Leftovers

• Hackaday ☛ No Need For Inserts If You’re Prepared To Use Self-Tappers

  As the art of 3D printing has refined itself over the years, a few accessories have emerged to take prints to the next level. One of them is the threaded insert, a a piece of machined brass designed to be heat-set into a printed hole in the part. They can be placed by hand with a soldering iron, or for the really cool kids, with a purpose-built press. They look great and they can certainly make assembly of a 3D printed structure very easy, but I’m here to tell you they are not as necessary as they might seem. There’s an alternative I have been using for years which does essentially the same job without the drama.

• Jonathan Dowland ☛ Jonathan Dowland: Luminal and Lateral

  For my birthday I was gifted copies of Eno's last two albums, Luminal and Lateral, both of which are collaborations with Beatie Wolfe.

  Let's start with the art. I love this semi-minimalist, bold style, and how the LP itself (in their coloured, bio-vinyl variants) feels like it's part of the artwork. I like the way the artist credits mirror each other: Wolfe, Eno for Luminal; Eno, Wolfe for Lateral.

• Ruben Schade ☛ #SciArtSeptember Coral

  It’s the next installment in #SciArtSeptember, a series of prompts for data visualisation artists that I found so interesting that I’m using them for blog posts. Today’s word is coral.

  Coral immediately conjures up images of tropical climates and beautiful costal regions. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef isn’t doing well on account of climate change, so it’s all the more reason I feel I should see it while I soon can.

  But this post will be about something—or more specifically, someone—different. After all these years, I still remember principal Coral Dixon’s name.

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ Scientists Denounce Convicted Felon Administration’s Climate Report

    Scores of researchers reviewed the Energy Department’s argument about greenhouse gases and found serious deficiencies.

  • Science Alert ☛ Do Weighted Blankets Really Work For Stress And Anxiety? Here's What The Science Says.

    Sleep aid or placebo?

  • Science Alert ☛ A Surprising Mathematical Pattern Was Found Hiding in Earth's History

    A signal in the noise.

  • Science Alert ☛ Misery Is Spiking in One Age Group, Overshadowing The Mid-Life Crisis

    It's a despair epidemic.

  • Science Alert ☛ Common Pesticide Linked to Widespread Brain Abnormalities in Children

    "Infants continue to be at risk."

  • Science Alert ☛ We Know Shockingly Little About Microplastic Impact on Fetuses

    A critical window.

  • Science Alert ☛ Chemists Have Replicated a Critical Moment in The Creation of Life

    A major step.

  • Science Alert ☛ Common Drug Better Than Aspirin For Repeat Heart Attacks, Study Finds

    So why aren't we using it?

  • Science Alert ☛ Earth's Rotation Is Slowing, And It Might Explain Why We Have Oxygen

    Everything is connected.

  • Hackaday ☛ Checking Out A TV Pattern Generator From 1981

    The picture on a TV set used to be the combined product of multiple analog systems, and since TVs had no internal diagnostics, the only way to know things were adjusted properly was to see for yourself. While many people were more or less satisfied if their TV picture was reasonably recognizable and clear, meaningful diagnostic work or calibration required specialized tools. [Thomas Scherrer] provides a close look at one such tool, the Philips PM 5519 GX Color TV Pattern Generator from 1981.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Applying Thermal Lining To Rocket Tubes Requires A Monstrous DIY Spin-caster

    [BPS.space] takes model rocketry seriously, and their rockets tend to get bigger and bigger. If there’s one thing that comes with the territory in DIY rocketry, it’s the constant need to solve new problems.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ U.S. gov't revokes TSMC's authorization to ship tools to its fabs in China — special export license to be pulled by end of 2025

    The U.S. will revoke TSMC’s special export license for its Nanjing Fab 16 by the end of 2025, potentially disrupting its 16nm and 28nm-class operations and shifting Chinese customer demand toward rivals like SMIC and HuaHong. However, SMIC vows to ensure uninterrupted operations of its Chinese fabs.

  • Silicon Angle ☛ US limits TSMC’s ability to send chipmaking equipment to its fabs in China

    Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has lost a license that allowed it to export American chipmaking equipment to its fabs in China. TSMC announced the development today. In 2022, the Biden administration rolled out regulations that limited exports of American chipmaking equipment to China.

