Leftovers

• University of Michigan ☛ Music in a Minute: Soundtracks of summer

  The internet has become obsessed with the song of the summer. The hunt begins in early spring, and debates about the winner never seem to settle until the leaves turn brown and fall to the ground.

• Evan Hahn ☛ Notes from "The Weather Machine: A Journey Inside the Forecast"

  In The Weather Machine: A Journey Inside the Forecast, author Andrew Blum gives a high-level overview of global weather forecasting. What complexity hides behind the simple interfaces of our daily weather apps?

  Three main points stuck out to me:

  “The weather machine has to be a global system, and it won’t work any other way.” International collaboration is critical. Weather models need lots of global data to be effective.

• The Straits Times ☛ Singapore honours Kinabalu mountain guides on the 10th anniversary of Sabah earthquake

  Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia also presented shoes to mountain guides in appreciation.

• Standards/Consortia

  • [Old] Ache ☛ Study of modern image formats

    Illustration of an AVIF, JXL or JPEG image format What's the state of modern image formats and which one should I choose on the web now ? In this article, let's study modern image formats (AVIF, HEIF, WebP, WebP2 et JPEG XL) as precisly as possible. 🖼️

    First, I'll explain how I studied these image formats. Then I'll compare the encoders performances, graph them and analyse them. Finally, on the basis of the data analysis, I'll compare the image formats and their use cases.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Ancient Voice Box Finally Reveals How Dinosaurs May Have Sounded

    Jurassic Park lied to us (again).

  • Science Alert ☛ A Study Found Too Much Sleep Increases Risk of Death. Here's Why.

    It's not the sleep that's deadly.

  • Science Alert ☛ Weight Comes Back When You Stop Taking Drugs Like Ozempic, Study Finds

    The effects don't last forever.

  • Science Alert ☛ NASA Is Watching a Huge Anomaly Growing in Earth's Magnetic Field

    It's like a strange pothole in space.

  • Science Alert ☛ Sweat Doesn't Actually Form The Way We Thought, Study Finds

    It's written all over your face.

  • Science Alert ☛ Jaw-Dropping Image Reveals Dying Stars Entangled Like Serpents

    Named for the Egyptian god of destruction.

  • Science Alert ☛ This Natural, Zero-Calorie Sweetener Could Be a Secret Weapon Against Cancer

    A hidden benefit?

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Find 2 Existing Drugs Can Reverse Alzheimer's Brain Damage in Mice

    This could be a major discovery.

  • Science Alert ☛ This Could Be The First Witnessed Birth of a Supermassive Black Hole

    We've never seen this before.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ Industrial LoRa remote switches offer 3.5km range, real-time feedback

    The CDEBYTE EWD22S series is a set of LoRa-based remote control switches designed for long-range industrial applications. The three key products of the series include the EWD22S-A01TR and EWD22S-D02XR relay modules, and the EWD22S-YK02A handheld remote. The EWD22S-A01TR module handles up to 30A/5kW loads, while the EWD22S-D02XR handles up to 10A/1kW. The EWD22S-YK02A handheld remote can be paired with the relay modules to control them remotely.

  • CNX Software ☛ BME690 8x shuttle board features eight identical 4-in-1 gas and air quality sensors

    Bosch Sensortech BME690 8x shuttle board is a sensor board comprised of eight identical BM690 4-in-1 gas/temperature/humidity/pressure sensors capable of monitoring indoor air quality and detecting Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Volatile Sulfur Compounds (VSCs), and other gases. The obvious question is “What’s going on? Why would a board need 8 identical sensors?”.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Underground China repair shops thrive servicing illicit Nvidia GPUs banned by export restrictions — companies resurrecting banned Hey Hi (AI) accelerators at a rate of up to '500 per month'

    A thriving underground repair industry in China has emerged to service smuggled Nvidia A100 and H100 GPUs, driven by limited supply, lack of warranties, and rising profitability of products prone to failure after prolonged use.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ Intel to lay off 15% more staff by year-end and scale back foundry investments

    Intel Corp. said today it’s going to shrink its workforce by an additional 15% by the end of the year, as part of its previously announced efforts to create a “faster-moving, flatter and more agile” organization.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel promises sweeping changes to combat stagnation with new foundry strategy, Hey Hi (AI) focus, and the return of Hyper-Threading — but losses threaten to curtail ambition

    Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan unveiled sweeping reforms across the company's foundry strategy, x86 roadmap, Hey Hi (AI) focus, and organizational structure.

