Leftovers

• Jim Nielsen ☛ Bottomless Subtleties

  Jason Fried writes in his post “Knives and battleships”:

  Specific tools and familiar ingredients combined in different ratios, different molds, for different purposes. Like a baker working from the same tight set of pantry ingredients to make a hundred distinct recipes. You wouldn't turn to them and say "enough with the butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, and eggs already!"

• Hackaday ☛ Should You Try Printing With Polypropylene?

  Of all the plastics that surround us on the daily, the one we hear least about in the 3D printing world is probably polypropylene (PP). Given that this tough, slightly flexible thermoplastic has characteristics you might want for your prints, the question is: why? [Lost in Tech] is not answering that question in a recent video; instead he’s showing us what we’re missing out on with a review of the material.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ First Recorded Human Meteorite Strike Still a Wild Tale 70 Years on

    It could have been a lot worse.

  • Science Alert ☛ Recreating a Rare Mutation Could Grant Almost Universal Virus Immunity For Days

    Potential protection for first responders.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discover Tiny Prehistoric Whale Species That Was Human-Sized

    "Small and deceptively cute, but definitely not harmless."

  • Science Alert ☛ Secret Shrooms Behind a Surge in US Microdosing Poisonings

    Not so magic mushrooms.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Have Just Created The Most Synthetic Life Form Ever

    Stripping biology down to its essentials.

  • Science Alert ☛ Croatian Freediver Shatters Record For Longest-Held Breath

    The human dolphin.

  • Science Alert ☛ Blowing a Conch Shell Each Day Could Help Treat Sleep Apnea

    Breathe easy.

• Career/Education

  • The Straits Times ☛ Curb bullying from primary school level, Malaysia’s King decrees

    He said that efforts to eradicate bullying require a cross-ministerial and inter-agency approach.

• Hardware

  • New York Times ☛ At China’s Humanoid Robot Games, Athletes Fell Down a Lot

    The Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing — featuring running, kickboxing and soccer — highlighted advancements in robotics. Limitations, too.

  • Hackaday ☛ Adjustable Allen Key After All These Years

    The Allen key turns 115 this year. It’s strange to believe that in all that time, no one has come up with an adjustable version, but apparently true. Luckily [Chronova Engineering] has taken up the challenge in his latest video.

  • Hackaday ☛ Silent Speak And Spell Gets Its Voice Back

    While talking computers are old hat today, in 1978, a talking toy like the Speak and Spell was the height of novel tech. [Kevin] found a vintage one, but it didn’t work. It looked like someone had plugged in the wrong power adapter, leading to, undoubtedly, one or more unhappy children. There was some damage that suggests someone had already tried to repair it, but without success.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ SoftBank to take $2B stake in beleaguered chipmaker Intel

    SoftBank Group Corp. will make a $2 billion investment in defective chip maker Intel Corp., providing a boost to the embattled chipmaker amid ongoing discussions about a government intervention.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ SoftBank to buy $2 billion in defective chip maker Intel shares at $23 each — firm still owns majority share of Arm

    SoftBank will invest $2 billion in defective chip maker Intel at $23 per share, a move seen as both a vote of confidence in Intel’s U.S. chipmaking comeback and a strategic bet on an undervalued semiconductor maker.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Administration Discusses Taking 10% Stake in Intel

    Federal officials are considering the move because Intel, the last leading-edge chipmaker in the United States, has been struggling.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man administration reportedly mulling a 10% stake in defective chip maker Intel — CHIPS Act funding could be reworked into the purchase amount

    The Forrest Dump administration is considering taking a 10% stake in defective chip maker Intel by converting $10.9B in Chips Act grants into equity, a move that would make the U.S. government Intel’s largest shareholder and mark a major shift in how federal chip funding is deployed.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ What My Daughter Told Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot Before She Took Her Life

    The medical profession has clear rules and responsibilities. What about the chatbots?

  • The Straits Times ☛ Qantas fined $75 million for firing thousands during Covid-19

    The illegal firings were one of several scandals and corporate missteps at Qantas during the pandemic.

  • Meet Convicted Felon’s CDC Director: Susan Monarez

    A closer look at the CDC director’s history and connections reveal that her government career is closely linked to the intersections of re-branded eugenics, the militarization of healthcare and the expansion of the bio-surveillance state. 

