Leftovers

• Career/Education

  • CS Monitor ☛ Millions to see higher student loan payments atop rise in gas, food, healthcare costs

    Student loan borrowers are facing a future of higher monthly payments after the court-ordered end of a Biden-era student loan repayment plan.

  • The Straits Times ☛ More young South Koreans turning away from religion: Poll

    South Koreans in their 20s were least likely to follow a religion.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Not enough time to play for South Korean children, teens: Report

    A total of 1,177 children and teens, and 815 adults participated in the nationwide survey.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Science Alert ☛ Two Supplements For Menopause May Actually Help, Expert Reveals

    Here's the evidence.

  • Science Alert ☛ You Can't 'Reset' Your Nervous System, But Here's How to Lower Stress

    An expert explains the science.

  • Science Alert ☛ The Roots of Dementia Trace Back All The Way to Childhood, Experts Reveal

    The evidence is growing.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Develop New Antibody For Virus That Infects 95% of People

    A crucial milestone.

  • Science Alert ☛ Omega-3 Supplements May Increase Risk of Cognitive Decline, Scientists Warn

    Too much of a good thing?

  • The Straits Times ☛ Sweet dreams: Seoul holds ‘Power Nap Contest’ in sleep-deprived South Korea

    Now in its third consecutive year, the sleep competition underscores a chronic issue for South Koreans.

  • New York Times ☛ Abortion Providers Forced to Adapt After Court Ruling Blocks Pill Access by Mail

    The Fifth Circuit court’s ruling, which is being appealed, reinstates a requirement that patients visit a health care provider in person to obtain mifepristone, upending abortion access in the United States.

  • The Straits Times ☛ 2 deaths, 56 heat-related cases reported in Malaysia since start of 2026: Health Ministry

    More than half of the cases reported were linked to physical activity during hot weather.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Monkey malaria cases rising in Sabah; 1 person dead: Malaysian health minister

    Monkey malaria is transmitted from monkeys to humans through mosquito bites.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Woman jumps out of moving car in Malaysia after allegedly feeling uncomfortable with driver

    She was then sent to a nearby clinic for treatment by a passing motorcyclist.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Penang records first heat stroke death of 2026

    A 42-year-old Malaysian man died from heat stroke following a 30km run.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US firm tests brain implant with patients in China in rare sign of cooperation between both sides

    The Chinese government intends to develop several world-leading companies by 2030.

  • Science Alert ☛ Humans And Animals Are Facing a Hidden Fertility Crisis, Scientists Warn

    A potential disaster.

  • France24 ☛ Sudan's medicine crisis worsens

    The latest war in the Middle East is having wide-ranging consequences that extend well beyond the region, including in countries already devastated by their own conflicts. Sudan has been among the hardest hit. Aid organisations report that the  Iran conflict has disrupted key shipping routes, severely affecting their ability to deliver food and medicine to millions of people in need around the world. Emily Boyle reports.

• Proprietary/Security

  • TechCrunch ☛ Hackers are actively exploiting a bug in cPanel, used by millions of websites

    Security researchers are sounding the alarm on a newly discovered vulnerability in the widely used web server management software cPanel and WebHost Manager (WHM).

    The bug allows hackers to hijack and take full control of the servers running the affected software, which is thought to be used by tens of millions of website owners around the world.

    Many commercial web hosting companies have patched their customers’ systems already. But the cPanel maker urged customers to ensure that their systems are patched as the bug affects all supported versions of the software.

  • So-Called 'Artificial Intelligence' ('AI') / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Futurism ☛ Mathematicians Claim Significant Discovery Using ChatGPT

      "We have discovered a new way to think about large numbers and their anatomy."

    • Futurism ☛ There’s Something Bizarre About the Offices of Hey Hi (AI) Startups

      Seriously?

    • Futurism ☛ Bank CEO Brags He Used Hey Hi (AI) Clone of Himself to Host Conference Call

      We're sure everyone loved that.

    • France24 ☛ Pentagon partners with seven Hey Hi (AI) firms [Ed: Pentagon bails out allies of fascism]

      The Pentagon says it has reached agreements with eight Hey Hi (AI) companies to use their technology in classified defence settings. The military will have access to resources provided by Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, Oracle, OpenAI, SpaceX, and the startup Reflection. Absent from the list is Anthropic, following its public dispute and legal battle with the Convicted Felon administration over Hey Hi (AI) ethics. Peter O’Brien looks at how these developments came about.

    • Futurism ☛ New Hey Hi (AI) Trained Only on Pre-1930 Data Speaks Like the Most Old-Timey Guy Imaginable

      We do declare that this talking machine is rather of its time.

