Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Look Up! The Halley's Comet Meteor Shower Is Just About to Peak

  • Science Alert ☛ Expert Explains Why Cruise Ships Are So Prone to Disease Outbreaks

    A hidden problem for public health.

• Career/Education

  • Stanford University ☛ Stanford sociologist wins Guggenheim Fellowship to study political coalition building

    Sociology professor Robb Willer is one of five Stanford recipients of the 2026 Guggenheim Fellowship.

• Hardware

  • The Straits Times ☛ Pyongyang calling: North Korea shows off own-brand phones

    The devices feature a large circular camera module with multiple lenses.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Iran war jolts China’s well-oiled manufacturing hub

    Chinese factories are picking up a ballooning raw materials bill.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ China pushes for 70% homegrown silicon wafer use as domestic firm ramps up 12-inch production — government seeking to localize critical chip supply chain amid Hey Hi (AI) boom and export restrictions

    China is targeting 70% local wafer sourcing as firms like Eswin scale 12-inch production, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers and support growing Hey Hi (AI) chip demand.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ JSR to build first Taiwan photoresist plant to co-develop advanced resists with TSMC — multi-million dollar plant could come online as early as 2028

    The facility will close a gap that has put JSR at a disadvantage relative to its two largest Japanese rivals.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ AMD expects 20% decline in gaming revenue from 'higher memory and component costs' in the second half of the year — CEO Lisa Su warns of further memory crunch

    AMD is expecting the memory crunch to hit its gaming business in the second half of the year, with revenue expected to decline by "more than 20%."

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ F.D.A. Blocked Publication of Research Finding Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe

    The agency’s scientists and data contractors reviewed millions of patient records for studies that were pulled back before release.

  • Defence Web ☛ The Hormuz chokepoint is threatening Africa’s food supply

    Africa’s next food crisis may not begin on the farm, but in a distant shipping lane.

  • Science Alert ☛ One Complex Emotion May Have a Powerful Effect on Your Mental Health

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Michigan may force hospitals to disclose savings from drug cost program

    The federal 340B program was meant to reduce drug costs for patients, but, according to some critics, instead it’s lining the budgets of big hospital systems. Others argue it’s keeping the little guys afloat.

  • Latvia ☛ Digital referrals now mandatory in Latvia's healthcare system

    As of Tuesday, May 5th, the transition period for the introduction of the new e-referrals has ended, and from now on, patient referrals for outpatient and inpatient services will be issued primarily electronically. This year, there are also plans to introduce a unified appointment system, which should help reduce waiting lists at doctors’ offices, Latvian Radio reports.

  • New York Times ☛ What to Know About the Hantavirus Outbreak on an Atlantic Cruise Ship

    Health authorities said three passengers from the MV Hondius had died after showing symptoms of the rare disease, with another critically ill and three more showing mild symptoms.

  • New York Times ☛ Hantavirus Outbreaks Are Rare, but They Aren’t Going Away and There’s No Cure

    Since the family of rodent-borne infections were identified in the 1950s, they have turned up all over the world.

  • New York Times ☛ Cruise Ship Struck by Hantavirus Is to Head to Canary Islands, W.H.O. Says

    The Spanish government will receive the vessel. The World Health Organization said human-to-human transmission may have played a role in the outbreak.

  • France24 ☛ Race to find port for cruise ship as WHO traces how hantavirus spread

    Health authorities raced Tuesday to find a port for a cruise ship battling a hantavirus outbreak, as it remained off the West African coast with passengers isolating after three people died. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization said it suspects some rare human to human transmission of the virus took place between close contacts on board the ship.

  • Science Alert ☛ We Now Know When Dog Brains Shrank – And It Might Be Our Fault

    A reliable marker of domestication.

  • Science Alert ☛ Choice of Tea or Coffee Could Affect Risk of Osteoporosis in Older Women

    A good excuse for a cuppa.

  • Science Alert ☛ An Existing Drug Could Be Repurposed to Help Treat Panic Attacks

    And we may know why.