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Eavesdropping on Phone Conversations Through Vibrations

      Researchers have managed to eavesdrop on cell phone voice conversations by using radar to detect vibrations. It’s more a proof of concept than anything else. The radar detector is only ten feet away, the setup is stylized, and accuracy is poor. But it’s a start.

    • ACLU ☛ Flock’s Aggressive Expansions Go Far Beyond Simple Driver Surveillance

      The cloud Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR or LPR) company Flock is building a dangerous nationwide mass-surveillance infrastructure, as we have been pointing out for several years now. The problem with mass surveillance is that it always expands beyond the uses for which it is initially justified — and sure enough, Flock’s system is undergoing insidious expansion across multiple dimensions. If your community adopts this technology, you need to know it’s doing more than just recording what car is driving where and at what time. It’s worth stepping back and looking at an overview of what’s going on.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Here’s what could happen if CISA 2015 expires next month

      The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act lapsing might spell disaster, experts and industry groups warn.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ Amid Chinese security threat, are drones ‘the next big thing’ for Taiwan after chips?

    In Taiwan, the drone or UAV business has come under the spotlight as a rapidly growing industry.

  • G4S faces scrutiny over mismanagement at Mangaung Correctional Centre

    The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has confirmed that G4S, the private security contractor managing Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein, has been compelled to take disciplinary action against its own staff following recurring corruption, security breaches, and delayed incident reporting.

  • Defence Web ☛ Assessing South Africa’s coup risk amid military dissent and political turmoil

    In the shadow of South Africa’s 30-year democratic milestone, a chilling narrative has emerged: the spectre of a coup d’état. On 16 July 2025, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni stunned the nation by revealing that intelligence agencies had identified a coup as a potential risk in the National Security Strategy for 2024-2028.

  • Scoop News Group ☛ By gutting its cyber staff, State Department ignores congressional directives

    Without strong cyber capabilities at State, America’s partners will turn to unreliable associates in China for infrastructure investment and succumb to cyberattacks that place U.S. forces overseas at risk.

  • JURIST ☛ Hundreds of Druze protesters demand independence from Syria

    Hundreds of people on Saturday demonstrated in the southern Syrian city of Sweida, pressing for self-determination of the Druze people. Protesters demanded full independence from Syria, deeming ideas of federalism or autonomy as inadequate for their condition.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China slams Germany for ‘hyping up’ regional tensions in Asia

    Germany's foreign minister also criticised “China’s support for the Russian war machine” in Ukraine.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China slams Germany for ‘hyping’ regional tensions in Asia

    China lashed out at Germany on Monday, warning Berlin against “inciting confrontation and hyping up tensions” after its foreign minister said Beijing was “increasingly aggressive” in the Asia-Pacific region.

  • Michael Geist ☛ Out of Nowhere: TIFF Undermines Artistic Freedom of Expression With Forced Name Change of October 7th Documentary

    The controversy over the Toronto International Film Festival decision to remove a Canadian made October 7^th documentary film from its lineup focused primarily on the absurd demand for copyright monopoly clearances of clips taken by Hamas terrorists on the day of the attack. While TIFF reversed its decision given the enormous backlash over what many rightly perceived to be censorship, another aspect of TIFF’s demands remain in place. According to media reports, the initial title of the documentary was Out of Nowhere: The Ultimate Rescue.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s Lee orders partial phased implementation of existing North Korea pacts

    Mr Lee Jae-myung's government has sought to improve relations between the neighbours technically still at war.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean police launch 100-day nationwide crackdown on migrant worker abuse

    Many in the country were outraged after a Sri Lankan worker was strapped to a forklift and lifted off the ground.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un says joint US-South Korea drills show intention to provoke war

    South Korea and its ally the United States kicked off joint military drills this week.

  • The Straits Times ☛ India, China envoys discuss border peace, trade to boost cooperation

    Relations have thawed after they reached a pact to lower military tensions on the Himalayan border.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man is pushing India back towards China

    China and India have increased official visits and discussed easing trade barriers and the movement of people.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Is Pushing India Back Toward China

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been moving to align India with the United States and freeze out China. Now, efforts to rebuild ties between the Asian giants are gaining momentum.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australians more anxious about Convicted Felon tariffs than about China’s military build-up, poll shows

    University-educated voters were more worried about US tariffs than about China’s military expansion.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan ‘issue’ is an internal matter, says China in response to Convicted Felon

    Mr Convicted Felon said Mr Pooh-tin Jinping told him he will not invade Taiwan while Mr Convicted Felon is in office.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ China mandates domestic firms source 50% of chips from Chinese producers — Beijing continues to squeeze companies over reliance on foreign semiconductors

    A new report says China has started mandating that data centers use 50% homegrown silicon.