  • Hackaday ☛ Phonenstien Flips Broken Samsung Into QWERTY Slider

    The phone ecosystem these days is horribly boring compared to the innovation of a couple decades back. Your options include flat rectangles, and flat rectangles that fold in half and then break. [Marcin Plaza] wanted to think outside the slab, without reinventing the wheel. In an inspired bout of hacking, he flipped a broken Samsung zFlip 5 into a “new” phone.

  • Hackaday ☛ An Amiga Demo With No CPU Involved

    Of the machines from the 16-bit era, the Commodore Amiga arguably has the most active community decades later, and it’s a space which still has the power to surprise. Today we have a story which perhaps pushes the hardware farther than ever before: a demo challenge for the Amiga custom chips only, no CPU involved.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Opinion | Ending wrongful denials of mental health care

    Outdated insurance policies fail to treat mental health and substance use disorders with the urgency and seriousness they deserve.

  • Latvia ☛ Latvian company suspects unfounded sick leave among employees

    Sick leave to go on vacation - employers say this is not uncommon. At Kurzeme-based iCotton, which has to work around the clock, this is a big problem. Calls have been made to GPs and the Health Inspectorate, but to no avail, TV Kurzeme reported on 2 September.

  • EDRI ☛ Age verification gains traction: the EU risks failing to address the root causes of online harm

    Narratives around age verification and restriction of access for minors are gaining traction in the EU, amid similar efforts being pursued in the UK, US and Australia. This blog analyses different EU policy files and warns that relying on age-gating risks undermining more holistic, rights-respecting and effective solutions to online harm.

  • Science Alert ☛ Microbe Recipe Could Be The Secret to Perfect Chocolate

    Leveling up chocolate taste.

  • Science Alert ☛ Switching Off One Crucial Protein Appears to Reverse Brain Aging in Mice

    "It is truly a reversal of impairments."

• Proprietary

  • Report: Crystal Dynamics layoffs came after developers scrambled to save Perfect Dark

    Microsoft's cancellation of Perfect Dark reportedly caused a ripple effect that left developers at Crystal Dynamics fighting for their livelihoods.

  • KitGuru ☛ Perfect Dark was almost saved by Take Two but Microsoft wouldn’t give up IP

    Last week, we reported on a new round of lay-offs taking place at Crystal Dynamics. At the time, I reported that this was likely impacting the Perfect Dark team, as Microsoft/Xbox opted to cancel the game this year. Now, we have confirmation on that and as it turns out, the reason for the delayed impact at Crystal Dynamics was due to a deal that was brewing between Microsoft, Embracer and Take-Two, which would have seen Take-Two taking over the game and funding it through to completion.

  • Seattle Times ☛ Cloud computing giant Oracle lays off more Seattle workers

    Cloud computing giant Oracle is laying off 101 employees in Seattle, less than a month after reducing its local workforce.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Bradley M. Kuhn: Anthropomorphization Cedes Ground to Artificial Intelligence & LLM Ballyhoo

      Big Tech seeks every advantage to convince users that computing is revolutionized by the latest fad. When the tipping point of Large Language Models (LLMs) was reached a few years ago, generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems quickly became that latest snake oil for sale on the carnival podium.

    • Science Alert ☛ AI Chugs a Bottle of Water Every Time You Chat With It

      Thirsty work.

    • NYPost ☛ Gen Z and millennials debate the overuse of ‘LOL’ in texting: ‘It’s to soften delivery’

      "Gen Z really needs to focus on learning how to write an essay without Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot instead of always coming for millennials."

  • Social Control Media

    • JURIST ☛ X enabled online abuse against LGBTQ+ community in Poland, report finds

      Amnesty International on Monday released a report finding that X (formerly Twitter) allowed for the spread of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TfGBV) against LGBTQ+ people in Poland. The report highlights that MElon relaxed the X’s Community Guidelines regarding the content allowed on the platform after taking ownership.

• Pseudo-Open Source

  • Openwashing

    • DocumentDB and the Future of Open Source [Ed: Microsoft propaganda outlet that keeps openwashing Microsoft stuff (for money)]

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Security Week ☛ Clownflare Blocks Record-Breaking 11.5 Tbps DDoS Attack

      Part of a wave of DDoS attacks that lasted for weeks, the assault was a UDP flood mainly originating from Surveillance Giant Google Cloud.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong police officer tricked into scam farm in Cambodia ‘safe’ – reports

      A Hong Kong police officer tricked into working at a scam farm in Cambodia has escaped the premises and is “safe,” according to the government. A government spokesperson told Ming Pao on Monday that the policeman was safe in Cambodia and that authorities had dispatched officers to assist him.

