Leftovers

• Kev Quirk ☛ My Best Sub £100 Purchase

  I was recently listening to an episode of The Idea Roastery about personal life gamechangers and toward the end of the episode, Herman asked Jason:

  What is the best purchase you've ever made for less than £100?

  For Jason is was an egg poacher, and for Herman it was a coffee grinder. This discussion got me thinking about what mine was, and I really wasn't sure at first. But after some thought, it hit me.

• Ruben Schade ☛ Cautious optimism

  Optimism is being challenged on multiple fronts. First in the literal sense; we definitely have a lot of stuff to be decidedly un-optimistic about in our current political, tech, and climate… climates. But people are also pushing back on the term itself, and the idea it represents in the first place.

• Ruben Schade ☛ Handwriting

  My late mum was a professional calligrapher, and had some of the most beautiful casual handwriting I’ve ever seen. My sister also has lovely writing, as does Clara.

  I have what can best be described as scrawl. There was a point in the late 2010s where I hadn’t written anything for so long I’d even started to lose some of the muscle memory, which I didn’t even think was possible. I used to joke that the only words I ever wrote were on immigration cards when travelling, and even then I was tempted to procure a custom stamp so I could fill them out in a less tedious fashion (not to get all Malcolm Gladwell on you, but turns out it was more affordable than I thought).

• The Straits Times ☛ Despite surging costs, Everest still draws climbers to Nepal as China’s north side stays shut

  Everest climbing permits have been issued to 360 individuals in 2026 as at April 17.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Restore Memory In Aging Mice Using a Simple Nasal Spray

    Just two doses were effective.

  • Science Alert ☛ Atomic Clocks Could Reveal The Hidden Quantum Nature of Time Itself

    Hickory dickory dock.

  • Science Alert ☛ Tinnitus May Be Linked to a Crucial Brain Chemical

    This points to potential treatments.

  • Science Alert ☛ Young Adult Bowel Cancer Deaths Concentrated in One Group, Study Finds

    The rates are rising.

  • Science Alert ☛ NASA Plans to Test Fire on The Moon Ahead of Future Missions

    Flames burn differently in space.

• Career/Education

  • New Yorker ☛ How Professional Wrestling Prepared Linda McMahon for Convicted Felon’s Cabinet

    The Education Secretary ran the W.W.E. for years with her husband, Vince, an unstable man who, like her new boss, has a genius for inflaming the crowd.

• Hardware

  • France24 ☛ Robot beats human half-marathon world record

    #China's technological developments were on full display, and at full speed, in the robot half-marathon in #Beijing on April 19. The winning robot beat the human half-marathon record by nearly seven minutes, finishing in 50 minutes and 26 seconds.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ US gov't blocks China's largest LED chipmaker's $239 million bid to acquire Dutch lighting firm Lumileds — US blocks acquisition attempt of European firm

    Sanan Optoelectronics, China's largest LED chipmaker, has abandoned its $239 million bid to acquire Dutch lighting firm Lumileds after CFIUS blocked it.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Chinese chipmakers made record profit in 2025, despite slipping margins — U.S shipments fall 34% as Beijing shores up local chipmaking efforts

    Applied Materials, Lam Research, and KLA booked a combined $19 billion in China revenue across their fiscal 2025 reporting periods.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Latvia ☛ Teenager accidentally downs drain cleaner in Talsi, Latvia

    A young man in Talsi accidentally drank a chemical substance, possibly a drain cleaner, after mixing up bottles following a workout, according to State Police spokesperson Madara Šeršņova.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Most South Koreans want to die at home but few do due to legal risks, medical support gaps

    Critics say patients spending their final days in shared hospital wards alongside others nearing death face emotional strain.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea targets syringe hoarding as war rattles supply chain

    Syringes are the latest everyday item in South Korea to be hit by spillover from the Iran war.

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Smartwatch May Be Getting 6 Key Health Metrics Wrong

    Not as smart as the name suggests.

