Leftovers

• Ruben Schade ☛ Music Monday, and rental inspections

  For all of Australia’s strong consumer and employee protections, rental rights have lagged severely behind. People who move here, especially from places like Germany, are surprised that no-fault evictions and regular inspections are still permitted in most Australian states and territories. This wasn’t as much of an issue when most families owned their own home, but several factors over the last two decades have sharply increased the number of people living long-term in rentals, and both sides of politics have paid naught but lip service to addressing it in any meaningful way.

  And as Ben Sidran sang, lip service… makes me nervous.

• Science

  • Rlang ☛ THAMES for mixtures, a reply from the authors

    Here is a reply to my comments on THAMES sent by the first author of the paper, Martin Metodiev.

  • Science Alert ☛ Check It Out! Rubin Observatory Reveals First Glimpses of Stunning Space Images

    All aboard the hype train!

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Identify New Blood Group, And It's The World's Rarest

    "Undoubtedly the only known case."

  • Science Alert ☛ Video: How Far Away Would You Need to Be to Survive a Nuclear Blast?

    It's not just the radiation.

  • Science Alert ☛ New Treatment May Cure Severe Type 1 Diabetes, Study Finds

    A life-changing discovery.

  • Science Alert ☛ Cat Parasite Can Seriously Disrupt Brain Function, Study Suggests

    “Even a handful of infected neurons can shift the brain’s neurochemical balance.”

  • Science Alert ☛ Orcas' Strange Beauty Routine Revealed by Scientists For The First Time

    "Incredibly exciting."

  • Science Alert ☛ Confirmed: New Mexico Footprints Rewrite Timeline of Humans in America

    Beneath the sands of time.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ ST’s Human Presence Detection (HPD) solution tracks head and posture with Hey Hi (AI) and VL53L8CP ToF sensor

    Back in 2022, we first saw STMicro launch the VL53L5CP ToF presence detection sensor for the PC market with features like user detection, gesture recognition, and intruder alert. Building upon that, the company has recently released its 5th‑generation Human Presence Detection (HPD) solution, built around the VL53L8CP 8×8 multizone Time‑of‑Flight sensor family with edge Hey Hi (AI) features offered as a turnkey solution for laptops, PCs, monitors, and accessories.

  • Hackaday ☛ Casting Time: Exploded Watch In Resin

    We’ve all seen the exploded view of complex things, which CAD makes possible, but it’s much harder to levitate parts in their relative positions in the real world. That, however, is exactly what [fellerts] has done with this wristwatch, frozen in time and place.

  • Hackaday ☛ Keep Track Of The Compost With LoRaWAN

    Composting doesn’t seem difficult: pile up organic matter, let it rot. In practice, however, it’s a bit more complicated– if you want that sweet, sweet soil amendment in a reasonable amount of time, and to make sure any food-born pathogens and weed seeds don’t come through, you need a “hot” compost pile. How to tell if the pile is hot? Well, you could go out there and stick your arm in like a schmuck, or you could use [Dirk-WIllem van Gulik]’s “LORAWAN Compostheap solarpowered temperaturesensor” (sic).

  • Hackaday ☛ Eulogy For The Satellite Phone

    We take it for granted that we almost always have cell service, no matter where you go around town. But there are places — the desert, the forest, or the ocean — where you might not have cell service. In addition, there are certain jobs where you must be able to make a call even if the cell towers are down, for example, after a hurricane. Recently, a combination of technological advancements has made it possible for your ordinary cell phone to connect to a satellite for at least some kind of service. But before that, you needed a satellite phone.

  • Hackaday ☛ Add TouchTone Typing To Your Next Project

    The Blackberry made phones with real keyboards popular, and smartphones with touch keyboards made that input method the default. However, the old flip phone crowd had just a few telephone keys to work with. If you have a key-limited project, maybe check out the libt9 library from [FoxMoss].