  • Confidentiality

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hospital Authority’s ‘conservative’ reporting approach to blame for patient data leak, patients’ rights advocate says

      The Hong Kong public healthcare provider’s “conservative” approach to medical incidents gave rise to the leaking of patient records by two doctors, a patients’ rights advocate has said.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ 1965 Cryptanalysis Training Workbook Released by the NSA

      In the early 1960s, National Security Agency cryptanalyst and cryptanalysis instructor Lambros D. Callimahos coined the term “Stethoscope” to describe a diagnostic computer program used to unravel the internal structure of pre-computer ciphertexts. The term appears in the newly declassified September 1965 document Cryptanalytic Diagnosis with the Aid of a Computer, which compiled 147 listings from this tool for Callimahos’s course, CA-400: NSA Intensive Study Program in General Cryptanalysis.

• Defence/Aggression

  • CS Monitor ☛ A post-shooting light on prayer as action

    After the Minneapolis school tragedy, many Americans have acted with compassion, urging new gun laws as well as seeking comfort and guidance through spiritual listening.

  • The Strategist ☛ Think you know terrorism when you see it? A new inquiry says think again

    Amid global conflict, rising extremism and a heightened national terror threat level, re-defining ‘terrorism’ in Australian law looks set to be a national security and political challenge for the government.

  • The Strategist ☛ WPS can be a competitive edge for Defence

    Understanding and applying United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 as a theory of human security offers Australia an edge in its regional engagement.

  • Scoop News Group ☛ CISA taps Nicholas Andersen for executive assistant director of cybersecurity

    He takes over a key leadership role in a position that’s seen rapid turnover over the past year.

  • New York Times ☛ Netanyahu Faces High-Level Opposition to His Stance on Gaza Truce

    High-level political and security figures are said to be resisting the prime minister’s demand for a comprehensive deal to end the war in Gaza.

  • New York Times ☛ Rubio Flies to Mexico for Security Talks Amid Convicted Felon Pressure Campaign

    Hell Toupée has ordered military action against Latin American drug cartels and has threatened a new tariff. President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico has pushed back.

  • New York Times ☛ Cardi B Is Found Not Liable for Assault in Civil Trial

    The rapper and pop star had been accused in a lawsuit of scratching and spitting on a security guard in 2018.

  • France24 ☛ France issues arrest warrant for Syria's Assad over 2012 bombing that killed two journalists

    France on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for Syria's ousted president Bashar al-Assad and six other former officials for the 2012 bombing of the city of Homs that killed two journalists. Rights groups said the warrants pave the way for a trial in France for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Assad's regime.

  • Defence Web ☛ Displacement as a weapon of war: targeting Africa’s most vulnerable

    On the second anniversary of Sudan’s civil war in mid-April, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked Zamzam in North Darfur, the country’s largest Internally Displaced People (IDP) camp. An estimated 400 000 IDPs were forced to flee.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Six Pakistani security personnel, six militants killed during attack on base, say police

    The attack began with a suicide bomber ramming the compound and led to a 12-hour gun battle.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Bomb blast kills 11 at rally in southwestern Pakistan, officials say

    Police said the blast appeared to be a suicide bombing.

  • The Straits Times ☛ President Pooh-tin says China ‘unstoppable’ in opening speech at lavish military parade

    More than 50,000 spectators at Tiananmen Square will see aerial displays, marching platoons of PLA troops.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to line up with the ‘big boys’ at China military parade

    He has never attended a world event with so many other foreign leaders.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s L.A. Deployment Ruled Illegal

    Also, Surveillance Giant Google is ordered to share search data with rivals. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.

  • New Yorker ☛ Why Don’t We Take Nuclear Weapons Seriously?

    The risk of nuclear war has only grown, yet the public and government officials are increasingly cavalier. Some experts are trying to change that.

