Leftovers

• Science / Mathematics / Computer Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Spacetime 'Crystals' Could Collapse Into Tiny Black Holes, Wild Paper Explains

    What?

  • Science Alert ☛ This Plant Summons Wasps When Under Attack, And We Finally Know How

    Time to call in the cavalry.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ VIA Labs VL610/VL610D MST Hub controllers to enable USB-C multi-display adapters with up to three 4K display outputs

    VIA Labs VL610/VL610D MST (Multi-Stream Transport) Hub controllers are designed for multi-display expansion, enabling USB-C adapters to drive up to three 4K UHD high-resolution HDMI or DisplayPort displays simultaneously. The chips succeed the VL605 single-channel USB-C to HDMI 2.1 signal converter. The VL610 supports three video outputs up to 4Kp60, while the VL610D is limited to two video outputs for different docking design needs.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discover New Giant Virus That Replicates in a Totally Unique Way

    On the origins of viruses.

  • Science Alert ☛ Experts Reveal Why You Should Never Rub Your Eyes

    Here's what you can try instead.

  • Science Alert ☛ One Weight Loss Strategy Is 5x More Effective Than Ozempic, Study Shows

    Each has pros and cons.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Strange Pattern Could Explain The Mysterious Origins of Brain Cancer

    The results were striking.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China allows fresh urea exports amid Iran war-fuelled fertiliser crisis

    Beijing previously banned fertiliser exports to protect domestic farmers.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Health regulator warns of counterfeit Ozempic circulating in Mexico

    This is the second such alert issued by the regulator in under two months, reflecting growing concern over irregular products reaching the national market as demand for the weight-loss drug continues to surge.

  • Futurism ☛ More Than This Many Hours of Sleep Is Linked to Early Death, Scientists Find

    Here's something to keep you up at night.

  • New York Times ☛ Uganda Closes Border With Congo as Ebola Fears Rise

    Seven confirmed cases of the virus have already been reported in Kampala, the capital, but officials say the country has robust disease surveillance.

  • New York Times ☛ Why the Ebola and Hantavirus Outbreaks Have Confounded Scientists

    The types of Ebola and hantavirus worrying officials are very different from the species identified decades ago, raising new questions about how to respond.

  • New York Times ☛ In Flint, Cash for Pregnant Women Leads to Better Outcomes for Babies

    New research suggests money with no strings attached can promote better health, but other studies have seen mixed results.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia sues 3M for $1.82b over contamination from PFAS at defence sites

    The so-called forever chemicals have been found to cause health problems including boosting the risk of cancer.

• Proprietary / SaaS

  • Qt ☛ Qt Tools for Android Studio 5.0

    Qt Tools for Android Studio version 5.0 is out! Bring Qt into your Android workflow—without leaving Android Studio. The plugin for that can be downloaded from theJetBrains marketplace. Check it out!

  • Jon Chiappetta: Fashion Company Apple Has Put The PC Industry Into A Classic Mexican Standoff

    The entire PC industry is an interesting one to watch function at a distance, there are essentially 3 parties involved which all need to get along with each other, however, what happens when each one is at war with each other? Let’s find out!

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

    • Security Week ☛ ‘SymJack’ Attack Turns Hey Hi (AI) Coding Agents Into Supply Chain Attack Delivery Systems

      Malicious repositories and disguised symlinks can trick Hey Hi (AI) coding agents into silently installing attacker-controlled MCP servers capable of stealing secrets, compromising CI pipelines, and deploying malicious code.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ AI costs begin to bite as agents may increase token demand by 24 times, says Goldman Sachs report — Uber and Abusive Monopolist Microsoft among companies feeling the bite of tokenized billing

      Major tech companies are considering refining their approaches to AI, as rising token costs and increased token demand from Hey Hi (AI) agents make the costs harder to justify, with limited return on the investment.

    • Press Gazette ☛ What Google’s expanded Hey Hi (AI) features mean for publishers

    • Press Gazette ☛ Journalists using Hey Hi (AI) to save time but don’t want AI-generated pitches or press releases [Ed: Utterly terrible if true, and probably imposed by bosses who are not journalists; iophk: slop == factual errors / disinformation]

      Just fifth of journalists now say they don't use AI, down from a third a year ago.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Effective faith-based safeguards for AI

      The recent Vatican statement on living in the age of artificial intelligence highlights an ongoing discussion among leaders and people of faith the world over. The shared commitments to individual dignity, conscience, and brotherly love are vital guides.