  • Science Alert ☛ Aching Neck? These Tricks Used by Formula 1 Drivers Could Help

    Surprisingly simple ways to ease 'computer neck'.

  • Science Alert ☛ Sir David Attenborough Is Turning 100. This Could Be The Secret of His Longevity.

    Happy birthday, sir!

  • Science Alert ☛ A Single Dose of Psilocybin Induces Lasting Brain Changes, New Study Suggests

    It could lift well-being for up to a month.

  • Science Alert ☛ Women Face Much Higher MS Risk. A New Discovery May Help Explain Why.

    This could help so many people.

  • Desktop Environments

    • James G ☛ Night shift

      I have had night shift mode enabled on my laptop for at least a year or two, and used night shift technology on previous computers in years prior. When night shift is enabled, my display feels less visually intense. I disabled the setting before writing this post and realised, as I feel with greyscale, that I had to toggle the mode back – the cool colours were too jarring now that I am used to night shift.

    • Tantek Çelik: May the Focus Be With You!

      This morning while chatting with James I asked him about his grayscale setup and why. He pointed out it’s less distracting, a calmer experience, and helps him stay focused when he uses his iPhone for specific tasks.

• Proprietary

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

    • Futurism ☛ Apple Is Blocking Vibe Coding Apps From the App Store, Infuriating Developers [sic]

      "Either they should stop enforcing the rules in this weird way, or they should update the guideline to let this use case emerge."

    • Futurism ☛ Even After Two Massacres, Proprietary Chaffbot Company Still Hasn’t Stopped Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot From Helping Plan School Shootings

      It's practically begging to help people plan mass shootings.

    • New York Times ☛ Apple Reaches $250 Million Settlement Over Claims It Misled People on A.I.

      Some iPhone owners will be eligible to receive $25 to $95 over claims that the tech giant oversold its artificial intelligence system, Fashion Company Apple Intelligence.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong proposes tighter claw machine regulations over addiction fears

      Hong Kong authorities have proposed tightening the regulation of claw machine shops by implementing a licensing regime to curb addiction risks. The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau’s proposal, included in a document submitted to the Legislative Council (LegCo) on Monday, comes as claw machine shops proliferate in the city as a low-maintenance business opportunity.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ The Growing Rift Between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Explained

    Officials say competition between the countries is healthy. But tensions are mounting over energy quotas, regional conflicts and their different visions for the Middle East.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s HMM says ship set ablaze in Strait of Hormuz to be towed to Dubai

    South Korea said the cause of the fire would only be confirmed after the vessel was inspected.

  • The Strategist ☛ Australia’s partnership with Japan helps deter China from starting a war

    Historian and media commentator James Curran is wrong to suggest we should fear that closer defence ties with Japan could drag Australia into a conflict with China, as he argued in the Australian Financial Review [...]

  • New York Times ☛ Japan’s Takaichi Pitches Strength and Stability in Visits to Australia and Vietnam

    Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is attempting to raise Japan’s profile at a time when China’s clout is rising and doubts about the United States are spreading.

  • New York Times ☛ The U.S. and China Have a Common Foe. Hint: It’s Not the U.S.S.R.

    A new level of global disorder will face the American and Chinese presidents at their summit. Like Mao and Nixon, they face a common threat.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China says wider US sanctions on Cuba are ‘illegal’

    The US President signed an executive order on May 1 broadening US sanctions against the Cuban government.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Probe into fatal China Eastern plane crash points to deliberate fuel cut-off

    New findings showed levers controlling the flow of fuel to the jet’s engines being switched to the “cutoff” position.

  • Taiwan minister’s visit to Spratlys: a page out of China’s ‘gray zone’ playbook

    Using the coast guard, not the navy, in operations at disputed Taiping Island avoids escalation, analysts said.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan president says island has ‘right to engage with the world’

    By Joy Chiang Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said Tuesday the democratic island has the “right to engage with the world”, after he returned from a trip to Africa that Taipei has accused Beijing of trying to derail.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan won’t give in to pressure, President Lai says of Africa trip denounced by China

    Taiwan blamed Chinese pressure for nixing earlier plans to visit Estawini.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Rubio warns against ‘destabilising’ acts on Taiwan before Convicted Felon’s China visit

    He also called on Beijing also to raise pressure on Iran.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Bondi Beach mass shooting accused faces 19 extra charges

    Akram, who is being held in a high-security prison, is yet to indicate how he will plead.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia and Fiji agree new security treaty with eye on China

    The details of the treaty will be finalised in coming weeks.