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Russell Coker ☛ Russell Coker: PFAs

    For some time I’ve been noticing news reports about PFAs [1]. I hadn’t thought much about that issue, I grew up when leaded petrol was standard, when almost all thermometers had mercury, when all small batteries had mercury, and I had generally considered that I had already had so many nasty chemicals in my body that as long as I don’t eat bottom feeding seafood often I didn’t have much to worry about. I already had a higher risk of a large number of medical issues than I’d like due to decisions made before I was born and there’s not much to do about it given that there are regulations restricting the emissions of lead, mercury etc.

    I just watched a Veritasium video about Teflon and the PFA poisoning related to it’s production [2]. This made me realise that it’s more of a problem than I realised and it’s a problem that’s getting worse. PFA levels in the parts-per-trillion range in the environment can cause parts-per-billion in the body which increases the risks of several cancers and causes other health problems. Fortunately there is some work being done on water filtering, you can get filters for a home level now and they are working on filters that can work at a sufficient scale for a city water plant.

    There is a map showing PFAs in the environment in Australia which shows some sites with concerning levels that are near residential areas [3]. One of the major causes for that in Australia is fire retardant foam – Australia has never had much if any Teflon manufacturing AFAIK.

    Also they noted that donating blood regularly can decrease levels of PFAs in the bloodstream. So presumably people who have medical conditions that require receiving donated blood regularly will have really high levels.

  • The Straits Times ☛ From bingsu to sashimi, popularity of cup foods going strong in South Korea

    It is recommended that one should not regard cup foods as their main energy intake.

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Having a coffee in Brisbane

    I’m having a coffee up north in Brisbane today! I’m only here for a packed work day trip unfortunately, but a break from the daily routine is always good.

    Brisbane and I have a complicated relationship. My dad was a business traveller, so we lived here for 18 months or so when I was a kid before we moved semi-permanently to Singapore.

  • Pro Publica ☛ How the FDA Let Medications From Banned Foreign Factories Into the U.S.

    In 2022, three Food and Drug Administration inspectors headed to India to investigate a massive Sun Pharma plant that produces dozens of generic drugs for Americans. Over two weeks, they found dangerous breakdowns in the way critical medications were made, and the FDA ultimately placed the factory on an import ban — prohibiting the company from shipping drugs to the United States.

    The agency, however, quietly gave the global manufacturer a special pass to continue sending more than a dozen drugs to Americans even though they were made at the same substandard factory that was officially banned from the U.S. market.

  • Pro Publica ☛ After His Kidney Transplant, He Took Tacrolimus From an FDA-Investigated Factory

    Joe DeMayo always knew his healthy years could end abruptly, bound to the lifespan of a transplanted kidney about the size of a small fist. But as the father of a toddler, he had hoped to have more time.

    When he was 33, his wife had donated her kidney to him, a milestone that changed the course of DeMayo’s life. The relentless fatigue, nose bleeds and itchy skin brought on by his own poorly functioning kidneys vanished, and he felt good enough to leave home in Philadelphia for a new beginning in the foothills of northern California.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Zimbabwe ☛ DeepSeek Accused of Helping Chinese Military Evade US Tech Bans [Ed: When they say "American" technology they mean "made-in-China technology" with some US patents on it]

      The U.S. government is accusing Chinese Hey Hi (AI) company DeepSeek of helping China’s military and intelligence agencies while dodging controls that are supposed to limit their access to American technology.

    • Evan Hahn ☛ Notes from "Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Scam Altman's OpenAI"

      I just finished Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Scam Altman’s OpenAI by Karen Hao, and…wow! What a read! Best book I’ve read all year!

      Empire of AI covers the history of OpenAI, from before Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot to early 2025. It profiles CEO Scam Altman and several other executives. It also discusses the broader Hey Hi (AI) industry.

      Hao does this with a critical eye. I wasn’t an Proprietary Chaffbot Company fan before I read it, but I’m even less of a fan now! If you’re looking for a book to excite you about generative AI, this is not it.