  • Science Alert ☛ AI Gives 'Problematic' Health Advice Around Half The Time, Study Suggests

    The most dangerous advice may sound most convincing.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Eight taken to hospital after South Korea marathon held in 30 deg C

    Twelve runners fell ill, including suffering convulsions, dizziness and hyperventilation, officials said.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Stress-relief items become everyday essentials for Gen Zs in South Korea

    Objects such as tactile keycap keyrings and squishy toys are emerging as tools to manage stress.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Parainfluenza cases rising in China, with young children most affected

    The public is advised to take personal protective measures, such as wearing masks.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Futurism ☛ CEO of $1.5 Billion Hey Hi (AI) Startup Accused of Massive Fraud by Justice Department

      "The defendants exploited investor excitement over the Hey Hi (AI) boom and presented a rosy financial outlook to investors and lenders that was built on lies."

    • Michael Geist ☛ The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 265: Jason Millar on Claude Mythos, Project Glasswing, and the Governance Crisis in Frontier AI [Ed: Hype again]

      In a year in which Hey Hi (AI) has truly dominated much of the news cycle, the story of Anthropic’s Mythos may be the biggest story of them all. A version of the popular Claude Hey Hi (AI) service is reportedly so powerful that the company can’t release it to the public yet. As governments race to meet with company officials, there are serious cybersecurity risks, prompting many leading software companies to join a new working group to get ahead of the issue before the Hey Hi (AI) model is publicly released.

  • Social Control Media

    • Ruben Schade ☛ Australia’s teen “social control media” ban

      This was a draft that was posted prematurely, I’ll finish and upload soon. Thanks!

    • France24 ☛ MElon snubs Paris prosecutors' summons over X and Grok

      MElon did not appear Monday for a voluntary interview with Paris prosecutors, who had issued the summons in February as part of an investigation into allegations that X's algorithm was used to interfere in French politics. The probe was later expanded to include dissemination of Holocaust denial and sexual deepfakes by X's Hey Hi (AI) chatbot Grok. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks with Professor Julia Hörnle, Chair of Internet Law at Queen Mary, University of London.

  • Windows TCO / Windows Bot Nets

    • Federal News Network ☛ The rising cost of security is reshaping who can run for office and how campaigns operate

      "It's highly troubling because it creates yet another barrier to entry to public service," Justin Sherman said.

• Security

  • Scoop News Group ☛ Vuln in Google’s Antigravity Hey Hi (AI) agent manager could escape sandbox, give attackers remote code execution

    Google’s highest security setting for its agents runs command operations through a sandbox and throttles network access, but is still vulnerable to prompt injection.

  • SANS ☛ Handling the CVE Flood With EPSS, (Mon, Apr 20th)

    Every morning, security people around the world face the same ritual: opening their vulnerability feed to find a lot of new CVE entries that appeared overnight. Over the past decade, this flood has become a defining challenge of modern defensive security.

  • Security Week ☛ Serial-to-IP Converter Flaws Expose OT and Healthcare Systems to Hacking

    Forescout researchers discovered 20 new vulnerabilities in Lantronix and Silex products and described theoretical attack scenarios.

  • Security Week ☛ British Scattered Spider Hacker Pleads Guilty in the US

    Tyler Buchanan admitted in court to hacking into various companies, defrauding them, and stealing cryptocurrency from multiple individuals.

  • Security Week ☛ Hackers Abuse QEMU for Defense Evasion

    The machine emulator has been abused in at least two different campaigns distributing ransomware and remote access tools.

  • Security Week ☛ Next.js Creator Vercel Hacked

    Vercel confirmed suffering a breach after a hacker claiming to be part of ShinyHunters offered to sell stolen data for $2 million.

  • Security Week ☛ Hackers Fail to Exploit Flaw in Discontinued TP-Link Routers

    In-the-wild exploitation has been ongoing for a year, but no successful payload execution has been observed.

  • OpenSSF (Linux Foundation) ☛ Secure Your Spot: The OpenSSF Community Day North America 2026 Agenda is Live!

    The 2026 OpenSSF Community Day North America agenda is live, and we invite the open source community to join us on Thursday, May 21, in Minneapolis, MN. Co-located with Open Source Summit North America, this event will serve as a collaborative space for maintainers, security researchers, and industry leaders to discuss the state and future of software supply chain security.