    • France24 ☛ Hey Hi (AI) leaders soften warnings on job losses as industry reassesses impact

      Hey Hi (AI) leaders including Jensen Huang and Scam Altman are moderating earlier warnings about mass job losses from artificial intelligence, suggesting that previous “doomsday” predictions overstated the near-term impact on employment. The shift comes as public concern over workplace disruption from Hey Hi (AI) continues to grow across major economies.

    • New Yorker ☛ What the Pope Said About A.I.

      Leo XIV’s new encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” presents a remarkable case for placing moral concerns, and not profit, or competitive advantage, or efficiency, at the center of any discussion of artificial intelligence.

    • Futurism ☛ Anthropic Cofounder Travels to Vatican, Tells Pope They’re Finding “Unsettling” Things Inside Hey Hi (AI) Models

      The double standard is hard to miss.

    • Futurism ☛ Companies That Adopted Hey Hi (AI) Agents Alarmed to Discover They’re Botching Incredibly Important Tasks

      "The blast radius of that agent action was not the service restart. It was everything downstream of the restart, in a system state the agent had no complete picture of."

    • Futurism ☛ Uber Says Its Hey Hi (AI) Costs Just Aren’t Worth It

      "AI is not free."

    • Federal News Network ☛ House NDAA would set up protected disclosure program for Hey Hi (AI) incidents

      The goal of the proposed Pentagon program would be to identify "recurring risks, failure modes, vulnerabilities, and systemic weaknesses” in Hey Hi (AI) systems.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Security Week ☛ Romanian Hacker Sentenced to Prison in US for Selling Access to State Network

      Catalin Dragomir previously pleaded guilty to selling access to an Oregon state government office’s network.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report

      The 2025 Internet Crime Report was published a few weeks ago, but I only just saw it.
      Lots of interesting statistics.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Cambodia sentences six men for murder of South Korean student linked to scam centre

      A court found all six guilty of torture, murder and aggravated fraud.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • WhichUK ☛ Revealed: 4 ways to stop Meta tracking you through Instagram [Ed: Use neither; this company cannot be trusted and anything can be changed]

      Meta can now access Instagram direct messages. Find out more about how the platform collects your data

    • EDRI ☛ Resistance Lab: Making and distributing media under surveillance

      Join Interrupting Criminalization's Abolition Journalism Fellow Lewis Raven Wallace, digital security firm Safety Sync Group, and fellow journalists and media makers for a resistance lab.

  • Confidentiality

    • Jon Chiappetta: There Are Two Kinds Of VPNs…

      I’ve spent a few years now looking for a higher-performing network-wide Proxy or VPN service. I’ve modified some frameworks, like nginx and openvpn, and I’ve created my own versions of those frameworks as well. After modifying OpenVPN, I decided to implement my own version of that modified functionality in roughly 1000 lines of C from 0. I spent some time recently fixing it up and tuning it up and I just wanted to summarize and write about it again. I’ve observed that there are 2 kinds of VPNs with 2 highly different use cases and design differences required.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Futurism ☛ MElon Furious at Starlink Being Used for American Suicide Drones

    It's not what you think.

  • France24 ☛ Israel declares new 'combat zone' in southern Lebanon, orders evacuations

    Israel expanded its military campaign in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, ordering residents to evacuate areas south of the Zahrani River as strikes intensified despite an April ceasefire. The escalation comes as Israeli officials seek to pressure Hezbollah while avoiding actions in Beirut that could complicate US-led diplomacy with Iran.

  • New York Times ☛ Canada Rejects U.S. Military Suppliers in Favor of Swedish Aircraft

    Prime Minister Mark Carney chose a Saab surveillance and control plane after vowing to reduce military spending with the United States.