      I’ve collated a few themes that stood out to me, but I recommend reading it for yourself. There are so many goodies.

  • Social Control Media

    • Press Gazette ☛ Sophia Smith Galer app helps journalists who don’t have time to make Tiktok videos [Ed: Stupid gimmicks that only discredit their work]

      Sophiana is a scriptwriting and teleprompter tool for journalists and other expert content creators.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Chronicle Of Higher Education ☛ Could New Social-Media Screening Create a Student-Visa Bottleneck?

      The government’s requirement that international students make their accounts public has caused confusion and concern.

    • The Strategist ☛ Keeping the Indo-Pacific on board with the global anti-spyware movement

      Launched in early 2024 by Britain and France, the Pall Mall Process is one of two global initiatives aiming to set norms to prevent the harmful proliferation of commercial spyware.

    • EDRI ☛ The EU must stop the digitalisation of the deportation regime and withdraw the new Return Regulation

      The European Commission’s new legislative proposal for a deportation regulation fuels detention, criminalisation, and digital surveillance. The #ProtectNotSurveil coalition is demanding the end of the deportation regime and for the Commission to withdraw its proposal.

    • Citizen Lab ☛ Canada’s Secret Wars: Cold War Spies to Digital Surveillance with Ron Deibert & Donald Mahar

      On June 28, join Citizen Lab director Ron Deibert, author of Chasing Shadows, for this book talk at the Toronto International Festival of Authors.

    • Citizen Lab ☛ A Trip to Ancient BABYLON: Unearthing a 2017 Pegasus Persistence Exploit

      On June 29 at REcon, Citizen Lab senior researcher Bill Marczak and co-presenter Daniel Roethlisberger will recount how they discovered a Pegasus exploit targeting iOS 10 devices back in 2017. They will describe their investigation, analyze the root cause of the vulnerability, detail how the exploit leveraged the vulnerability to gain code execution after boot, and explain how the vulnerability was mitigated.

    • Michael Geist ☛ The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 237: A Conversation with Jason Woywada of BCFIPA on Political Party Privacy and Bill C-4

      The government’s unexpected privacy reform agenda includes both lawful access in Bill C-2 and the evisceration of political party privacy in Bill C-4. While Bill C-4 is framed as implementing affordability measures, it also exempts political parties from the application of privacy protections on a retroactive basis dating back to 2000.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korean leader Kim presides over key party meeting, state media says

    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over the 12th plenary meeting of the eighth central committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, state media reported on Tuesday.

  • Scoop News Group ☛ The SAVE database was already a headache for states. Now it’s fueling Convicted Felon’s voter fraud allegations.

    Experts believe lawsuits are first steps in a larger plan by the White House to create new metrics that lend support to the president’s unproven claims that noncitizens are voting en masse for Democratic politicians.

  • JURIST ☛ Panama declares state of emergency amid escalating civil unrest in Bocas del Toro

    The Government of Panama declared a state of emergency in “the entire province of Bocas del Toro” on Friday, in an ad hoc cabinet meeting, in the background of escalating civil unrest opposing Law 462, implemented on March 18 to reform the social security system.

  • JURIST ☛ Israel recovers bodies of 3 hostages from Gaza

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday said that the bodies of three Israeli hostages were recovered from Gaza. Netanyahu stated that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet, the country’s internal security agency, managed to successfully bring back the bodies of Yonatan Samarno, Sergeant Shai Levinson and Ofra Keder.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China warns of ‘spillover of war’ risk in Iran-Israel conflict

    China urged Iran and Israel to de-escalate.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China warns of ‘spillover of war’ risk, urges Iran and Israel to de-escalate

    China urged Iran and Israel on Monday to de-escalate in order to prevent the “spillover” of their war, as fighting between the two foes raged for the 11th day.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Important to continue nurturing trust and understanding, PM Wong tells Chinese Premier

    Mr Wong is on a five-day official visit to China, his first as a prime minister.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s President Lee says Middle East situation is ‘very urgent’

    Mr Lee Jae Myung expressed concern that rising oil prices could lead to higher inflation.

