Leftovers

• Science

  • France24 ☛ Thursday's supermoon will be the last of 2025. This is how to spot it

    The moon is set to look 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual on Thursday night as the Earth's largest satellite swings closer to the planet, marking the last supermoon of 2025.

  • Hackaday ☛ An Introduction To Analog Filtering

    One of the major difficulties in studying electricity, especially when compared to many other physical phenomena, is that it cannot be observed directly by human senses. We can manipulate it to perform various tasks and see its effects indirectly, like the ionized channels formed during lightning strikes or the resistive heating of objects, but its underlying behavior is largely hidden from view. Even mathematical descriptions can quickly become complex and counter-intuitive, obscured behind layers of math and theory. Still, [lcamtuf] has made some strides in demystifying aspects of electricity in this introduction to analog filters.

  • Science Alert ☛ Specific Hand Gestures Can Make You Instantly More Persuasive, Study Says

    Your hands may be doing more talking than you think.

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Holes' in Kim Kardashian's Brain Scan May Not Be What They Seem, Expert Says

    A diagnostic tool? Or celebrity 'snake oil'?

  • Science Alert ☛ Blackest Fabric Ever Made Absorbs 99.87% of All Light That Hits It

    As close to a wearable black hole as we want to get.

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Gut Could Be Quietly Controlling Your Sleep, Research Shows

    Good sleep starts long before you get into bed.

  • Science Alert ☛ An Existing Vaccine Could Slow Dementia And Cut Death Risk by 30%

    Two promising findings.

  • Science Alert ☛ Mysterious Figurine With Stitched Lips Found at 11,000-Year-Old Site

    A lost Neolithic world Is emerging from Türkiye’s Stone Hills.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ What Happens When You Pump 30,000 Watts Into A Tungsten Incandescent Light Bulb?

    Over on YouTube [Drake] from the [styropyro] channel investigates what happens when you take an enormous tungsten incandescent light bulb and pump 30,000 watts through it.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ Ludwig Minelli, Founder of Swiss Assisted-Suicide Group, Dies at 92

    Dignitas has helped more than 3,000 people take their own lives, an act that Mr. Minelli maintained was a fundamental exercise of free will.

  • Science Alert ☛ Owning a Smartphone at Age 12 Is Linked to These Health Issues in Kids

    Think of the children.

  • New York Times ☛ Vaccine Advisory Panel Again Postpones Vote on Hepatitis B Shot for Newborns

    After heated disagreements, the committee members, appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., delayed the vote until Friday morning. It was the third time the vote had been postponed.

  • American Oversight ☛ As Vaccine Panel Meets for Last Time This Year, American Oversight Warns HHS Is Violating Federal Law, Jeopardizing Childhood Health

    We’re calling out a legal violation after RFK Jr. replaced scientific experts on key advisory committee with vaccine skeptics

  • The Straits Times ☛ Vaccination encouraged amid rising flu cases in China

    Data shows increasing flu levels with the H3N2 strain of influenza A currently dominant.

  • Hackaday ☛ The Database Powering America’s Hospitals May Not Be What You Expect

    Ever heard of MUMPS? Both programming language and database, it was developed in the 1960s for the Massachusetts General Hospital. The goal was to streamline the increasingly enormous timesink that information and records management had become, a problem that was certain to grow unless something was done. Far from being some historical footnote, MUMPS (Massachusetts General Hospital Utility Multi-Programming System) grew to be used by a wide variety of healthcare facilities and still runs today. If you’ve never heard of it, you’re in luck because [Asianometry] has a documentary video that’ll tell you everything.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • France24 ☛ The future of wine has hints of artificial intelligence [Ed: Slop inside food is a RECIPE for DISASTER; But then again, everything involving a computer these days is being spun as or branded "AI"]

      This episode of People & Profit explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping the wine industry. Expert Felicity Carter explains how new tools let even small producers harness big-player insights – from vineyard decisions to consumer sales – opening up fresh economic opportunities across the entire supply chain.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ IBM CEO warns that ongoing trillion-dollar Hey Hi (AI) data center buildout is unsustainable — says there is 'no way' that infrastructure costs can turn a profit

      IBM CEO Arvind Krishna used an appearance on The Verge’s Decoder podcast to question whether the capital spending now underway in pursuit of AGI can ever pay for itself.

