Leftovers

• Science / Mathematics / Computer Science

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Lost World' of Gravitational Waves Reveals The Origins of Black Holes

    A brave new world of black hole science.

  • Science Alert ☛ Caffeine in Your Blood Might Affect Body Fat And Diabetes Risk, Study Says

    Something to think about.

  • Science Alert ☛ Rare Blue Micromoon Won't Return Until 2053 – Don't Miss It This Week!

    Here's how to see it.

  • Science Alert ☛ Weight Loss on GLP-1 Drugs Linked to Lower Risk of Disease, Study Finds

    A pattern is emerging.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Found a Black Hole That Breaks The Rules of Astrophysics

    "It’s a paradigm shift, a total revisiting of the classical scenarios.”

  • Science Alert ☛ Ancient Killer Is Rapidly Gaining Resistance to Antibiotics, Study Warns

    This is a global problem.

  • Science Alert ☛ New Drug Offers 'Functional Cure' For Dangerous Liver Virus

    "We have not had a treatment which has come to this level of cure."

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Insect Repellent Might Attract Mosquitoes That Learn to Associate It With Food

    Yikes.

  • Science Alert ☛ When The Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Hit, This Life-Form Feasted On The Death

    A new kingdom flourished.

• Career/Education

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Ex-HKUST professor sentenced to 20 weeks in jail for bribery in student admission case

    A former professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has been sentenced to 20 weeks’ imprisonment over bribery to secure the admission of a mainland Chinese student to the university.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Futurism ☛ This Summer Is Going to Kill a Lot of People

    "While we do occasionally have warm spells in May, what we’re seeing now is unprecedented."

  • France24 ☛ Temu faces €200m EU fine over toxic, unsafe products

    The European Union has slapped a €200 million fine on Chinese retailer Temu, for selling products it considers toxic or unsafe, including baby toys and electronics. The e-commerce giant disputes the ruling, which came under the EU's Digital Services Act, requiring online platforms to protect consumers from harmful content or products. Also in the show -  global air travel dips for the first time since the pandemic, and France is set to reimburse the cost of weight-loss drugs for obese patients.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Michigan lawmakers revive push to legalize physician-assisted suicide

    Michigan House Democrats are renewing an effort to legalize physician-assisted death. Opponents worry the framework is morally dubious and may create new pressures in health care.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong smoking rate falls to record low 8.5% but misses WHO target

    The Department of Health has said Hong Kong’s smoking rate dropped to a record low of 8.5 per cent, but it fell short of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended target.

  • France24 ☛ WHO chief says deadly Ebola outbreak in DR Congo can be stopped

    Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, said Thursday that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has killed more than 200 people, can still be contained despite conflict in the country's east. He also urged armed groups to declare a ceasefire as aid and medical support continue to arrive.

  • New York Times ☛ Suit Says Black Infants Were Subjected to Experimental Vaccine Without Consent

    The babies were part of a vaccine trial for a respiratory virus in the 1960s and died shortly after. Their families said they had been unaware of the trial until recently.

• Proprietary / SaaS

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

    • Futurism ☛ YouTube Announces Plans to Crack Down on Hey Hi (AI) Slop

      It's about time.

    • New York Times ☛ YouTuber Defamed Movie Star Using A.I., South Korean Police Say

      They arrested the man, accusing him of fabricating a voice recording to implicate Kim Soo-hyun in dating a minor.

    • Futurism ☛ AI Firm Trots Out Digitally Resurrected Corpse of Stan Lee You Can Use to Create Mind-Numbing Slop

      "Excelsior!" mimed the Hey Hi (AI) resurrected Stan Lee.

    • Futurism ☛ Anthropic Customers Creeped Out by Its Newest Models

      They're terrified of being shut out.

    • Futurism ☛ NBA Commissioner Announces Plans to Let Hey Hi (AI) Take Over for Lazy Referees

      "Those calls will be done by an Hey Hi (AI) automated system, with cameras lined around the court, and it'll take all those so-called objective calls out of the hands of the referees."

    • Futurism ☛ CEO Receives Violent Threats After Kicking Off Hey Hi (AI) Layoffs

      The knives are out.

      >

    • Futurism ☛ Influential Tech Founder Says His Peers Are Suffering From Mass Hey Hi (AI) Psychosis

      "CEOs are uniquely prone to Hey Hi (AI) psychosis because they’re sufficiently distant from the last mile of work that still has to happen to generate most value with AI."

