Leftovers

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ Saturn Gains 128 New Moons, Bringing Its Total to 274

    The objects around the ringed planet are tiny, but some of them may have formed relatively recently in the solar system’s history.

  • New York Times ☛ SpaceX Launches NASA’s SPHEREx and PUNCH Missions

    The SPHEREx telescope will create the most colorful map of the cosmos, while the four satellites of the PUNCH mission track the evolution of the solar wind in three dimensions.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Keebin’ With Kristina: The One With The Batwing Typewriter

    [Alex] of YouTube channel [EastMakes] wrote into tell me about his fantastic QWERTY ‘hexpansion’ board for the 2024 EMF Tildagon badge, and [Alex], I’m super glad you did. The system works!

  • Hackaday ☛ Classy Paper Tape Reader Complements Homebrew Retrocomputer

    If you were one of the earliest of early adopters in the home computing revolution, you might have had to settle for paper tape mass storage. It was slow, it was bulky, but it was what you had, and that gave it a certain charm that’s hard to resist. And that charm is what [Joshua Coleman] captures with this DIY paper tape reader build.

  • Hackaday ☛ A Deep Dive Into Canon Autofocus Lenses

    Although taken for granted these days, autofocus (AF) used to be a premium feature on film- and digital cameras, with [Markus Kohlpaintner] taking us through an exhaustive overview of Canon’s AF systems and how they work. On Canon cameras AF became a standard feature with the introduction of its EF lenses in 1987, which are found on its EOS SLR (single-lens reflex) series of professional and prosumer cameras.

  • Hackaday ☛ Lies, Damned Lies, And IGBT Datasheets

    We have all seen optimistic claims for electronic products which fail to match the reality, and [Electronic Wizard] is following one up in a recent video. Can a relatively small IGBT really switch 200 A as claimed by a dubious seller? Off to the datasheet to find out!

  • Science Alert ☛ 128 New Moons Found Orbiting Saturn in Mindblowing Discovery

    Sorry Jupiter.

  Tiny Laptop ☛ https://hackaday.com/2025/03/11/tiny-laptop-gets-a-new-case-and-an-unlocking/ | Source: Hackaday

  • Hackaday ☛ Tiny Laptop Gets A New Case And An Unlocking

    Unless you’ve got an especially small lap, calling the Toshiba Libretto a laptop is a bit of a stretch. The diminutive computers from the mid-1990s had a lot of the usual laptop features, but in an especially compact and portable case that made them a great choice for anyone with an on-the-go lifestyle.

  • Hackaday ☛ A Magic Eye Tube Does All The Work In This Kit

    We’re used to low cost parts and a diversity of electronic functions to choose from in our projects, to the extent that our antecedents would be green with envy. Back when tubes were king, electronics was a much more expensive pursuit with new parts, so designers had to be much more clever in their work. [Thomas Scherrer OZ2CPU] has just such a design on his bench, it’s a Heathkit Capaci-Tester designed in 1959, and we love it for the clever tricks it uses.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Science Alert ☛ Humans Can Host a Variety of Parasitic Worms. Here's How to Spot The Signs.

    It's not just a bum thing.

  • New York Times ☛ Tuberculosis Resurgent as Convicted Felon Funding Cut Disrupts Treatment Globally

    The United States was the major funder of tuberculosis programs. Now hundreds of thousands of sick patients can’t find tests or drugs, and risk spreading the disease.

  • New York Times ☛ RFK Jr. Rattles Food Companies With Vow to Rid Food of Artificial Dyes

    Mr. Kennedy told executives of major food companies that he wants synthetic colors removed from their products. “Decision time is imminent,” a trade group warned its members.

  • New York Times ☛ South Korean R&B Singer Wheesung Is Found Dead at 43

    The artist was known for popularizing the musical genre in the country, but convictions for drug abuse damaged his image.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Infection blamed for top Chinese lawmaker’s absence from key Parliament session

    Zhao Leji did not attend the closing session of China's national political advisory body.

  • European Commission ☛ Press remarks by Executive Vice-President Ribera and Commissioner Várhelyi on the Critical Medicines Act

  • Science Alert ☛ Study Reveals Critical Age When Your Thinking Begins to Decline

    It's earlier than you might think.

  • Science Alert ☛ Latest Alzheimer's Drugs Can Add Years of Independence to Patient Lives

    A measureable difference.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Turned Cockroaches Into Cyborgs, Giving Them Navigation Superpowers

    They'll find you.