    • Digital Music News ☛ Looks Like Sony Music Won’t Be Settling With Udio Anytime Soon: Copyright Suit Chugs Along Despite Warner Music and Universal Music Resolutions

      Looks like Sony Music intends to continue litigating against Udio despite the Hey Hi (AI) music generator’s lawsuit-ending agreements with Warner Music and Universal Music. As most already know, UMG got the licensing ball rolling near October’s end, before WMG and Udio finalized a deal of their own last month.

    • Press Gazette ☛ Publishers versus AI: All the copyright monopoly legal rulings so far

      AI companies have taken the world's journalism output without permission - but publishers are fighting back.

      >

• Pseudo-Open Source

  • Openwashing

    • Open Source Initiative ☛ OFA Symposium 2025 and the Launch of the Open Technology Research Network (OTRN) [Ed: OpenForum Europe (IBM et al) and Linux Foundation Are Boosting and Cooperating With Enemies of Software Freedom]

      The OpenForum Academy Symposium 2025 organized by OpenForum Europe (OFE) brought together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and open technology leaders for two days of deep inquiry into how open technologies shape our economies, infrastructures, and societies.

• Security

  • Scoop News Group ☛ Officials warn about expansive, ongoing China espionage threat riding on Brickstorm malware

    The attacks, which have impacted dozens of organizations, date back at least three years, lasting an average of 393 days. And that’s just what’s been uncovered in the last four months.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Agencies, IT companies impacted by latest malware from China

    CISA is telling agencies, IT companies and critical infrastructure providers to take action to protect themselves from ‘terribly sophisticated’ malware.

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Krebs On Security ☛ SMS Phishers Pivot to Points, Taxes, Fake Retailers

      China-based phishing groups blamed for non-stop scam SMS messages about a supposed wayward package or unpaid toll fee are promoting a new offering, just in time for the holiday shopping season: Phishing kits for mass-creating fake but convincing e-commerce websites that convert customer payment card data into mobile wallets from Apple and Google. Experts say these same phishing groups also are now using SMS lures that promise unclaimed tax refunds and mobile rewards points.

  • Confidentiality

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Intellexa remotely accessed Predator spyware customer systems, investigation finds

      It was one of a trio of reports about the spyware vendor over the course of a day, with additional evidence about further infections among the findings.

• Defence/Aggression

  • American Oversight ☛ American Oversight Sues for Hegseth “Kill Everybody” Boat-Strike Records

    The defense secretary displays a pattern of reckless disregard for proper security protocols and rules of engagement.

  • France24 ☛ US military strike reignites scrutiny of Convicted Felon’s anti-drug campaign

    The US military carried out another strike on a small boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday — its first in nearly three weeks — as congressional concern deepens over the legality and conduct of President The Insurrectionist’s aggressive anti-drug campaign at sea.

  • New York Times ☛ Second Strike Scrutiny Obscures Larger Question About Convicted Felon’s Boat Attacks

    Congress is focusing on two deaths in one strike. But nine other people died in that same attack, and the United States has killed 83 in all. Were any of those killings legal?

  • New York Times ☛ Boat Strike Video Shown to Lawmakers

    Two survivors of the attack were said to struggle to cling to the boat before a second strike. After the briefing with lawmakers, the military disclosed a boat strike on Thursday that killed four people.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Convicted Felonets Peace in Africa Amid War on Drug Boats, in Day of Dissonance

    Hell Toupée presided over a Congo-Rwanda peace deal on the same day his administration was being questioned about potential war crimes.

