Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Link Gut Bacteria to Bipolar Depression in Mouse Study

    And we may be able to do something about it.

  • Science Alert ☛ Traffic Has a Curious Effect on The Atmosphere's Electric Field, Study Shows

    Humans meet nature, again.

  • Science Alert ☛ Swearing Provides Health Benefits (Especially if It's Not a Habit)

    Wtf?

  • Science Alert ☛ Archaeologists Discover The Earliest Confirmed Adult Cremation

    This is changing what we know about early humans.

  • Science Alert ☛ Astronomers Measure The Mass of a Planet With No Star For The First Time

    A cosmic free spirit.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Mouse Just Gave Birth After Going to Space. Here's Why That's a Big Deal.

    This could decide humanity's future beyond Earth.

  • Science Alert ☛ January's Wolf Supermoon Is Getting a Rare Triple Brightness Boost

    Here's when to look up.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Psychologist Explains Why New Year's Feels Harder Now – And What You Can Do

    It's not just you.

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ U.S. allows TSMC to import chipmaking equipment to its China fabs — Samsung, SK hynix likewise receive go signal from Commerce Department

    The U.S. Department of Commerce didn't renew the validated end-user status of these chipmakers, requiring them to acquire annual licenses to import chipmaking tools containing U.S. tech into their Chinese fabs.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Daniel Baumann: Pǔ’ěr chá storage (in Western Europe)

    The majority of Pǔ’ěr chá (普洱茶) is stored in Asia (predominantly China, some in Malaysia and Taiwan) because of its climatic conditions: [...]

  • France24 ☛ US health insurance costs to rise by 114% for millions as subsidies expire

    More than 20 million people in the United States will face sharply higher health insurance costs as of January 1 after enhanced tax credits that helped enrollees in the Affordable Care Act afford coverage expired overnight. The expiration of the subsidies will mostly affect families, small business owners and self-employed workers.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Delaying dementia diagnosis wastes precious time, Michigan experts warn

    A study this year found that it takes more than three years for a dementia diagnosis, even longer for those with early onset dementia.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia ‘disappointed’ with China’s beef tariffs

    China's new beef import tariffs could damage trade worth more than $858 million.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Michigan studios see rising demand for laser tattoo removal

    Taking them off is longer, much more costly and a lot more painful than getting them put on. Also, due to some health reasons, some should be wary of the laser when having their body art erased or covered up.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China military drills near Taiwan ‘unnecessarily’ raise tensions, US says

    Chinese war games around Taiwan “unnecessarily” spiked tensions in the region, the US State Department said Thursday, calling on Beijing to “cease its military pressure.” “China’s military activities and rhetoric toward Taiwan and others in the region increase tensions unnecessarily.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China military drills near Taiwan ‘unnecessarily’ raise tensions: US

    Taipei condemned the exercises as highly provocative.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ China's president Pooh-tin Jinping calls Taiwan reunification "unstoppable" — military drills around the island escalate in area and deployments

    China calls Taiwan reunification "unstoppable" as military drills proceed.

  • New York Times ☛ How Japanese Scallops Became a Pawn in Diplomatic Tensions With China

    Beijing is using a ban on the humble mollusk to punish Japan over its apparent willingness to defend Taiwan.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin to host South Korea’s Lee in New Year amid Japan tensions

    The state visit is a calculated move aimed at deepening bilateral relations, analysts say.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ ‘The deepest sort of spiritual disorientation’: Historian Joseph Kellner on the zeitgeist of the Soviet collapse and its lessons for today’s democracies — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Asks United States to Stop Pursuit of Fleeing Oil Tanker

      The tanker, which had been sailing to Venezuela to pick up oil, has claimed Russian protection, although the U.S. authorities say it is a stateless vessel.

    • LRT ☛ Estonia's spy chief: Russia not planning to attack a Baltic country at this time

      There is currently no indication that Russia intends to attack any of the Baltic states or NATO more broadly and it is Estonia's task to ensure the situation remains that way, Foreign Intelligence Service Director General Kaupo Rosin tells ERR in an interview.

    • France24 ☛ Finland seizes ship from Russia

      Finnish police have detained a cargo ship named the Fitburg on suspicion of sabotaging an undersea telecommunications cable linking Helsinki and the Estonian capital, with authorities saying the vessel had been traveling from Russia’s port of St. Petersburg to Israel, in a region already on high alert after repeated incidents, as the eight NATO countries bordering the Baltic Sea respond to a series of disruptions involving seabed power cables and gas pipelines. Charlotte Hughes has the details.

• Environment

  • France24 ☛ EU's new carbon border tax goes into force

    The European Union's controversial new rules on polluting industrial imports went into effect on January 1st, following a two-year transition period. Heavy goods such as steel, aluminium and cement are now subject to a new fee levied according to the amount of CO2 emitted during their production. China issued a statement slamming the measure as unfairly targeting Chinese goods.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • New York Times ☛ This Diminutive Reptile Plays Rock-Paper-Scissors

      Side-blotched lizards probably don’t call the game that, but they play a version of it anyway. A new study explains the hidden biology that makes this possible.

  • Overpopulation

    • The Straits Times ☛ China taxes condoms, contraceptive drugs in bid to spur birth rate

      Condoms and contraceptive pills now incur value-added tax of 13 per cent.

• Finance

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Tariffs of up to 50% go into effect, hitting imports from China, other non-FTA countries

    While cars face some of the highest customs duties, more than 1,400 other product categories will also be affected.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends New Year celebrations with daughter

    Some analysts view her as the front runner to become Kim's successor.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter makes public visit to state mausoleum

    His daughter Ju Ae has been speculated to be the next leader of the country.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Litterbugs in Malaysia, including foreigners, may trim trees as part of new community service punishment: Minister

    The court may impose on offenders a community service order for up to six months.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Federal News Network ☛ USPTO proposes dramatic restrictions on patent monopoly challenges through inter partes review [Ed: USPTO defends abuse and blackmail by patents]

    Both the patent monopoly owner and the company facing patent monopoly assertion must understand these changes and adjust their litigation strategies accordingly.

• Copyrights

  • Public Domain Review ☛ Happy Public Domain Day 2026!

    Each January 1st is Public Domain Day, when a new crop of works have their copyrights expire and become free to share and reuse for any purpose. Here's our highlights for 2026.