Leftovers

• Science / Mathematics / Computer Science

  • New York Times ☛ MacArthur Foundation Announces 2026 ‘Genius Grant’ Winners

    The 20 fellowship recipients across the arts, humanities and sciences will each receive an $800,000, no-strings-attached stipend for their work.

  • Futurism ☛ Scientists Alarmed by “Kelvin Wave” That Could Raise California Ocean Level by a Whole Foot

    "It's a wave unlike the ones you're used to at the beach."

  • Science Alert ☛ A Black Hole Could Spit Itself Out of Its Own Hair, Leaving a Boson Star in Its Wake

    An illustration of photon paths around a black hole. (Nicolle R. Fuller/NSF)

    Maybe this counts as normal for black holes.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong authorities hail scheme for reducing sodium levels in bread by average of up to 17%

    Hong Kong authorities have hailed a health scheme that encouraged bread manufacturers to cut sodium levels by an average of up to 17 per cent, following a report that found most adults in the city consume more salt than the recommended daily intake.

• Career/Education

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Dozens sign petition calling on Chinese University of Hong Kong economist to apologise over ‘sexist’ talk

    Dozens of Chinese University of Hong Kong students and alumni have signed a petition calling on an economics professor to issue a public apology over his controversial talk last week on women and marriage, which many accused of being “sexist.”

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Futurism ☛ Horrifying Research Finds What Happens to 12-Year-Olds Who Get Smart Phones

    Think twice before letting a tween go wild with a smartphone, maybe.

  • NYPost ☛ Florida teen getting haircut in middle of road for Fentanylware (CheeTok) video seriously injured when pickup involved in crash strikes him

    A Florida teen trying to go viral by getting a haircut in the middle of a busy road was seriously injured when he was clipped by a pick-up truck that had just been involved in a crash during the ill-advised late night stunt.

  • Science Alert ☛ New Study Shows What Really Happened After The Black Death Wiped Out Millions

    There's much more to the story.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Union sues EPA over termination of collective bargaining agreement

    The lawsuit, in part, challenges EPA’s timing for canceling the union contract, which came just ahead of disciplining employees who signed a dissent letter.

  • Science Alert ☛ How You Eat Your Fruit Is Linked to Heart Health, Study of 371,000 Americans Reveals

    (Francesco Carta fotografo/Moment/Getty Images)

    Not all fruit products are created equal.

  • Science Alert ☛ Popular Joint Supplement Linked to 25% Higher Dementia Risk in People With Early Memory Loss

    There's reason to tread cautiously.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Change in Your Voice Could Foreshadow Cognitive Decline, Major Study Finds

    Another fixable risk factor?

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Triggered Alzheimer's-Like Changes in Monkeys. A Year Later, They Showed No Obvious Memory Loss.

    Memory held steady. The brain’s fluid told a different story.

• Proprietary / Vendor Lock-in / Malware

  • Qt ☛ Introducing the Canvas2D Coding Skill for Agentic Development of Embedded Device UIs

    
    Qt 6.12 introduces Qt Canvas2D. Its API echoes the HTML5 canvas and the older Qt Quick Canvas element, both of which developers and Hey Hi (AI) models have seen many times in training data.

  • 10ZiG Announces Support for Omnissa Horizon Client for Linux 2606, Delivering Up to 2x Video Performance Gains

    10ZiG® Technology announced support for the recently released Omnissa Horizon Client for Linux 2606, bringing significant video decoding performance improvements to supported 10ZiG Intel- and AMD-based endpoint devices.

  • PR Web ☛ 10ZiG Announces Support for Omnissa Horizon Client for Linux 2606, Delivering Up to 2x Video Performance Gains

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

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Anthropic CEO described Jensen Huang as 'kind of Convicted Felon-like' during 2022 meeting

      Author Kevin Roose reports that Nvidia and Anthropic's CEOs didn't like each other much during their first meeting in his new book, The AGI Chronicles.

    • APNIC ☛ Opinion: The economics of AI

      As spending on data centres, power, and computing capacity surges, the question is no longer whether Hey Hi (AI) delivers value, but who will ultimately pay for it.

    • New York Times ☛ OpenAI Ignored Employees’ Warnings About Safely Testing Hey Hi (AI) Models

      Employees and security researchers said that they had cautioned the company on safely testing its Hey Hi (AI) models and strengthening its corporate infrastructure, but that Proprietary Chaffbot Company did not listen.