  • New York Times ☛ Lawmakers Split on the Military’s Defense of Boat Strikes

    Also, a man was arrested on charges of planting pipe bombs before Jan. 6. Here’s the latest at the end of Thursday.

  • Digital Music News ☛ China Halts Japanese Concerts and Cultural Events Over Taiwan; K-Pop Industry Remains On Edge

    China abruptly cancels several Japanese music events in the country, some of them mid-performance, placing K-pop in a difficult position. K-pop is caught between a rock and a hard place as geopolitical tensions mount between China and Japan. Korean entertainment companies remain hopeful that their artists will stay insulated from the fallout, but the situation […]

  • New York Times ☛ China, Japan and a New Narrative About World War II

    Arguments about history are proliferating as the postwar order led by the United States crumbles.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan rebuts China’s second letter to UN as spat keeps simmering

    China had directed a second missive to the UN complaining about Japan.

  • BIA Net ☛ Five companies from Turkey ranked among world’s highest-earning arms producers

    Last year, global arms revenues reached the highest level ever recorded by SIPRI as producers "capitalized on high demand," according to a new report.

  • New York Times ☛ What to Know About Convicted Felon’s Threat of Military Action in Venezuela

    The president has warned that the United States could soon expand its attacks from boats near the coast to targets inside Venezuela, but he has also spoken by phone to its leader.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. Military’s Boat Strikes Planning Takes On New Significance

    The details could raise questions about who was responsible for a follow-up strike on Sept. 2 — the commander who ordered it or the defense secretary.

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ Four Shots at an Unarmed Boat in Uncontested Waters

    It took the most powerful military in the history of the world four strikes to destroy an unarmed boat in uncontested waters.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s boat strikes already stirred debate. This ‘second strike,’ even more.

    Bipartisan inquiries are emerging amid reports that the U.S. military fired twice on a suspected drug boat, killing survivors. The strike may violate rules of war, some legal experts say.

  • New York Times ☛ The Furor Over Convicted Felon’s Boat Attacks and a Particular Follow-Up Strike, Explained

    Bipartisan congressional oversight is underway, but for now is focusing on narrow details about one missile instead of broader legal issues.

  • New Yorker ☛ Why Is Convicted Felon Targeting Venezuela?

    As Convicted Felon escalates his confrontation with Venezuela, questions mount about the line between counter-narcotics policy and a bid for regional dominance.

  • Site36 ☛ Balearics call for Frontex deployment: Number of refugee boat arrivals on the islands continues to rise

    The number of migrants arriving in the Balearic Islands reached a new record high in 2025. Frontex could launch an official mission – but the Spanish central government is not submitting the necessary application.

  • Site36 ☛ German Israel correspondent Sophie von der Tann remains cool – despite unfair and massive agitation

    The Israel correspondent of the public broadcaster ARD is being honoured for her Middle East reporting – and attacked. Her alleged offence: she referred to the “historical background” of the Gaza war. The jury stands behind her.

  • New York Times ☛ Charles Norman Shay, Tribal Elder and World War II Hero, Dies at 101

    As a 19-year-old medic, he won a Silver Star for his service during D-Day. Later, in the Korean War, he earned a Bronze Star.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan ‘very moved’ by Japanese prime minister’s support, premier says

    Many Taiwanese have been changing their travel plans and choosing to visit Japan.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Xi joins Macron in southwest China on rare trip with a global leader outside Beijing

    Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping accompanied his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to Chengdu on Friday, a rare gesture seemingly reserved for the head of Europe's second-largest economy that highlights Beijing's focus on Paris in its dealings with the European Union.

  • New York Times ☛ ICE Separates Boy, 6, From Father During Effort to Deport Them to China

    The child and his father fled China earlier this year and the boy had just been enrolled in school. Federal officials have tried and failed to send them back.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan’s opposition leader, once for independence, turns towards China

    After her election win, China’s Pooh-tin Jinping sent her a congratulatory message, an indication of Beijing’s approval.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China rejects Japan PM Takaichi’s reaffirmation of Taiwan stance

    Tensions between the two countries have soared after Takaichi commented on Taiwan.