  • Meduza ☛ Putin meets with Iranian foreign minister, calls strikes on Iran ‘completely unprovoked aggression’ — Meduza

  • Security Week ☛ US Braces for Cyberattacks After Bombing Iranian Nuclear Sites

    Iranian hackers are expected to intensify cyberattacks against the US after the recent air strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Sheinbaum: ‘Mexico will always be a factor for peace’ after US-Iran escalation

    President Claudia Sheinbaum on Sunday expressed opposition to war and called on the United Nations to lead a peacebuilding process after the United States military attacked three nuclear facilities in Iran.

  • NYPost ☛ Chilling audio reveals Israeli intel agents warned some Iranian generals ahead of strikes: ‘You have 12 hours to escape’

    Israeli intelligence agents, likely working for Mossad, the Jewish state’s top spy agency, phoned the high-ranking Iranian officials as part of a covert effort to destabilize and divide the regime through intimidation.

  • The Strategist ☛ US strikes on Iran warn adversaries, re-establish deterrence

    The US strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities has ended 10 days of uncertainty and signalled a shift in the Middle East’s strategic dynamic.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Four questions (and expert answers) about Iran’s threats to close the Strait of Hormuz

    Following the recent US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Tehran is reportedly considering blocking the critical artery for global oil and gas. But can it?

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ US urges China to prevent Iran from shutting down Strait of Hormuz, key trade route

    US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged China on Sunday to help deter Iran from shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial trade route, following American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Pakistan is maintaining strategic clarity amid the Israel-Iran war

    Pakistan officials were quick to deny Iranian claims that Islamabad would engage in a nuclear response to a nuclear Israeli strike on Iran.

  • JURIST ☛ UN warns of escalation following US strikes on Iran nuclear sites

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed grave alarm on Saturday following the US’s recent airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, warning of an escalating cycle of violence that could further destabilize the Middle East. Guterres urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint and return to diplomatic dialogue to avoid a broader regional conflict.

  • Defence Web ☛ Stealth strike: Deployment of the B-2 bomber and lessons for African defence

    In the early hours of 21 June 2025, the United States executed a high-stakes precision strike against three Iranian nuclear facilities in a mission dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer. This was not just another air operation—it was a historic moment in strategic aviation.

  • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man says Israel and Iran agree to 'complete and total ceasefire' to be phased in over 24 hours

  • France24 ☛ Oil prices fall sharply after Iran strikes US base in Qatar

    Crude oil prices fell around 7% on Monday, after Iran said it had launched a missile attack on a US base in Qatar. Investors appear to take the retaliatory action as being limited, following days of uncertainty over whether Tehran would close the Strait of Hormuz. The Insurrectionist later said Iran had given the US advanced notice of the attack. Earlier, Washington also called on China to pressure Tehran not to close the vital waterway.

  • France24 ☛ Netanyahu thanks Convicted Felons for US strikes on Iran

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday praised US President The Insurrectionist for carrying out attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities which Convicted Felon said "devastated" Iran's nuclear program. While some Israelis echoed Netanyahu's praise, others worry about an Iranian retaliatory strike, which Tehran vowed to carry out in what it calls self-defence.

  • France24 ☛ Iran attacks US base in Qatar, Convicted Felon says ‘it’s time for peace’

    Tehran launched missiles at a US air base in Doha on Monday in retaliation for American strikes on key nuclear facilities in Iran. Qatar said its "air defences successfully intercepted a missile attack targeting Al Udeid Air Base", as US President The Insurrectionist called the attack "very weak", adding that it was time to make peace.

