Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Where Did Indonesia's Hobbits Go? Study Reveals Major New Clues

    It was a time of change.

  • Science Alert ☛ Voyager 2 May Have Caught Uranus At a Bad Time, Solving a 40-Year Mystery

    It's not normally like this.

• Career/Education

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania preparing for surge in foreigners taking language exam as new rules take effect

    Lithuania expects as many as 10,000 foreign nationals to take the Lithuanian language exam in early 2026, when new requirements for foreign workers in the service sector come into force, the Education, Science and Sport Ministry said.

  • CER ☛ Dr. Tamara Nelson-Fromm defends her dissertation: What Debugging Looks like in Alternative Endpoints

    In May, Tamara Nelson-Fromm defended her dissertation “A Qualitative Exploration of Programming Instruction for Alternative Endpoints in Post-Secondary Computing Education.” I’ve talked about Tamara’s work a few times in this blog. One of her early projects was a teaspoon language to help history teachers to build history timelines (blog post). At PLATEAU 2024, she presented […]

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Build Yourself A Graphing Weather Display

    These days, Internet connectivity is ubiquitous, so you can look up live weather data on just about any device around you. Regardless, [Jozerworx] wanted a simple, clean, independent weather display, and came up with this simple design. 

  • Hackaday ☛ Cheap And Aggressive DRAM Chip Tester

    People enjoy retrocomputing for a wide variety of reasons – sometimes it’s about having a computer you could fully learn, or nostalgia for chips that played a part in your childhood. There’s definitely some credit to give for the fuzzy feeling you get booting up a computer you built out of chips. Old technology does deteriorate fast, however, and RAM chip failures are especially frustrating. What if you got a few hundred DRAM chips to go through? Here’s a DRAM chip tester by [Andreas]/[tops4u] – optimized for scanning speed, useful for computers like the ZX Spectrum or Oric, and built around an ATMega328P, which you surely still have in one of your drawers.

  • Hackaday ☛ Trace Line Clock Does It With Magnets

    We love a good clock project, and [byeh_ in] has one with a design concept we don’t believe we have seen before. The Trace Line Clock has smooth lines and a clean presentation, with no sockets or visible mechanical fixtures.

  • Hackaday ☛ The Engineering That Makes A Road Cat’s Eye Self-Cleaning

    Although most people manage to navigate roads without major issues during the day, at night we become very reliant on the remaining navigational clues. The painted marks on the asphalt may not be as obvious in the glare of headlights, not to mention scuffed up and/or covered by snow and hidden by fog. This is where cat’s eyes are a great example of British ingenuity. A common sight in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, they use retroreflectors embedded in the road. Best of all, they are highly durable and self-cleaning, as [Mike Fernie] details in a recent video on these amazing devices.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Nvidia reportedly wins H200 exports to China — US Department of Commerce set to ease restrictions for full Hopper Hey Hi (AI) GPU [Ed: Nvidia running out of sellers to 'buy' its products at its own expense?]

    The U.S. government is reportedly preparing to let Nvidia ship its H200 accelerators to China, a move that could restore Nvidia’s influence in the Chinese Hey Hi (AI) market and reinforce CUDA’s dominance, but the question is if Beijing agrees to accept this hardware.

  • Hackaday ☛ One Lucky 3DS Gets A Switch-Style Dock

    The Nintendo Switch dock set a new bar for handheld docking user experience – just plug your console in to charge it, output image to your monitor, and keep it working with any USB peripherals of your choice. What if a 3DS is more your jam? [KOUZEX] shows off a Switch-style dock design for his gorgeous yellow 3DS, with Switch Pro controller support, and this dock wasn’t just a 3D printing job – there’s a fair bit of electronics to show, too.

  • Science Alert ☛ Landmark Pig Organ Transplants Raise a Curious Paradox, Says Ethicist

    Why are we ok with this?

  • CNX Software ☛ Nordic nRF7002 EBII adds dual-band Wi-Fi 6 to nRF54L series development kits

    Nordic has introduced the nRF7002 EBII as an updated Wi-Fi 6 expansion board for its nRF54L series development kits. The earlier nRF7002 WiFi 6 board was a low-cost add-on for the Thingy:53, mainly for basic prototyping. The new EBII is designed for the newer nRF54L series of SoCs with dual-band Wi-Fi 6 support, power-profiling options, and more.