  • New York Times ☛ Deadly Attacks in Gaza Test Cease-Fire as Body of Another Captive Is Returned

    Israel launched a military strike after it said Hamas militants attacked its soldiers, the latest clashes in the two months since a truce was signed.

  • Egyptian AH-64E Apache production moving forward

    Boeing has been awarded a contract for the production of new AH-64E Apache helicopters for Egypt, as well as Poland [...]

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ Hugs and greetings: Vladimir Putin has just arrived in India for talks with Modi

      There were warm hugs on the tarmac as Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on December 4, with both leaders breaking protocol to signal the importance of the visit. The Russian president is in India for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with economic ties and their wider geopolitical partnership high on the agenda. Navodia Kumari has more from New Delhi.

    • New York Times ☛ What to Know About Putin’s Visit to India as Oil Trade Dries Up

      The Forrest Dump administration, which crippled Russia’s oil sales to India with sanctions, will be watching Mr. Putin’s talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modimir.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Old friends Putin and Modimir meet to do a deal, as Convicted Felon leans on both

      It may look like business as usual when Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modimir meet in Delhi this week, but the Russian and Indian leaders are under pressure to show they won’t be swayed by The Insurrectionist.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russia's Putin arrives in India for summit talks with PM Modi

      NEW DELHI, Dec 4 - Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in New Delhi on Thursday, where he was received by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modimir at the airport, beginning the Russian leader's first visit to old friend India since the start of the war in Ukraine nearly four years back.

    • The Straits Times ☛ India clinches $2.6 billion Russian submarine deal as Putin visits

      India expects to take delivery of the nuclear-powered vessel within two years.

    • France24 ☛ Putin's visit to India tests New Delhi's balancing act between East and West

      Thursday, December 4: Russian leader Vladimir Putin begins a two-day visit to India, which is garnering a lot of attention in the press about the close ties between the two countries. Also, Australia prepares to roll out a social control media ban for under-16s, but adolescents are already finding ways to circumvent the new rules that go into effect next week. Plus: New Zealand gets its first Ikea store and a drunk raccoon delights the internet.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Putin visits Delhi as Russia and India seek to increase and diversify trade

      Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday to start a two-day state visit, and India and Russia both said they want to boost mutual trade and expand the variety of items in transactions.

    • France24 ☛ Putin visits India to revive oil and arms trade

      Vladimir Putin is visiting India to strengthen economic ties and revive falling Indian imports of Russian oil and arms. The trip follows President The Insurrectionist’s 50% tariffs on Indian goods over its purchases of Russian oil, which hurt Indian exporters. India wants more balanced trade and greater market access, while Russia seeks new deals to bolster revenue for its war effort.

    • New York Times ☛ Europe Wants to Get the Word Out: Russia Is to Blame for Sabotage

      Officials are accusing Russia of smaller-scale assaults. President Vladimir V. Putin sought to turn the tables, saying that if Europe were to start a war, Russia is ready.

    • New York Times ☛ Weak Spots Are Few for Russia in Ukraine Peace Talks

      Economic and military pressures could force Russia’s hand. Its economy is strained but not enough to do that, analysts say. And President Vladimir V. Putin says Russia is winning the war.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskyy Returns To Ukraine, Witkoff To US Without Post-Kremlin Talks Meeting

      US special envoy Steve Witkoff has flown back to the United States following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin without meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the Kremlin leader's position on a US draft peace proposal.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Peace Efforts Further Stalled After US-Kremlin Talks Make Little Headway

      Efforts to find a resolution to halt Russia's nearly 4-year-old war on Ukraine appear to hit a brick wall after a Moscow meeting between US negotiators and President Vladimir Putin as Kremlin and Russian officials signal little willingness to back down from hard-line demands.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukrainian Officials Head To Brussels, Miami For Peace Talks As Putin Doubles Down On Demands

      Ukrainian negotiators were set to meet with European officials in Brussels, and later US officials in Florida, days after a five-hour Kremlin meeting with a visiting White House delegation where President Vladimir Putin doubled down on his hard-line conditions to end the war on Ukraine.