    • Futurism ☛ AI-Powered High School Scrapped After Protests Erupt Against It

      "If there's anything that even has a hint of AI, there's strong opposition to it."

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ FCC votes to ban all Chinese labs from certifying electronics sold in the US due to national security concerns — ruling would affect 75 percent of US-bound devices

      The FCC estimates that roughly 75% of all U.S.-bound electronics are currently tested in Chinese facilities.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea calls US cyber threat claims a fabrication, warns of countermeasures

    North Korea's foreign ministry on Sunday rejected U.S. accusations that Pyongyang poses a cyber threat, calling them a fabrication aimed at justifying Washington's longstanding hostile policy, state media KCNA said.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan president arrives in Eswatini after blaming China for cancellation of prior trip

    Eswatini in southern Africa is one of just 12 small states that have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan leader makes delayed visit to Eswatini after China objections

    Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te on Saturday announced his arrival in Eswatini — Taipei’s only diplomatic ally in Africa — after an earlier trip was cancelled when several countries revoked overflight permits.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Commerce Ministry blocks US sanctions against five refineries

    The sanctions created some hurdles for the refiners, including difficulties receiving crude.

  • Site36 ☛ Forced “border partnership”: EU Commission wants to allow U.S. also to query political views and “ethnic origin”

    According to the draft framework agreement on a “border partnership” with the Convicted Felon administration, US authorities would be permitted to query not only facial images but also names, health data and sexual orientation from police databases in EU member states.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim casts youth as vanguard of state goals amid Russia war

      The emphasis on youth control comes amid intensified repression of foreign cultural influence.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia’s Balancing Act Wobbling as Iran Crisis Deepens, Says Policy Analyst Katz

      Mark Katz, professor emeritus at George Mason University and a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, tells RFE/RL in an interview that Moscow is walking a narrowing tightrope -- one that could reshape its influence both in Tehran and far beyond.

    • France24 ☛ Mali: Rebels take key Tessalit military camp

      In Mali, the country’s army and its Russian mercenary allies lost control of a key northern military stronghold to armed rebels on Friday, marking a significant setback as Tuareg separatists and jihadist groups appear to be operating in a coordinated effort to challenge the ruling junta. Insurgents linked to Al Qaeda have also called on Malians to rise up against the military-led government and support a transition to Sharia law. Journalist Justice Baidoo reports the latest from Dakar, Senegal.

    • France24 ☛ Mali probes soldiers working with rebels

      Malian authorities say some military officers collaborated with jihadist and separatist fighters who carried out coordinated attacks across the country earlier in the week. A statement from the prosecutor’s office confirmed that the first arrests have been made and that efforts are continuing to track down other suspects involved. Meanwhile, separatist fighters from the Azawad Liberation Front claim they have captured a strategic military camp in the town of Tessalit after the Malian army and its Russian allies withdrew. Consulting fellow of the Africa Programma at Chatham House, Paul Melly, shares further insights.

    • France24 ☛ Mali in crisis: Jihadist fighters and Tuareg separatists threaten Bamako

      As Mali’s military struggles to maintain control amid a growing jihadist insurgency, a number of its own soldiers have been arrested, accused of collaborating with Al-Qaeda-linked militants in coordinating widespread attacks. Islamist group JNIM, alongside separatist rebels, has reportedly seized two northern cities, killed the defence minister, and is now attempting to impose a blockade on the capital, Bamako.

      We take a closer look at what’s happening on the ground, the escalating security crisis, and the role of Russian mercenaries in supporting the government.

      France 24’s Gavin Lee is joined by Beverley Ochieng, a specialist in West Africa and political risk analyst at Control Risks, to discuss.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine hits oil facilities in Russia

      Ukrainian drones have been striking oil facilities deep inside Russia in an effort to reduce Moscow’s oil exports, a key source of funding for its grinding invasion of Ukraine. So far, however, the broader economic impact remains unclear. Meanwhile, after four years of war, the Ukrainian government is still struggling to persuade young people to enlist in the military, and is now offering higher pay along with promises of phased demobilization. Liza Kaminov reports.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine battlefield: Advanced Ukrainian drones raise concerns among Russian forces

      From Ukraine’s evolving battlefield, where drone warfare is redefining frontlines and so-called “killing zones,” to reports of “Martian drones” and their impact on both Russian and Ukrainian forces, we also look at the expanding use of unmanned systems in rescue operations, including the evacuation of a 77-year-old woman in Odesa region.