  • CNX Software ☛ NestDisk – An defective chip maker Intel N150 NAS, mini PC, and Hey Hi (AI) Box with four M.2 PCIe slots

    Youyeetoo NestDisk in an defective chip maker Intel N150 mini PC that can be used as a mini NAS or Hey Hi (AI) box, thanks to four M.2 PCIe slots that can be fitted with NVMe SSDs or Hey Hi (AI) accelerator cards and two 2.5GbE network ports. The computer features 12GB LPDDR5 of memory, a 64GB eMMC flash, two HDMI 2.1 ports, a headphone jack, WiFi 6 connectivity, a full-function USB-C port, and three USB 3.2 ports.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ Why Some Doctors Say There Are Cancers That Shouldn’t Be Treated

    Statistics show a clear spike in eight cancers in younger people, but that has brought a debate over whether many cases ever needed to be found.

  • New York Times ☛ G.O.P. Senators Push Health Care Options as Vote Looms

    The Senate is set to vote later this week on a three-year extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies that Republicans oppose. The G.O.P. has yet to coalesce around an alternative.

  • Science Alert ☛ 62,000 Penguins Starved to Death Off South Africa's Coast Last Decade. Here's Why.

    A shockingly common story.

  • Science Alert ☛ US Man Dies From Rabies After Receiving Infected Kidney

    This is tragic.

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Brainquake' Discovery Could Change What We Know About Schizophrenia

    Like volcanoes erupting.

  • Science Alert ☛ Cutting Calories by 30% May Be Enough to Shield Brain Against Aging

    A new way to protect against dementia.

  • Science Alert ☛ Cancer Deaths to Double by 2050 Unless We Make Changes, Expert Warns

    The future is not fixed.

  • Science Alert ☛ Study Reveals Surprisingly Obvious Reason Why Exercise Reduces Cancer Risk

    It's a matter of priorities.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Pocky, other Glico chocolate products to be recalled over smell

    The company said eating the products poses no health risks.

  • Latvia ☛ Pioneering Sigulda surgery marks tenth anniversary

    A medical surgery in Sigulda is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its pioneering use of robotic radiosurgery, saying that Sigulda has become "the Baltic region's center for treating cancer and benign tumors in various body parts without surgical intervention."

  • New York Times ☛ Youth Mental Health Improved When Schools Reopened, Study Finds

    With the end of school shutdowns, children’s mental health appointments fell sharply, though other factors may have contributed.

  • Latvia ☛ State Police official accused of covering up illegal cig sales

    The Internal Security Bureau (IDB) is seeking to prosecute an official from the Riga Regional Administration of the State Police for accepting bribes and disclosing confidential information, as well as a private individual for giving bribes and illegally storing tobacco products, the IDB said on 8 December.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Long road ahead: Tai Po blaze survivors grapple with psychological fallout while struggling to return to normal life

    Every year, Mrs Wong made her daughter a birthday cake, and the family would celebrate her birthday at home. But this year, the cake was not homemade, and the celebration was held at someone else’s home.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia draws up guidelines for Hey Hi (AI) use by public bodies

      A set of guidelines dubbed “Practical guidelines for implementing Artificial Intelligence in institutional work and services” has been drawn up to serve as a tool for public bodies attempting to wrestle with the multiple threats, challenges and opportunities presented by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related phenomena, reports Labs of Latvia.

    • New York Times Sues Perplexity Hey Hi (AI) in Latest IP Case Against GenAI Companies

      On December 5, The New York Times Company (the Times) filed a complaint for copyright monopoly and trademark infringement against Perplexity AI, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, adding another major lawsuit to the growing wave of litigation against generative artificial intelligence (AI) companies.

    • JURIST ☛ New York Times sues Perplexity Hey Hi (AI) over copyright monopoly infringement

      The New York Times filed a lawsuit against Perplexity Hey Hi (AI) on Friday, charging that it is using the news organization’s articles without permission in summaries for search requests made through its generative Hey Hi (AI) products.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Defense bill addresses secure phones, Hey Hi (AI) training, cyber troop mental health

      The compromise legislation has other cyber provisions besides on commercial spyware, joint NSA-Cyber Command leadership and streamlining regulations.

    • Security Week ☛ Google Fortifies Chrome Agentic Hey Hi (AI) Against Indirect Prompt Injection Attacks

      Chrome’s new agentic browsing protections include user alignment critic, expanded origin-isolation capabilities, and user confirmations.

    • Futurism ☛ AI “Research” Papers Are Complete Slop, Experts Say

      The field of Hey Hi (AI) is being destroyed by AI.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ UK cyber agency warns LLMs will always be vulnerable to prompt injection

      The comments echo many in the research community who have said the flaw is an inherent trait of generative Hey Hi (AI) technology.

    • It's FOSS ☛ AI Craze Just Made Your New PC Build Way More Expensive

      RAM and SSD prices are skyrocketing as manufacturers prioritize Hey Hi (AI) servers over consumer PCs.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ February report from researcher found Chinese KVM had undocumented microphone and communicated with China-based servers, but many of the security issues are now addressed [Updated]

      A Slovenian security researcher published an analysis of Sipeed’s NanoKVM in Feburary that raises far-reaching concerns about the €30-€60 remote management device.