  • New York Times ☛ Intel Expects Work Force to Shrink by 25,000

    The Silicon Valley chip company, which has been struggling, quantified the job cuts it is making as it seeks to turn its business around.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ China reports record wave of mosquito-borne chikungunya virus

    Infections have soared by more than 2,700 in the past week alone. 

  • The Straits Times ☛ Would you wait hours to have watermelon sliced? In South Korea, many do

    Wait times on weekends can stretch to a few hours, said Hyundai Department Store.

  • Latvia ☛ Major Rīga hospital could be left without catering unit

    The Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) has ordered to eliminate non-compliances in the catering block of Rīga East Clinical University Hospital (RAKUS) by 28 July, otherwise it would suspend its operation, the LETA news agency has found out.

  • Federal News Network ☛ A bill to expand non-VA health care for veterans advances through Congress

    The bill would make it easier for veterans covered by the VA to seek heath care in the private sector.

  • France24 ☛ Doctors warn of man-made famine in Gaza

    Gaza is suffering man-made mass starvation caused by a blockade on aid into the Palestinian enclave, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. He spoke following an appeal by more than 100 aid agencies warning of hunger in Gaza while tons of food, clean water and medical supplies sit untouched just outside the territory. Antonia Kerrigan reports.

  • France24 ☛ Gaza: 25% children are malnourished, says MSF

    The medical charity Doctors Without Borders said Friday that a quarter of all young children and pregnant or breastfeeding women screened at its clinics in Gaza last week were malnourished. The aid group, known by its French initials MSF, said the "Israeli authorities' deliberate use of starvation as a weapon in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels, with patients and healthcare workers themselves now fighting to survive".

  • The Straits Times ☛ Kuala Selangor’s air quality hits unhealthy level with API of 137

    Other areas with slightly higher readings include Petaling Jaya and Cheras in Kuala Lumpur.

  • New York Times ☛ The Latest Casualty of Social Media Hype Is Your Matcha Supply

    The powdered Japanese green tea is increasingly hard to find. Experts say its popularity on the internet is straining Japan’s tea industry.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Digital Music News ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Labels Hey Hi (AI) Microlicensing An “Impossible Task”—Offering Another Serious Setback for Music IP Owners

      Hell Toupée has declared microlicensing and individual payments for every piece of content used in artificial intelligence training as an “impossible task.” He has voiced an opposition to proposed frameworks that would require Hey Hi (AI) developers to pay rightsholders for their works.

    • Latvia ☛ The 'Matrix' Effect – why does pop culture create fear of Artificial Intelligence?

      In pop culture—particularly in films—the idea that technology could take over and begin to control humanity is a common theme. These narratives often serve as warnings about the unchecked development of technology or society’s growing dependency on it.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Subliminal Learning in AIs

      Today’s freaky LLM behavior:

      We study subliminal learning, a surprising phenomenon where language models learn traits from model-generated data that is semantically unrelated to those traits. For example, a “student” model learns to prefer owls when trained on sequences of numbers generated by a “teacher” model that prefers owls. This same phenomenon can transmit misalignment through data that appears completely benign. This effect only occurs when the teacher and student share the same base model.

      Interesting security implications.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Internet Society ☛ A UK Government Order Threatens the Privacy and Security of All Internet Users

      The Internet Society jointly filed a request in a UK court on Wednesday to provide expert evidence on privacy and security threats from secret government orders that require companies to change services to provide user data to law enforcement.  