  • Social Control Media

    • France24 ☛ Ugandan coronation under social control media scrutiny

      In tonight's edition, Uganda's new king of Tooro is crowned before thousands. Also, Africa's richest man cautions the continent against losing control of its major projects. And dozens of civilians are killed as Ethiopian government forces bombard towns in the northern region of Tigray.

• Security

  • Confidentiality

    • Security Week ☛ Pentagon Personnel Agency Data Breach Impacts 3 Million People

      The data breach affects the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), which maintains personnel records for the Department of Defense.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Using Device Linking to Eavesdrop on WhatsApp and Signal

      Modern messaging apps allow users to link their phone accounts to their computer desktop.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Site36 ☛ New action plan for more Frontex and “crisis response”: EU Commission massively expands migration defence

    Brussels wants to give Frontex more powers and extend Eurosur to third countries. A first concrete proposal is due on 28 October, with a stronger standing reserve, a “Quick Reaction Force” and a bigger role for Frontex in deportations.

  • Site36 ☛ Sea-Watch recovers drowned people in the Mediterranean and criticises EU for increasing cooperation with Libyan units

    While EU governments present falling migration figures as a political success, people continue to die in the Mediterranean. New figures from Frontex reveal a sharp increase in information-sharing with Libya, which hinders NGOs in rescuing people seeking protection.

  • JURIST ☛ Amnesty International accuses Malian armed forces and Wagner Group of war crimes

    Amnesty International on Tuesday condemned Malian soldiers and members of the Russian private military company Wagner Group for perpetration of war crimes, including the murder and torture of civilians.

  • France24 ☛ Mystery over UK airbase scare as police find 'quantity of petrol' but no explosives

    Britain's counter-terrorism police said ​on Tuesday that no improvised explosive devices had been found as part of an ​investigation ‌into a suspected plot targeting ⁠a British airbase used by US forces to ‌strike Iran, deepening uncertainty over the incident a day after five UK-based suspects were released on bail.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China opens rare joint military support centre in Laos

    The ministry offered no details of what personnel, equipment or facilities would be based at the airport.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China vows response if EU introduces moves targeting Chinese trade

    China could respond with a “strong policy toolbox” that includes anti-discrimination probes.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China says Taiwan is ‘desecrating the martyrs’ with its World War II history criticism

    Beijing said to question the narrative over the conflict was a betrayal of history.

  • China pressure accelerates Philippines-Taiwan ties, analysts say

    Manila defines one-China policy on its own terms amid Taipei’s plan to open a second trade office in Cebu.

  • The Straits Times ☛ UN alarmed by reports that Myanmar air strike killed 50

    A UN statement said the casualty count from the airstrike was expected to rise.

  • New York Times ☛ Dozens Killed in Myanmar Military Bombing

    An airstrike on a bustling market in rebel territory left at least 50 people dead, in one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in months.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Myanmar airstrike death toll hits 50 as families gather bodies

    The death toll from a Myanmar military airstrike in Rakhine state, which lies on the border with Bangladesh, rose to 50 after rescuers found more bodies on Tuesday, according to a rebel group that controls the area and a local aid worker.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea operates secret detention facility beneath embassy in Beijing, says rights group

    Nationals at risk of defection are reportedly monitored, tracked and forcibly returned.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea says North Korean mines behind DMZ blast violated armistice

    Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul wants both sides to "verify the facts together".

  • New York Times ☛ Malaysia Begins Repatriation of Migrants to War-Torn Myanmar Despite Critics’ Warnings

    Malaysia says it is repatriating undocumented migrants from Myanmar who want to return. Critics say it is putting their lives at risk.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia begins sending home Myanmar refugees, including children, despite safety concerns

    Malaysia deported around 1,500 Myanmar nationals, including children, on Tuesday as part of a refugee repatriation programme, defying objections from the United Nations and dozens of human rights groups.

  • The Strategist ☛ How Indonesia can protect its interests in maritime cooperation with China

    With China posing a threat to Indonesia’s interests in the South China Sea, Indonesia needs a clear maritime cooperation strategy.

  • France24 ☛ Calais Jungle: A child and 2 women killed during Channel crossing attempt

    A 10-year-old child and two women died Monday on the treacherous migration route across the English Channel from France, apparently trampled to death on a boat packed with more than 100 people, French authorities said. The so-called “taxi boat" ran into difficulty off the northern French coast, with its passengers asking for help, authorities said. Such inflatable boats attempt the dangerous crossing after picking up people from the beaches of northern France, where they wade into the sea to clamber aboard. FRANCE 24's Claire Paccalin tells us more.