  • Confidentiality

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea police raid e-commerce giant Coupang over data leak

      The personal information of 33.7 million Coupang customers had been leaked in 2025.

    • Security Week ☛ Tri-Century Eye Care Data Breach Impacts 200,000 Individuals

      Tri-Century Eye Care was targeted recently by the Pear ransomware group, which claimed to have stolen over 3 Tb of data. 

    • LWN ☛ Addressing Linux's missing PKI infrastructure

      Jon Seager, VP of engineering for Canonical, has announced a plan to develop a universal Public Key Infrastructure tool called upki: [...]

• Defence/Aggression

  • France24 ☛ There is 'no political will' to solve Thai-Cambodian border dispute, analyst says

    Speaking with FRANCE 24's Carys Garland, David Camroux, Senior Researcher & Adjunct Professor at Sciences Po CERI, explains that there is no political will to resolve the border dispute due to the fragile position of the current Thai government on one side and the need for the Cambodian government to divert attention from domestic scam centres on the other. Tensions have flared up between the two countries, forcing thousands to flee from the border areas.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian PM Anwar calls for restraint between Thai and Cambodian militaries

    He warned the fighting risked undoing the careful work that went into a ceasefire he helped to broker.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Not enough pay’ keeps recruits away at South Korean military

    Voluntary departures among junior officers in the armed forces continue to hit record highs.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s foreign minister urges trust, emphasises ‘one-China principle’ in meeting with German counterpart

    German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul's visit to China "should be for cooperation, not for quarrels", says Mr Wang Yi.

  • CS Monitor ☛ US mass killings drop to 20-year low. Some policy shifts might be helping.

    The US is on track to record the lowest level of mass killings, including deadly shootings, in two decades. Causes of violence are complex, but prevention programs and community health may play a role in the shift.

  • France24 ☛ Thailand launches airstrikes along border with Cambodia as tensions reignite

    Thailand launched airstrikes along the disputed border with Cambodia on Monday as both sides accused the other of breaking a ceasefire that halted fighting earlier this year. Longstanding border disputes erupted into five days of combat in July that killed dozens of soldiers and civilians. U.S. President The Insurrectionist pushed the Southeast Asian neighbors to sign a truce agreement in October, but tensions have continued to simmer.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thailand launches air strikes on Cambodia, leaving peace accord on brink of collapse

    PM Anutin dismissed immediate negotiations with Cambodia, reflecting a need to be seen as tough ahead of Thai polls.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China-made rocket among triggers for Thai airstrikes into Cambodia

    The South-east Asian neighbours are engaged in their worst fighting since a five-day clash in July.

  • New York Times ☛ Why Thailand and Cambodia Are Fighting

    The latest violence comes months after Hell Toupée helped mediate a cease-fire between the two nations.

  • The Straits Times ☛ How the Thailand-Cambodia conflict went from Convicted Felon-backed ceasefire to air strikes

    Since May, the relationship between Thailand and Cambodia has been rocky as their borders are rife with conflict.

  • New York Times ☛ A Frustrated Congress Pushes the Pentagon to Produce Its Boat Strike Orders

    In a sign of bipartisan frustration with the Defense Department, the final defense policy bill aims to compel the Pentagon to share execute orders and video documentation.

  • ACLU ☛ Detained Immigrants Detail Physical Abuse and Inhumane Conditions at Largest Immigration Detention Center in the U.S.

    At the largest immigration detention site in the country, officers beat up Samuel, a detained teenager who uses a pseudonym, so badly, he had to go to the hospital. His right front tooth broke, and he said one officer “grabbed my testicles and firmly crushed them,” while another “forced his fingers deep into my ears.” He added that weeks after the beating, damage to his left ear was so severe that he now has trouble hearing.

  • France24 ☛ Benin military hunts fugitive soldiers a day after foiled coup attempt

    Benin's economic capital Cotonou was mostly calm on Monday as the country's armed forces hunted fugitive soldiers who staged a botched coup attempt a day earlier. Neighbouring Nigeria said it carried out strikes on Sunday and deployed troops to help restore order in the West African nation battling jihadist insurgents.