  • Scoop News Group ☛ Network ‘background noise’ may predict the next big edge-device vulnerability

    GreyNoise researchers spotted a consistent trend in forthcoming vulnerabilities affecting security tools, providing defenders an early-warning system for likely imminent attacks.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Federal News Network ☛ New FBI warning highlights mobile security threats

      The FBI is warning that end-to-end encryption applications are being targeted by phishing attacks from Russia’s intelligence service.

    • Futurism ☛ Palantir Issues Ominous Corporate Manifesto

      This is "comic book" levels of villainy.

  • Confidentiality

    • Latvia ☛ Police officers, funeral homes suspected of data selling in Latvia

      A month ago, the Internal Security Bureau detained six current and one former State Police official, as well as four representatives of funeral homes. Investigators are looking into a possible scheme in which police officers provided funeral directors with confidential information about the deceased and their relatives, Latvian Television's De Facto reported on 19th April.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ AI cloud company Vercel breached after employee grants Hey Hi (AI) tool unrestricted access to Surveillance Giant Google Workspace — hacker seeking $2 million for stolen data

      The breach exposed non-sensitive environment variables, and a threat actor operating under the ShinyHunters name has claimed responsibility.

    • Federal News Network ☛ Democrats urge OPM to scrap plans for ‘unprecedented’ access to feds’ health data

      Citing “legal, ethical and security concerns,” lawmakers demanded that OPM end its efforts to collect claims-level health data on federal insurance enrollees.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan opens door to global arms market with overhaul of defence export rules

    Exports were limited to rescue, transport, warning, surveillance and minesweeping equipments.

  • France24 ☛ Israel confirms its soldier destroyed Jesus statue in Lebanon

    The Israeli military confirmed a viral photo of one of its soldiers smashing a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer in southern Lebanon is "authentic," and said its launched an investigation into the incident. Taken in the Christian village of Debel, close to the Israeli border, it's one of the few villages where residents remained during Israel's campaign in southern Lebanon. Locals say the statue was on a crucifix outside a family home.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Tory Lanez Sues California Prison System for $100 Million Following Brutal Stabbing by Fellow Inmate

    Tory Lanez is suing the California Department of Corrections for $100 million over an incident last year in which he was stabbed 16 times by a fellow inmate.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Column-Amid Middle East chaos, China changes tactics on Taiwan and Japan

    As U.S. Vice President JD Vance returned to Washington last weekend after unsuccessful peace talks in Pakistan over the crisis in the Gulf, China’s Foreign Ministry was preparing for a bumper slate of visitors including Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the leaders of Spain, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China warns US, Japan, Philippines against ‘playing with fire’ over joint drills

    Thousands of American and Philippine troops, joined for the first time by a significant contingent of Japanese forces, began annual military exercises Monday set against the backdrop of the Middle East war. The war games will feature live-fire exercises in the north of the Philippines facing the Taiwan Strait, as well as a province off […]

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippines, US and allies start military exercises testing 'real‑world' readiness

    Philippine and U.S. forces will carry out maritime strike drills on a remote Philippine island near Taiwan during annual exercises that started on Monday, which Manila's military chief said would test their readiness under "real‑world conditions".

  • New York Times ☛ Pakistan’s Leaders Try to Contain Rising Anger Over Iran War at Home

    With deep spiritual ties to Iran, Pakistan’s minority Shiites are angry about the killing of Iran’s top clerics in U.S.-Israeli strikes, complicating Pakistan’s role as mediator.

  • CS Monitor ☛ In Iran, the regime has indeed changed: It’s less restrained, more hard-line

    After the U.S.-Israeli war’s “decapitation” strikes against top Islamic Republic political and military leaders, who is this new generation that has taken the reins in Iran? They are more hard-line than their predecessors, and less willing to compromise.

  • New York Times ☛ Louisiana Killer’s Threats to Himself and Others Hinted at Future Violence

    Shamar Elkins had been suffering severe mental health problems, his family said. His deadly rampage, which killed eight children, has profoundly scarred a community facing rising domestic violence.