• Proprietary

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Being keen for new macOS releases

    Both @matdevdug and my own work Mac laptop reminded me of something recently. A mood, and a feeling, so far gone from my current state of mind that it feels like an age ago. We used to look foward to Mac OS X releases!

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)

    • AccessNow ☛ Comments on MeitY’s report on Hey Hi (AI) governance guidelines

      Access Now's comments on the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's (MeitY) report on Hey Hi (AI) governance guidelines.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • AccessNow ☛ Submission on India’s draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules

      Access Now's comments and recommendations on India's draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025.

    • Ali Reza Hayati ☛ Google hits privacy rights again

      I value my privacy and I do whatever I can to protect it. One of the tools I use to protect it is uBlock Origin.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ New York sues Allstate and subsidiaries for back-to-back data breaches

      A pair of data breaches in late 2020 and early 2021 exposed driver’s license numbers of almost 200,000 people.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ Ex-Philippine president Duterte arrested over deadly drug war after ICC issues warrant

    The arrest comes amid the Duterte family's deepening rift with incumbent President Marcos Jr.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippine ex-president Rodrigo Duterte earned international infamy but praise at home

    The self-styled populist still commands a huge following in a nation deeply divided by politics.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Beijing warns UK against ‘provoking tensions’ over South China Sea following British foreign secretary’s comments

    China warned Britain on Tuesday against “provoking tensions” in the South China Sea after its foreign minister David Lammy called Beijing’s actions in the disputed waters “dangerous and destabilising”.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Two Sessions: China wraps up key political meet with call for ‘unrelenting struggle’

    China on Tuesday concluded one of its biggest political events of the year with a call to “struggle unrelentingly” for the country’s rise after a conclave dominated by a deepening confrontation with the United States, its largest trading partner.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Ex-student from mainland China jailed after using fake credentials to study at Chinese University of Hong Kong

    A former student from mainland China has been jailed for three months after using forged credentials to enrol in a master’s programme at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

  • NYPost ☛ Law firm behind the Steele dossier sues Convicted Felon over executive order stripping its security clearances

    “The retaliatory aim of the Order is intentionally obvious to the general public and the press because the very goal is to chill future lawyers from representing particular clients,” the suit said.

  • New York Times ☛ Hundreds of Civilians in Syria Take Shelter at Russian Air Base

    Footage and satellite images reviewed by The Times show civilians in the compound. Thousands have fled violent unrest in the country’s coastal region.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean pastor vows revolt against Yoon's impeachment

    Authorities are worried about the potential for violence when the ruling is issued.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Pyongyang says accidental bombing by South Korea jets shows armed conflict possible

    The two jets dropped eight bombs on a village near the military border with North Korea, injuring 29.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea police disclose identity of teacher who fatally stabbed 8-year-old pupil

    The suspect is 48-year-old Myung Jae-wan.

  • EXPLAINED: Taiwan’s military manpower crisis and search for solutions

    Higher wages and recruiting foreigners are among the proposals being discussed, each with its own limitations.

  • Chinese defense company builds industrial estate in Cambodia

    The C-01 project will enhance Cambodia’s defense sector capabilities, the government said.

  • JURIST ☛ USAID cuts cause closure of support program for Iraqi torture and disappearance survivors

    An UN spokesperson announced Tuesday that USAID funding cancellations have resulted in the closure of a UN human rights program intended on helping torture victims and the families of missing persons in Iraq.

  • France24 ☛ Italy and Libya's murky migrant deals

    Opposition groups in Italy are accusing the government of freeing the head of Libya's judicial police because it relies on Libyan security forces to check the flow of African migrants crossing the Mediterranean. Osama Njeem was released despite being wanted by the International Criminal Court over a string of human rights abuses, including murder, torture and rape. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks to Lorenzo Kamel, Author and Professor of History at the University of Turin.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ Drunk Russian man sets fire to grocery store after clerks refuse to sell him more alcohol — Meduza

    • European Commission ☛ The von der Leyen Commission marks 100 days in office striving for European competitiveness, defence, and a sovereign Ukraine

      This week, the von der Leyen 2024-2029 Commission marks its first 100 days in office.