  • New York Times ☛ Attacks on Kindergarten and Hospital Kill 114 in Sudan, W.H.O. Says

    The drone strikes were blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, extending a pattern of atrocities in Sudan’s 2½-year civil war.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Inside the secret Albatross file on Singapore’s separation from Malaysia

    Our guest reveals pioneer leaders’ differing views on Singapore’s Aug 9, 1965 split from Malaysia.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan denies China’s claim that interference led to radar locks on SDF fighters

    It said the Air Self-Defense Force jets had kept a “safe distance” from Chinese military aircraft.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan is threatening us militarily: Chinese foreign minister tells German counterpart

    Japan said Chinese fighter jets had aimed their radar at Japanese military aircraft.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Japan summons China ambassador over fighter jet incident

    By Kyoko Hasegawa Tokyo has summoned Beijing’s ambassador after Chinese military aircraft locked radar onto Japanese jets, the latest incident in the row ignited after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments backing Taiwan. Takaichi suggested last month that Japan would intervene militarily in any Chinese attack on the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own […]

  • CS Monitor ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s new national security strategy treats longtime allies as threats

    The Insurrectionist’s new national security strategy turns history on its head, dismissing a Europe it says faces “civilizational erasure” and praising far-right parties that Moscow supports.

  • France24 ☛ A new Syria? One year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad

    It was exactly one year ago today that the lightning offensive reached its ultimate conclusion. Syria saw the fall of Bashar al-Assad, ending over five decades of his regime in a blitz that stunned the world. In Damascus, celebrations erupted in Umayyad Square, as Syrians emerged from thirteen years of brutal civil war, marking a moment of both relief and disbelief.

    In the chaos that followed, Assad fled to Moscow, and former jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa, now the interim president, took the reins. His charm offensive has seen him meet with world leaders, even speaking at the United Nations, presenting a new face of Syria.

  • LRT ☛ UNHCR urges Lithuania to end migrant pushback policy, honour EU refugee commitments

    A senior UN refugee agency official is urging Lithuania to reconsider its policy of turning back irregular migrants at the border with Belarus and to fully meet its commitments under the European Union’s migration solidarity mechanism.

  • The Strategist ☛ We have not lost the geopolitical struggle, but we must work harder and together

    Don’t despair but don’t relax. It was a profoundly important message delivered last week by Australia’s director-general of national intelligence, Andrew Shearer.

  • The Strategist ☛ Andrew Shearer on Australia’s geopolitical challenges

  • France24 ☛ Kenya sends fresh police contingent to bolster faltering Haiti mission

    Kenya dispatched a new contingent of police officers to Haiti on Monday, moving to reinforce an overstretched multinational mission that has struggled to contain the country’s powerful armed gangs. The deployment comes as Haiti remains mired in a profound political and security crisis, with large swathes of the capital under gang control.

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ The National Security Strategy’s Structure and Presumptions

    Dihydroxyacetone Man's National Security Strategy envisions sustaining American power by removing brown people and women from positions of power, sustaining a failed trade war, and dictating what Europe should be.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man security road map omits North Korea reference, raising diplomacy hopes

    The document lays out the US President’s vision of “flexible realism”.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China vows to defend sovereignty over Taiwan as Convicted Felon unveils security strategy

    The US had unveiled a new security strategy to deter conflict with Beijing over Taiwan.

  • France24 ☛ One year after Bashar Assad’s fall, Syria is struggling to rebuild

    James André, France24 reporter, gives us his analysis.

  • France24 ☛ Taking stock of Sharaa’s rule in Syria, one year after the fall of Assad

    One year after the fall of Syrian despot Bashar al-Assad, the country is trying to rebuild from the ruins of a 13-year civil war. Interim President – and former rebel leader – Ahmed al-Sharaa is leading a delicate transition faced with enormous challenges including a depleted economy, fledgling institutions and Syria’s war-scarred, fragmented population.

  • France24 ☛ Syria marks one year since ouster of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad

    As celebrations kicked off marking the first anniversary on Monday of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad’s regime, Syrians are still struggling to heal after the dynasty’s repressive 50-year rule and a 14-year civil war that killed an estimated half-million people, displaced millions more and left the country battered and divided.

  • France24 ☛ 'If al-Sharaa applies & fulfils his promises, it will be the fairytale that Syrians have hoped for'

    As celebrations kicked off marking the first anniversary on Monday of the ousting of former President Bashar Assad’s regime, Syrians are still struggling to heal after the dynasty’s repressive 50-year rule and a 14-year civil war that killed an estimated half-million people, displaced millions more and left the country battered and divided. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, Nadia Massih welcomes Nanar Hawach, Senior Analyst, for the International Crisis Group in Syria.

  • France24 ☛ Tens of thousands celebrate as Syria marks one year since Assad's ouster

    Tens of thousands took to the streets across Syria on Monday to celebrate a year since the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, with President Ahmed al-Sharaa urging people to unite to rebuild the country.

  • New York Times ☛ Syrians Celebrate Anniversary of Bashar al-Assad’s Fall

    A year ago, rebels overthrew President Bashar al-Assad, ending decades of dictatorship and civil war. But challenges remain for the new leadership.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ One year after Assad’s fall, Meduza asks political scientist Hanna Notte about the state of Russian–Syrian relations — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ After 16 years in prison for the murders of a lawyer and a journalist, former Russian neo-Nazi activist Yevgeniya Khassis is free and talking — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Why Russian Spies Are Using Mexico to Target the U.S.