  • France24 ☛ Japanese PM Takaichi in push to revise pacifist constitution as regional tensions rise

    Due to its wartime past, Japan adopted a pacifist Constitution that limits its military to self-defence. Now Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is calling for 'advanced discussions' on revising the Constitution, setting up a panel tasked with reviewing the country's security and defence policies as regional tensions escalate. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks with Giulio Pugliese, Lecturer in Strategic Communications at King's College London and Director of the EU-Asia Project at the European University Institute.

  • France24 ☛ Can Pakistan play brother-in-arms role as Gulf states eye security shifts?

    With its strategic location at the crossroads of Middle Eastern, Central and South Asian trade routes, its arsenal of combat-tested Chinese weapons and an army chief playing a high-wire diplomatic act, Pakistan is poised to play a security role in the Gulf. It's an interesting mix for some Gulf states questioning the US security commitment in the region – but not for all.

  • The Straits Times ☛ India condemns drone strike on UAE, urges Hormuz access

    India usually sources about half of its crude through the Strait of Hormuz.

  • France24 ☛ Nigeria to evacuate citizens from South Africa after attacks

    In tonight's edition, Nigeria is stepping in to bring its citizens home after fresh anti-immigration protests in South Africa. Also, Sudan is ramping up accusations after a series of drone strikes, including an attack on Khartoum airport: it says the drones came from Ethiopia and were supplied by the UAE. And Paris is once again rolling out the red carpet for African cinema as the NollywoodWeek Film Festival returns this week.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Judge who convicted South Korean ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee found dead days after ruling

    Police found what appears to be a suicide note that reportedly made no mention of the ruling.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ Putin ‘doesn’t care' about Russians or Ukrainians: ‘Pageantry and symbolism’ over civilian lives

      Rochelle Ferguson Bouyahi is pleased to welcome the Director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative, Peter Zalmayev, to offer context & perspective on the battlefield dynamics and political theatre of Russia's war on Ukraine. While Russia invokes symbolic gestures tied to historical commemorations, beneath the surface of geopolitical spectacle, Zalmaev points to a quieter revolution. “The answer is the drones,” highlighting it's effectiveness in an asymmetrical war. Yet, the most revealing is Zalmayev's portrayal of Putin’s internal state: “a renewed sense of fear for his life.”

    • Latvia ☛ Saeima strategic communications conference to draw on Ukrainian expertise

      Latvia's parliament, the Saeima, will host a conference on Friday, May 8th, titled "Comprehensive Defence Concept: Strategic Communication for Societal Resilience", in which Ukrainian army and strategic communication experts will share their experience on the importance of strategic communication in strengthening societal resilience, and MPs and experts from Latvia will discuss the lessons from Ukraine for Latvia.

    • European Commission ☛ Remarks by Commissioner Dombrovskis at the ECOFIN press conference

      Let me begin with the update I provided on Ukraine.

      Since our last meeting, there have been some positive steps forward.

    • France24 ☛ Romania’s pro-EU coalition collapse 'does not alter the country's foreign policy', analyst says

      Romania's parliament on Tuesday voted to oust liberal Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan in a motion of no confidence initiated by the Social Democrats and the far right, deepening political turmoil in the EU and NATO country bordering Ukraine. FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks with Laurențiu Pleșca, Policy Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. He says that the collapse of the government "does not alter Romania's foreign policy or security trajectory".