    • Latvia ☛ Two detained on suspicion of espionage in Latvia

      The State Security Service (VDD) has detained an Estonian citizen and a Ukrainian citizen for alleged illegal collection of information on critical infrastructure objects, the service confirmed to LETA March 10.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine accepts US ceasefire proposal, backs immediate negotiations with Russia

      Ukraine backed a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire on Tuesday after nine hour-long talks between the two countries in Saudi Arabia, prompting the US to end its pause on aid and opening the door to immediate negotiations with Russia.

    • France24 ☛ Tina Khidasheli: 'Without transatlantic dialogue, there is no security for Europe or for the world'

      Ukraine has endorsed an American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire and agreed to immediate negotiations with Russia in crunch talks in Jeddah after three years of grinding war. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, FRANCE 24's François Picard welcomes Tina Khidasheli, Jurist, Chairperson at Civic IDEA think tank and former Minister of Defence of Georgia.

    • France24 ☛ The ceasefire proposal is 'excellent for Ukraine', analyst says

      FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks to Kristine Berzina, Managing Director of Geostrategy North at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. She says that the ceasefire proposal agreed by the Ukrainian and US delegations in Riyadh is 'excellent for Ukraine' by regaining intelligence sharing and weapons support from US, and by putting the ball into Russia's court.

    • France24 ☛ Rubio says 'ball now in court' of Russia to accept Ukraine truce

      The Ukrainian presidency's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on Tuesday that Russia must show "very clearly" it wants peace in Ukraine following talks with the US in Saudi Arabia. "Ukraine welcomes this proposal, we consider it positive, we are ready to take such a step. The United States of America has to convince Russia to do this," Zelensky said of the proposed truce in his evening address. FRANCE 24's Gulliver Cragg reports from Kyiv.

    • France24 ☛ Zelensky says US must now 'convince' Russia to accept ceasefire proposal

      The Forrest Dump administration lifted its suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing for Ukraine, and Kyiv signaled that it was open to a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Russia, pending Moscow’s agreement, American and Ukrainian officials said Tuesday following talks in Saudi Arabia. Guardian Washington bureau chief David Smith reports.

    • France24 ☛ 🔴 US to lift pause on Ukraine aid, intel sharing as Kyiv backs proposal for 30-day ceasefire

    • France24 ☛ In Jeddah, US 'cajoling' Ukraine into accepting concessions, no mention of Russia offering anything

      Ukraine said talks with the United States in Saudi Arabia began "very constructively", with a partial ceasefire with Russia on the table hours after Kyiv conducted its largest drone attack on Moscow in three years of war. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on Russia's war on Ukraine and Convicted Felon's efforts to bring an swift end to the brutal 3-year conflict, FRANCE 24's Delano D'Souza welcomes Dr. Patrick Bury, Senior Lecturer in Security in the Politics, Languages & Int'l Studies Department, at the University of Bath, specialising in warfare and counter-terrorism.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian volunteer killed in Ukraine: ‘There are few heroes, and Tadas was one of them’

      “It's a hard day,” says Raimondas Urvikis as he enters the room. His brother-in-arms, Tadas Tumas, was killed a year ago and remains the only known Lithuanian to have died on Ukraine’s frontlines. “I want this damn war to end,” Urvikis adds after a while.

    • RFERL ☛ Ball In Russia’s Court As Ukraine Agrees To US Cease-Fire Proposal

      US President The Insurrectionist – and the world – are about to find out whether Russia is really interested in ending its three-year invasion of Ukraine or pursuing its maximalist goals of absorbing the country.

    • Meduza ☛ U.S. says ‘ball is in Russia’s court’ after Kyiv agrees to proposed 30-day ceasefire — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ European Military Chiefs Discuss Blueprint For Peacekeeping Force In Ukraine

      All eyes might be on Saudi Arabia as Ukrainian and American officials meet to discuss an end to Russia’s war. But in Paris, the heads of Europe’s military forces are assembling to work out a way to help Kyiv maintain any future peace.