      American officials pleaded with Mexico to expel two dozen Russian spies posing as diplomats operating in Mexico. Their concerns were dismissed.

    • New York Times ☛ The U.S. Gave Mexico a List of Russian Spies. Mexico Let Them Stay.

      Moscow has ramped up covert operations in Mexico, with spies meeting handlers in its bustling capital and seaside resorts, U.S. officials say.

    • New York Times ☛ He Was a Russian Activist in Exile. His Own Wife Accused Him of Spying.

      Poland has charged a little-known Russian opposition figure with espionage and participating in a bomb plot. His friends are perplexed.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russian long-serving envoy to North Korea dies

      Matsegora became ambassador to Pyongyang in 2014.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ UK government unveils AI-driven undersea surveillance network used to find enemy subs — 'Atlantic Bastion' designed to counter Russian submarine activity

      The UK government has unveiled the first details of Atlantic Bastion, a new undersea warfare programme designed to detect and counter Russian submarine activity across the North Atlantic.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania to end Russian-language driving license exams in 2026 despite mixed reactions

      Lithuania will end the option to take the driver’s theory exam in Russian starting Jan. 1, 2026, the Interior Ministry confirmed, despite earlier political debate and mixed public reactions.

    • LRT ☛ Germany's in the crosshairs of Russian operations – and Moscow shows no hesitation to kill

      Germany has spent recent days showcasing its new defence capabilities – unveiling a system capable of intercepting ballistic missiles and preparing to open a centre dedicated to countering drone threats. But deterrence must be strengthened on every level, experts warn.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania weighs suspending passenger routes to Russia and Belarus

      As Latvia moves to suspend regular passenger services to Russia and Belarus, Lithuania’s interior minister said that adopting a similar measure is worth considering in response to growing security threats from Belarus.

    • France24 ☛ EU leader warns of US interference in Europe's affairs as Russia praises Convicted Felon's security vision

      European Council President António Costa on Monday warned the United States against interfering in Europe’s affairs and said only European citizens can decide which parties should govern them. The remarks came in reaction to the Convicted Felon administration’s new national security strategy, which was published on Friday and paints European allies as weak, while offering tacit support to far-right political parties. FRANCE 24's Dave Keating reports from Brussels.

    • Latvia ☛ Two construction workers die on Latvian-Russian border lake

      A boat capsized on Friday, 5th December, in Ludza municipality. It was carrying workers who were building pontoon border bridges, Latvian Television confirmed with Valsts nekustamie īpašumi, which is responsible for the construction of infrastructure on the eastern border.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian security service seeks prosecution over sanctions breaching consultancy

      On December 8th, Latvia's State Security Service (VDD) said that a couple of weeks ago – on 24th November – it had asked the Prosecution Office to initiate criminal prosecution against a Latvian citizen "for prohibited work on behalf of companies in Russia, violating sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU)."

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Violence for violence’s sake’: New report details Russia’s inhumane treatment of Ukrainian POWs and civilian detainees — Meduza

    • NYPost ☛ Ukraine’s Zelensky refuses to give up land to Russia: ‘Precisely what we are fighting for’

      “Russia is, of course, insisting that we give up territory. We, of course, do not want to give up anything," Zelensky told reporters Monday.

    • New York Times ☛ Russian Court Sentences 4 Soldiers to Prison for Killing Texan

      Russell Bonner Bentley III, 64, who was living in the occupied Donbas region of Ukraine, was beaten and tortured to death after he was suspected of being an American saboteur, investigators said.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Criticizes Zelensky as Ukraine Peace Talks Drag On With European Leaders

      Despite pressure from the Convicted Felon administration, Mr. Zelensky, after meeting with European leaders who vowed continued support in the war, said Ukraine’s position on territory had not changed.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskyy Holds Talks With European Allies, Says No Deal Yet On The Donbas

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with European leaders seeking to ensure a US-led effort to end Russia's war on Ukraine does not result in a lopsided deal that would reward Moscow for its aggression against its neighbor and leave Kyiv vulnerable to future attacks.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Soldiers Sentenced Over Death Of American Fighting For Kremlin In Ukraine

      A court in Russian-controlled Ukraine sentenced four Russian soldiers for the death last year of Russell Bentley, a Texas man who as the "Donbas Cowboy" gained notoriety for joining Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine.