  • New York Times ☛ A Quiet Pacific Village Becomes China’s Security Testing Ground

    When a remote Pacific village asked for help with rowdy youth, the Chinese police arrived with a surveillance system. Then came the backlash.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea says attack on ship in Strait of Hormuz likely involved an Iranian missile

    A South Korean defence official said the firing of two missiles suggested an intention to cause damage.

  • The Straits Times ☛ French veterans laid to rest in South Korea, decades after war

    The United Nations Memorial Cemetery holds more than 2,300 soldiers from 14 nations.

  • New York Times ☛ Why Pakistan and Afghanistan Are Still Fighting

    Months after Pakistan declared “open war” on Afghanistan, neither side appears ready to back down, despite China’s efforts to mediate.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China warns Quad ministers against provoking conflict

    This comes after Quad nations raised concerns over stability in the East and South China Seas.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s military says it drove away Dutch frigate in South China Sea

    The Netherlands said the frigate was operating in accordance with international law.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China issues new rules to keep senior military officials in check

    This is the latest push in Xi’s years-long effort to purge corruption from the armed forces.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Re-elected Tibet-in-exile government leader sworn in

    Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama prayed as the leader of the elected goverment of Tibetans in exile was sworn in for a second term on Wednesday.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Chinese dissident flees to South Korea on rubber boat

    A Chinese dissident who has long been a thorn in Beijing’s side has escaped to South Korea on a rubber boat, his lawyer confirmed on Wednesday, after repeated attempts to flee China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Any conflict over Taiwan would risk US-China nuclear escalation, study finds

    Both militaries are likely to stage sweeping operations targeting rival command and communications hubs.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Singapore encourages North Korea to keep dialogue channels open amid global uncertainty

    Foreign Minister Balakrishnan, during his visit to Pyongyang, invited his counterpart to attend a regional security forum.

  • The Straits Times ☛ New Zealand boosts defence spending in face of ‘adverse’ security environment

    The NZ$3.5 billion (S$2.63 billion) in new funding will include extending the life of Anzac-class frigates and acquiring new drones.

  • JURIST ☛ HRW charges UAE involvement in recruitment of Colombian fighters for Sudan war

    A company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has hired and transported hundreds of Colombian private military contractors to Sudan to fight for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released on Monday.

  • Defence Web ☛ Government scrambles to deal with anti-immigration protests

    Government ministers convened a “high-level” meeting on Monday 25 May to address the wave of anti-immigration marches gripping the country. [...]

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Homicides in Mexico are down by half under Sheinbaum: Wednesday’s mañanera recapped

    Mexico's security minister also said on Wednesday that federal forces have detained 85 current and former officials from all political parties since taking office, including seven sitting mayors, as part of the government's commitment to "zero impunity."

  • France24 ☛ 'More than 100,000 people live in this city': Israel urges Tyre residents to leave homes

    FRANCE 24 correspondent Renée Davis reports from Beirut on the Israeli military's call for the population of Tyre in southern Lebanon to leave their homes ahead of a fresh wave of air strikes.

  • France24 ☛ Israel declares new 'combat zone' in southern Lebanon and orders evacuations

    Israel has expanded its military campaign in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, ordering residents to evacuate areas south of the Zahrani River as strikes intensify despite an April ceasefire. The escalation comes as Israeli officials seek to pressure Hezbollah while avoiding actions in Beirut that could complicate US-led diplomacy with Iran.

  • RFERL ☛ US Confirms New 'Defensive' Strikes in Iran

    As the US-Israeli war with Iran continues to impact and shape the region, journalists from RFE/RL's Central Newsroom and Iranian service, Radio Farda, deliver ongoing updates and analysis.

  • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Board of Peace's official Gaza fund is empty despite billions pledged, source says

    Four months after its creation, the Gaza reconstruction fund of US President The Insurrectionist's so-called Board of Peace has yet to receive any of the billions of dollars pledged by donor countries. Israel has continued to carry out strikes across the devastated Palestinian territory despite a US-backed ceasefire, killing at least 910 people since the truce was signed.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Latvia ☛ More anti-mobility barriers deployed on Latvian border

      This month, the National Armed Forces (NBS) began deploying the first anti-mobility barriers, so-called dragon's teeth, on the expropriated territories along the Latvian-Russian border, LSM's Latgale editorial reports on May 28.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Russia warns Armenia on supplies over EU bid; Convicted Felon backs PM Pashinyan

      MOSCOW, May 27 - Russia said on Wednesday it had warned Armenia it would suspend or terminate the supply of cheap oil, gas and rough diamonds if Yerevan pressed ahead with its bid to join the European Union.