    • LRT ☛ ‘Putin should end the bluster’: NATO foreign ministers react to Kremlin’s threat

      NATO's foreign ministers during their meeting in Brussels on Wednesday dismissed Vladimir Putin’s threat of being ready for war.

    • New York Times ☛ The ‘Useful Idiots’ From America Whom Putin Is Playing Like a Flute

      Having “real estate deal guys” as America’s negotiators on the war in Ukraine is a liability, not an advantage. You want a statesman.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Reuters story on Tajikistan discussing Russian help to guard its Afghan border is withdrawn

      ALMATY, Dec 2 - A Reuters story about Tajikistan holding talks with Russia about helping guard its Afghan border has been withdrawn following a post-publication review showing insufficient evidence. There will be no substitute story.

    • RFERL ☛ Tajikistan Denies Talks With Russia To Guard Afghan Border After Deadly Attack On Chinese Workers

      Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry has refuted claims about ongoing talks with Russia regarding border security along Afghanistan, following a deadly attack on Chinese nationals in the region.

    • Sudan offers Russia Red Sea naval base in exchange for fighter jets

      Sudan and Russia have reportedly resumed discussions over a long-delayed 2017 agreement that would provide Moscow with its first naval [...]

    • Security Week ☛ Reporters Without Borders Targeted by Russian Hackers

      The state-sponsored hackers relied on phishing emails to deliver a malicious payload to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

    • Latvia ☛ Fence along Latvia-Russia border should be completed at end of year

      This year, approximately 6 kilometres of fence remain to be built along the Latvian-Russian border in swampy areas and hard-to-reach places. The fence is planned to be fully completed by the end of 2025, according to the State Real Estate (VNĪ).

    • RFERL ☛ Hungary Vows Legal Fight After EU Agrees To Phase Out Russian Gas

      Hungary said it will launch a legal challenge against the European Union's approval of a provisional agreement on phasing out imports of Russian natural gas as the bloc looks to end its dependency on Russian energy.

    • LRT ☛ Macron’s former adviser: we should have anticipated the threat posed by Russia better

      “We should probably have anticipated the threat posed by Russia better, which you here understand much better considering your history,” Philippe Étienne, a former diplomatic adviser to French president Emmanuel Macron, tells LRT.lt. In an exclusive interview, he reflected on the broken hopes for democracy in Russia and shared his insights on how Europe, in an era of shifting alliances, could maintain its influence.

    • France24 ☛ EU sets 2027 deadline to end Russian gas imports

      The EU has agreed to fully phase out Russian gas by September 2027 and ban LNG imports by the end of 2025, with plans to cut Russian oil next. While the move is hailed as a step toward European energy independence, Hungary and Slovakia are preparing legal challenges, and Russia warns of higher costs and reduced competitiveness.

    • Latvia ☛ Rietumu Banka faces potential loss of Russian assets

      Latvia's Rietumu Banka may lose assets worth 16 million euros in Russia, the bank has told the LETA newswire.

    • Latvia ☛ Russian company owners in Latvia increasingly keen to change their nationality

      A new trend has been noted of Russian owners of companies registered in Latvia – or companies' ultimate beneficiaries – changing their declared nationality on official documents, according to figures from the business data company Lursoft.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russian attacks cut power, heating for tens of thousands in southern Ukraine

      KYIV, Dec 4 - Tens of thousands of people were left without power and heating in southern Ukraine after Russian attacks on the frontline city of Kherson and Ukraine's largest seaport, Odesa, authorities and a top energy provider said on Thursday.