    • France24 ☛ European allies back Zelensky after Convicted Felon criticism

      Ukraine's European allies put on a show of support for President Volodymyr Zelensky Monday as they expressed scepticism about parts of the US proposal to end the war with Russia. British PM Keir Starmer hosted Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron at Downing Street. The discussions came after President The Insurrectionist accused Zelensky of not reading his administration's proposal on a deal to end Russia's invasion following almost four years of war.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Ukraine’s wartime experience provides blueprint for infrastructure protection

      Since 2014, Ukraine’s critical infrastructure has faced sustained and increasingly sophisticated attacks but continues to function, adapt, and evolve, offering the world one of the most comprehensive case studies for resilience under unrelenting cyber-kinetic pressure, write Oleksandr Bakalinskyi and Maggie McDonough.

    • European Commission ☛ Statement by President von der Leyen following the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing

      This afternoon, we had a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing.

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea's Kim Jong Un sends condolences to Russian embassy for ambassador's death, KCNA says

      SEOUL, Dec 9 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sent a message ‍of ​condolence to Russia's Vladimir ‍Putin and sympathies to the embassy in ​the ​country regarding the death of Aleksandr Ivanovich Matsegora, Russian extraordinary ambassador to North ‍Korea, state media KCNA reported on Tuesday.

    • RFERL ☛ Next Stop London As Zelenskyy To Press Ukraine's Cause With Key European Allies

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to arrive in London on December 8 to meet with his key allies -- the so-called European 3 -- looking to bolster Kyiv's negotiating position following his team’s talks in Florida with US officials.

    • NYPost ☛ Putin won’t accept ANY peace deal until the cost of fighting on grows too great

      It's plainly time for Hell Toupée to up the economic pressure on Russia to get Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.

    • France24 ☛ Antonio Costa says Europe cannot accept US 'threat to interfere'

      European Council president Antonio Costa on Monday rejected any attempt by the United States to meddle in Europe's politics, after Washington published a new security strategy sharply criticising the continent's policies. "What we cannot accept is the threat to interfere in European politics," Costa told a conference in Brussels.

    • Latvia ☛ Podcast: 'Can the U.S. Afford to Remain the Security Pacifier for Europe Much Longer?'

      The Latvian Institute of International Affairs (LIIA) is back with another of its topical geopolitical podcasts under the 'Riga Security Forum 2025' banner.

    • Latvia ☛ Rīga moves forward with bomb shelter development plan

      The Riga City Council Security, Order and Corruption Prevention Committee on Monday, December 8th, supported participation in a program co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to adapt 146 municipal buildings to serve as bomb shelters. The municipality's co-financing will account for approximately half of the total funding, which exceeds 11 million euros.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Beijing court orders payout for MH370 flight families

      A Beijing court said Monday it had ordered Malaysia Airlines to pay compensation to the families of eight passengers from flight MH370, more than a decade after the plane disappeared.

• Finance

  • France24 ☛ Louvre workers announce strike over work conditions and security

    Emerald Maxwell, France24 journalist, has more.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Why China is unlikely to fully bail out yet another troubled property developer as market jitters grow

    Tighter local government finances and a shift away from real estate as the backbone of the economy are key reasons.

  • European Commission ☛ European Union and Canada strengthen their digital partnership with a focus on artificial intelligence, digital identity wallets and independent media

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 08 Dec 2025 The EU and Canada reinforced their cooperation and reaffirmed shared interests to boost competitiveness, innovation and economic resilience during the first Digital Partnership Council held today in Montreal, Canada.

  • NYPost ☛ Listen to the people, Hell Toupée — they really DO feel economic pain

    President The Insurrectionist is stepping out of his White House bubble to address economic gloom; we expect he'll make time to listen as well as speechify.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Insists Tariffs Will Buoy the Economy and Ease Cost Concerns

    The president rolled out a $12 billion bailout for farmers as he makes the case that his policy is working — or will soon.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s PM Li says consequences of Convicted Felon tariffs increasingly evident

    China’s trade surplus topped US$1 trillion (S$1.3 trillion) for the first time in November.

  • New York Times ☛ The Second ‘China Shock’

    Chinese exports are flooding the developing world, and the social consequences are bound to be profound.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Plans $12 Billion Bailout to Aid Farmers Hit by Tariffs

    The federal aid comes after China boycotted American farm products in retaliation for U.S. tariffs.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Chinese tourists flock to Malaysia’s Semporna diving paradise, but local businesses feel sidelined

    Sabah operators complain that all-inclusive packages offered by Chinese agencies are crowding them out.

  • New York Times ☛ How Japan Built a Rare-Earth Supply Chain Without China

    The 15-year effort by Japan is a model for countries now scrambling to reduce their dependence on Beijing’s critical metals.

  • France24 ☛ Social Security budget: Olivier Faure calls on the Socialists to vote in favor

    French socialist Party's leader Olivier Faure said on Monday his party will vote the social security budget's bill in parliament.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New Yorker ☛ How to Leave the U.S.A.