    • LRT ☛ NATO to beef up assigned forces to defend Baltics – Reuters

      NATO will facilitate the rapid deployment of forces to Latvia and Estonia in the event of a war with Russia, two sources told Reuters.

    • France24 ☛ Starmer and Tusk sign UK–Poland defence pact amid warnings over Russian threats

      UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish leader Donald Tusk have signed a new defence pact aimed at deepening military and security cooperation between the two NATO allies. The agreement focuses on strengthening joint capabilities, cyber defence and coordination in response to growing concerns over Russian aggression across Europe.

    • Defence Web ☛ Africa accounts for 30% of Rosoboronexport orders

      The African continent accounts for 30% of Russian state arms holding company Rosoboronexport’s order books [...]

    • New York Times ☛ Could Russia Hit Harder? It at Least Wants Ukraine to Think So.

      Major attacks on Kyiv, followed by warnings of more, come as Moscow is stalled on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Says Ukraine Used Storm Shadow Missiles Against Sevastopol Amid Cross-Border Air Attacks

      Authorities in Russian-occupied Crimea said Ukraine attacked the port city of Sevastopol using Storm Shadow missiles, while Ukrainian officials reported Russian drone strikes on several regions.

    • RFERL ☛ Nearly 500,000 Russian Soldiers Killed In Ukraine Since Start Of All-Out War, British Intelligence Says

      Nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers are estimated to have been killed in Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine since it began in 2022, a top British intelligence official has said, as the conflicts grinds to a near stalemate.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian embassy to remain open in Kyiv despite Russian threats

      Lithuania says its embassy in Kyiv will continue operating despite Russian threats of intensified strikes on the Ukrainian capital and calls for foreign nationals, including diplomats, to leave the city.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania confirms two found drones were Ukrainian

      Two unmanned aerial vehicles that crashed and were found on Lithuanian territory this year belonged to Ukraine, the Lithuanian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.

    • France24 ☛ Europe: New far-right generation turns away from Putin

      🇺🇦🇷🇺 "The image of Putin as the great power is totally gone."Thibault Muzergues tells #F24Debate the new generation of European right-wing politicians are distancing themselves from Russia, turning instead towards #Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ Where does Europe's far-right turn? Populists look to distance themselves from Convicted Felon

      If the first thing Europeans think of when they fill up at the pump is The Insurrectionist's decision to attack Iran, it's little wonder that previously pro-Maga populists are quietly distancing themselves from the president of the United States.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • New York Times ☛ Biden Sues Justice Dept. to Block Release of Tapes

    The former president argued that the Justice Department has a responsibility to protect the privacy of conversations he had with a former ghostwriter.

• Environment

  • Science Alert ☛ World's Fastest-Warming Continent Swelters Under Record 'Heat Dome'

    A brutal heatwave is in effect.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Dazzling Meteor Just 'Video Bombed' a Volcanic Eruption

    It almost looks like it crashed into the volcano.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ China says Panama ties should not be subject to third-party interference: Report

      China urged Panama to safeguard Chinese firms’ rights.

    • RFERL ☛ Activists Oppose Formula 1-Style Boat Races On Protected Kyrgyz Lake

      Environmental activists in Kyrgyzstan are opposing plans to stage the UIM F1H2O World Championship on Lake Issyk-Kul this summer, warning that the high-speed powerboat races could harm one of Central Asia’s most sensitive ecosystems.

    • Breach Media ☛ An oil price shock isn’t inevitable. We can rein in and tax the oil industry

      Canadians are told skyrocketing oil prices are the inevitable result of a faraway war. It’s a lie that resigns us to being gouged by oil companies

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Italian council sets 200% tax on data center development in agricultural zones — aims to spur the use of old industrial areas instead and limit environmental impact

      This 200% tax will make it more expensive to build in rural areas and is aimed at spurring data center development in disused industrial zones instead.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ For millions of Filipinos, owning a home is a dream the market was never built to fulfil

    The focus is on investors rather than the ordinary Filipinos who cannot afford to live where they work.