  • New York Times ☛ Japan to Sell More Weapons Abroad, Breaking With Postwar Pacifism

    Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reversed limits on arms exports as Japan faces rising threats from China and unpredictability from its main ally, the United States.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China warns against joint US, Philippines and Japan drills eroding regional trust

    China on Monday warned against military cooperation that could undermine trust and deepen division in the region, as the United States and the Philippines begin annual military exercises with expanded participation from Japan.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Chinese aircraft carrier sailed through Taiwan Strait, Taipei says

    The Liaoning is the oldest of China’s three operating aircraft carriers.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan protests China’s work on new structure in East China Sea

    Relations between Japan and China have been tense in recent months.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan PM Takaichi risks China’s wrath with offering to Yasukuni shrine

  • The Straits Times ☛ Iran executes two accused of Israel spy links, opposition rejects claim

    Iran executed two men convicted of cooperating with Israel’s Mossad intelligence service and planning attacks inside the country, the judiciary's news outlet Mizan reported on Sunday, a charge denied by the opposition group they were linked to.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean President Lee denies US intel leak on North Korea’s nuclear site

    Mr Lee said the facility's existence had been widely known through academic papers and media reports.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Pakistan places $1.5 billion Sudan weapons sale on hold after Saudi objection, sources say

    Pakistan has put a $1.5 billion deal to supply weapons and jets to Sudan on hold after Saudi Arabia asked for the agreement to be terminated and said it would not finance the purchase, two Pakistani security sources and a diplomatic source said.

  • Defence Web ☛ China’s military support for Somalia is on the rise – what Taiwan and Somaliland have to do with it

    China recently pledged to expand military support to Somalia in its fight against al-Shabaab militants.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea's Lee says claim that minister leaked classified intel is 'absurd'

    South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has rejected as "absurd" claims that his minister overseeing relations with North Korea revealed classified information provided by the U.S. on Pyongyang's nuclear facilities.

  • France24 ☛ 'Hierarchy of sovereignty': Israel claims authority over 'which Lebanese areas are inhabitable'

    Carys Garland is pleased to welcome Nadim Houry, Executive Director of the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI). According to Houry, the “Yellow Line doctrine” is not a security measure, but rather a military tool for territorial control. Drawing on recent developments in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon, he argues that this doctrine operates as a legal façade for expanding occupation under the language of self-defence. All the while, these practices actually undermine both ceasefire agreements and established principles of international law, threatening Lebanon's sovereignty.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russian interior minister arrives in North Korea for talks

      April 21 - Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev arrived in North Korea for talks on cooperation between the two allies, the ministry's spokeswoman Irina Volk said early on Tuesday.

    • LRT ☛ Slovak PM pans Baltics for denying airspace for Moscow trip

      Lithuania and Latvia will not allow Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to use their airspace for a planned trip to Moscow in May for Russia’s Victory Day commemorations, Fico said Saturday.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania says no request received for Slovak PM flight to Moscow

      Lithuania has not received any request from Slovakia to use its airspace for a flight to Moscow ahead of Russia’s Victory Day celebrations, the Foreign Ministry said, after Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico claimed he was being denied access.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine, Short on Troops, Is Turning to Robots to Help Its War Efforts

      Ukraine is using unmanned ground vehicles armed with bombs, guns or rockets to carry out attacks and keep its soldiers out of harm’s way.

    • CS Monitor ☛ To protest rising taxes, Russia’s small businesses take their ‘flash mobs’ online

      With the costs of the war in Ukraine growing, the Kremlin has been raising taxes on and rolling back exemptions for Russian small businesses.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Hits Russian Black Sea Oil Terminal For Second Time In 4 Days

      Ukrainian drones hit the Tuapse Black Sea oil port, Russian officials said, causing a fire and at least one death in the second attack on one of the country's major southern ports in the past week.

    • RFERL ☛ Germany Tells Russia Threats Are 'Unacceptable' After Arms Makers List Published

      Germany became the second country to condemn Moscow over the publication of a list of companies Russia claimed are helping produce attack drones for Ukraine, warning that "direct threats" are "unacceptable."

    • Defence Web ☛ Lessons from Ukraine, the Persian Gulf, and other conflicts: Implications for Africa’s armed forces

      The ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Sahel are redefining how contemporary warfare is understood and conducted. [...]

    • Latvia ☛ More than 10,000 Ukrainians currently working in Latvia

      According to Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) estimates published on April 20th, based on State Revenue Service data, 10.5 thousand Ukrainian citizens having the status of temporary protection in Latvia were registered as employees at the beginning of 2026, and compared with the beginning of 2025, the number increased by 1.2 thousand.