    • RFERL ☛ More Than 20 Killed In Russian Strikes Across Ukraine; Kyiv Hits Russian Plant With Long-Range Missiles

      Russian forces hit at least three cities across Ukraine, using "glide bombs" and drones, killing more than two dozen people and wounding dozens of others, in one of the bloodiest attack on Ukraine in months.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ DarkSword Malware

      DarkSword is a sophisticated piece of malware—probably government designed—that targets iOS.

      Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has identified a new iOS full-chain exploit that leveraged multiple zero-day vulnerabilities to fully compromise devices. Based on toolmarks in recovered payloads, we believe the exploit chain to be called DarkSword. Since at least November 2025, GTIG has observed multiple commercial surveillance vendors and suspected state-sponsored actors utilizing DarkSword in distinct campaigns.

    • New York Times ☛ With Free Vodka, and a Few Protests, Russia Returns to the Venice Biennale

      On Tuesday, Russia opened a pavilion at the Venice Biennale for the first since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine’s own exhibit is just a stone’s throw.

    • New York Times ☛ The Venice Biennale and Its Many Flashpoints: An Explainer

      The sudden death of a curator, the surprise participation of Russia and an unconventional U.S. entry are heating up the art world Olympics, which begins previews Tuesday.

    • New York Times ☛ Deadly Russian Strikes Rip Into Ukrainian Cities

      At least 12 people were killed in Zaporizhzhia, one of the highest tolls from a single attack so far this year. The cities of Dnipro and Kramatorsk were also attacked.

    • New York Times ☛ Taiwan Could Learn From Ukraine. Informally, Connections Are Growing.

      The governments have no official diplomatic or military ties. But a loose network led by company executives and volunteers is bridging some of that gulf.

    • The Strategist ☛ Australian Defence Hey Hi (AI) policy risks writing modern EW out of the force

      In 2025, Ukrainian-led opposing forces defeated NATO formations in two major exercises. At exercise Hedgehog in Estonia, about 10 drone operators with cheap first-person-view drones rendered two NATO battalions combat-ineffective in half a day.

    • France24 ☛ EU, Armenia sign new partnership deals at first bilateral summit

      The EU and Armenia held their first-ever bilateral summit, agreeing to foster closer economic ties as the former Soviet nation makes a cautious pivot towards the west.  The two sides signed a new connectivity partnership focused on transport, energy and digital links.  Armenia however is deeply reliant on Russian energy and remains a member of the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union. Plus, North Korea welcomed foreign delegations to its spring trade fair showcasing home-grown tech.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Two killed in blast at Kazakhstan’s largest zinc plant, emergency ministry says

      Two people were killed and five others injured in an explosion at the Kazzinc plant, Kazakhstan's largest zinc production facility owned by Glencore, the company said on Tuesday.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Sea lanes are being disrupted. And an old Chinese frontier town is back in the spotlight

      Khorgos, on Chinese border with Kazakhstan, is a major node on the China-Europe Railway Express.

    • New York Times ☛ China’s Big Bet on Wind Power Is Paying Off

      An industrial policy of subsidies and import restrictions laid the foundations for China to become almost as dominant in wind turbines as in solar panels.

    • New York Times ☛ Fireworks Factory Explosion in China Kills at Least 26

      Dozens more were injured in the explosion, which appeared to be one of the country’s deadliest in recent years.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China fireworks factory blast kills 26, injures 61

      The death toll from a giant explosion at a fireworks factory in central China rose to 26, with 61 more injured, officials said Tuesday. The explosion occurred at around 4:43 pm on Monday at the Liuyang Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company in Liuyang, Hunan province, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Could ‘robo-cops’ replace some traffic police roles in China?

      In Hangzhou, they issued a traffic warning every 1 min 43 sec over the May Day holiday.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian minister calls for update on ‘corporate mafia’ probe

    The government has ordered law enforcement agencies to probe the allegations involving the businessmen.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Opinion | If Michigan wants a government that works, it must get money out of politics

    Whether you’re focused on clean water, affordable energy or economic security, the same pattern keeps showing up: Too often, the biggest checks carry the most weight.