  • JURIST ☛ China urges Cambodia and Thailand to mend ties following recent border clashes

    The People’s Republic of China on Friday called on Cambodia and Thailand to deepen dialogue and restore mutual trust following recent border clashes, emphasizing the importance of stability for the two neighbors and the wider region.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • The Straits Times ☛ German foreign minister urges more pressure on Russia before Convicted Felon–Zelenskiy meeting

      German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Monday called for stepped-up pressure on Russia, including more aid for Ukraine, to push Moscow into concessions toward a "just and lasting peace."

    • New York Times ☛ Can Zelensky Trust Convicted Felon? Ukraine’s Fate May Depend on the Answer.

      Hell Toupée has offered only vague assurances of security guarantees for Ukraine if President Volodymyr Zelensky agrees to cut a deal with Russia.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Just Reminded Me of Why I’m Still a Neocon

      By putting the interests of what Convicted Felon calls “peace” ahead of the interests of freedom, we are all-but guaranteeing that Ukraine will lose both.

    • New York Times ☛ What ‘Security Guarantees’ in Troop Form Could Look Like in Ukraine

      Hell Toupée has not committed to adding American forces to the mix in Ukraine. No one has detailed publicly what form defenses would take, but there are several options.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘One side is not going to get 100 percent,’ Rubio says of possible Russia-Ukraine peace deal — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ As European leaders emphasize need for Ukraine’s post-war security guarantees, Moscow reiterates opposition to any Western military presence — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Ukraine reportedly evacuated 7,000 people from frontline areas of Donetsk region in one day — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia kills three and injures at least 30 — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian drones strike apartment building in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, killing at least seven — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘The deliberate murder of children’: As Trump prepares to host Zelensky at the White House, Russia launches deadly strike on apartment building in Ukraine’s Kharkiv — Meduza

    • LRT ☛ Can NATO protect Lithuania’s airspace from Russian drones?

      After a Russian drone crashed in central Lithuania carrying two kilograms of explosives, the country appealed to NATO for counter-drone systems – even experimental ones. Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said NATO had agreed to get involved in protecting Lithuanian airspace. But experts question the alliance’s role, saying innovation in NATO moves slowly and leadership will need to come from the countries most affected by the threat.

    • New York Times ☛ He Left a Belarus Prison 132 Pounds Lighter, but Just as Outspoken

      The release of Sergei Tikhanovsky and 13 other political prisoners in Belarus was a diplomatic win for the Convicted Felon administration.

    • Meduza ☛ Death toll from Friday’s explosion at Russian gunpowder plant rises to 20 — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Ahead of Trump–Zelensky meeting, Kremlin propaganda shares video of captured U.S. armored vehicle flying both U.S. and Russian flags on the battlefield — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘All I feel is anger and resentment’: Russia’s new messaging app call ban isolates elderly people, remote workers, and residents under drone threat — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Pace of Russian army recruitment falls to two-year low — iStories — Meduza

    • France24 ☛ America needs to show some 'backbone', use its leverage against Russia, political scientist says

      FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks to Peter Zalmayev, Director of the Eurasian Democracy Initiative, about the latest Ukraine negotiations in Washington. He says that America has leverage with Russia but hasn't really employed it so far, adding that the United States needs to show to some 'backbone' and 'not fall prey to Putin's wiles'.

    • France24 ☛ Who will be at Zelensky's side for decisive talks with Convicted Felon on Ukraine-Russia war?

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was up to Russia to end its invasion, ahead of high-stakes talks on Monday with US counterpart The Insurrectionist, who is pressuring Ukraine to give up Crimea and abandon its NATO ambitions. The comments came hours before Zelensky and European leaders were scheduled to meet Convicted Felon in Washington, a follow-up to a summit between Convicted Felon and Putin in Alaska on Friday that failed to produce a ceasefire. Story by Morgan Ayre and Charlotte Lam.

    • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Says He Called Putin To Set Up Direct Meeting With Zelenskyy

      US President The Insurrectionist has said Washington will be involved in providing security to Kyiv as he welcomed his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the White House for crucial and unprecedented meetings including several European leaders on efforts to silence the guns in Ukraine.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskyy Seeks Security Guarantees As Convicted Felon Fires Back Ahead Of White House Meeting

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, bolstered by the presence of key European allies, will meet President The Insurrectionist on August 18 in a session that could help decide his embattled nation's future, even as Convicted Felon appeared to shift the burden to Zelenskyy to end the war with Russia.

    • Marcy Wheeler ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Confesses that the United States Is a Client of Russia

      The hold Putin has over Convicted Felon is existential for Convicted Felon. And unless we can expose that, the US will increasingly become a mere satellite of Russia.

    • New York Times ☛ At White House Summit, a Master Class of Diplomacy. In Courting Convicted Felon.

      President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and other European leaders have learned a thing or two about negotiating, Convicted Felon-style. So has Vladimir Putin.

    • New York Times ☛ 5 Takeaways From Convicted Felon’s Meeting With Zelensky and European Leaders

      The leaders presented a relatively united front and appeared to agree on the next steps in the effort to halt the fighting between Ukraine and Russia. But much remained unresolved.

    • New York Times ☛ Putin’s Proposal for Land Deal, Made to Convicted Felon, Shifts Pressure to Zelensky

      In Alaska, the Russian leader proposed that Ukraine hand over the remainder of the Donbas region to Moscow to stop the fighting.

    • New York Times ☛ Live Updates: Zelensky and European Leaders Press for Security Guarantees in Meeting With Convicted Felon

      President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said that a full prisoner exchange was also essential to ending the war. Other European leaders also expressed their support for a cease-fire.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Reaffirms Opposition to NATO Troops in Ukraine

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man and Putin Find Common Ground on One Issue: Biden

      The Alaska summit between the U.S. and Russian leaders showcased their mutual animosity for the former president.

    • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Moves To Arrange Meeting Between Zelenskyy, Putin After White House Talks

      US President The Insurrectionist phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin to begin making arrangements for a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after a day of extraordinary meetings at the White House on August 18 as part of a push to end the war in Ukraine.

    • Meduza ☛ Putin, Trump discussed elevating Russia–Ukraine negotiations, Kremlin says — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Putin agreed to meet Zelensky within two weeks, German chancellor says — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Trump was ‘ready to walk away’ from Alaska talks after hearing Putin’s demands — Axios — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Trump says he’ll call Putin right after meeting with Zelensky and European leaders — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Trump reportedly interrupts meeting with Zelensky and European leaders to call Putin — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ LSM launches public media charity drive for Ukraine

      To celebrate Ukraine Independence Day on 24 August, Latvian Public Service Media (LSM) in cooperation with "Ziedot.lv" from Monday, 18 August, until 3 September is hosting the support campaign "In thoughts and deeds together with Ukraine!".

    • NYPost ☛ Zelensky: Funding Ukraine military with $90B weapons package, security guarantees discussed

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said multiple aspects of security guarantees were discussed with Hell Toupée and European leaders Monday.

    • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man's endorsement of Kremlin lies 'problematic', researcher says

      FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks to Jaroslava Barbieri, Research Fellow at the Ukraine Forum of Chatham House, about the latest meeting between US President The Insurrectionist and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. She says that Convicted Felon's endorsement of 'lies that the Kremlin has been consistently pushing' is problematic and that the 'dimension of justice as a key component for a durable peace in Ukraine is completely absent' from the talks.

    • France24 ☛ Live: Zelensky arrives at White House for Ukraine ceasefire talks with Convicted Felon, European leaders

    • France24 ☛ Zelensky urges Convicted Felon to bring 'peace through strength' against Russia

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday urged The Insurrectionist to exert "peace through strength" against Russia, echoing the US leader's own language ahead of a high-stakes White House meeting. "Russia can only be forced into peace through strength, and Hell Toupée has that strength. We have to do everything right to make peace happen," Zelensky wrote on X. Analysis by FRANCE 24 correspondent in Kyiv, Emmanuelle Chaze.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine: The stakes are high as Zelensky and European leaders head to Washington

      U.S. President The Insurrectionist is set to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House on Monday to discuss how to end Russia's three-year war in Ukraine. Analysis by FRANCE 24 international affairs editor Philip Turle.