  • Confidentiality

    • Internet Society ☛ Encryption Makes Us Powerful: Internet Society Hosts Encryption Advocacy Workshop for European Civil Society

      In early February of this year, the Internet Society hosted an Encryption Advocacy Workshop in Brussels for European civil society organizations.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ China's foreign minister meets Pakistan army chief, urges protection for nationals

    China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Pakistan to protect the safety of Chinese nationals and projects, as he met with Pakistan's army chief who was on his first visit to Beijing since his country's recent clashes with India.

  • Defence Web ☛ Egypt requests National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems worth nearly $5 billion

    Egypt has requested the purchase of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems from the United States in a deal worth $4.67 billion. The US State Department approved the possible Foreign Military Sales and notified Congress on 24 July, according to the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

  • Defence Web ☛ SAAF radars in the repair and maintenance queue

    An Armscor tender shows the SA Air Force (SAAF) is attempting to improve the availability of its radar systems – essential in ensuring national airspace security. Armscor tender ETSS/2025/26, issued on 16 July, has as its requirement the maintenance and repair of six radar systems and related support equipment.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ UK plans to allow Hongkongers to be extradited on a ‘case-by-case’ basis

    London is planning to make legislative changes allowing Hongkongers to be extradited on a “case-by-case basis,” a UK politician has said, voicing concerns that activists overseas could be sent back to Hong Kong.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Nat. sec police issue HK$200K bounties for 15 Hongkongers wanted for involvement in overseas political group

    Hong Kong national security police have issued a new round of arrest warrants and offered a HK$200,000 bounty for each of the 15 overseas Hongkongers named, citing their roles in a political group deemed subversive by the authorities.

  • JURIST ☛ US begins deportation flights from Alligator Alcatraz despite controversy

    The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has begun deporting immigrants from Alligator Alcatraz, a hastily built detention camp in the Florida Everglades, Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Friday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Cambodia calls for ceasefire with Thailand after deadly clashes

    The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on the crisis on June 25.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thailand favours direct talks to end Cambodia conflict, rather than mediation

    The US, China and Malaysia, the current chair of the Asean regional bloc, have offered to facilitate dialogue.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China says ‘deeply concerned’ over deadly Cambodia-Thailand border clashes

    China would adopt a “fair and impartial position” in the clashes.

  • New York Times ☛ China could be a player in efforts to calm Cambodia-Thailand tensions.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thailand says open to Malaysia mediating in Cambodia conflict

    Malaysia has called on both sides to stop fighting and seek a diplomatic solution.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Cambodia and Thailand are willing to consider ceasefire: Malaysian PM Anwar

    Mr Anwar said he had been in direct communication with his counterparts in Thailand and Cambodia.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thailand, Cambodia must stand down over border clash: Malaysian PM Anwar

    Deadly border clashes erupted between the two South-east Asian neighbours on July 24.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan votes in major recall election closely watched by China

    Voters in Taiwan were casting ballots on Saturday on whether to recall one-fifth of the island's parliament, all from the major opposition party, in a move supporters hope will send a message to China and opponents say is an assault on democracy.

  • Committee Chairperson Welcomes Seizure of Assets by Hawks at Prasa

    The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Public Infrastructure and Minister in the Presidency, Mr Rikus Badenhorst, welcomes the recent developments by the Hawks where devices belonging to senior executives of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) were seized.

  • New York Times ☛ Spat Between Thai and Cambodian Leaders Fuels Deadly Border War

    A personal feud between two of Southeast Asia’s political titans is inflaming the worst violence on the border in more than a decade.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China must strike a delicate balance in its approach towards Thai-Cambodian conflict, say analysts

    Its actions will also be a test of its diplomatic strength in the region, they added.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Cambodia calls for ceasefire with Thailand: Envoy to UN

    The neighbours traded deadly strikes for a second day on July 25.

  • France24 ☛ DR Congo ex-leader Joseph Kabila goes on trial for treason

    Former Democratic Republic of Congo leader Joseph Kabila went on trial in absentia Friday on charges including treason over alleged support for Rwanda-backed rebels. He faces charges including homicide, torture and rape linked to the M23 rebels, as well as plotting to overthrow the government of President Felix Tshisekedi – a charge that could carry a death sentence.