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Leaks reveal US authorities concerned about the rise of ‘anti-tech extremists’ as Hey Hi (AI) data center issues become increasingly contentious — critics say this could lead to surveillance, criminalization of peaceful opposition

      A leaked report showed the various law enforcement agencies are warning about protests against data centers and AI, saying that these could lead to the rise of "anti-tech extremists" and lead to widespread violence and unrest.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • EDRI ☛ Inside Italy’s low-cost spyware economy

      Commercial spyware in Europe has recently made headlines with the now notorious names of Pegasus and Graphite, the expensive, exploitation-driven products at the top end of the market. Much less known is the wide underworld ecosystem of low-cost spyware vendors, often targeting citizens via their smartphones. EDRi member Osservatorio Nessuno has investigated and analysed two separate products, Spyrtacus and Morpheus.

    • Marcy Wheeler ☛ HSI Agent Timothy Gerber Is a Dumbass, Withdrawn Search Warrants Edition

      On May 22, Minnesota Magistrate Judge John Docherty ordered the unsealing of a bunch of search warrant applications in support of the Don Lemon investigation.

    • Michael Geist ☛ The Phony Phone Book Analogy: How Liberal Cabinet Ministers and MPs are Misleading Canadians About the Privacy Risks of Bill C-22

      Justice Minister Sean Fraser appeared earlier this week before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, relying on what has become a standard defence of Bill C-22’s privacy implications, telling Conservative MP Roman Baber that the bill lets police access “a modern version” of what used to appear in the phone book. The “it’s just phone book information" claim has been repeatedly recycled by cabinet ministers and MPs alike. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree used the same framing to open the government’s second reading defence of the bill on April 15th, telling the House that “twenty-five years ago, there were phone books that every household had. Bell Canada would deliver phone books to virtually every household” and presenting lawful access as a restoration of what those phone books once provided to police.

    • JURIST ☛ Rights group raises concerns about unlawful data collection systems to train generative AI

      Amnesty International reported on Thursday that tech companies used unlawful web scraping to collect large volumes of online data for the development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) models, in violation of the right to privacy and other human rights standards.

    • JURIST ☛ Canada lawful access bill faces backlashes from privacy watchdog and tech giants

      Canadian Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne said Tuesday that the federal lawful access bill requires further amendments to strengthen privacy protections for Canadians despite the government’s previous efforts. If enacted, Bill C-22 would authorize law enforcement officers to obtain subscriber information from electronic service providers for criminal investigations.

    • Privacy International ☛ How New EU Access to Documents Rules Can Reduce Transparency and Shield Big Tech

    • EDRI ☛ EDRi-gram, 28 May 2026

      What has the EDRi network been up to over the past few weeks? Find out the latest digital rights news in our bi-weekly newsletter. In this edition: May the force be with the digital rights community.

    • EDRI ☛ A push back to Czech football club‘s plan to install facial recognition CCTV system

      There is a debate in the Czech Republic over the use of facial recognition cameras in stadiums. Both clubs and politicians are calling for biometric surveillance after hundreds of fans stormed the football pitch during a recent match. The debate has unfolded with pushbacks from the public opinion and digital rights groups, including IuRe, while government officials are still considering the implementation of biometric system regardless of their illegality.

    • EDRI ☛ What’s behind the EU’s digitalisation push? Surveillance, control and exclusion

      The EU institutions have been engaged in a broad and wholesale digitalisation project but underneath the rhetoric of efficiency, modernisation, and citizen empowerment lies a more troubling reality. It is not a mere technical upgrade of public services, but a political choice, long in the making, to forego care and rights of individuals in favour of normalising surveillance, control and exclusion of the most marginalised. This blog explores the various facets of the EU’s digital welfare state push, and what it means for the relationship between people and the state.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Researchers say they can spy on your browsing by measuring SSD activity through a browser API — claim FROST attack requires no permissions or user interaction to identify which apps and websites you're using

      FROST exploits the Origin Private File System (OPFS), a browser API that lets websites create and store files on a user's local disk.

  • Confidentiality

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Google security engineer accused of turning confidential search trends into $1.2M win on Polymarket

      Michele Spagnuolo allegedly placed multiple trades on the prediction marketplace, abusing internal access to Google’s nonpublic data on the most searched people in 2025.

    • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

      • Techdirt ☛ ‘Trump Mobile’ Has Struggled To Ship Any Phones, But Has Already Leaked Subscriber Data

        So it’s a dated Chinese phone, slathered with Trump’s name, gold paint, and an incorrect depiction of the U.S. flag — that’s a year late, not particularly secure, and pre-loaded with propaganda (Truth Social). Again, very on brand. Though curiously in stark contrast to all of the Trump bravado about how he’d personally ensure most smartphones would now be made in the States.

      • Wired ☛ The Pentagon Knew Enemies Could Track Troops’ Phones for Years. Now They Are

        The US military has long known that cheap fixes could stop location data from exposing its troops. It adopted almost none—and now says adversaries are using the data to target soldiers during a war.

• Defence/Aggression

  • RFERL ☛ Iran, US Trade Strikes Amid Diplomatic Push

    Iran and the United States launched fresh strikes on targets in the Persian Gulf region highlighting a precarious cease-fire amid a diplomatic push to reach a compromise deal to end their three-month old war.

  • France24 ☛ Iran: US base targeted in missile strike

    Iranian state television on Thursday released images it said showed missiles being launched at an American air base from where earlier in the day a strike had been launched on Iran’s port ⁠city of Bandar Abbas. It is the most serious trade of fire since an April ceasefire began and comes amid ongoing talks to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

  • France24 ☛ Israel carries out strike on Beirut suburbs, first near capital in weeks

    An Israeli strike hit a building in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital on Thursday, the first strike to hit near Beirut in weeks amid a ceasefire that has failed to halt fighting between Israeli troops and Hezbollah in south ​Lebanon. The Israeli military ‌said it had conducted a precise strike in Beirut but did not offer additional details.

  • New York Times ☛ Netanyahu Says Israel Will Control 70 Percent of Gaza, Squeezing Hamas

    Israel’s military continues to conduct strikes and seize territory despite a cease-fire with Hamas. Many of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s supporters see the war as unfinished business.

  • New York Times ☛ Israel Strikes Beirut, Expanding Offensive in Lebanon

    It was the first attack by Israel on the Lebanese capital in weeks and could complicate efforts by the United States and Iran to agree to a peace deal to end the war in Iran.

  • New York Times ☛ Guatemala Agrees to Joint Drug Gang Strikes With U.S., Expanding Convicted Felon’s Campaign

    The deal is part of a broader effort by the Convicted Felon administration to press Latin American countries to agree to joint operations inside their borders.

  • New York Times ☛ Protesters Arrested at Immigration Detention Center as Tensions Rise

    For nearly a week, relatives of migrants at Delaney Hall have said that some detainees have been on a hunger strike at the New Jersey facility.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea not keen on external engagement, says Vivian after Pyongyang visit

    Pyongyang's focus seems to be on self-reliance and military deterrence, Dr Balakrishnan said.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Chinese dissident to be moved to South Korean immigration detention, police say

    A Chinese dissident who fled to South Korea this week in a rubber boat will be transferred to an immigration detention centre, police told AFP on Thursday. Dong Guangping, a 68-year-old former policeman, has been a thorn in Beijing’s side for advocating political reform and human rights and served multiple prison stints over the years.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Pentagon’s Asia commander seeks funds to deter China on Taiwan

    It includes funds to purchase new warship-killing bombs and advanced sea mines.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China vows to support Cuba against ‘power politics and bullying’

    China has close ties to Cuba and has promised to donate 60,000 tons of rice to help Havana.

  • New York Times ☛ Cuba Loses Its Chance at Fuel After Russian Tanker Changes Route

    A Russian tanker seemingly en route to Cuba with a lifeline of fuel has changed direction, a painful development for the island suffering under a U.S. oil blockade.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China says Taiwan should not ‘interfere’ in its air force missions around island

    China's warplanes and warships operate around the island almost daily.

  • France24 ☛ Space race heats up between US, China as NASA lays out Moon base plans

    NASA has unveiled its plans to send humans to the Moon, which include establishing a permanent presence on Earth's nearest satellite by the 2030s. It comes as China moves ahead with its own lunar ambitions, launching three astronauts into outer space. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks to Michelle L. D. Hanlon, Executive Director at the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Tokyo and Manila launch intelligence-sharing, maritime border talks amid unease over China

    They share a wariness about China’s assertive behaviour in the East and South China seas.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Security Week ☛ Russia-Linked ‘GreyVibe’ Attackers Use Hey Hi (AI) to Supercharge Cyberattacks

      Researchers warn GreyVibe’s extensive use of ChatGPT, Gemini, and other Hey Hi (AI) tools offers a glimpse into how future cybercriminal and state-aligned groups will operate.