    • France24 ☛ Ukrainian attack halts Russian crude oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia

      An alleged Ukrainian attack on a transformer station cut off crude oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline that runs through Belarus and Ukraine, officials in the two countries said Monday. While other European countries have weaned themselves off Russian energy since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Budapest and Bratislava have continued to purchase cheap oil and gas from Moscow.

    • France24 ☛ Zelensky in Washington to discuss acceptable terms for peace deal

      Ukraine's future could hinge on a hastily assembled meeting Monday at the White House as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy brings with him an extraordinary cadre of European leaders to show U.S. President The Insurrectionist a united front against Russia. Details by FRANCE 24 correspondents in Ukraine and Brussels, Emmanuelle Chaze and Dave Keating.

    • France24 ☛ Zelensky brings Europe's top leaders with him to meet Convicted Felon on ending Russia's war

      Ukraine's future could hinge on a hastily assembled meeting Monday at the White House as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy brings with him an extraordinary cadre of European leaders to show U.S. President The Insurrectionist a united front against Russia. Story by Morgan Ayre.

    • JURIST ☛ Russian attacks kill Ukrainian citizens hours before US peace talks with Ukraine

      Russian overnight strikes on Ukrainian cities killed at least 10-14 civilians, including children, hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy began talks with US President The Insurrectionist on potential solutions to end the war, according to reports Monday.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania signals readiness to send troops to Ukraine

      Lithuania would be prepared to send a number of troops to Ukraine similar to its past deployments to NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan, a presidential adviser said Sunday.

    • LRT ☛ ‘Ukraine needs real security guarantees’ says Nausėda after Coalition of the Willing call

      Ukraine needs real security guarantees, including reassurance forces with US support, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said after a meeting with his European counterparts.

    • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Anticipates 'A Big Day In The White House' As Zelenskyy, European Leaders Arrive For Talks

      US President The Insurrectionist has written that it's going to be "a big day in the White House" as his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European leaders arrived for talks on ending the fighting in Ukraine.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘A reasonable chance of ending the war’: Trump discusses security guarantees and possible ceasefire in meeting with Zelensky and European leaders — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Zelensky gives press briefing outside White House, says he and Trump had ‘best’ meeting yet — Meduza

• Environment

  • France24 ☛ Fresh monsoon rains in Pakistan kill at least 20, disrupt ongoing rescue operation

    At least 20 people were killed on Monday by fresh torrential rains in northern Pakistan, amid the aftermath of an unusually severe monsoon season that has already claimed more than 300 lives in recent days. Flooding and landslides have destroyed entire villages, leaving hundreds trapped or missing, while rescue efforts have been repeatedly suspended by ongoing heavy rainfall.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Nearly 47,000 EV, hybrid, battery EV units sold in Malaysia in 2024

      New car sales surpassed the 800,000 mark for the first time.

    • The Strategist ☛ Facing volatility, China looks to energy to anchor Gulf ties

      China is moving quickly to shore up its long-term energy ties with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states through fixed purchasing agreements with Gulf suppliers.

    • JURIST ☛ Canada labor board declares Air Canada flight attendants strike illegal

      The Canada Industrial Relations Board declared Monday that the strike organized by the Canadian Union of Public Employees and Air Canada flight attendants is unlawful. The union has continued to strike despite the declaration.

    • New York Times ☛ Air Canada Flight Attendants Remain on Strike After Walkout Deemed Illegal

      A labor relations board ordered flight attendants back to work on Monday, but the union representing the employees rejected the demand.

    • New York Times ☛ Air Canada Strike Leaves Stranded Passengers Frustrated and Angry

      Many passengers are still struggling to find alternative transportation and are angry at the airline. “You feel like you’re at their mercy,” said one.

    • Hackaday ☛ How Laser Headlights Died In The US

      Automotive headlights started out burning acetylene, before regular electric lightbulbs made them obsolete. In due time, halogen bulbs took over, before the industry began to explore even newer technologies like HID lamps for greater brightness. Laser headlights stood as the next leap forward, promising greater visibility and better light distribution.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ A South Korean city wanted ‘Big Tree’ landmark. It got a $31.8m letdown

      Changwon city's Big Tree was inspired by the towering Supertrees at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay.