  • JURIST ☛ Rights group demands immediate release of detained former Niger president

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Niger authorities on Wednesday to immediately release former president Mohamed Bazoum, who remains in detention since being ousted two years ago in a military coup.

  • The Strategist ☛ Undersea sensors—a US trump card China knows it must eliminate

    Unseen, largely unknown and, until recently, highly classified, the US Navy’s vast network of underwater sonars is one of its greatest advantages over rival fleets.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan’s opposition protests ahead of recall vote targeting ‘pro-China’ lawmakers

    Taiwan’s main opposition will protest on Friday, the eve of unprecedented recall elections targeting its lawmakers that could tip the balance of power to President Lai Ching-te’s ruling party.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia, Britain to hold talks on boosting defence and economic ties

    Australia and Britain's defence and foreign ministers will hold talks in Sydney on Friday on boosting cooperation, coinciding with Australia's largest war games and the first visit by a British carrier strike group in three decades, Australia said.

  • PHR ☛ Bashar Al-Assad Can be Prosecuted in France, but the Court Missed an Opportunity to Make History: Joint Statement

    While the undersigned organizations welcome the long-awaited recognition that functional immunities are not an obstacle to prosecution in the presence of international crimes, they regret that the French Cour de cassation invalidated the arrest warrant for Bashar al-Assad while he was still President of Syria.  

  • France24 ☛ France's highest court annuls arrest warrant against ex Syrian president Assad

    France's Court of Cassation Friday annulled a French arrest warrant against former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad as part of a probe into deadly 2013 chemical attacks during the country's civil war, ruling that there were no exceptions to presidential immunity. France24 journalist Claire Paccalin speaks to Jeanne Sulzar, Lawyer for the Civil Parties.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean YouTuber indicted for murder over late-term abortion video

    The baby was allegedly born alive through a caesarean operation and later placed in a freezer.

  • The Straits Times ☛ YouTube generation propels Japan’s anti-foreigner politics into the mainstream

    A growing number of Japanese voters are drawn to the right-wing Sanseito party.

  • Scoop News Group ☛ US offers $15 million reward for info on North Korean nationals involved in global criminal network

    The announcement comes as an Arizona woman was sentenced to more than eight years in jail for her role in running a laptop farm.

  • New Yorker ☛ Dexter Filkins on Drones and the Future of Warfare

    Rapid changes in technology are rendering American supremacy in highly advanced, expensive weapons a thing of the past. Can the military adapt in time for the next conflict?

  • France24 ☛ French plan to recognise Palestinian state draws fire from Israel, US

    France intends to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the UN General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday in hopes of bringing peace to the region, but the plan drew angry rebukes from Israel and the United States. France24 International Affairs Editor Philip Turle explains.

  • CS Monitor ☛ In California and in Poland, new laws for who belongs where

    Progress roundup: A $56 million purchase doubles the Yurok tribe’s holdings along the Klamath River, and Shanghai bus riders create new routes.

  • New York Times ☛ Two Democratic Governors Say if Texas Redraws Congressional Maps, They May Too

    After meetings with Democrats from the Texas House, Gavin Newsom and JB Pritzker suggested their states could counter a gerrymander by Texas Republicans.

  • New York Times ☛ A Series of Mysterious Explosions Unnerves Syrians

    Many of the blasts, some of them deadly, have been at weapons storage sites, raising questions about whether ordnance from Syria’s civil war has been properly secured.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US should focus on economic ties to compete with China in Indo Pacific, says former Australia PM

    SYDNEY - Australia's former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, testifying at a U.S. Congress panel hearing about countering China, has urged the U.S. to \"double down\" on its economic engagement in the Indo Pacific where Beijing is asserting influence.    

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s President Pooh-tin to meet EU chiefs Von der Leyen and Costa in Beijing

    The summit was abruptly shortened from two days to one at Beijing's request.