  • France24 ☛ Images and eyewitness accounts from Tehran's Evin Prison after an Israeli strike

    The Israeli military on Monday targeted Tehran's notorious Evin Prison and two courts inside the compound, where political prisoners are held. Relatives of prisoners relayed eyewitness accounts from inside, and several videos documented the strikes.

  • France24 ☛ #Iran: Evin Prison struck by Israel

    On June 23, #Israel announced a series of strikes targeting “symbolic” sites of the Iranian regime, including #Evin #Prison — a prominent location for the incarceration of political dissidents under the Islamic Republic.

  • France24 ☛ Israel targets Tehran prison as Iran fires missiles

    Israel hit the notorious Evin prison in Tehran on Monday as part of what it said were its most powerful strikes yet on the Iranian capital on the 11th day of the war. Iran, in turn, fired missile barrages at Israel and vowed retaliation against the United States after it struck the Islamic republic's nuclear sites a day earlier.

  • France24 ☛ Israel targets Tehran's Evin prison in latest strikes

    Israel's defence minister said the army was targeting Tehran's notorious Evin prison Monday as it carried out fresh strikes on the Iranian capital. Fraance 24's Saeed Azimi reports from the Iranian capital.

  • France24 ☛ What do satellite images reveal about damage to Iran’s Fordow nuclear site?

    Following the US strikes on the Fordow nuclear facility in Iran, Maxar Technology satellite images indicate that the underground complex was damaged. However, some users claim that Fordow remains ‘intact’ with little to no damage based on these same images. We explain in this edition of Truth or Fake.

  • France24 ☛ 🔴 Explosions heard over Qatar capital Doha after Tehran’s threats to retaliate against US strikes

  • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man's War: Can US impose its will on weakened Iran?

    There’s the plan — and then there are the unintended consequences. The United States talks diplomacy, then bombs Iran. It suggests the targeting of nuclear sites may have been a one-off, yet leaves the regime uncertain: is regime change the real objective? Following its most significant show of force since the invasion of Iraq, will Washington take ownership of what comes next? For now, the US asserts itself as the sole superpower capable of projecting force in a region where China appears reduced to the role of chief oil customer, and Russia remains preoccupied with Ukraine. And with Israel now striking Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, it’s clear this goes far beyond nuclear ambitions. We’ll look at the options left to a weakened Iran — and the consequences of toppling a militarised theocracy.

  • France24 ☛ 🔴 Israel-Iran war live: Tehran claims missile attacks on US bases in Qatar and Iraq

  • France24 ☛ 'Mission creep'? Signs Israel's objectives in Iran are shifting

    At the start of its military operation against Iran, Israel's stated objective was to take out the country's nuclear and missile-launching capabilities, but the targets of recent strikes, including the targeting of a Tehran prison, may suggest " a certain extent of mission creep", says France 24 senior reporter Catherine Norris Street.

  • France24 ☛ ‘I am so sad, I’m crying’: Iranian community in California’s ‘Tehrangeles’ reacts to US strikes

    More than half a million people of Iranian origin live in the United States, including nearly 300,000 in California. Between cautious hope for the future and deep concern for loved ones who remain in their homeland, the Iranian-American community in Los Angeles has been watching closely as events unfold in their homeland. France 24's Tarek Kai reports from Los Angeles.

  • US strikes on Iran may strengthen North Korea’s nuclear resolve, experts warn

    North Korea may accelerate nuclear development and view talks to give up its nuclear program as futile, say experts

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea condemns US strike on Iran as violation of sovereign rights

    The attack was a grave violation of a sovereign state’s security interests and territorial rights, it said.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippine Vice-President Duterte criticises Marcos for leaning towards US

    Her statements mark her sharpest criticisms yet of the Philippine President’s US-friendly stance.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China says Taiwan President spreading ‘heresy’ with sovereignty speech

    China said Mr Lai Ching-te had intentionally distorted history to promote his Taiwan independence agenda.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Expect NATO’s new spending pledge to be overshadowed by weakening US commitment and inaction on Ukraine

      The Hague summit will ultimately be defined by what the US president communicates about his commitment to transatlantic security and what NATO allies do to support Ukraine.