    • RFERL ☛ Kyiv Launches Deadly Drone Attack On Moscow As US, Ukrainian Diplomats Meet

      Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack that struck Moscow and the Moscow region overnight, killing at least one person and causing damage to residential buildings and infrastructure as diplomats from Washington and Kyiv prepare to meet in Saudi Arabia.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Will Need To Make Land Concessions In Any Peace Deal, Rubio Says

      US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, arriving in Saudi Arabia for talks with Ukrainian officials, said future talks will be needed to determine what Russia and Ukraine are willing to give up to end the war.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine Supports 30-Day Cease-Fire as U.S. Says It Will Resume Military Aid

      The deal announced on Tuesday delivered new momentum to efforts to halt the fighting, with the ball for any truce now in Russia’s court, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

    • New York Times ☛ Europe Weighs Peacekeeping Role in Ukraine Amid Convicted Felon’s Embrace of Russia

      The deeper discussion of a European force comes amid rising anger and dismay over Hell Toupée’s embrace of Russia and abandonment of traditional allies.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Begins Assault on Ukrainian-Occupied Town of Sudzha in Kursk Region

      Moscow’s military advances on the town of Sudzha may deprive Kyiv of a bargaining chip in peace talks.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine Targets Moscow With Large-Scale Drone Attack

      The assault, which the mayor called the largest on Russia’s capital since the war began, was a reminder of Ukraine’s power to strike as its president proposes an air truce.

    • New York Times ☛ U.S. and Ukraine Hold Talks on the War: What to Know

      Kyiv said it would support the Convicted Felon administration’s proposal for a 30-day cease-fire with Russia.

    • New York Times ☛ Wednesday Briefing: U.S. Resumes Aid to Ukraine

      Plus, a tale of two Rwandas.

    • France24 ☛ Live: Russia says it could hold talks with US over Ukraine in 'next few days'

      Peace talks between Russia and the US on the war in Ukraine could be held in the "next few days," Russia's foreign ministry said on Tuesday. A meeting between US and Ukrainian representatives in Saudi Arabia the same day led to Ukraine accepting a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire which the US said it would bring to Russia. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.

    • Meduza ☛ Macron again advocates NATO-linked security guarantees for Ukraine

    • Meduza ☛ Ukrainian delegation arrives in Saudi Arabia for talks with U.S. — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia says 337 Ukrainian drones shot down in record attack

    • Meduza ☛ A pipeline surprise Meduza reviews Russia’s reported breakthrough against Ukrainian forces in Kursk — Meduza

    • The Strategist ☛ The US dividing Russia from China? Forget about it

      The Forrest Dump administration’s effort to divide Russia from China is doomed to fail. This means that the United States is destroying security relationships based on a delusion.

    • France24 ☛ Bolloré media empire’s pro-Russia stance sparks tensions with Élysée Palace

      The French presidency has denied reports in Sunday paper Le Journal du Dimanche that President Emmanuel Macron is seeking to "scare" the French by playing up the threat from Moscow, amid mounting concern about the pro-Russia agenda pushed by billionaire Vincent Bolloré's sprawling and increasingly rightwing media empire.

    • RFERL ☛ EU Sanctions Deadlock? Hungary And Slovakia Pressure Brussels Over Russia Blacklist

      Hungary is again challenging EU sanctions on Russia, pushing to remove key figures from the blacklist ahead of a fast-approaching deadline. With Slovakia aligning with Budapest, EU officials may have to scramble to find a compromise.

    • RFERL ☛ Top Romanian Court Upholds Ban On Nationalist Calin Georgescu Running For President

      Romania's Constitutional Court is expected to rule on March 11 on whether populist politician Calin Georgescu can run in a May presidential election in a dispute that has fired up tensions both at home and abroad.

    • Meduza ☛ Romanian Constitutional Court upholds rejection of presidential candidacy for Calin Georgescu

    • Meduza ☛ Half of Ukraine’s Kursk foothold lost in days

    • Meduza ☛ Ukraine pledges immediate ceasefire — if Russia follows suit

    • Meduza ☛ Trump’s Middle East envoy to meet with Putin in Moscow

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Agrees To US-Brokered Cease-Fire Deal, Unlocking Military Aid And Intelligence Sharing

      Ukraine has agreed to a US proposal for a 30-day cease-fire in the war against the Russian invasion, prompting the United States to say it would immediately lift the suspension of military aid, including the sharing of intelligence.

    • CS Monitor ☛ To Russia, with love? Why some in West are heading east to start over.

      Some Westerners see Russia as a place to build a better, more conservative life. Moscow, facing a demographic crisis, is willing to let them try.

    • New Yorker ☛ Why John Mearsheimer Thinks The Insurrectionist Is Right on Ukraine

      And that the West has misunderstood Vladimir Putin.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Pressure is now on Putin as Ukraine agrees to Convicted Felon’s ceasefire proposal

      Ukraine has agreed to a United States proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, representing a potentially significant breakthrough in US-led diplomatic efforts to end the largest European conflict since World War II, writes Peter Dickinson.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • American Oversight ☛ Where Are Convicted Felon CBP Chief Mike Banks’ Communications from His Time as Texas Border Czar?