  • New York Times ☛ Photo Shows Murderer Returning to U.S. in Convicted Felon Prisoner Swap With Venezuela

    Hell Toupée has vowed to expel criminals, but a photo of a convicted killer being brought to the U.S. in a prisoner swap sends another message.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean court orders Yoon to compensate 105 claimants for distress caused by martial law crisis

    The court ruled that Yoon pay a total of 10.5 million won (S$9,700) combined to 105 citizens.

  • The Straits Times ☛ S. Korean ex-PM Han Duck-soo’s house raided over suspected role in Yoon’s martial law decree

    The raid took place 22 days after he was summoned and questioned by the special counsel team.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean military plane entering defence zone ‘regrettable’: Japan

    Japan has asked South Korea to take measures to prevent similar incidents.

  • New York Times ☛ China and E.U. Reach Narrow Agreements on Climate and Rare Earths

    Leaders at a summit in Beijing split over Ukraine and many trade issues. They came together with small steps on climate change and critical minerals.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Premier tells EU leaders ‘we can’t afford’ massive industrial subsidies

    Li Qiang was speaking at a summit dominated by tensions between the EU and China over trade and the war in Ukraine.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim urges troops to prepare ‘for real war’

    Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded fighting for Russia in Ukraine.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • New York Times ☛ Spain Is Reluctant to Spend More on Security Despite NATO Pressure

      Spain was the only NATO ally not to commit to a large increase in military expenditures. It’s far from Russia, and its embrace of a social safety net is another key reason.

    • New York Times ☛ Plane Crashes in Russia’s Far East, Killing All 49 Onboard

      The aircraft was traveling to the town of Tynda when it went off the radar, the regional governor said.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Again Cuts Interest Rates as Its Economy Slows

      Falling inflation has persuaded the central bank in Moscow to continue relaxing the country’s record borrowing costs.

    • New York Times ☛ New Reports on Russian Interference Show Convicted Felon’s Claims on Obama Are Overblown

      The administration’s claims are overblown, but newly declassified information provides some messy details about a January 2017 intelligence assessment of Moscow’s election interference.

    • Marcy Wheeler ☛ Tulsi Gabbard Teams Up with Russian Spies to Wiretap and Unmask Hillary Clinton

      In the guise of complaining about politicized spies exercising undue due diligence yesterday, Tulsi Gabbard just parroted Russian reports written by Russian spies -- reports that either rely on intercepts of an American citizen or just make shit up -- as if they reflected the American intelligence community's beliefs.

    • Marcy Wheeler ☛ Tulsi Gabbard and John Ratcliffe Reveal Putin “Was Counting on a Convicted Felon Win”

      Thanks to Tulsi Gabbard and John Ratcliffe, we now know that according to a reliable but ambiguous intelligence fragment, CIA got intelligence that said Putin approved the DNC hack-and-leak campaign "because he was counting on" Convicted Felon's victory.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Firm in India shipped explosives to Russia despite US warnings

      Explosive compound HMX detonates rapidly and is designed for maximum destruction.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russia says Merz's 'militarisation' of Germany is a cause for concern

      Russia accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday of pursuing a path of "militarisation" and said this was a cause for concern.

    • LRT ☛ Minorities rep cautions debate on Russian language must not deteriorate into hate speech

      As debates over the use of Russian in public intensify, Lithuania’s Department of National Minorities has called for a balanced approach that encourages the learning of the Lithuanian language while respecting the rights of ethnic minorities.

    • New York Times ☛ Why Anticorruption Watchdogs Are at the Heart of Ukraine’s Unrest

      President Volodymyr Zelensky reversed course, but it is unclear if that will quell the anger that erupted when he stripped anticorruption agencies of independence.

    • New York Times ☛ Why Zelensky Backtracked on His Controversial Law

      Facing growing pressure amid nationwide protests, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine backtracked on controversial legislation that would have weakened the country’s independent anticorruption institutions. Katrin Bennhold, a senior writer, and Marc Santora, an international news editor for The New York Times, explain the events that led to the reversal.