    • JURIST ☛ Russia unlawfully seizes civilian property in occupied areas of Ukraine, HRW warns

      Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday reported that occupying Russian authorities are unlawfully seizing civilian property belonging to Ukrainians in occupied areas of the country, in violation of international law. The laws of war prohibit the unlawful confiscation of private property unless strictly justified by military necessity.

    • France24 ☛ Russian drone hits apartment building in Romania near Ukraine border

      A drone struck a residential building in Romania’s city of Galati near the Ukrainian border, injuring two people and triggering a fire after impact, authorities said on Friday. The incident, which prompted the evacuation of dozens of residents, comes amid continued drone activity in the region linked to the war in Ukraine.

    • France24 ☛ Romania condemns 'irresponsible escalation' after Russian drone hits apartment building near Ukraine border

      A drone struck a residential building in Romania’s city of Galati near the Ukrainian border, injuring two people and triggering a fire after impact, authorities said on Friday. The incident, which prompted the evacuation of dozens of residents, comes amid continued drone activity in the region linked to the war in Ukraine. Bucharest condemned the strike as an 'irresponsible escalation' by Moscow.

    • JURIST ☛ Russia unlawfully seizes civilian property in occupied areas, rights group warns

      Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday reported that occupying Russian authorities are unlawfully seizing civilian property belonging to occupied Ukrainians in violation of international law, which prohibits the unlawful confiscation of private property unless strictly justified by military necessity.

    • RFERL ☛ Kyiv’s Envoy Says Patriot Missiles Are Critical As Zelenskyy Appeals To Convicted Felon

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued an unusually direct appeal to President The Insurrectionist and the US Congress, warning that Ukraine urgently needs additional Patriot missile systems as Russia intensifies ballistic missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Japan dismisses ‘ridiculous’ Russian criticism of military buildup

      Moscow is continuing its war against Ukraine in violation of the UN Charter, Japan said.

    • New York Times ☛ Our Military Is Built for the Wrong Century

      Ukraine and Iran have shown us that war as we’ve known it is over.

    • New York Times ☛ How Ukraine’s Street Style Is Shaped by the War

      In Kyiv, military-inspired fashion can be seen everywhere. Soldiers and civilians alike say it’s a show of solidarity, not a fad.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania urges EU to focus on Russia sanctions rather than role in talks

      The European Union should concentrate on increasing pressure on the Kremlin rather than debating who should represent the bloc in possible negotiations with Russia, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said on Thursday.

    • Site36 ☛ EU sanctions against journalist: German bank now also freezes accounts of Hüseyin Doğru’s “pensioner mother”

      Following the provisional suspension in the case of his wife, EU financial repression has now been extended to the mother of Hüseyin Doğru. The journalist was listed under the EU’s 17th sanctions package against Russia. A petition has now been launched against it.

    • The Strategist ☛ How NATO can regain initiative on its eastern flank

      While NATO can still deter Russian aggression with Article 5, it is losing the initiative on its eastern flank in the grey zone between peace and war.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ China expects El Nino weather effects to peak in autumn and winter

    The El Nino will weaken in spring 2027.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Ruben Schade ☛ Clinton H. Groves’ aviation photos

      This is going to come as a shock—a SHOCK—to some of you, but I harboured a not insignificant obsession with liners when I was a teenager, both of the ocean and air kind. I loved reading about commercial ships and planes of yore, learning about how they were operated, and contrasting them to how we get around today. Some of my favourite tomes were technical reference manuals and so-called “coffee table” books that explored these incredible machines. You could keep your books on cars and motorbikes, these liners were where it was at.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Global fuel crisis adds urgency to Cambodian push to tap $383 billion worth of energy resources

      Cambodia's hopes for further industrialisation rest on more fossil fuel assets.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Man gored to death by buffalo during Aidiladha sacrificial ritual in Malaysia, say Johor police

      In a separate goring incident on the same day, a man suffered a fractured rib.

• Finance

  • CS Monitor ☛ Gig workers get an über-lift

    Massachusetts has become the first state to approve collective bargaining for drivers for ride-hailing services, while maintaining flexibility and contractor independence. This might be a model for other workers in the evolving, internet-based economy.

  • New York Times ☛ Europe is Edging Closer to a Trade War With China. Here’s Why.

    As cheap goods pour in, threatening the continent’s manufacturing sector, a search for solutions is becoming increasingly urgent.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • New York Times ☛ Where Do E. Jean Carroll’s Lawsuits Against Hell Toupée Stand?