    The lack of records in response to American Oversight’s requests from its two-year investigation of Banks raises questions about public accountability and transparency.

  • American Oversight ☛ American Oversight Applauds Court Ruling that DOGE’s Inner Workings Cannot Be Concealed from Public View

    In response to a lawsuit brought by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction finding DOGE is likely subject to FOIA, requiring the preservation of documents.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s Kia denies responsibility for anti-Musk ad

      The advertisement features Kia's EV3 with a bumper sticker saying: “I bought this after Elon went crazy”.

    • H2 View ☛ Hyundai to build Ulsan fuel cell plant, targeting mass production by 2028

      Hyundai’s second facility in South Korea will reportedly be capable of producing fuel cells for 6,500 hydrogen-powered cars annually.

    • New York Times ☛ Volkswagen’s Profit Under Pressure From Tariffs and Competition

      The German auto giant’s earnings fell last year as it pushed ahead with a restructuring in the face of tariff uncertainty in the United States and lost market share in China.

    • Science Alert ☛ Lightning Over Shipping Lanes Suddenly Halved Following New Regulations

      Shocking changes.

    • H2 View ☛ Decarbonisation tech “highly inflationary” warns BlackRock CEO

      The current cost of decarbonising technologies is still high, and therefore highly inflationary, according to Larry Fink, CEO and Chairman of BlackRock [...]

    • ADF ☛ African Air Chiefs Focus On Disaster Response

      Across the continent, Air Forces are striving to achieve air supremacy, neutralize threats and gather intelligence. They also play a pivotal role in humanitarian and disaster relief efforts.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Ancestor of Black Death Has Been Discovered in Bronze-Age Sheep

      It may have spread without fleas.

  • Overpopulation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Marriage, childbirth evoke fear, not joy among young South Koreans, study finds

      2024 was the first rebound in South Korea’s fertility rate in nine years.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China’s unions say employers should not ask female job seekers about marital, childbearing status

      Some people were sceptical of the move, saying it may make employers stop hiring women altogether.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • 5 takeaways from China’s National People’s Congress

    A flagging economy, lack of investor confidence and weak consumer demand go hand in hand with defense spending.

  • Hong Kong social worker convicted of rioting for her role in 2019 protests

    The conviction after a re-trial shows the harsh approach the city’s authorities have taken with political cases.

  • UK changes rules to allow freer travel by Hong Kongers

    British National Overseas passport holders no longer need an Electronic Travel Authorization.

  • Dalai Lama says his successor will be born in ‘free world,’ outside China

    The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism had previously said the line of spiritual leaders might end with him.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Trump Axes VA Office Created to Fix Disparities in Veterans’ Benefits

    The Trump administration has shut down a unit of the Department of Veterans Affairs created under President Joe Biden to address disparities in how the federal government provides disability compensation to military service members.

    The closure of the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Office of Equity Assurance effectively hobbles internal efforts at the VA to investigate and eliminate long-standing racial inequities the department itself has acknowledged.

  • Pro Publica ☛ How Trump Is Pressuring Maine to Comply With Transgender Sports Order

    On a Monday last month, after a conservative Maine legislator expressed outrage on Facebook about a transgender girl winning a high school pole vaulting event, the hammer of the federal government began to swing.

    By Friday of that week, Feb. 21, President Donald Trump singled out Maine’s governor during a White House event and threatened to cut off the state’s federal funding. “See you in court,” Gov. Janet Mills shot back.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia radio station operator fined $75,400 after DJs mock Hindu religion

    No further action will be taken against the DJs.

  • ADF ☛ China Facing Resistance as it Moves to Tighten Grip on African Media

    As it expands its media footprint in Africa, China pushes its agenda through a complex web of state-controlled platforms, partnerships with local news outlets and journalist training programs. Some experts, however, are pointing to a growing backlash on the continent, as consumers grow in sophistication and a desire for independent media.

  • Meduza ☛ House arrest for Sasha Mitroshina Russian blogger known for flash mob against domestic violence pleads guilty to money laundering — Meduza

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Noel Clarke claims woman who says he asked her for sex is a ‘fantasist’

    Clarke also told the High Court he is "not a cult leader" in the third day of his trial against The Guardian's publisher.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • New York Times ☛ 2,000 Striking N.Y. Prison Officers Fired and Barred From Public Jobs

    Gov. Kathy Hochul made good on a threat to punish those who failed to meet a Monday deadline for returning to their posts after a three-week work stoppage.