    • Latvia ☛ LISTEN: Edward Lucas gives his take on Baltic security situation

      The distinguished British geopolitical commentator and analyst Edward Lucas recently spoke with Latvian Radio's Brīvības bulvāris current affairs programme, casting his expert eye over the current international landscape.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania’s visibility in Germany insufficient, too focused on security – FM

      Lithuania remains insufficiently visible in Germany and is largely viewed through the prism of regional security, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan issues warning after 7.7-magnitude quake strikes north

    The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of a tsunami as high as 3m in Iwate prefecture and parts of Hokkaido.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • France24 ☛ Cuba confirms talks with US officials, urges end to Convicted Felon energy blockade

      A senior Cuban diplomat said on Monday that Havana recently hosted talks with US officials, as the island grapples with a deep crisis under President The Insurrectionist’s pressure campaign. Foreign ministry official Alejandro Garcia said delegations included US assistant secretaries and Cuba’s deputy foreign minister.

    • Futurism ☛ NASA Shuts Down Voyager 1 Instrument as Its Life Force Fades

      "While shutting down a science instrument is not anybody's preference, it is the best option available."

    • The Straits Times ☛ India, South Korea aim to double trade, deepen shipbuilding ties

      The two countries’ goal was to double bilateral trade to $63.6 billion by 2030.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia announces measures to support small businesses impacted by energy crisis

      The measures include an allocation of RM5 billion (S$1.61 billion).

    • The Straits Times ☛ China forecasts moderate-or-stronger El Nino, warns of tighter energy, fuel squeeze

      China’s National Climate Centre expects El Nino conditions to emerge in May.

    • Latvia ☛ Electrician among most demanded adult education programmes in Latvia

      On the skills management platform "Stars", the greatest interest currently lies in the professions of electrical engineer, electrical installer, and caregiver, while there is also high interest in educational programs for learning artificial intelligence tools, according to representatives of the State Education and Development Agency (VIAA).

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s escaped wolf becomes local sensation, inspiring merch and zoo vlog

      The city is reportedly considering developing a wolf character as its mascot.

    • New York Times ☛ How Bruce the Parrot Landed Atop the Pecking Order, Without a Beak

      The kea gained fame for learning to use a pebble to groom himself. Scientists were astounded by his next innovation.

    • MIT Technology Review ☛ Colossal Biosciences said it cloned red wolves. Is it for real?

      If you want to capture something wolflike, it’s best to embark before dawn. So on a morning this January, with the eastern horizon still pink-hued, I drove with two young scientists into a blanket of fog. Forty miles to the west, the industrial sprawl of Houston spawned a golden glow.

    • Stanford University ☛ Fermentation Festival brings fungi and fermented foods to the Farm

      Chefs Ramon Perisé and Jordi Bross of two-Michelin-starred Mugaritz worked with students and faculty to create an event blending art and food science.

    • New York Times ☛ Fire Destroys Most of Coastal Village in Malaysia

      A community of stilt homes on the island of Borneo was reduced to ash in an overnight blaze.

• Finance

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ New Jersey datacenter expansion got $77m in tax breaks to create exactly one permanent job — JPMorgan's site already scored $35m and currently employs just 25 workers

    A New Jersey data center expansion saw a tax break of $77,000,000, despite the fact that it would create exactly one new permanent job in the state.

  • New York Times ☛ Javier Milei Tamed Argentina’s Inflation. Now He Wants to Reshape Its Values.

    Argentina’s right-wing president has tamed the country’s runaway inflation. Now he wants to transform its values.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ Rule of law and norms needed for successful social governance: Ong Ye Kung at China forum

    Officials exchanged views and experiences at the 5th Singapore-China Social Governance Forum.

  • New York Times ☛ Starmer Voices Fury Over Being Kept in the Dark on Mandelson Vetting

    During intense grilling in Parliament, Prime Minister Keir Starmer blamed civil servants for not telling him that Peter Mandelson had been rejected for top security clearances.

