume all duties of his role. Meredith Whipple, who performed as Interim CEO in his absence, will resume her regular duties as Chief of Staff.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Public Knowledge Congratulates Trusty on Confirmation, FCC Remains in Political Crisis

    Today, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Olivia Trusty as a Commissioner for the Federal Communications Commission. Public Knowledge previously joined a letter with public interest and civil rights organizations addressed to Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) urging the Senate to seek written assurances from the Convicted Felon administration [...]

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Federal Circuit Vacates $300 Million Jury Verdict on Multiple Grounds

    In a significant decision with implications for patent monopoly litigation practice, the Federal Circuit has vacated both infringement and damages judgments totaling $300 million in Optis Cellular Technology v. Fashion Company Apple Inc., finding multiple errors by the Eastern District of Texas that undermined the validity of the jury's verdict. Judge Prost's opinion identified four distinct areas of reversible error: [...]

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Federal Circuit Offers Some Loosening of the Nexus Standard for Objective Indicia of Nonobviousness

    In Ancora v. Roku, the Federal Circuit relaxed the rigid nexus requirement for objective evidence of non-obviousness -- but only for patent monopoly licensing evidence.  The court emphasized that actual patent monopoly licenses (those worth > litigation costs) inherently reflect the validity of the patented technology. This decision contrasts with stricter standards still imposed on other types of objective indicia.  Ancora Technologies, Inc. v. Roku, Inc., 2023-1674 (Fed. Cir. June 16, 2025).

  • Unified Patents ☛ $14,000 awarded for OptiMorphix video optimization patents prior art

    Unified is pleased to announce PATROLL crowdsourcing contest winners below totaling $14,000 in cash prizes. The patents are owned by OptiMorphix, Inc, an NPE. The patents generally relate to various video optimization technologies. The patents have been asserted against Fortinet, Meta, Akamai Technologies, Intel, NVIDIA, and Brightcove.

  • JUVE ☛ Eight opponents achieve revocation of Salix’s rifaximin patent monopoly at EPO

    US pharma company Salix Pharmaceuticals develops prescription drugs and medical devices that prevent and treat various gastrointestinal disorders. The current opposition proceedings centred on EP 2 350 096. The patent monopoly protects methods of treating hepatic encephalopathy — an altered level of consciousness resulting from liver failure.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ Prior Registration Under 13th DuPont Factor Fails to Save RAIN DANCER From Section 2(d) Refusal

    The Board affirmed a refusal to register the mark RAIN DANCER for hard cider, finding confusion likely with the registered mark RAIN DANCE for wine. The marks are "very similar," the goods "closely related," and the trade channels and classes of customers overlapping. Applicant invoked the Strategic Partners decision, arguing that its ownership of a registration for RAIN DANCER for identical goods (hard cider) gave it a free pass, but the Board found that the weight to be accorded this factor was diminished because the prior registration expired almost three years ago. In re Aan Carson, Serial No. 97763992 (June 11, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Thomas L. Casagrande).

• Copyrights

  • MIT Technology Review ☛ AI copyright monopoly anxiety will hold back creativity

    Last fall, while attending a board meeting in Amsterdam, I had a few free hours and made an impromptu visit to the Van Gogh Museum. I often steal time for visits like this—a perk of global business travel for which I am grateful.