    • France24 ☛ Six killed fighting fires in Spain and Portugal as wildfires ravage peninsula

      Six firefighters have died across Spain and Portugal as the Iberian peninsula grapples with devastating wildfires exacerbated by an enduring heatwave. Thousands of firefighters have been deployed across southern Europe in recent weeks to beat back a series of deadly blazes.

• Finance

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Married couple arrested over HK$52.9 million Hong Kong gov’t water contract fraud

    Hong Kong authorities have arrested two people suspected of misleading the government into entering a now-partly suspended HK$52.9 million contract to supply water bottled from mainland China to government offices in the city.

  • Latvia ☛ Latvian hotels join claim against Booking.com

    Several Latvian companies have joined a European hotel lawsuit against Amsterdam-based accommodation and services platform Booking.com, seeking compensation for losses caused by the platform's so-called ‘best price clause’ over the past 20 years, Latvian Television reports on 17 August.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ 12 Malaysian opposition parties agree to form coalition, says ex-PM Muhyiddin

    The cost of living was the main focus of discussion at the meeting of opposition leaders.

  • The Strategist ☛ France updates strategic documents, and its relationship with Australia

    France’s latest strategic updates make one thing clear: Paris has turned a page on AUKUS and moved on.

  • The Strategist ☛ Bee sting: the varroa-mite incursion is a biosecurity warning

    When the varroa mite was first detected in Australia in 2022, many outside the beekeeping and horticultural industries viewed it as a nuisance—a distant problem for a few farmers. This was dangerously naive.

  • The Strategist ☛ Friends to all: What a friend wants, what a Pacific island country needs

    Patrol boats, infrastructure, training and other security supports given to Pacific island countries aren’t entirely gifts. The givers are hoping for something in return, even if they don’t say so.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong to continue implementing ‘patriotic education,’ leader John Lee says in lead-up to 4th Policy Address

    Hong Kong will continue implementing “patriotic education” in schools, with national security now an integral part of the curriculum, Hong Kong’s chief executive John Lee has said.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • The Straits Times ☛ HK media tycoon Jimmy Lai given heart monitor for final stretch of national security trial

    The Fashion Company Apple Daily newspaper founder has been held in solitary confinement for around 1,700 days.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Tycoon Jimmy Lai’s foreign ties showed his ‘unwavering intent’ to draw int’l sanctions, prosecutors tells court

    Jimmy Lai’s international connections were testament to his “unwavering intent” to attract foreign sanctions on China and Hong Kong, prosecutors have said, as the jailed media tycoon’s high-profile national security trial entered its final stages.

  • Hong Kong court hears closing arguments in Jimmy Lai trial

    The 77-year-old Fashion Company Apple Daily founder faces life in prison if convicted of National Security Law violations.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Fleet Street’s local newspaper goes out of business

    City Matters launched in 2016 providing coverage of the Square Mile.

  • JURIST ☛ Newsmax settles $67 million defamation lawsuit over false 2020 US election claims

    Newsmax has agreed to pay $67 million to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems over false claims about the 2020 election, the conservative cable network announced Monday.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • The Straits Times ☛ Watchmaker Swatch apologises for ‘slanted eye’ ad after online backlash in China

    Swatch Group, which also owns Omega, Longines and Tissot watches, is heavily exposed to China for revenue.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Watchmaker Swatch apologises for ‘slanted eyes’ ad after China social control media uproar

    Watchmaker Swatch has pulled an ad featuring a model pulling the corner of his eyes following a backlash on Chinese social control media. As calls for a boycott escalated, Swatch apologised and said it had “taken note of the recent concerns regarding the portrayal of a model,” according a statement.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Rooms of their own: Women-only communities thrive in China

    Critics claim that single-gender communities foster antagonism between men and women.

  • ACLU ☛ New Detention Camp at Fort Bliss Marks Dangerous Expansion of Militarized Immigration Enforcement

    The Forrest Dump administration opened an immigration detention camp at Fort Bliss, a U.S. military base in Texas. It is slated to become the largest immigration detention site in the country.

    Fort Bliss, in El Paso, will hold up to 5,000 people in the base’s new tent camp. The military base is home to 90,000 service members and their families. Opened at the height of the Texas summer, where temperatures regularly soar above 100 degrees and sandstorms are frequent, detainees are at serious risk of heat-related illness and other harsh conditions. In response, local elected officials in El Paso have already passed a resolution demanding transparency and accountability from the federal government.