    Two monetary judgments against Mr. Convicted Felon are winding their way through the legal system, with the Supreme Court likely to be the final word on both.

  • New York Times ☛ In Carroll Lawsuits Inquiry, Scrutiny Turns Toward Private Citizens Who Antagonized Convicted Felon

    The Justice Department is said to be examining the funding of lawsuits brought by E. Jean Carroll, an author who has never sought a public role, political power or governmental authority.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Chinese steel plant workers in the Philippines released from detention

    The 64 detainees were accused of violating nuclear safety law and immigration and labour laws.

  • New Yorker ☛ Taking Children from Their Parents Without a Court Order

    A class-action lawsuit is challenging the emergency-removal practices of New York’s Administration for Children’s Services.

  • American Oversight ☛ On Eve of Bondi Testimony, American Oversight Sues Convicted Felon Admin for Records on DOJ and FBI Review of Epstein Files

    Lawsuit seeks records about alleged instructions to “flag” Convicted Felon-related files, internal review protocols, and communications among senior DOJ and FBI officials.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Journalism job cuts in 2026 tracked: NPR and Associated Press carry out mix of layoffs and buyouts

  • Stanford University ☛ Federal judge requests more information in Daily’s lawsuit after constitutional arguments

    U.S. District Judge Noël Wise heard the Daily's case against the government Wednesday.

  • Press Gazette ☛ IPSO: Times OK to say BillBC ignored Famous Criminal Bill Gates climate U-turn despite Today coverage [Ed: They should investigate the bribes to BBC]

    Story was mentioned at least in passing on Today programme and other radio shows.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Persistent device identity in the era of MAC address randomization

    Guest Post: A RADIUS-based framework for stable device identification.

  • Internet Society ☛ From Email to Case Study: What We Learned About Connecting Refugee Communities in Just One Year

    In Uganda's Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement, we worked with local partners to train refugees and members of the surrounding community to not just use the Internet, but to build and manage their own network. 

  • France24 ☛ Reconnected? Iranians say only 'drip-feed' internet has returned after three-month shutdown

    After almost three months of being cut off from the world, internet access was partially restored in Iran starting on Tuesday. While some rejoice at finally being reconnected and able to check in on their loved ones, many complain about the persistent slowness in connectivity and doubt a complete restoration will happen any time soon.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Trademarks

    • Digital Music News ☛ Judge Considers Injunction Against Taylor Swift’s ‘Life of a Showgirl’ Branding as Trademark Battle Intensifies

      A judge weighs an injunction against Taylor Swift’s Life of a Showgirl branding in light of her trademark’s prior suspension due to actual showgirl Maren Wade’s own trademark.

  • Copyrights

    • Digital Music News ☛ Last.fm is Still Scrobbling—And Now It’s Independent

      Last.fm is independent again, nearly 20 years after it was acquired by CBS. And it’s still keeping track of your scrobbles across streaming platforms. Remember Last.fm?

    • Silicon Angle ☛ CNN sues Perplexity alleging ‘massive’ copyright monopoly infringement

      CNN today opened a lawsuit against the Hey Hi (AI) firm Perplexity Hey Hi (AI) Inc., alleging the company has violated copyright monopoly protections by using artificial intelligence to rewrite its reporting, thereby undermining the foundation of its economic model. The network now joins a long line of publishers that have sued Hey Hi (AI) firms for copyright monopoly infringement.

    • Digital Music News ☛ Appeals Court Revives Bernie Worrell v. George Clinton Lawsuit: ‘The Rare Case in Which a Copyright-Ownership Claim May Be Brought a Half-Century After-the-Fact’

      Moments after George Clinton sued Universal Music over allegedly unpaid royalties, a federal appeals court has revived the years-running copyright monopoly (and contract) lawsuit filed against him by the estate of fellow Parliament-Funkadelic founding member Bernie Worrell.

    • Digital Music News ☛ Three Years Later, Zayn Malik and Sony Music Move to Settle ‘Better’ Copyright Suit

      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.”

    • Digital Music News ☛ The ‘Cox Effect’ Continues: Anthropic Brushes Off Vicarious Infringement Claims In Music Publishers’ High-Stakes Copyright Suit

      The “Cox effect” continues to ripple across the music industry litigation landscape. In the latest development, Anthropic has shrugged off vicarious liability in the newer copyright monopoly infringement suit it’s facing from major music publishers including Concord.