  • The Florida Pheonix ☛ Palm Beach County Commission approves agreement renaming Palm Beach Airport after Donald Trump • Florida Phoenix

    Any goods sold at the airport must be sourced from vendors authorized by the Trump Organization.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • France24 ☛ Sick Iran Nobel winner Narges Mohammadi at risk of dying in custody, supporters warn

    Jailed Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, who won the 2023 peace prize for her decades of campaigning for human rights in Iran, could die in prison unless she is urgently given proper health care after suffering two suspected heart attacks in recent weeks, supporters warned on Tuesday. FRANCE 24's international affairs commentator Douglas Herbert has more.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • BIA Net ☛ Journalism rights thrive on reader support!

    The BİA Media Monitoring Report shows that in the first three months of 2026, journalists in Turkey were besieged by arrests, detentions, attacks, censorship, compensation lawsuits, RTÜK fines, and layoffs. Journalism enters May 3 World Press Freedom Day under the pressure of uniformity.

  • Unicorn Media ☛ On Our Way to Independence: Oops! I Guess I Should’ve Kept Posting

    We missed April's target, so May is having to do extra duty. It's time to come to bat in our 2026 Independence Fundraiser.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • The Straits Times ☛ Divorces among long-married couples overtake early-marriage splits in S. Korea for first time

    Women aged 60 or older accounted for more than 22% of divorce-related legal consultations in February.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Principal in South Korea under probe for sending fake wedding notifications to co-workers

    The authorities suspect the principal was trying to collect congratulatory money from co-workers.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • KOL489 | The Problem with Intellectual Property (Audio)

    Kinsella on Liberty Podcast: Episode 489.

    “The Problem with Intellectual Property,” audio.

  • Patents

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Pairing Down: Federal Circuit Affirms § 101 Dismissal of Vehicle-Mode Notification Patent

      Federal Circuit affirms § 101 dismissal of TJTM's vehicle-pairing inactive-mode patent, with an oral-argument concession sealing the result.

    • Federal Circuit Affirms 101 Dismissal for Surveillance Giant Google in Distracted Driving Patent Suit

      The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) issued a decision today in TJTM Technologies, LLC v. Surveillance Giant Google LLC, affirming the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California’s dismissal of a patent monopoly infringement lawsuit and holding that the asserted patent monopoly claims are directed to patent-ineligible subject matter under 35 U.S.C. § 101.

    • Unified Patents ☛ Radiant Patents optical networking patents prior art found

      The team at Unified used Pearl to successfully identify and chart prior art against U.S. Patent 10,623,095 and U.S. Patent 11,431,431, owned and asserted by Radiant Patents LLC (f/k/a PLS XLIV LLC), an NPE and entity of MVRE LLC. The patents have been asserted against Nokia.

    • Unified Patents ☛ $4,000 awarded for Radiant Patents optical patents prior art

      Unified is pleased to announce PATROLL crowdsourcing contest winners below totaling $4,000 in cash prizes. The patents are owned and asserted by Radiant Patents LLC (f/k/a PLS XLIV LLC), an NPE and entity of MVRE LLC. The patents have been asserted against Nokia.

      We would also like to thank the dozens of other high-quality submissions that were made on these patents. The ongoing contests are open to anyone, and include tens of thousands of dollars in rewards available for helping the industry to challenge NPE patents of questionable validity by finding and submitting prior art in the contests.

    • Kangaroo Courts

      • JUVE ☛ German Federal Patent Court grants SPC for safinamide [Ed: "The presiding judge also works at the UPC." This means an illegal and unconstitutional court taints the very nation of justice here. This is corruption.]

        On 27 April 2026, the 14th Senate of the Federal Patent Court, presided over by Dörte Otten-Dünnweber, granted an SPC for the period between 8 April 2024 and 7 April 2029 (14 W (pat) 23/24). The presiding judge also works at the UPC.

  • Copyrights

    • Digital Music News ☛ Indie Music Sector Flames Copyright Office Over ‘Disastrous’ 43% Registration Fee Increase

      A2IM led a coalition of indie orgs in filing a formal complaint with the U.S. Copyright Office, opposing the proposed 43% registration fee increase.