  • New York Times ☛ Jair Bolsonaro, Charged With Plotting a Coup, Is Not at His Trial

    Brazil’s Supreme Court began judging the case against the former president, who did not attend the proceedings because of poor health, his defense team said.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean man arrested for alleged murder of girlfriend in Tokyo

    The victim, a 40-year-old South Korean woman, was found with her throat slashed.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea, US held ‘acrimonious’ talks over fund ahead of summit, Korean official says

    Seoul has said direct investment would account for a small portion of the investments.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Sharp rise in cases of South Koreans kidnapped in Cambodia: Report

    252 cases were reported as of July 2025, spiking from 17 in 2023 and 220 in 2024.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia’s Prabowo U-turns on China visit despite deadly protests

    Mr Prabowo and his Chinese counterpart Pooh-tin Jinping were expected to meet for talks during the visit.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia’s Prabowo pushes through with China visit despite deadly protests

    Mr Prabowo and his Chinese counterpart Pooh-tin Jinping were expected to meet for talks during the visit.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Who are the North Korean officials accompanying Kim Jong Un to China?

    North Korean officials have been photographed with Mr Kim on or around the train heading to China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ 'Front runner' to be North Korea's next supreme leader makes international debut in China

    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un brought his teenage daughter to Beijing this week in her first public outing overseas, fuelling further speculation that she may be his potential successor in the family's dynastic rule over the nuclear-armed state.

  • New York Times ☛ Kim Jong-un Heads to Beijing by Train

    The North Korean leader’s favorite mode of transportation provides him — like his father and grandfather before him — with tight security. But it’s no express train.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Train used by North Korea's Kim Jong Un seen in Beijing, witnesses say

    A train marked with a North Korean flag and other visible design features consistent with one that has been used by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was seen travelling on a railway track in Beijing, Reuters witnesses said on Tuesday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Ahead of China’s war parade, Taiwan’s President Lai says aggression will fail

    China considers Mr Lai a “separatist” and has rebuffed multiple offers of talks.

  • France24 ☛ How China’s XXL military parade puts its military and territorial ambitions on show

    Wednesday’s military parade in Beijing celebrating the 80-year anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II seems set to position China as the natural leader of a rival bloc to the Western international order – while at the same time pushing a historical narrative that seeks to justify President Pooh-tin Jinping’s territorial claims on Taiwan.

  • The Strategist ☛ For the Quad, turbulence doesn’t mean collapse

    As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up a high-profile swing through Japan and China this week, the question was whether the hand holding equated to a meeting of the minds. At this week’s Shanghai ...

  • Meduza ☛ Ursula’s paper trail Reports of GPS jamming and analog navigation during a landing in Bulgaria raise questions about what actually happened aboard the E.U. chief’s plane — Meduza

  • France24 ☛ US strike kills 11 'narcoterrorists' on boat from Venezuela, Convicted Felon says

    President The Insurrectionist said on Tuesday that US forces attacked a boat carrying drugs to the United States, killing 11 “narcoterrorists” from a gang allegedly tied to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

  • France24 ☛ US kills 11 'narcoterrorists' in strike on boat from Venezuela, Convicted Felon says

    President The Insurrectionist said on Tuesday that US forces attacked a boat carrying drugs to the United States, killing 11 “narcoterrorists” from a gang allegedly tied to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

  • New York Times ☛ Assad and Aides Are Wanted in France for Deadly Strike on Journalists

    Judges issued arrest warrants for Bashar al-Assad and six officials of his regime in Syria for an attack that killed two journalists, including Marie Colvin.

  • ACLU ☛ Autonomous Drone Patrols Start to Become a Thing

    Free Future home

    A drone security business has received permission from the FAA to operate autonomous patrol drones nationwide on business properties such as car dealerships. This “first-of-its-kind” waiver, as reported last week by the drone news site DroneLife, exempts the company from rules that normally prohibit a drone from being flown beyond the operator’s line of sight. The flights involve drones that autonomously follow a pre-programmed patrol path and, according to the vendor, can “automatically respond to security alerts with minimal human intervention.”

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Train presumed carrying North Korea leader Kim arrives in Beijing

    A train flying North Korea flags and believed to be carrying leader Kim Jong Un was seen by AFP journalists approaching Beijing Railway Station on Tuesday, ahead of a massive military parade on Wednesday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Xi, flanked by Putin and Kim, hosts lavish military parade in defiance of West

    More than 50,000 spectators at Tiananmen Square will see aerial displays, marching platoons of PLA troops.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Xi to flaunt China’s vision of new global order at military parade

    The joint appearance of Mr Pooh-tin flanked by Mr Putin and Mr Kim at the event is unprecedented.