    • ADF ☛ ‘Desperate’ South African Mercenaries Eager to Return from Russian War

      Several South African men were shown milling around a parking lot wearing military uniforms bearing Russian flag badges. Behind them, a man said they were “off to fight Zelensky,” referring to the Ukrainian president.

    • New York Times ☛ Stakes High, Europe Races to Save Its Financing Plan for Ukraine

      The European Union has a proposal for how to turn Russian frozen assets into a giant loan for Ukraine. If it fails, it could further weaken Europe’s global image.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Faces Choices on Russia-Ukraine Talks as Peace Deal Deadline Passes

      The president wanted Moscow and Kyiv to come to terms by Thanksgiving. Negotiations are now stalled, leaving the White House to decide if an agreement is possible anytime soon.

    • New York Times ☛ Macron Urges Pooh-tin to Help End War in Ukraine

      As President Emmanuel Macron of France visited China, its leader, Pooh-tin Jinping, said his country would play a constructive role in ending the fighting.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China, Russia discuss Ukraine, reach 'consensus' on Japan during Chinese minister's visit

      China and Russia reached "broad consensus" on a range of issues during the Chinese foreign minister's trip to Moscow this week, amid a burst of diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine and as Beijing seeks to rally support in a row with Tokyo.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian FM: Russia will threaten NATO even after peace in Ukraine

      Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys insists that Russia will continue to pose a direct military threat to NATO even if peace is achieved in Ukraine, urging allies to increase defence spending to deter Moscow.

    • JURIST ☛ UN General Assembly urges return of deported Ukraine children by Russia

      The UN General Assembly on Wednesday voted in favour of demanding that Russia return all Ukrainian children deported or forcibly transferred since the start of the war. The resolution was adopted with 91 votes in favour, 12 against, and 57 abstentions, meeting the two-thirds majority required under Article 18 of the UN Charter.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ French President Macron calls on China to work for peace, rebalance trade

      French President Emmanuel Macron appealed to Pooh-tin Jinping to help end the war in Ukraine and tackle trade deficits as the two leaders met in Beijing’s Great Hall on Thursday. For Macron, making his fourth visit to China while in office, the three-day trip is an opportunity to shore up support for a ceasefire in Europe’s […]

    • France24 ☛ Beijing talks focus on trade, diplomacy, and ending Ukraine hostilities

      French President Emmanuel Macron met Chinese President Pooh-tin Jinping in Beijing to strengthen trade and diplomatic ties, push for deeper cooperation in sectors like aerospace, nuclear energy, and AI, and urge China to support a ceasefire in Ukraine. Both leaders emphasised multilateralism and the need for a just, lasting peace amid global uncertainty.

    • France24 ☛ France and Germany warn US could 'betray' Ukraine in push for peace, Speigel reports

      French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned Ukraine that the US might "betray" Kyiv during peace negotiations with Russia, according to a confidential call reported by German magazine Spiegel.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Returning Ukraine’s abducted children should be central to any peace plan

      The United States should lead efforts to secure the release and return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. This could help build confidence in the peace process and boost efforts to end the war, writes Kristina Hook.

    • Latvia ☛ Ukrainian aid measures to be cut in 2026 in Latvia

      The 2026 state budget allocates €39.7 million to provide support to Ukrainian civilians in Latvia, almost €25 million less than in 2025, when €65 million was allocated for this purpose, LSM.lv reports on 3 December.

    • France24 ☛ Putin bears 'moral responsibility' for 2018 Skripal poisoning, UK inquiry finds

      Russian President Vladimir Putin bears "moral responsibility" for the 2018 poisoning death of a British woman after a failed assassination attempt against a former Russian double agent, a UK inquiry found Thursday.

    • New York Times ☛ Putin Must Have Authorized Novichok Poisoning in Salisbury, UK Inquiry Finds

      The death of a British woman from Novichok was the result of a botched assassination attempt on a former Russian spy, an official report said on Thursday.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian PM: Belarus’ actions ‘could be recognised as terrorism’

      Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė on Thursday said actions by Belarus, including smuggling balloons entering Lithuanian airspace and the detention of Lithuanian trucks on Belarusian territory, could be considered acts of terrorism.