  • New Yorker ☛ Everlane and the Death of the “Good” Millennial Life-Style Brand

    The retailer once embodied a hope that clothes could be mass-manufactured and high-quality. Now it’s owned by the fast-fashion giant Shein.

  • New York Times ☛ F.B.I. Arrests C.I.A. Official With $40 Million in Gold Bars in His Home

    The only charge lodged against David Rush is that he inflated his academic credentials and obtained military leave pay worth tens of thousands of dollars.

  • New York Times ☛ What Plunging Pork Prices Say About China’s Economy

    A key measure of inflation in China, they hit a 16-year low, driven by anemic consumer spending and an oversupply of hogs.

  • New York Times ☛ Reflecting Pool Contract Has ‘Inflated’ Profit Margin, Government Analysis Finds

    The firm that was given a no-bid contract to fix the troubled landmark is charging 20 percent. The typical profit margin is 6 percent to 12 percent, internal records show.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Tai Po fire: Residents say ‘no choice’ but to accept buyback as deadline looms

    Some Wang Fuk Court residents have said they “are given no choice” over the government’s plan to buy back their flats, urging authorities to reconsider rebuilding the fire-hit estate on site.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hongkong Post seeks HK$4.6 billion gov’t bailout amid record loss

    Hongkong Post has applied to the legislature for a HK$4.6 billion government bailout to support its operations in the next three years and to cover the refurbishment of the Air Mail Centre.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Samsung chip workers vote to accept $340,000 average bonus, ending months-long strike threat — resentment over deal has slowed down Samsung foundry division

    The agreement allocates 10.5% of Samsung's semiconductor division operating profit as stock-based bonuses.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • France24 ☛ ‘Sleepy Donald’?: Convicted Felon accused of dozing off at Memorial Day event, reigniting age concerns

    A viral video appearing to show The Insurrectionist falling asleep at a Memorial Day ceremony this Monday sparked outrage online, reigniting rumours about the state of the US president’s health. Social media users claimed Convicted Felon was dozing off, and furious that it could take place at a ceremony to honour fallen US military personnel. Though the low-quality video is difficult to verify, it's reignited scrutiny about Convicted Felon's health.

  • France24 ☛ Ghana begins repatriating citizens from South Africa after xenophobic attacks

    In tonight's edition, 300 Ghanaians arrive back home from South Africa on an emergency repatriation flight for nationals fleeing anti-immigrant protest threats. Also, rights organization Human Rights Watch accuses the United Arab Emirates of having recruited Colombian mercenaries to send to Sudan in support of the RSF paramilitary. And as Muslims around the world begin to celebrate Eid al-Adha, in DRC the Muslim holiday has begun with a focus on health and safety rather than celebration.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Digital Music News ☛ Apple-Backed Gamma Fires Off Defamation Lawsuit ‘To Unmask the Perpetrators’ Behind ‘LarryJacksonExposed’ and ‘GammaExposed’

    Gamma has officially filed a lawsuit to determine who’s behind the “coordinated, malicious, and ongoing campaign targeting” it and co-founder Larry Jackson via the LarryJacksonExposed and GammaExposed websites. By now, many are well aware of the “anonymous campaign,” which kicked off with the late-April launch of the mentioned sites.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thai court acquits opposition politician accused of royal insult

    A Thai criminal court has acquitted a prominent Thai opposition political figure charged with cybercrimes and insulting the royal family during a 2021 Facebook (Farcebook) livestream, his lawyer said on Thursday.

  • New York Times ☛ After 88 Days of Censored News, TV and Chat, Iranians Are Coming Back Online

    The government is letting people connect with the world after a near-total internet shutdown. But not everyone has access, and those who do wonder how long it will last.

  • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Says Iran's Internet Reopening Is A Sign It Wants A Deal

    US President The Insurrectionist has indicated that Iran's decision to end its unprecedented Internet blackout is a sign that the country wants to reach an agreement with the United States.

  • France24 ☛ Iran: Global internet access to reopen after 3-month blackout

    🇮🇷 Just an empty gesture?