  • New York Times ☛ Xi Holds Parade to Signal That China Won’t Be Bullied Again

    The show of firepower in Beijing, attended by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, is meant to show that China can resist pressure from foreign powers.

  • New York Times ☛ Putin and Pooh-tin Invoke Wartime Unity as They Hail Ties in Beijing

    The Russian and Chinese leaders drew on a shared view of their countries’ roles in World War II to cast their modern-day partnership as a challenge to the West.

  • New York Times ☛ Xi’s Parade to Showcase China’s Military Might and Circle of Autocrats

    China will mark Japan’s defeat in World War II with a parade of missiles, soldiers and leaders like Kim Jong-un of North Korea and Vladimir Putin of Russia.

  • France24 ☛ Kim and Putin flanked Pooh-tin Jinping at massive military parade in Beijing

    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia’s Vladimir Putin joined Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping at a massive military parade in Beijing on Wednesday, capping a week of high-profile diplomatic posturing by Pooh-tin and his allies in a show of unity against the West.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim Jong Un crossed border into China via train, state media says

    Mr Kim left Pyongyang for China on Sept 1 and crossed into China early on Sept 2.

  • North Korea’s Kim Jong Un arrives in Beijing for military parade

    Analysts will be watching Wednesday’s event for signs of strengthening ties among China, North Korea and Russia.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • New York Times ☛ Putin’s Propaganda War

      Russian authorities are using a festival to showcase Moscow as a place where life is better than in the West.

    • New York Times ☛ These Leaders Once Snubbed Putin. Now They’re Glad-Handing Him.

      Eurasian leaders eagerly met the Russian leader at a summit this week, as Hell Toupée has helped ease his isolation over the war in Ukraine.

    • The Straits Times ☛ About 2,000 North Korean troops killed in Russia deployment: Seoul spy agency

      S. Korea's NIS believes Pyongyang planned to deploy another 6,000 soldiers and engineers to Russia.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘It wasn’t my decision’: Former Navalny aide Ivan Zhdanov on breaking with the Anti-Corruption Foundation and the Russian opposition’s future — Meduza

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Putin’s failed summer offensive shatters the myth of inevitable Russian victory

      The failure of Putin’s summer offensive should help to debunk the persistent myth of inevitable Russian victory and persuade Western leaders to increase their support for the Ukrainian war effort, writes Peter Dickinson.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ It’s time for Convicted Felon to put maximum pressure on Putin

      The US president can have no further doubt about who he’s dealing with in the Russian president. There’s also little doubt about what is needed to end the war on terms that secure peace and preserve Ukrainian freedom.

    • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Again Says ‘Very Disappointed’ In Putin, Vows To Do ‘Something’ Soon

      As Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares to take in a parade in China and as his forces continue to batter civilian sites in Ukraine, US President The Insurrectionist said he is “very disappointed” in the Kremlin leader and that he plans to do “something” in the coming days about it.

    • RFERL ☛ China, Russia Sign Deal To Build New Siberian Gas Pipeline But Pricing Details Unclear

      China and Russia have signed a memorandum to advance the Power of Siberia-2 pipeline, but key commercial details, including pricing and construction responsibilities, remain unresolved.

    • Meduza ☛ A gas breakthrough, if it’s not all hot air Russian authorities announce memorandum on Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline that could reshape Chinese and global markets — Meduza

    • France24 ☛ China, Russia sign new gas pipe deal as Beijing seeks to present new world order

      China has wrapped up a high-profile summit of the Shanghai Coorperation Organisation, where President Pooh-tin Jinping sought to present a new world order with the global south leading the way. It also signed a slew of business deals with partners including Russia.  Among them, a new agreement on the long-delayed pipeline project that boosts capacity of Russian gas deliveries to China. Also in this bulletin, Nestlé has fired its CEO over a secret love affair. So are office romances a taboo subject?