    • LRT ☛ Protests, sanctions, and ‘chaos’: pressure mounts on Lithuanian govt amid balloon crisis

      As Lithuanian trucking companies prepare a protest in Vilnius over thousands of vehicles stranded at the Belarus border, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said the demonstration should be held in Belarus – the country she says launched a hybrid attack against Lithuania using contraband balloons.

    • LRT ☛ Finnair cancels evening flights to Vilnius over balloon disruptions

      Finnair is cancelling one of its evening flights from Helsinki to Vilnius, citing contraband balloons launched from Belarus and related operational challenges, Lithuanian Airports (LTOU) said Thursday.

    • LRT ☛ Vilnius Airport resumes operations after 3 overnight halts, delays possible

      Vilnius Airport reopened early Thursday after three overnight shutdowns triggered by smugglers’ balloons launched from Belarus, Lithuanian authorities said.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian government mulls declaring emergency over smuggler balloons

      Lithuania is considering several options to counter the growing threat posed by smugglers’ balloons launched from Belarus, including the possibility of declaring an emergency situation, Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič said Wednesday.

    • LRT ☛ Industry leader warns against closing Vilnius Airport at night

      With contraband balloons launched from Belarus increasingly disrupting operations at Vilnius Airport, Lithuania’s airports operator has suggested that airlines consider moving night flights to Kaunas. But the head of the Civil Aviation Association warned Wednesday that such a move could push carriers to relocate routes to rival airports in Latvia or Poland.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania rejects Belarus’ claim of drone incursion as ‘fake news’

      Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas on Tuesday dismissed Belarus’ claim that a drone flew from Lithuania into Belarus, calling the allegation “fake news”.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘What’s the problem?’: Russia’s human rights chairman on censorship, blocked apps, and musician arrests — Meduza

• Environment

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Pandas and ping-pong: Macron to end China visit on lighter note

      The French president and his wife Brigitte will head to the city of Chengdu in the southwestern Sichuan province.

  • Overpopulation

    • New York Times ☛ The One Child Policy’s Legacy: A Surplus of Single Men

      A decade after the end of the one-child policy, China has over 30 million so-called surplus men. Can this dating boot camp help them find love?

• Finance

  • NYPost ☛ Over 1.1M layoffs planned for this year — the highest level since 2020 pandemic

    Layoff announcements totaled 71,321 in November, a decline from October’s more than 153,000 cuts, according to consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Studies find Hey Hi (AI) chatbots have the persuasive power to change political opinions

      Two separate studies published today in the journals Science and Nature arrived at the same conclusion: Hey Hi (AI) chatbots can be very persuasive at molding a person’s political opinion, with researchers pointing to the possibility of generative Hey Hi (AI) influencing future election results.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong YouTuber arrested for sedition over ‘depraved’ Tai Po fire remarks – reports

    A Hong Kong YouTuber has been arrested on suspicion of publishing seditious statements in connection with the deadly Tai Po blaze, local media reported, citing unnamed sources. On Wednesday, the police National Security Department reportedly apprehended a 26-year-old man surnamed Chan for acting with “seditious intention.”

  • Digital Music News ☛ Netflix Defies Diddy’s Cease-and-Desist Over 50 Cent’s Docuseries; Co-CEO Ted Sarandos Responds to Accusations of Orchestrating a ‘Hit Piece’

    Netflix claps back against Diddy’s cease-and-desist over the Sean Combs: The Reckoning docuseries, refuting claims of corporate revenge and defending co-CEO Ted Sarandos.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Bridging the gaps between protocol specifications and practice

    Guest Post: How formal specifications can make network protocols more reliable, secure, and interoperable.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Digital Music News ☛ YouTube’s Had Enough of Spotify Wrapped, Introducing ‘YouTube Recap’

    YouTube rolls out its own version of Spotify Wrapped for videos, revealing highlights, deep dives, and moments from your watch history. YouTube is introducing a new recap experience for your watch history, designed to “uniquely highlight interests, deep dives, and moments” like Spotify’s end-of-year Wrapped experience, but for YouTube video.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Are Patent Offices Being Inundated with Low-Quality AI-Generated ‘Slopplications’?