    • New York Times ☛ War Amputees Find New Purpose on the Golf Course

      The sport helps Ukrainian soldiers who have lost limbs in the war against Russia to heal and to master their prosthetics, rehabilitation experts say.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Secures Funds For Some Patriot Systems; Russia Strikes Kharkiv Hospital

      Ukraine is working to secure funding for 10 Patriot air defense batteries, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, following a deal that allows country's European allies to purchase US military equipment and provide it to Kyiv.

    • JURIST ☛ Rights group finds Ukraine officials targeting an anti-corruption activist

      Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday protested the targeting of Vitaliy Shabunin, co-founder of the Anti-Corruption Action Center (AntAC), by Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).

    • JURIST ☛ Ukraine president turns new anti-corruption bill over to legislature amid protests and EU criticism

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that he sent a bill to parliament, Verkhovna Rada, aimed at restoring the independence of anti-corruption agencies amid nationwide protests and criticism from the European Union (EU).

    • France24 ☛ Zelensky seeks EU support while Ukraine struggles with corruption

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has approved a draft bill to restore the independence of anti-corruption agencies, following nationwide protests and EU concerns over recent reforms that threatened their autonomy. The move comes after public outcry over a law placing key watchdogs under presidential influence, sparking the country's largest demonstrations since the war with Russia began. France24 correspondent from Kyiv, Emmanuelle Chaze, reports.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Ukraine’s supporters should prioritize unity and focus on defeating Russia

      Wartime Ukraine needs unity. Even when the country’s supporters bitterly disagree, it is important to remember exactly what is at stake, writes Pavlo Grod.

    • RFERL ☛ US Warns Montenegro Over University's Cooperation With Sanctioned Chinese Center

      The US has raised concerns over the University of Montenegro’s partnership with a Chinese supercomputing center under US sanctions, citing NATO security risks. The deal involves Hey Hi (AI) and cybersecurity research, sparking debate over sensitive tech ties and Montenegro’s strategic alignment.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Putin may be miscalculating Convicted Felon’s resolve on Ukraine

      Recent days have seen a steady increase in US and Western support for Ukraine and a concomitant toughening of NATO policy toward Russia.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • The Straits Times ☛ No credible proof of Jho Low’s location or passport use, says Malaysian Home Minister

    Investigative outlet Brazen said Jho Low is living in China using a forged Australian passport under a Greek alias.

  • New Yorker ☛ How the Epstein Conspiracy Theory Took Over Politics

    The willingness of both political parties to use rhetoric of paranoia about the Jeffrey Epstein files illustrates how intertwined our politics have become with conspiracy theories.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Record heatwave grips South Korea as temperatures could soar to 38 deg C this weekend

    Following a week of torrential rain, heatwave warnings were issued throughout the country.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Storms dump nearly a year of rain in northern China, 19,000 evacuated

    Almost 20,000 people from more than 6,000 households were evacuated, the authorities said.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Severe storm soaks northern Philippines after second strike

    Government work and classes were shut for fifth straight day.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea roasts under high-pressure double whammy, with 3 typhoons forming nearby

    The current heat wave is being driven by a hot and humid North Pacific high-pressure system.

  • New York Times ☛ Is Decarbonization Dead?

    Dihydroxyacetone Man just shredded America’s most ambitious climate policy. Jane Flegal and Jesse Jenkins discuss what this means for the future of renewable energy in the U.S.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Plane brawl breaks out after man wanting to sleep tells women having a chat to ‘shut up’

      Police reportedly arrested five passengers when the AirAsia flight landed in China.

    • The Strategist ☛ China’s new dam: electrical power, and strategic power, too

      China has begun building a mighty dam, one that will create a mighty threat to hold over India and Bangladesh.