  • Pro Publica ☛ How Eric Adams Embraced NYPD’s Community Response Team Despite Misconduct Concerns

  • Pro Publica ☛ Jimmie Duncan, Convicted on Allegedly Fabricated Bite Mark Analysis, May Be Executed by Louisiana Anyway

    Attorney Scott Greene warned those present in a Louisiana courtroom last September that the video they were about to see was disturbing. Created as part of a murder investigation, the 1993 tape showed a dentist repeatedly grinding a dental mold of the suspect’s teeth into the face and arm of a dead toddler during a post-mortem examination.

    Those marks, which prosecutors decades ago had told jurors came from the suspect, were critical evidence in convicting Jimmie Chris Duncan, who has spent the past 27 years on death row for the killing of his girlfriend’s daughter. They were also a fraud, Greene argued at the appeals hearing.

  • JURIST ☛ UN concerned over deteriorating fundamental freedoms and civic space in Slovakia

    UN Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts on human rights expressed concerns Monday about the ongoing erosion of fundamental freedoms in the Slovak Republic, including the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. They urged the government to stop surveillance of political opponents and other actions in breach of international law.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Latest Diddy Sexual Assault Lawsuit Names Druski and Odell Beckham Jr. as Defendants — Total Lawsuits Against Diddy Now Top 100

    The latest in over 100 sexual assault lawsuits filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs includes comedian Druski and NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. as defendants. Both men have denied involvement in the alleged incident, which plaintiffs Ashley Parham, and two unnamed individuals listed as Jane Doe and John Doe, say occurred in 2018.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Pakistan rescues 155 hostages from train, dozens still held, sources say

    Pakistani forces have rescued 155 passengers from a train that was hijacked by separatist fighters in the southwest of the country, security sources said on Wednesday, while the government said an operation was underway to rescue dozens still held hostage. 

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ National security hearings excluded from Hong Kong top court’s 2-year livestream pilot programme

    Hong Kong’s top court is set to start livestreaming appeal hearings in April, but national security and high-profile political cases will not be included in the two-year pilot programme.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Ruben Schade ☛ A succinct email in just a subject line

    I love going through old 43 Folders posts when I either need inspiration, or am stuck on something. In a post about email, he introduces the concept of the End of Message marker:

    In fact, if you’re relating just a single fact or asking one question in your email, consider using just the subject line to relate your message.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ New rules for the patenting of “Use” Inventions in Russia

    The Russian Patent Office (Rospatent) has introduced new provisions relating to the assessment of patentability of “use” inventions. Background On September 27, 2024, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development issued Order No. 610, which came into effect on November 10, 2024 (hereinafter – the Order).

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Hell Toupée Formally Nominates John Squires as USPTO Director

    Hell Toupée has formally nominated John A. Squires to serve as Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The White House announced the nomination on Tuesday, and the Senate received it on Monday, March 10, referring it to the Committee on the Judiciary. The nomination confirms reporting by Dani Kass at Law360 from mid-February that identified Squires as the likely pick.

• Copyrights

  • Federal News Network ☛ The Copyright Office takes on the sticky issue of [LLM slop]

    The U.S. Copyright Office completed the second of two studies of Hey Hi (AI) and copyrights as it dealt with whether you can copyright monopoly outputs created using [LLM slop].

  • Digital Music News ☛ Ultra Publishing Fires Off Amended Infringement Action Against Sony Music, Says the Major Label Is ‘Willfully Committing Blatant, Ongoing, and Massive Piracy’

    The Ultra International Music Publishing v. Sony Music legal battle is getting even uglier, as Ultra has doubled down on its copyright monopoly infringement claims in an amended complaint. Ultra Music Publishing – or at least the company currently known as such – just recently submitted the amended action.

  • Digital Music News ☛ George Clinton Files $100 Million Lawsuit Against Bridgeport Music Alleging Copyright Theft

    George Clinton has filed a $100 million lawsuit against his former business partner and Bridgeport Music, alleging copyright monopoly theft. Funk musician George Clinton has filed a copyright monopoly lawsuit against former business partner, Armen Boladian, and his Bridgeport Music company.