    • Latvia ☛ Large-scale deportations of Russians and courtroom chaos? It hasn't panned out like that in Latvia

      Predictions that amendments to Latvia's Immigration Law – enacted in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine – would lead to large-scale deportations of Russian citizens and thousands of complex legal cases have proved wide of the mark, reports Latvian Television's current affairs discussion show Kas notiek Latvijā? (What's happening in Latvia?)

    • Latvia ☛ Last two days to donate on public media campaign for Ukraine

      The Latvian Public Service Media (LSM) in cooperation with "Ziedot.lv" is organising a charity campaign "In thoughts and deeds together with Ukraine!" to deliver Latvian-made goods - night vision devices, clothing, food and other necessary resources - to Ukrainian soldiers at the frontline.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Hungary has alternative energy options but chooses to rely on Russia

      Ukraine’s recent strikes on the Kremlin's Druzhba oil pipeline are not only an attack on Russia’s war economy. They are also a wake-up call for Hungarians highlighting the role being played by their country in the funding of Russia’s invasion, writes Aura Sabadus.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania ready to join Finland’s Shelter Coalition for Ukraine – president

      Lithuania intends to join Finland’s initiative to develop a network of shelters in Ukraine, said President Gitanas Nausėda.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukrainians Pay Final Respects To Slain Politician As Alleged Killer Appears In Court

      Crowds of mourners were packed into the baroque-rococo St. George’s Cathedral in Lviv, western Ukraine, on September 2, for the funeral of former parliament speaker Andriy Parubiy, who was gunned down in the city days earlier.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russia expects ongoing Ukraine talks, tied to territorial changes, Lavrov says

      Moscow expects talks between Russia and Ukraine to continue but \"new territorial realities\" must be recognised and new systems of security guarantees formed, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in remarks published on Wednesday.

    • RFERL ☛ Why The OSCE Minsk Group Is Ending -- And What Comes Next

      On September 1, the OSCE’s 57 member states unanimously decided to wind down the OSCE Minsk Group by the end of the year. The group has been effectively moribund since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Then, last month, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a US-brokered peace treaty.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Sidelining Convicted Felon, China’s Pooh-tin rolls out carpet for Ukraine war aggressors

      The gathering shows the Chinese leader’s sway over authoritarian regimes keen on redefining Western-led order.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Important Conversations for Preschoolers’: Moscow brings its pro-war lesson series to kindergartens across Russia and occupied Ukraine — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Murder suspect in former Ukrainian parliamentary speaker’s killing says he acted out of revenge — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian soldier accused of war crimes in Ukraine appointed government minister in Russia’s Dagestan — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine Pursues a Weapons Buildup More Potent Than Any Security Guarantee

      Kyiv sees a well-equipped army as a stronger deterrent to Moscow than any Western pledges to defend it. It is working to attract billions to buy more arms.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian-Russian border construction set to be completed in 2027

      State Enterprise "State Real Estate" (SJSC "Valsts nekustamie īpašumi, VNĪ") has concluded 9 contracts with three builders for the final stage of the construction of the Latvian-Russian border, including in particularly marshy areas, VNĪ said on 2 September.

    • Security Week ☛ Amazon Disrupts Russian Hacking Campaign Targeting Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Users

      The Midnight Blizzard cyberspies used compromised websites to trick users into authorizing devices they controlled.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Prolific Russian ransomware operator living in California enjoys rare leniency awaiting trial

      Ianis Aleksandrovich Antropenko allegedly committed ransomware attacks from 2018 to 2022. He’s been out on bond since his arrest almost a year ago, despite multiple run-ins with police.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania kicks off 17,000-strong military drills ahead of Zapad

      Lithuania is starting the Thunder Strike military training exercises on Tuesday, which involves around 17,000 Lithuanian and allied troops ahead of the Zapad military drills planned by Russia and Belarus later this month.

    • Latvia ☛ Harsher sentences handed in kidnap-murder case in Latvia

      The Rīga Regional Court has partially overturned the Rīga District Court's verdict in the case of kidnapping and killing a Belarusian citizen and preparing to defraud her of large amounts of her property. Instead of 20 years' imprisonment for the two convicts, the regional court imposed harsher prison sentences, the prosecutor's office said.

    • Meduza ☛ China to offer visa-free travel to Russians in new ‘trial policy’ — Meduza

• Environment

  • New York Times ☛ An Earthquake Killed Hundreds in Afghanistan

    Rescue workers struggled to reach isolated areas in eastern Afghanistan after a magnitude 6.0 quake.