    • The Strategist ☛ Working with Ukraine is how Australia can supercharge defence innovation

      ‘High-tech trench warfare’ was an oxymoron—until Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On Ukraine’s battlefields, Cold War artillery meets 21st-century innovation. Shells fall while AI-enabled drones swarm the air, land and sea. In the ...

    • LRT ☛ No lifting sanctions on Minsk despite prisoner release – Lithuanian FM

      After the Belarusian government released 14 political prisoners over the weekend, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys insists this does not give grounds for considering easing sanctions against Minsk.

    • Meduza ☛ At least nine dead in large-scale Russian strike on Kyiv — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Trump slams former Russian president’s ‘N word’ nuclear threats following U.S. airstrikes on Iran — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Former NATO Military Committee chair says ‘small Russian attack’ on Estonia wouldn’t trigger immediate armed response by alliance — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia’s receding river: How the Volga’s falling water level is reshaping life along its shores — Meduza

    • LRT ☛ Behind Lithuania’s pro-Russian politician and presidential candidate

      LRT Investigation Team took a deep dive into Eduardas Vaitkus, a pro-Russian politician and former presidential candidate who recently visited Belarus, where he claimed the Lithuanian government and president were illegitimate.

    • Meduza ☛ Russian missile strike hits school in Ukraine’s Odesa region, killing at least two — Meduza

    • France24 ☛ Will Russia benefit from the Israel-Iran war?

      As Iran’s foreign minister arrived in Moscow on Monday, President Vladimir Putin pledged that Russia would “provide assistance to the Iranian people” in the wake of US attacks. While Russia has condemned Israeli and US strikes on Tehran, experts say the conflict could work in the Kremlin’s favour.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ ‘All of Ukraine is ours’: Putin’s Russian imperialism is now on full display

      Putin declared last week that "all of Ukraine is ours." The Kremlin dictator's revealing comments highlight the resurgent Russian imperialism driving Europe's largest invasion since WWII, writes Peter Dickinson.

    • The Strategist ☛ How Australia should understand Prabowo’s visit to Moscow

      In the week when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met counterparts at the G7 summit in Ottawa, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto went to St Petersburg to deepen ties with Vladimir Putin.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Strikes, Iranian Drones Kill At Least 9 In Ukraine; Zelenskyy Slams 'Coalition Of Murderers'

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces killed at least six people and left dozens of others injured in a "cynical" overnight missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

    • France24 ☛ #Ukraine: Destruction in #Kyiv after Russian strikes

      These striking images show the damage caused by a large-scale Russian attack on Kyiv and its suburbs. Many homes were hit, resulting in at least eight deaths.

    • France24 ☛ Russia hits Kyiv with deadly drone and missile barrage

      Ukraine said on Monday that Russia had fired dozens of drones and missiles at the country, ripping open a residential building and killing several civilians in Kyiv.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Rain arrives in China at critical moment for coal and dam sectors

    The downpour is good news for dam operators, but less welcome for the coal industry.

  • Science Alert ☛ Extreme Heat Wave Scorches The US: Here's How You Can Stay Safe

    Millions are under heat advisories.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian PM Anwar’s popularity rises even as growth slows

    His approval rating stood at 55 per cent as at May 2025.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Chile deepens economic ties with China amid growing dependency concerns

    Chile could diversify its trade portfolio, looking to India and South-east Asian countries.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New Yorker ☛ What Zohran Mamdani Got Right About Running for Mayor

    The thirty-three-year-old democratic socialist has created a movement. Can it overcome Andrew Cuomo’s power?