    Built behind the walls of a military installation and away from public view, the facility is a calculated move to militarize immigration enforcement, reduce transparency, and fast-track deportations with minimal accountability.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Internet Society ☛ How to Achieve Universal Connectivity

    Achieving universal connectivity will require action from many actors—governments, regulators, communities, civil society, and the private sector. Community-centered connectivity offers a way forward.

  • APNIC ☛ Congestion control at IETF 123

    How evolving traffic patterns, adaptive bitrate streaming, and modern pacing techniques are reshaping transport protocols and network performance.

  • APNIC ☛ DNS at IETF 123

    DS automation, Domain Control Validation, .internal and delegation, and more from the DELEG and DNSOP Working Groups at at IETF 123.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• The Straits Times ☛ Google agrees $45 million fine for anti-competitive deals with Australia telcos

  Google had paid two telcos to pre-install its search application on Android phones, excluding rival search engines.

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ Beck Greener expands patent monopoly capabilities through acquisition in London [Ed: Seems more like marketing/commercial than genuine article]

    Beck Greener and Graham Watt & Co. have joined forces. Graham Watt & Co. was originally founded in 1955 and maintains offices in London and Kent. The firm advises on patents, trademarks, copyright, and design law. In patent monopoly law, the firm focuses on biotech, engineering, telecoms, software, process engineering, and chemistry.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Lexidine vehicle camera patent monopoly challenged

    On August 14, 2025, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 7,609,961, owned and asserted by Lexidine LLC, an NPE. The ‘961 patent monopoly relates to integrating a camera into a vehicle light. It is currently being asserted against Ford.

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

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Federal Circuit Reverses Another Jury Verdict Favoring Patent Holder in LabCorp v. Qiagen

    Laboratory Corp. of Am. Holdings v. Qiagen Scis., LLC, 23-2350, 2025 WL 2327197 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 13, 2025)

    In a significant post-trial reversal, the Federal Circuit set aside a Delaware jury’s willful-infringement verdict and directed entry of JMOL of non‑infringement on two Mass General patents now owned by LabCorp. The panel (Judge Lourie, joined by Judges Dyk and Cunningham) held that the district court improperly let the jury decide a disputed claim construction (O2 Micro error) and that the patentee’s doctrine‑of‑equivalents showing failed the function-way-result test under Warner‑Jenkinson and VLSI.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ Precedential No. 7: Opposer Fails to Prove Distinctiveness of its Common Law Mark, Loses 2d Opposition on Priority

    In a fact-intensive, yet precedential ruling, the Board rendered a split decision in this opposition to registration of the mark PCS for woodworking stations that included table saws and other components. Opposer SawStop alleged lack of bona fide intent and likelihood of confusion with its identical common law mark for table saws. The Board dismissed the Section 2(d) claim for failure to prove priority and sustained in part the lack-of-bona-fide-intent claim.

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ South Korean Supreme Court Rules on ‘Baby Shark’ Copyright Infringement Case

    South Korea’s Supreme Court rejects a U.S. composer’s allegation that the producers of the children’s song “Baby Shark” committed plagiarism. A copyright monopoly battle over the beloved (and perhaps dreaded by parents) children’s song “Baby Shark” has come to an end.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Appeals Court Blocks Expedited Subpoenas to Identify Pirates—A Blow to RIAA-Led Major Labels

    An appeals court blocks RIAA-led major labels and studios from using expedited subpoenas to identify internet users suspected of piracy. On Friday, an appeals court blocked record labels and studios from using expedited subpoenas to identify internet users suspected of illegally downloading and sharing songs, movies, and TV shows online.

  • Digital Music News ☛ David Geffen Fires Back Against ‘Ludicrous’ Post-Divorce Shakedown, Calls Lawsuit ‘Work of Fiction’

    Billionaire mogul David Geffen fights back against his ex-husband’s post-divorce shakedown, insisting he treated his ex with “nothing but kindess.” David Geffen insists his ex-husband’s claims of coercion and abuse are a “work of fiction,” following Donovan Michaels’ salacious lawsuit filed earlier this summer.

  • Digital Music News ☛ FTC Sues Alleged Ticket Scalpers Under the BOTS Act, Says They ‘Regularly Circumvented’ Ticketmaster Security Measures

    Amid intense ticket-price scrutiny – and a DOJ antitrust action against Live Nation – the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is officially suing several alleged scalpers under the BOTS Act.