    In the wake of Hell Toupée’s reëlection, the number of aggrieved Americans seeking a new life abroad appears to be rising. The Netherlands offers one way out.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • EDRI ☛ Press Release: EU stands up to Big Tech with €120 million fine to X

      The European Commission took aim at X for breaking the DSA, proof that Europe’s landmark law can bite. Despite political pressure and corporate pushback, the EU is showing that online platforms can and will be held accountable for practices that mislead users, cause harm, or undermine democracy.

    • France24 ☛ 'Abolish the EU': MElon clashes with Europe over X's transparency violations

      In what can only be described as an online posting frenzy, MElon made a series of attacks against the European Union, calling for it to be abolished. This comes after the bloc slapped X (formerly Twitter) with a €120m fine for breaching European transparency regulations, including its "deceptive" blue check marks. It's also triggered accusations of 'censorship' from several officials in The Insurrectionist's administration. Vedika Bahl explains in Truth or Fake.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • New York Times ☛ App That Tracks ICE Raids Sues U.S., Saying Officials Pressured Fashion Company Apple to Remove It

    The developer of ICEBlock, which notifies users of ICE agent sightings, said Attorney General Pam Bondi censored his free speech.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • BIA Net ☛ Police violence against state media journalists covering officer's suicide in Adıyaman

    AA journalists reportedly attempted to show their press cards to officers but were "harshly removed" from the scene.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Forbes cuts up to dozens of contributing writers [Ed: Fake journalism]

    The business publisher has said it needs a "financially sound" contributor model.

  • New York Times ☛ Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC Deal Is Extended Through May 2027

    “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” became a flashpoint about free speech in the country after it was temporarily suspended this year.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea jails woman who blackmailed football star Son: Yonhap

    Another defendant, a man identified by his surname Yong, was given a two-year sentence.

  • New York Times ☛ Love Letters From a Chinese Jail

    The torn pieces of paper by Gao Zhen, a renowned artist jailed in China, show family portraits, memories of New York and expressions of faith. To his wife, they are love letters.

  • The Straits Times ☛ India seeks assurance from Beijing that it won’t target Indians in transit through China

    This comes after an Indian citizen was detained at Shanghai airport in November.

  • JURIST ☛ Rights groups allege abuses at US Fort Bliss immigration detention facility

    A coalition of civil rights organizations is calling for the closure of a massive immigration detention facility at Fort Bliss, alleging guards have beaten detainees and threatened violence, criminal charges and imprisonment in attempts to coerce even non-Mexican migrants into crossing the border into Mexico.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Defending women’s worth and well-being

    To address the challenge of violence against women, countries have enacted more than 1,500 laws. As cultural norms shift, upholding universal values and higher views of genuine manhood and womanhood can help cement the progress.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Tasmania is first in Australia to compensate gay men convicted over sexuality

    Advocacy group Equality Tasmania says about 100 men were charged or convicted under the former homosexuality laws.

  • BIA Net ☛ Turkey's vocational education system draws scrutiny amid child worker deaths

    Nearly one in every ten individuals in the 15–17 age group in Turkey is enrolled in a Vocational Education Center, where they work for four days a week and attend school one day.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • AccessNow ☛ Don’t let dictators decide the future of the internet. Fund the good fight!

    Don't let dictators decide the future of the internet – fund the good fight! Donate to Access Now.

  • AccessNow ☛ #KeepItOn: Tanzanian authorities and Meta must reverse course and respect human rights

    Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition joins the international community in demanding accountability and transparency for the grave human rights violations documented in Tanzania during and after the October 29, 2025 elections, including allegations of hundreds of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and mass arbitrary detentions targeting protesters, opposition figures, and civil society.

  • APNIC ☛ Learning that shapes the Internet: Highlights from APNIC 60 Academy training

    At APNIC 60, over 80 participants took part in training that made a direct link between an individual engineer's skills and the resilience of the regional and global Internet.

  • APNIC ☛ 21 years and counting of ‘eight fallacies of distributed computing’

    Eight long held and common beliefs about the network have been shown, time after time, to be false. What are they, and what do they mean?

  • Internet Society ☛ Moving the Needle on Universal and Meaningful Access

    The latest International Telecommunication Union connectivity statistics remind us how much progress we've made and how far we still have to go.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ The House Throws Spaghetti at the Wall with Messy Kids Online Safety Package

    Congress's approach to kids' online safety has been nothing short of haphazard.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Stands in the Middle as DRM spreader Netflix and Paramount Vie for a Megadeal

    The president has shattered norms by pledging to “be involved” in the regulatory fate of a transaction that could reshape the news and entertainment industries.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Paramount Makes $108 Billion Hostile All-Cash Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery — Though Either Mega-Merger Likely to Face Regulatory Scrutiny

    Paramount announces an all-cash bid to acquire all outstanding shares of Warner Bros. Discovery after Netflix’s $83 billion offer to buy it last week. On Friday, DRM spreader Netflix announced an $83 billion deal to buy a significant part of Warner Bros. Discovery in an agreement approved by the boards of both companies.