    ‘AI slop’, defined as ‘low-quality content created by generative AI, often containing errors, and not requested by the user’, was named Word of the Year for 2025 by the Macquarie Dictionary.  Replace ‘content’ with ‘applications’, and ‘user’ with ‘patent office’ – let’s call them ‘AI slopplications’ – and we would have a good definition of a phenomenon that I suspect is occurring at offices around the world. 

  • Software Patents

    • Open Source Initiative ☛ Patents and Open Source: Understanding the Risks and Available Solutions [Ed: But OSI's biggest sponsors are lobbying for software patents; they are part of the problem]

      The Open Source community has spent two decades building the scaffolding to make patent monopoly threats rare and containable. Developers who understand that landscape can focus on what they do best: innovating in the open, confident that the legal ground beneath them is far more stable than any patent monopoly myths suggest.

• Trademarks and Slop

  • Digital Music News ☛ AI Music Beef: Hook Music Says Suno Is Ripping Off Its Trademarks and IP with ‘Create Hook’

    AI-powered music remixing tool Hook Music claims Suno’s new ‘Create Hook’ feature violates its trademarks and brand identity. Now that genAI platform Suno has “gone legit” in its deal with Warner Music, the company is under fire with fellow AI-powered tool Hook Music.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Jorja Smith’s Label Rattles the Legal Cage — Might This Blow Up Suno’s Carefully-Laid Plans to Go Legit?

    Is Suno about to face the music — that it just ripped off? For those watching in disbelief as ‘I Run’ started sprinting away on TikTok, Spotify, and seemingly every other platform, perhaps there’s poetic justice in the music industry, after all.

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Denies SMARTLING/EASYLING Cancellation Petition for Translation Software Due to Differences in Marks, Purchaser Sophistication, and Lack of Actual Confusion

    In this nine-year-old proceeding, the Board denied Smartling, Inc.'s petition for cancellation of a registration for the mark EASYLING (standard characters) for translation software, finding confusion unlikely with the registered and common law mark SMARTLING for overlapping goods. In an earlier skirmish, Respondent Skawa moved for summary judgment on the grounds of claim preclusion and issue preclusion based on its successful defeat of a unfair competition lawsuit brought by Smartling. [TTABlogged here]. The Board there agreed that claim preclusion applied to Smartling's claims of abandonment and lack of bona fide intent, which claims could have been brought in the civil action, but denied any preclusion vis-a-vis its likelihood of confusion claim due to the differences in transactional facts and the lack of any specific finding in the jury's conclusion regarding likelihood of confusion. Smartling, Inc. v. Skawa Innovation Kft., Cancellation No. 92063654 (December 1, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Mark A. Thurmon).

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Epidemic Sound Expands Its Years-Running Meta Copyright Battle With New Lawsuit Alleging ‘Willful, Intentional and Purposeful’ Infringement

    Over three years into their ugly infringement showdown, Epidemic Sound and Meta are still battling it out. Now, building on the initial suit, the royalty-free music platform has fired off a second copyright monopoly complaint.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Warner Music Sues Pacsun Over Alleged ‘Blatant, Willful, and Repeated Copyright Infringement’ in Social Media Promo Videos

    Another day, yet another social control media copyright monopoly lawsuit – once again from Warner Music Group (WMG), which is suing Pacsun over allegedly infringing promotional videos. Warner Music just recently submitted the straightforward suit, naming Pacific Sunwear of California (Pacsun) as a defendant.