  • France24 ☛ REPLAY: UK PM Starmer faces parliament over Mandelson vetting controversy

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged Monday that he made the wrong judgment when he appointed Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to Washington, but said he would not have done so if he had known Mandelson failed security checks. Starmer is facing calls to resign after the revelation that Mandelson was given the job despite failing security vetting. Mandelson was fired nine months into the job over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • JURIST ☛ FBI director sues reporter over story alleging excessive drinking and absences

    FBI director Kash Patel filed a complaint Monday in US District Court for the District of Columbia against The Atlantic magazine and reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick, seeking $250 million in damages over a story alleging he had “alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.”

  • New York Times ☛ Kash Patel Sues The Atlantic for $250 Million Over Article Claiming Excessive Drinking

    Mr. Patel accused the publication of defamation, asking for $250 million in damages. A spokeswoman for The Atlantic called the suit “meritless.”

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ In Lawsuit Not Mentioning the Olympics, Kash Patel Swears He’s Not a Drunk

    If Kash Patel's lawsuit against The Atlantic is an attempt to silence claims he's a drunk, it doesn't do much to rebut the key allegations against him.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Drake Comes Out Swinging Against Universal Music in ‘Not Like Us’ Suit Appeal — ‘That This Case Involves Rap Does Not Give UMG a Free Pass for Defamation’

    Can a diss track go too far? Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” caused the public to view Drake “as another Jeffrey Epstein” – at least according to Drake himself, who’s come out swinging against Universal Music Group in their high-stakes appeal battle.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ The donkey, the street cart, the drug lord: The insidious media stereotypes still used to portray Mexico

    While stereotypical speech or text about Mexico is often quickly called out these days, Charlotte Smith discusses how even well-intentioned portrayals of Mexico can fall prey to choosing reductive, clichéd images.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • AccessNow ☛ Advancing Rights-Centered reporting on Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act

    Since Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act was passed in 2015, more than two dozen journalists, human rights defenders and whistleblowers have been targeted by authorities, using overbroad prohibitions on “cyberstalking” [...]

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • New York Times ☛ Iran Eases Some Internet Restrictions, as Wider Blackout Passes 50th Day

    Critics say Iran may be creating a “tiered internet” model, where access is limited to the politically and economically privileged.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Bangladesh faces large-scale telecom shutdowns over Middle East fuel crisis

    A partial or complete network blackout could bring calls, the internet, text messages and all other services to a standstill.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • New York Times ☛ California Accuses Amazon of Price Fixing in Legal Filing

    The state claimed the e-commerce giant pressured brands like Levi’s and Hanes to ask competing retailers to raise prices on certain products.

  • New York Times ☛ Second Jury Finds Uber Responsible for Sexual Assault by a Driver

    The ride-hailing giant has now lost the first two of more than 3,000 pending federal lawsuits.

  • Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ Another AutoNavigare mobile app control patent monopoly challenged

      On April 18, 2026, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 9,766,801, owned and asserted by AutoNavigare, LLC. The ‘801 patent monopoly relates to controlling applications on a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, using an in-vehicle control system. It has been asserted against Toyota, GM, and Ford.

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Barry v. DePuy Returns: En Banc Petition Tests EcoFactor’s Reach on Rule 702 Gatekeeping

      DePuy's en banc petition in Barry v. DePuy Synthes argues the panel reintroduced the weight-not-admissibility framework that EcoFactor and the 2023 Rule 702 amendments rejected.

    • Kangaroo Courts

      • JUVE ☛ Merz and A&O gain sales ban for generic fampridine products in Germany [Ed: UPC is illegal and unconstitutional; now it is weaponised to attack and kill poor people. JUVE is paid to legitimise this evil thing.]

        Merz is fighting in Germany and at the UPC over its drug Fampyra, which aims to improve walking ability in multiple sclerosis patients.

      • JUVE ☛ Another win for Abbott as Court of Appeal grants PI against Sinocare [Ed: Embargo before or without justice; this is what the kangaroo court boosted by the criminals (even cocaine addicts) who hijacks the EPO are bringing about]

        Abbott thus wins outright at the UPC in the second instance. The company filed two PI applications with The Hague local division in June 2024.

  • Trademarks

    • Right of Publicity

      • The Straits Times ☛ Outrage in China after streaming site debuts Hey Hi (AI) actor ‘database’

        A slate of Chinese actors took online to declare they had not or would not sign up to the “artist database”.