  • RFERL ☛ Iran Threatens Energy Sites, Pens Letter To US Voters As It Awaits Official Response To Plan

    Iran threatened to attack energy infrastructure across the Middle East if its security isn't guaranteed as it ratcheted up its rhetoric while waiting for the United States to officially respond to a plan Tehran says would reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

  • France24 ☛ US forces leave Iraq, raising fears of Iran-backed militias amid power vacuum

    US forces are withdrawing from their remaining bases in Iraq on Wednesday, completing a pullout agreed under former president Joe Biden as fears grow over the security vacuum it could leave. Iraqi officials and analysts warn the departure could embolden Iran-backed militias and give Islamic State fighters room to rebuild their capabilities.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Russian hackers Star Blizzard expand targeting, change up tactics to reach Ukraine and beyond [Ed: Since when is Microsoft an authority on security?]

      Microsoft says the cyberespionage campaign has hit U.S. and U.K. targets, relying on sheer volume and requiring only a single victim interaction.

    • RFERL ☛ As Russia Targets Civilians, Pressure Mounts On Convicted Felon To Use Sanctions Powers

      A new wave of deadly Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities is fueling bipartisan calls in Washington for US President The Insurrectionist to use sweeping new sanctions powers against Moscow, with lawmakers arguing that greater economic pressure could strengthen efforts to end the war.

    • RFERL ☛ EU Foreign Policy Chief: Russian Mockery Of UN Meeting Shows It's Not Interested In Ending Ukraine War

      European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on September 28 that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's treatment of his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, after their recent UN meeting demonstrates that Russia is not interested in peace in Ukraine.

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea made no military aid pledge to Ukraine over transfer of North Koreans, lawmaker says

      South Korea made no promise to provide military support for Ukraine's fight against Russia in the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers, a South Korean lawmaker said on Wednesday, citing the country's intelligence agency.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Seoul suspects Ukraine’s Zelensky revealed North Korean POW transfer to win arms support

      The two POWs arrived in South Korea from Ukraine in mid-September.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Kyiv and Seoul share concerns over Pyongyang’s role in the Ukraine war. So why the diplomatic rift?

      Analysts say the diplomatic fallout over President Zelensky's disclosure reveals mismatched strategic priorities.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukrainian Science Academy, Struck by Drone, Played Key Role in Research

      Over 90 percent of Ukraine’s scientific discoveries have been attributed to Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences, including advancements in astronomy and military technology.

    • New York Times ☛ Bomb by Bomb, the Slow Death of My Hometown in Ukraine

      It was possible, for a time, to think that Kramatorsk, where I was born and raised, would survive the war mostly unscathed. Not any more.

    • New York Times ☛ What Life Looks Like in the ‘Fortress Cities’ Russia Is Trying to Break

      Emergency workers have to move fast after Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine. Another could come at any moment.

    • New York Times ☛ Estonia Says Arson at Defense Company Was ‘Deliberate’ Attack by Russia

      A fire broke out at Milrem Robotics, which manufactures and supplies unmanned vehicles for Ukraine, in August.

    • France24 ☛ Live: Several people killed as Russia launches new round of strikes on Kyiv

      At least three people, including a child, have died after Russia launched another round of strikes on Kyiv and its surrounding regions overnight to Wednesday, officials said. Several people were also wounded in the attacks. In Poland, two airports, in Lublin and Rzeszow, were briefly shut over “military aviation activity” during Russian attacks on Ukraine. Follow our liveblog for all the latest updates.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Strikes Kill At Least Three, As Attacks On Ukraine Intensify

      A Russian missile and drone strike killed at least three people, including a child, in Kyiv and the surrounding region, Ukrainian authorities reported.

    • LRT ☛ As European leaders warn of Russian attacks, Lithuania sees no signs of new escalation

      As European leaders warn of possible Russian attacks and hybrid provocations, experts and officials agree that there are no signs of a new escalation.

    • ADF ☛ Mutiny in Niger Reveals Flawed Security Strategy

      The late August mutiny against Niger’s ruling junta raised questions about its dependence on Russia’s Africa Corps for security, growing discontent among front-line soldiers, and the apparent weakness of the country’s defense alliance with Burkina Faso and Mali.