  • MWL ☛ TWP books not in Fashion Company Apple Books in the EU

    Tilted Windmill Press books are not available in Apple’s bookstore in Europe. Sorry, folks. Under the EU’s Digital Services Act, I am a trader. Compliance with the DSA means that Fashion Company Apple Books requires trader display their name, address, and phone number on the product page.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Digital Music News ☛ Billboard, Rolling Stone Owner Penske Media Steps Up Surveillance Giant Google Antitrust Attack in Amended Suit, Alleges a Choice Between Permitting ‘Underpayment or Suffering Existential Search Traffic Declines’

  Billboard and Rolling Stone owner Penske Media has taken its Surveillance Giant Google antitrust lawsuit to the next level with an amended complaint. Meanwhile, the court has rejected the tech giant’s dismissal motion. Penske submitted the 108-page amended action yesterday, after filing the original suit in September.

• Digital Music News ☛ Live Nation Investors Contacted Ahead of Possible Class Action Lawsuit; Officers Probed for ‘Breaching Their Fiduciary Duties’

  An investor-rights law firm is investigating Live Nation’s leadership for potential breaches of fiduciary duty and asks shareholders to contact them. Halper Sadeh, an investor-rights law firm, has announced its investigation into Live Nation’s leadership for potential breaches of fiduciary duty.

• Patents

  • JUVE ☛ Halozyme and Quinn Emanuel secure PI against MSD over Keytruda SC

    According to industry analyses, Keytruda, containing the active ingredient pembrolizumab, was the world’s best-selling drug last year. It generated sales of around €25.8 billion for MSD in 2024. Currently, doctors administer the cancer drug by infusion.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Control Sync Systems Display Patent Campaign — Invalidity Charts Coming Soon

    The team at Unified IP Services is using Pearl to identify and chart prior art against U.S. Patent 7,812,889, owned by Control Sync Systems LLC, an NPE and entity of Leigh M. Rothschild.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Light Guide Innovations backlight patent monopoly challenged

    On December 4, 2025, Unified filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 9,638,378, another patent monopoly owned and asserted by Light Guide Innovations, LLC, an NPE and entity of Anjay Venture Partners LLC. The ’378 patent monopoly relates to a light emitting apparatus and is drawn to a lens having a particular shape.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Verdict Deflated: Fed Circuit Punctures Coda’s $64M Win Over Goodyear

    Another jury overturned: The Fed Circuit rejects Coda’s tire tech claims, continuing a sharp trend of granting JMOL against IP holders.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: How Did These Three Section 2(d) Appeals Turn Out?

    Section 2(d) affirmances continue to run at a 90% clip this year (as usual). Here are three recent appeals. No hints this time. How do you think they came out? [Answer in first comment].

    In re TST Biomedical Electronics Co., ltd., Serial No. 98033208 (December 3, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Elizabeth A. Dunn). [Section 2(d) refusal of the mark IPRO-LAB for, inter alia, diagnostic preparations for medical purposes and reagent paper for medical purposes, in view of the mark PRO-LAB, registered on the Supplemental Register for overlapping goods.]

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ CRB Confirms 2026 Mechanical Royalty Rate Increase — Cost of Living Bump Set to Reach Downloads and Physical Formats

    The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) has announced a 2026 mechanical rate cost of living adjustment for permanent downloads and physical formats including vinyl. The CRB (and specifically Christina Shifton, the Board’s interim chief copyright monopoly royalty judge) just recently disclosed the statutory license rate increase in the Federal Register.

  • Michael Geist ☛ The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 253: Guy Rub on the Unconvincing Case for a New Canadian Artists’ Resale Right

    The creation of an Artists' Resale Right has been adopted in many countries to at best mixed reviews. They’re unsurprisingly widely supported by potential beneficiaries, but the data on who actually benefits raises real questions about the wisdom of the policy. Canada may be headed in the same policy direction as the government recently announced in its budget plans to introduce the measure.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Looks Like a Sony Music-Udio Settlement Will Have to Wait: Presiding Judge Officially Cancels Status Conference as Discovery Continues

    A Sony Music-Udio settlement appears unlikely for 2025: In keeping with early evidence that the companies would continue litigating, a previously scheduled status conference has officially been axed. Technically, the major label and the Hey Hi (AI) music generator started December by asking the court to shelve their planned December 12th conference.