    • NYPost ☛ Southwest flight plummets nearly 500 feet ‘in a freefall’ to avoid ‘midair collision,’ leaving 2 flight attendants injured

      The pilots of the Hawker Hunter reported having the Southwest plane in sight, but were not properly instructed by air traffic control

    • The Straits Times ☛ Half of KLIA Terminal 2 auto gates down with technical glitch, auto gates at other terminals unaffected

      The autogates at KLIA 1, however, were functioning properly.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ US-South Korea trade talks postponed over Bessent schedule as tariff deadline looms

    Mr Koo Yun-cheol was set to board a flight for Washington on July 24 to attend the meeting on July 25.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China releases draft law amendment to help curb price wars

    Firms will be prohibited from selling below cost to drive out competitors or monopolise the market.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s leverage on the trade war with US

    Ultimately, the outcome might depend on both sides’ threshold for pain.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Modi announces $565-million credit line for debt-plagued Maldives

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a $565-million credit line and launched free trade talks with the Maldives on Friday during a visit to the Indian Ocean archipelago, where India competes with China for influence.

  • New Yorker ☛ Why I Left the City and Moved My Family Into an Inflatable Bounce House

    Buy a house in this market? Do I look like a complete chucklehead?

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Surprise drop in inflation likely to trigger further interest rate cuts, experts predict

    The drop in inflation has upended expectations that Mexico’s central bank would ease off rate cuts this summer.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Latvia ☛ Olaine vice-mayor steps down following furore about his education

    Andris Vurčs (Sovereign Power/New Latvians), a member of the Olaine municipality council, has resigned his deputy mayor position, according to his Facebook (Farcebook) post.

  • Michael Geist ☛ The Sound of Silence: On Being Jewish in Canada in 2025

    Deborah Lyons, Canada’s recently retired envoy for combatting antisemitism, this week lamented that the effort to shine a light on increasing antisemitism in Canada had left her “despondent and despairing about the fact that it was hard to get people to speak up, to speak with clarity, to speak with conviction about what we were seeing happening here on Canadian soil.”

  • Federal News Network ☛ New executive order means shift from policy to practice for cybersecurity practitioners

    Executive orders are powerful signals, but not permanent safeguards.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Xi says China, EU must deepen trust but bloc chief urges ‘real solutions’

    China’s leadership has sought to draw the European Union closer.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong to add more district-level ‘care teams’ as gov’t set to renew service terms

    Hong Kong is set to add three more district-level “care teams” later this year, bringing the total number of government-sponsored community service groups to 455, the government has announced.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia V-P Gibran’s Papua assignment puts spotlight on his place in Prabowo’s government

    Observers question whether the move reflects confidence in Mr Gibran, or is a way to sideline him.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Gov’t mulls appealing against court ruling granting trans people access to toilets matching their gender identity

    The Hong Kong government is considering appealing against a court ruling that granted transgender people access to public toilets in line with their affirmed genders.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thousands of men shared non-consensual intimate photos on Telegram: Chinese media

    It sparked widespread outcry against secret filming and calls to better protect women.

  • Citizen Lab ☛ Marcus Michaelsen on the Impacts of Transnational Repression: Interview by Stockholm Center for Freedom

    What’s stopping diaspora members from speaking up against the government in their home country? In an interview with the Stockholm Center for Freedom (SCF), Citizen Lab senior researcher Marcus Michaelsen discusses digital transnational repression (DTR) and its impacts on diasporas worldwide.  Read the interview.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Video of migrant worker tied to forklift sparks outrage in South Korea

    President Lee Jae Myung condemned the video on social control media, calling for a thorough investigation.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Public Knowledge ☛ FCC Formally Approves Paramount Global/Skydance Media Merger in Deal Likely To Harm Consumers, Free Press

    Yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission released its Order formally approving the proposed $8 billion Paramount Global/Skydance Media merger. 

  • New Yorker ☛ Are the Democrats Getting Better at the Internet?

    There’s never been an inherent reason why the Party’s positioning requires so much of its online content to suck.