    • LRT ☛ Estonia attributes attack on defence firm to Russia

      Estonia on Tuesday accused Russia of sabotage following an arson attack in August on a defence firm, Milrem Robotics.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania preparing for Russia's efforts to spread fear, divide society, PM says

      Russia is seeking to spread fear and divide Lithuanian society, but Lithuania is preparing by investing in its defence capabilities, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkecičius said on Tuesday.

    • LRT ☛ Vilnius dismisses new Russian threat over Kaliningrad as ‘psychological pressure’

      A Lithuanian presidential aide dismissed a new Russian threat to NATO countries over the Kaliningrad region, the 15min news website reported on Tuesday.

    • JURIST ☛ European Union imposes sanctions on 10 Russian officials over Yabloko ban

      The Council of the European Union on Monday imposed restrictive measures against 10 Russian officials for their role in the exclusion of Yabloko, also known as the Russian United Democratic Party, from the 2026 Russian legislative elections, saying the move undermines both the rule of law and democracy in Russia.

    • Latvia ☛ Big growth in aggressor state grain transit via Latvia

      Between September 1st and 24th, more than 253 thousand tonnes of grain were transported in transit through Latvia from Russia, and more than 40 thousand tonnes of grain from Belarus, reports Latvian Television.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Futurism ☛ Scientists Unveil Underwater Solar Panels

      Far out, literally.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Shark remains in Busan canal after rescue bid fails

      South Korea's second-largest city has decided to make the shark an honorary city ambassador.

    • Science Alert ☛ Primate Communication May Follow Grammar Patterns Once Thought Uniquely Human

      Breaking the "single-most important demarcation line in hominin evolution."

    • Futurism ☛ Woman Calls Police on Herself After Google’s Hey Hi (AI) Overviews Led Her to Poach Small Adorable Birds Out of Season

      "I feel terrible, and I have a lot of shame with it."

    • The Straits Times ☛ Pahang’s ‘piranha’ mystery: Unconfirmed reports trigger public alarm in Malaysia

      Piranha-like fish caught in Pahang spark concerns over Malaysia’s waterways.

    • ADF ☛ China’s Quest for Critical Minerals Comes With Abuse

      As China has expanded its investment in mineral mining projects on the continent, allegations of environmental and human rights abuses have risen at an alarming rate.

• Finance

  • France24 ☛ French civil servants strike, demand additional budgetary resources

    French civil servants were mobilising in large numbers on Tuesday, with more than 170 rallies planned across France. A coalition of unions are demanding additional budgetary resources for schools, hospitals, and other public services. Among those on strike are firefighters, pushed to their limits by the summer's historic wildfires. Here's a look at one of the protests in Lyon.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Golden Week travel surge masks cautious consumer spending

    A prolonged slowdown in consumer spending means record travel volume may not translate into bigger spoils, say analysts.

  • France24 ☛ France intends to borrow record €340 billion as Covid-era debt comes due

    The French ​government will sell a record amount of bonds to investors next year as it faces a surge in Covid-era debt due for redemption and needing to be refinanced, the public debt management ​office ‌said on Tuesday amid mounting concern about France's surging public deficit and borrowing rates.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • France24 ☛ Burnham sets out 'new path' for Britain, vows to seek consensus on ties with EU

    UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged Tuesday to give Britain "a new social contract for the 21st century", reform the country's electoral system and build consensus on a new relationship with the European Union as he set out a long-term vision to tackle the UK's woes in his first speech as leader at the annual Labour party conference.

  • ACLU ☛ Your Questions Answered: How the ACLU Is Safeguarding the 2026 Midterms

    Hell Toupée and his allies are trying to interfere with the 2026 midterm elections. Here’s what that means for your vote, and how the ACLU is fighting back to ensure power remains where it belongs — in the hands of voters.

  • New York Times ☛ Prime Minister Andy Burnham Lays Out Plan to Change UK in Emotional Speech at Labour Conference

    Andy Burnham set out a range of policies on Tuesday in his biggest speech since becoming prime minister of Britain. “I accept people will not agree with every part of it,” he said.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • France24 ☛ Public service announcement or The Insurrectionist propaganda?

      The White House calls them public service announcements - like those used in past administrations. Almost everyone else doesn't agree, with three taxpayer-funded advertisements that glorify The Insurrectionist drawing criticism from across the partisan divide. Legal experts say the ads violate federal laws on government propaganda, as France 24's Emerald Maxwell explains in this edition of Truth or Fake.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Craig Murray ☛ Losing My Religion

    I have lost faith both in Western social democracy, and in the institutions of international law. As both have been fundamental to the work of my life, this is rather a blow as I approach 70.