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Seeking out ‘soft resistance’ will harm Hong Kong artists, prominent playwright says after minister’s warning of scrutiny

    Actively looking for “soft resistance” will harm Hong Kong artists and their works, prominent playwright Candace Chong has said, after a minister vowed to scrutinise event subsidies and performance venues.

  • EDRI ☛ French Administrative Supreme Court illegitimately buries the debate over internet censorship law

    In November 2023, EDRi and members filed a complaint against the French decree implementing the EU regulation addressing the dissemination of 'terrorist content' online. Last week, the French supreme administrative court rejected our arguments and refused to refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong artist given suspended sentence for criminal damage over ‘Freedom’ graffiti

    A Hong Kong street artist has been handed a suspended jail sentence for painting “Freedom” graffiti in Central and Sheung Wan districts in January. Chan King-fai, 42, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of criminal damage at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on Monday, while prosecutors dropped another eight counts of the offence against the artist.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • RFERL ☛ RFE/RL Journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko Released From Russian Custody After More Than 4 Years Of Detention

    Vladyslav Yesypenko, a Ukrainian citizen and journalist who contributed to Crimea.Realities, a regional news outlet of RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service, has been released from custody more than four years after being detained on suspicion of collecting information for Ukrainian intelligence.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Charlie Elphicke’s legal bill cut after Sunday Times libel battle

    A judge found Times Media failed to "preserve evidence" in the case.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Meduza ☛ ‘Siarhei is free’: Belarusian opposition leader says husband plans to ‘continue the fight’ after sudden release from prison — Meduza

  • LRT ☛ US thanks Lithuania after release of 14 political prisoners from Belarus

    The United States has thanked Lithuania for its role in securing the release of 14 political prisoners from Belarus, including prominent opposition leader Syarhei Tsikhanouski.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Public Knowledge ☛ 4 Ways the Convicted Felon Administration Has Sabotaged America’s Broadband Future

    The Forrest Dump administration's broadband policies clearly prioritize economic and political gain over the American public interest.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ Ampersand bolsters patent monopoly litigation team with Klaka partner hire [Ed: This is marketing spam disguised as important news, i.e. the usual cruft and fake endorsements from JUVE]

    Ampersand is to bolster its Munich patent monopoly practice. Stefan Eck (52) began his legal career at Klaka in 2003, where he made partner in 2009. He specialises in patent monopoly and utility model law, advising companies across various industries. His experience spans biotechnology, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, optics, mechanical and plant engineering, and general mechanics.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Intellectual Ventures cloud load balancing patent monopoly challenged

    On June 19, 2025, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 7,257,582, owned by Intellectual Ventures I LLC.

• Trademarks

  • Digital Music News ☛ Remember That Proprietary Chaffbot Company & Jony Ive Partnership? A New Trademark Dispute Made Proprietary Chaffbot Company Scrub It From Its Website

    OpenAI recently removed all mentions of its partnership with Jony Ive’s new hardware startup io from its website and social control media channels. The move comes after a federal court order related to a trademark dispute with IYO, a startup specialized in AI-powered hearing devices.

  • TTAB Blog ☛ POWER CAPSULE and POWER TUNNEL Merely Descriptive of Energy Storage Containers, Says TTAB

    The Board affirmed Section 2(e)(1) refusals of the proposed marks POWER CAPSULE and POWER TUNNEL, finding the terms merely descriptive of the identified goods: Compressed air containers made of metal for energy storage; water and gas containers made of metal for energy storage; Electricity generators, Compressed air, water, and gas containers for energy storage being an integral component of alternative energy generation power plants. In re Power8 Tech Inc., Serial Nos. 97455448 and 97455459 (June 13, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Elizabeth A. Dunn).

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Artist Publishing Group and Others Settle Social Media Infringement Actions Filed Against Over a Dozen NBA Teams

    After almost one year of litigation, music publishers including Kobalt, Artist Publishing Group, and Prescription Songs have settled the copyright monopoly infringement actions they filed against 14 NBA teams.