  • Zimbabwe ☛ Starlink Went Down Globally. Here’s What We Know About Its Longest Outage Since Launch

    Starlink, MElon’s satellite internet service that’s become crucial for remote communities around the world, including here in Zimbabwe, suffered a rare and massive outage on Thursday evening.

  • New York Times ☛ In the Latest Space Race, It’s China vs. SpaceX

    China has made it a national priority to catch up with SpaceX’s nearly 8,000 Starlink internet-providing satellites in low-Earth orbit, which it regards as a military threat. Despite successes in other parts of its space program, China has just 124 internet-providing satellites in low-Earth orbit. Selam Gebrekidian, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, explains why China is lagging behind in this new space race.

  • APNIC ☛ Event Wrap: IGF 2025

    Joyce Chen participated in multiple sessions at the 20th annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF 2025) held in Lillestrøm, Norway, from 23 to 27 June 2025.

  • APNIC ☛ Building human capabilities to strengthen the digital future of South East Asia — EmpowerTech 2025

    The APNIC Foundation is launching a series of events across six economies in Southeast Asia, beginning in Dili, Timor Leste.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Amazon shuts down Hey Hi (AI) lab in Shanghai, source says

  US tech giant Amazon has shut down its artificial intelligence research lab in Shanghai, a source with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to AFP. News that the lab, part of cloud division Amazon Web Services (AWS), has closed comes with Hey Hi (AI) at the forefront of a tech race between China and the United States.

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ Another success for Astellas and Kirkland defending Xtandi

    The dispute concerns EP 1 893 196 and its SPC, both covering enzalutamide — the active ingredient in Astellas’ major prostate cancer drug Xtandi. The Regents of the University of California owns EP 196, while Astellas is the licensee.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ No CA Fed Jurisdiction in _This_ Arbitration Award Challenge

    Since Gunn v. Minton (2013), the Federal Circuit has been quite shy about non-patent patent monopoly cases. These are cases where the cause of action is not something like infringement, but that still involve substantial patent monopoly law analysis.  The newest example is Acorda v. Alkermes (Fed. Cir. 2025) involving a petition to modify an arbitration award based upon patent monopoly law public policy issues. The Federal Circuit ultimately transferred the case to the Second Circuit for lack of jurisdiction, holding that because the petitioner had pleaded alternative non-patent grounds for relief alongside its patent monopoly law arguments, the patent monopoly law issue was not "necessarily raised" under Gunn's first prong—meaning the district court could have granted relief without resolving any substantial question of federal patent monopoly law. Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. v. Alkermes PLC, No. 2023-2374 (Fed. Cir. July 25, 2025).

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: Is SEXTO for Alcoholic Beverages Confusable with THE SEXTON for Whiskey?

    Proximo Spirits opposed the application of West Road Spirits to register the mark SEXTO for "alcoholic beverages, except beer; alcoholic beverages, namely, distilled agave liquor," alleging likelihood of confusion with its registered mark THE SEXTON for whiskey. How do you think this came out? Proximo Spirits, Inc. v. West Road Spirits LLC, Cancellation No. 92080766 (July 17, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Thomas W. Wellington).

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ When 100 Years of Use is Not Enough

    In July 2025, the Federal Circuit reversed a Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) dismissal of a likelihood of confusion opposition in Sunkist Growers, Inc. v. Intrastate Distributors, Inc., No. 24-1212 (Fed. Cir. July 23, 2025), finding that substantial evidence did not support the Board's conclusion that the marks SUNKIST and KIST have sufficiently different commercial impressions to avoid consumer confusion.  The complete reversal appears to mean that KIST will be blocked from registration.

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Major Labels Fire Back Against Verizon’s Push to Pause Copyright Suit: ‘This Case Is Already One Year Old and Has Not Left the Gate’

    Earlier this month, Verizon moved to pause its major-label copyright monopoly showdown pending the Supreme Court’s Cox ruling. Now, the majors have formally opposed the request. Technically, that opposition isn’t new.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea police raid offices of BTS’ agency Hybe over share probe

    Hybe chairman Bang Si-hyuk has been referred to prosecutors for further investigation.