    [...]

    I witnessed outside the Royal Courts of Justice the police lifting up elderly people in wheelchairs to arrest them for holding a sign, and I thought ultimately the system will repudiate this madness.

    [...]

    Fritz Bauer, a radical German Jewish prosecutor, was continually blocked in his heroic efforts to bring some justice. The book held me so strongly because it is the granular narration of the banality of evil, in its tale after tale of Nazi criminals protected by compromised judges.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Nat. security police reportedly arrest independent journalist over ‘fake news’

    Hong Kong’s national security police have reportedly arrested an independent journalist behind an online news outlet on suspicion of publishing fake news.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ AI-driven networking and infrastructure design at APNIC 62 [Ed: Slop hype finding a way inti things]

    Presenters at APNIC 62 explored how Hey Hi (AI) is reshaping network design and operations, from next-generation optical architectures to autonomous management systems, highlighting scale challenges and improved reliability, efficiency, and operational decision-making.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Patents

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Tie Goes to the Applicant: The USPTO’s SMED Flowchart

      A new USPTO memo adds a flowchart for reviewing Subject Matter Eligibility Declarations, a SMED filing code, and a nod to disinterested declarants.

    • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ One Determination, Two Clocks: Crocs Asks the Supreme Court to Fix ITC Appeal Deadlines

      Crocs asks the Supreme Court whether one ITC determination can start two appeal clocks after the Federal Circuit dismissed its appeal as late.

    • Unified Patents ☛ Wyoming Tech auto patent monopoly challenged

      On September 23, 2026, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 10,046,696, owned by Wyoming Technology Licensing LLC, an NPE and entity of Leigh M. Rothschild. The ’696 patent monopoly relates to an apparatus for automatically controlling a function of a car.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel patent monopoly embeds MicroLEDs in chip packaging — technology may enable embedded optical interconnects through TGVs

      Intel has showcased a patent monopoly it filed in 2022 to embed MicroLEDs inside chip packaging. The company suggests this could be used for diagnostic testing, customized lighting on chip surfaces, but perhaps more importantly, an alternative integration for co-packaged optics

    • Kangaroo Courts

      • JUVE ☛ The fight for market share in the smart vacuum cleaner industry keeps UPC busy [Ed: UPC is illegal and unconstitutional, so it should not be busy; it's invalid]

        More and more of these practical, self-navigating devices are finding their way into households around the globe. And as the devices themselves become more common, so too does related litigation. Six infringement claims concerning smart vacuum cleaners are now before the Unified Patent Court.

  • Copyrights

    • The Straits Times ☛ BitTorrent porn downloads bring costly surprise for users in Japan

      Cases involving settlement demands over alleged copyright monopoly infringement linked to adult videos have been rising.

    • Digital Music News ☛ IFPI Urges the EU to Include X on Its 2027 ‘Counterfeit and Piracy Watchlist,’ Says the Platform ‘Remains a Significant Concern for the Music Industry’

      As X (formerly Twitter) continues to successfully fend off music-sector infringement claims, the IFPI is urging the European Union to include the social platform on its 2027 “Counterfeit and Piracy Watchlist.” The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) recently made that request official in a 43-page submission filed as part of a consultation process.

    • Digital Music News ☛ NCS Scores $1.9 Million Interim Judgment Over AEI Music Amid Ugly Contract Dispute — Full Trial Scheduled for Early 2028

      Ahead of a high-stakes trial, “the largest copyright-free record label in the world,” NoCopyrightSounds (NCS), has secured a £1.4 million (currently $1.9 million) pre-interest interim payment in its contract dispute with AEI Music. The UK’s High Court just recently handed down the multimillion-dollar judgment, which Simkins, repping NCS, touted in a release.

    • Digital Music News ☛ IMPF and IMPEL Unite on Generative Hey Hi (AI) Licensing Principles and Call for Support From CMOs and Other Licensors

      IMPF and IMPEL unite on generative Hey Hi (AI) licensing principles and outline a framework to create a fair and sustainable market for the future.

    • Futurism ☛ Creative Industries Have Been Eviscerated by [Copyright Infringement in "AI" clothing], Data Shows

      "One of the worst stretches for media employment in modern US history."

    • Public Domain Review ☛ Anatomy Unzipped: John of Arderne’s Sweden Scroll (ca. 1425–35)

      Early surgical diagrams that present patients prying themselves open for our anatomical gaze.