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Reuters releases first documentary in bid to reach new audiences

    Reuters invested in visual investigations with two new roles this year.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Economist president Luke Bradley-Jones to become group CEO

    Lara Boro steps down after seven years leading The Economist Group.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • Site36 ☛ Daniela Klette faces lengthy prison sentence after political trial in Germany

    The Verden regional court has sentenced 67-year-old to 13 years in prison. The defence had already announced an appeal during the proceedings.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s unfinished fight for menstrual rights

    South Korea will pilot a project to install free sanitary pad dispensers at various locations.

  • BIA Net ☛ Council of Europe report urges legal reforms in Turkey

    A commissioner noted structural problems in the Turkish Penal Code, Anti-Terror Law, internet legislation, NGO oversight, and the justice system.

  • Federal News Network ☛ New DEI order for contractors is already being enforced as a legal challenge unfolds

    "Contractors can't wait for the Maryland lawsuit to play out. They need to be proactive in developing a plan," said Dan Ramish.

  • New York Times ☛ California Tries to Block Convicted Felon Involvement in Election Procedures

    Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation that tries to stop outside officials from taking ballots or getting involved in ballot processing.

  • Dutch News ☛ Civil servants set for 2.7% pay rise after months of strikes

    The cabinet and unions have reached a provisional pay rise agreement for the 160,000 staff who work for the Dutch central government, ending a months-long dispute that disrupted the tax office, customs and the immigration service in mid-April.

    Under the deal, all civil servants would receive a 2.7% pay rise from 1 July, backdated to 1 January. Lower-paid staff would also get a one-off payment of €1,400, dropping to €1,000 for those on the highest pay scales. The one-year agreement would run until 31 December 2026.

  • EDRI ☛ DRAPAC26 – Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly

    The 2026 Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC26) brings together changemakers from across the region working at the intersection of digital rights, human rights, and technology.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ With more internet access, Mexico seeks to boost tourism from China

    Mexico's return to key Chinese platforms such as WeChat, Weibo and Red Note is seen as an opportunity to boost access to China's huge (and free-spending) flow of tourists.

  • Michael Geist ☛ From Levy to Liability: Why Canada Risks Facing Hundreds of Millions in Retaliatory Tariffs Due to the CRTC’s Online Streaming Act Ruling

    The CRTC’s Online Streaming Act ruling, which triples the mandated payments for large Internet streaming services, has attracted widespread criticism given fears the approach could result in higher consumer fees and a trade backlash from the United States. Culture Minister Marc Miller's response to the ruling was somewhat muted, saying the government was reviewing the changes and assessing their impact. The reluctance to take a stronger public position may stem from concerns about the ruling’s trade implications, as it appears to violate Canada’s trade obligations. The violation can be saved by invoking CUSMA's cultural exemption, but that triggers the U.S. right to apply dollar-for-dollar retaliation. In other words, if the Online Streaming Act generates hundreds of millions in mandated expenditures, it will also spark matching tariffs targeting high-value Canadian economic sectors.

  • APNIC ☛ Centrality in the Internet’s names

    The Internet's Domain Name System undertakes a vitally important role in today's Internet. The question here is — is the DNS centralized?

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Patents

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Why SCA Hygiene Doesn’t Reach Hyatt

      The Solicitor General's brief in opposition in Hyatt v. Squires shifts the prosecution laches debate from gap-filling to background principles.

  • Copyrights

    • Digital Music News ☛ Zayn Malik and Sony Music Are Quietly Discussing a Settlement Over ‘Better’ Copyright Lawsuit

      A copyright monopoly infringement lawsuit filed against former One Direction member Zayn Malik nearly three years ago may finally be reaching a settlement. Back in late 2023, pop star and former One Direction member Zayn Malik was hit with a copyright monopoly infringement lawsuit over his hit, “Better.”

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Lenovo says it's digging into allegations that its China-only G10 handheld is being used for piracy — third parties may be including illicit games to inflate prices in the gray market

      Lenovo has announced it is conducting an in-depth investigation of its Chinese retail supply chains following allegations that its recently released G02 retro-gaming handheld is enabling piracy.