  • BIA Net ☛ Expert fees running into millions create steep economic barriers to environmental justice in Turkey

    Exorbitant expert witness fees in environmental lawsuits obstruct citizens’ right to access justice. From Gümüşhane to the Marmara region, legal struggles are hitting economic walls.

  • New York Times ☛ Poor Amazon Rains Linked to Brazil Deforestation

    Deforestation is playing a greater role than researchers expected, according to a new study.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Dual-income households in South Korea at record high; more men in caregiving, more women at work

    Dual-income households now form the majority among families with children in South Korea.

  • Digital Music News ☛ South Korean Prosecutors Seek 15-Year Prison Sentence for Kakao Founder in SM Entertainment Takeover Case

    South Korean prosecutors are pursing a 15-year prison sentence for Kim Beom-su, founder of Kakao Corporation, in connection with the company’s high-profile takeover of SM Entertainment. The charges stem from allegations of stock price manipulation during a complex bidding war that pitted Kakao against HYBE.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Responds to Rumors About His Health During Oval Office Press Conference

    In the world of presidential health, distrust and speculation run so rampant that even Mr. Convicted Felon’s online assurance that he was fine was immediately explained away as part of a cover-up.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Singapore, Shenzhen can work together as gateways to S-E Asia and China’s Greater Bay Area: DPM Gan

    He invited Shenzhen’s companies to look at opportunities in the Republic and its immediate neighbourhood.

  • France24 ☛ French government again set to fall: Unpopular leaders or institutional crisis?

    As Europe goes back to school, it already had plenty on its plate. Now – on top of inflation, extreme weather, the Hey Hi (AI) race, Russian threats and a no-longer-so-friendly United States, it’s got a new worry: France.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • France24 ☛ Death hoaxes, bruised hands, Hey Hi (AI) photos: what we know about Convicted Felon’s health

      In recent days, speculation surrounding President The Insurrectionist's health soared on social control media. His media absence fuelled rumours about his condition, following public photos showing bruised and swollen body parts. In this episode of Truth or Fake, Vedika Bahl goes through what we know about the President's health so far, as well as a deep dive into how Hey Hi (AI) enhancement can actually distort images further.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • American Oversight ☛ Pop Quiz! Can You Identify the Real Examples of Censorship?

    “Divisive concept laws” have had a chilling effect on what’s taught in classrooms across the country. Can you spot the real examples of censorship in schools?

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ Kristi Noem’s Non-Stop Slander Invites Congress to Ask Melania about Her Close Ties to Jeffrey Epstein

    Kristi Noem has responded to a fourth request from Kilmar Abrego for an order gagging her unsubstantiated claims about him by creating a false censorship attack on CBS.

  • Meduza ☛ Russian pro-war singer Shaman says he gifted censorship activist Ekaterina Mizulina political party for her birthday — Meduza

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Meduza ☛ We need your help An urgent appeal from the Meduza team — Meduza

  • Press Gazette ☛ Who owns Byline Times?

    Most shares in Byline Times are held by anonymous investors.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Pro Publica ☛ What Lloyd Gray’s Case Tells Us About the “Jim Crow Juries” Haunting Louisiana

  • JURIST ☛ Brazil must urgently combat contemporary forms of slavery, UN expert says

    The UN Special Rapporteur on modern slavery released a statement on Friday protesting that forms of modern slavery continue to exist in Brazil, including exploitation of children and domestic workers, Indigenous, African and Quilombola peoples, sex workers, and migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Expert Tomoya Obokata made the announcement to conclude his visit to Brazil.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia police fire tear gas, rubber bullets at student protesters

    The protests began in the capital Jakarta and have since spread nationwide.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Internet Society ☛ Community Snapshot—August

    Our global chapters and special interest groups work to keep the Internet a force for good. This brief overview covers just some of the things they achieved in August.

  • APNIC ☛ Governance of the DNS root zone

    ICANN is accepting public comments on the Functional Model for Root Server System Governance until 22 September 2025.