      France 24’s Gavin Lee is joined by Olena Krizhanivska, a Ukrainian defence analyst specialising in drones and unmanned systems, and founder of Ukraine’s Arms Monitor.

    • LRT ☛ Putin’s Stalin cosplay threatens Central Europe and the Baltics – opinion

      Invocations of “the great Soviet past” become all the more hysterical as news of the frontline in Ukraine grows more dire and Russian cities feel less safe from Ukrainian drones, writes Konstantin Eggert.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Japan and Vietnam seek deeper energy, minerals ties amid geopolitical risks

      Japan aims to reduce its reliance on China for rare earths by boosting critical minerals supply chains.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China railway handles record 24.8m passengers on May Day

      This year’s May 1 figure for railway trips was 1.7 million higher than on the same day in 2025.

    • Ruben Schade ☛ The power went out at midday

      Yesterday we had a brief power outage that could be attributed to something that happened in our building, not the wider neighbourhood or power grid. There’s a lot going on in our block concerning power, hot water, painting, and whatnot, which has brought much… fun into our lives over the last month!

    • New York Times ☛ UK Driving-Test Backlog Leaves Learners Waiting Months

      The average wait for a test in England and Scotland has hit 22 weeks, up from five weeks before the pandemic, leading to frustration and attempts to jump the line.

    • The Straits Times ☛ These 20-year-olds in Japan are finally planning their junior high school trips cancelled by Covid-19

      The young adults were given about $160 per person to plan school trips with their former classmates.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Futurism ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s US Forest Service Spraying Deadly Toxins on America’s Woodlands

      The herbicide industry has a great friend in Convicted Felon.

    • NYPost ☛ Massive fire engulfs science lab at University of South Florida St. Petersburg: ‘Total devastation’

      A blaze engulfed the science lab on Saturday night, risking the loss of decades of research.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Korean Air bans roosters on US-Philippines routes amid cockfighting outcry

      The US is an important source of roosters for these fights.

• Finance

  • LRT ☛ Poverty rises across Lithuania, hitting rural areas hardest

    Poverty levels have risen across Lithuania, particularly in more remote regions, with some municipalities seeing as many as one in three residents living in poverty. According to the Social Security and Labour Ministry, border areas face a higher risk, largely due to higher unemployment.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Paul Krugman ☛ How Trump Screwed Himself

    I’m sort of on vacation, and didn’t do an interview this week. However, I talked with Greg Sargent of The New Republic from my hotel. Here’s the link to the audio.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • JURIST ☛ Canada high court allows Parliament to limit MP’s free speech in national security legislation

    The Supreme Court of Canada upheld a law on Friday that limits the privilege of parliamentarians in relation to their duties on a statutory committee that oversees the country’s national security and intelligence apparatus.

  • France24 ☛ Imprisoned Iranian Nobel laureate Mohammadi rushed to hospital following cardiac 'crisis'

    Iran’s imprisoned Nobel peace prize winner Narges Mohammadi has been transferred to hospital to receive urgent care after experiencing a “catastrophic deterioration” of her health, a foundation run by her family said on Saturday. Mohammadi was moved on Friday after suffering a heart attack and experiencing two episodes of “complete” unconsciousness, it said.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Timeline: Press freedom in Hong Kong under the national security law

    Since Beijing imposed a national security law in Hong Kong in 2020, the city has seen the closure of independent media outlets, journalists jailed, newsrooms raided and government tax audits that appear to disproportionately target the media sector. Hong Kong has plummeted in a global press freedom index.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Patents

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Decimation: Ex Parte Reexamination Eclipses the IPR

      For the first time since the AIA, ex parte reexam requests have eclipsed IPR petitions, driven by the PTO's expanded discretionary-denial regime.

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Six on the Bench: The Federal Circuit’s Pending En Banc Patent Petitions

      Six pending Federal Circuit en banc patent monopoly petitions cluster around eligibility, Rule 702, ANDA infringement, standing, and design.

  • Copyrights

    • France24 ☛ Oscars bans Hey Hi (AI) actors and writers

      Actors and writers created by artificial intelligence may be able to write and appear in films, but they will not qualify for Oscars under new rules issued by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which address the use of Hey Hi (AI) for the first time. The role of artificial intelligence was one of the central concerns behind the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike several years ago. Daniel Quinlan has more.

    • New York Times ☛ Planning a World Cup Watch Party at a Bar? The ‘FIFA Police’ Are Lurking

      Some businesses advertising watch parties in Canada’s two host cities are wary of running afoul of FIFA’s copyright, which protects advertising “World Cup” events.