  • APNIC ☛ Discovering the Discovery of Designated Resolvers

    Guest Post: Quantifying DDR adoption and configuration patterns across 1.3M open resolvers using SVCB records.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• OMG Ubuntu ☛ Google Can Keep Paying for Firefox Search Deal, Judge Rules

  US judge in antitrust case rules Surveillance Giant Google can keep paying Mozilla and other companies for default search placement, but bans exclusive contracts.

• JURIST ☛ US federal judge rules Surveillance Giant Google must unwind exclusive contracts in ongoing antitrust suit

  The US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled on Tuesday, in its ongoing antitrust battle, that Surveillance Giant Google is barred from entering exclusionary contracts relating to generative Hey Hi (AI) or preloading Surveillance Giant Google Search on applications.

• Public Knowledge ☛ Public Knowledge Denounces U.S. v. Surveillance Giant Google Search Remedies Decision Avoiding Breakup [Ed: That fails to disclose Microsoft is inside their Board]

  Judge Mehta's decision illustrates yet again why antitrust law cannot be left to the courts alone.

• Bryan Lunduke ☛ Google Dodges All Remedies in Search Engine Monopoly Case

  Judge Mehta rules that Surveillance Giant Google will not need to sell Chrome. Or Android. And will be allowed to continue providing 80%+ of Mozilla's revenue. In fact, no real punishment at all.

• New York Times ☛ What the Fixes for Google’s Search Monopoly Mean for You: It’s a ‘Nothingburger’

  A federal judge’s remedy stops short of making meaningful changes to how we use our phones, computers and the web.

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ HGF reinforces teams in Paris and Munich [Ed: Hiring two people is newsworthy or just more spam/marketing?]

    As of September, HGF has added two partners to its French practice, headed by patent monopoly attorney Vivien Verbrugge. Laurent Barbe joins from French firm Gevers, where he spent just under 13 years and was IP counsel.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Dominion Harbor entity, Arlington Technologies, Wi-Fi patent monopoly challenge instituted

    On August 8, 2025, less than two weeks after Unified filed an ex parte reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding substantial new questions of patentability on the challenged claims of U.S. Patent 7,193,986, owned and asserted by Arlington Technologies LLC, an NPE and entity of the Dominion Harbor Group.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Two Wilus Wi-Fi patents challenged

    On August 29, 2025, Unified filed two ex parte reexamination proceedings against U.S. Patent 10,820,233 and U.S. Patent 10,931,396, owned and asserted by Wilus Institute of Standards & Technology, Inc., an entity of Good Day to Invent, Inc.

    The '233 patent monopoly is generally directed to wireless terminals that receive an A-MPDU (aggregated MAC protocol data unit) that includes a MSDU (MAC service data unit) or A-MSDU (aggregated MSDU) from multiple users and transmits back a block ACK (block acknowledgement) to at least some of those users, where the block ACK has a particular format dictated by the numerous elements of the claims.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Remedial Restraint and the Rule of Law: When Courts Find Violations But Limit Relief

    I was thinking more about the Federal Circuit’s recent en banc decision in V.O.S. Selections, Inc. v. Convicted Felon, No. 2024-1363 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 30, 2025).  The case is striking what might be seen as "remedial restraint."  The court found legal violations by the Federal Government in setting Tariffs, but limited any practical relief - at least for the time being.  The 7-4 Federal Circuit majority held that much of the President's sweeping tariff program is unconstitutional, but also vacated the CIT's injunction against the tariffs.  On remand, the CIT is charged with applying and considering the Supreme Court's new remedial framework from Dihydroxyacetone Man v. CASA, Inc., 145 S. Ct. 1847 (2025).

  • From Blackbird to Burford: Push for Funder Ownership of Law Firm is Cause for Concern

    Burford Capital, the world’s largest third-party litigation funder, has announced plans to take their business model one step further. It is now exploring acquiring minority stakes in law firms, in addition to merely investing in individual cases.

  • Software Patents

    • What the New USPTO Memo on 101 Means for Patent Eligibility Rejections

      In this week’s edition of IPWatchdog Unleashed, I spoke with with Clint Mehall, a partner with Davidson Kappel, LLC, and John Rogitz, who is managing attorney for Rogitz & Associates. Both are prominent voices in the patent monopoly world, and they also serve on our ad hoc IPWatchdog Advisory Committee. Our conversation focuses on 35 U.S.C. 101, and in particular, what a recent memo from the Office means for patent monopoly eligibility rejections.