Leftovers

• CS Monitor ☛ Low-tech and upside-down: The solutions under our feet

  Progress roundup: Fish advance science on China’s space station, solar farms host sheep on the ground, and across Africa, new publishers boost writers.

• The Straits Times ☛ Global firms’ CEOs to attend development forum in China, meet Xi: Sources

  The annual China Development Forum will take place on March 23 and 24 at Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

• Hackaday ☛ Current Mirrors Tame Common Mode Noise

  If you’re the sort who finds beauty in symmetry – and I’m not talking about your latest PCB layout – then you’ll appreciate this clever take on the long-tailed pair. [Kevin]’s video on this topic explores boosting common mode rejection by swapping out the old-school tail resistor for a current mirror. Yes, the humble current mirror – long underestimated in DIY analog circles – steps up here, giving his differential amplifier a much-needed backbone.

• New Yorker ☛ Briefly Noted Book Reviews

  “Original Sins,” “Strike,” “Notes on Surviving the Fire,” and “There Lives a Young Girl in Me Who Will Not Die.”

• New Yorker ☛ “You Didn’t Hear This from Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip,” Reviewed

  Kelsey McKinney, a podcast host and a champion of gossip, is out to change the practice’s bad reputation.

• Science

  • Stanford University ☛ Physics department wins Pi Day pie-eating contest

    On Pi Day, students and faculty from the physics and math departments competed to see which department could finish one whole apple berry pie the fastest.

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Dark Oxygen' Discovery in Ocean Depths Draws Heavy Debate

    Is it just shoddy science?

  • Hackaday ☛ Relativity Space Changes Course On Path To Orbit

    In 2015, Tim Ellis and Jordan Noone founded Relativity Space around an ambitious goal: to be the first company to put a 3D printed rocket into orbit. While additive manufacturing was already becoming an increasingly important tool in the aerospace industry, the duo believed it could be pushed further than anyone had yet realized.

  • CS Monitor ☛ NASA astronauts’ return is near. Their long, unlikely trip puts focus on resilience.

    An eight-day mission for two astronauts to the International Space Station turned into nine months. NASA crews work to prepare for unforeseen events like this.

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Supergiant' Gold Deposit May Be Worth Over US$80 Billion

    The most lucrative jackpot ever?

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Found The Silent 'Scream' of Human Skin For The First Time

    "Epithelial cells do things that no one has ever thought to look for."

  • Science Alert ☛ Crucial Feature of Human Language Emerged More Than 135,000 Years Ago

    A monumental event in history.

  • Science Alert ☛ Incredible Video Shows Blood Moon Eclipse From Lunar Perspective

    A stunning new first!

• Career/Education

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Coca-Cola stops marketing in Mexican schools

    The bottler is responding to a federal government campaign aimed at improving the health of Mexico's young students and lowering the rate of overweight children.

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ AMD manager reports 45% GPU retail market share in Japan — Eyes 70% as the next target

    AMD marketing manager Yoshiaki Sato reported that Radeon GPUs have accounted for 45% of GPU sales in Japan, presumably since RDNA 4 launched.

  • Hackaday ☛ Repairing A Legendary Elka Synthex Analog Synthesizer

    Somehow, an Elka Synthex analog synthesizer made it onto [Mend it Mark]’s repair bench recently. It had a couple of dud buttons, and some keys produced the wrong tone. Remember, this is an analog synthesizer from the 1980s, so we’re talking basic 74LS chips and kin. Fortunately, Elka helped him with the complete repair manual, including schematics.

  • Hackaday ☛ Build Your Own Air Mouse, Okay?

    Are you using a desk mouse like some kind of… normal computer user? Why, beg the heavens? For you could be using an air mouse, of your very own creation! [Misfit Maker] shows the way. Check out what he made in the video below.

  • Hackaday ☛ Ask Hackaday: What Would You Do With The World’s Smallest Microcontroller?

    It’s generally pretty easy to spot a microcontroller on a PCB. There are clues aplenty: the more-or-less central location, the nearby crystal oscillator, the maze of supporting passives, and perhaps even an obvious flash chip lurking about. The dead giveaway, though, is all those traces leading to the chip, betraying its primacy in the circuit. As all roads lead to Rome, so it often is with microcontrollers.

  • CNX Software ☛ IMDT V2N Renesas RZ/V2N SoM powers Edge Hey Hi (AI) SBC with HDMI, MIPI DSI, dual GbE, WiFi 4, and more

    IMD Technologies has recently introduced the IMDT V2N SoM based on the newly launched Renesas RZ/V2N low-power Hey Hi (AI) MPU and its SBC carrier board designed for robotics, smart cities, industrial automation, and IoT applications. The SoM ships with 8GB RAM and 32GB eMMC flash, and supports various interfaces through B2B connectors including two 4-lane MIPI CSI-2 interfaces, a MIPI DSI display interface, and more.

  • CNX Software ☛ GL.iNet Comet (GL-RM1) low-cost KVM-over-IP solution supports up to 2K resolution

    GL.iNet has entered the low-cost KVM-over-IP market with the Comet (GL-RM1) remote KVM to remotely control any computer over an Ethernet connection with an HDMI port for video and audio input and a USB-C port for keyboard and mouse emulation. It’s an alternative to the Sipeed NanoKVM (Cube) with a more powerful quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, an 8GB eMMc flash, a gigabit Ethernet port, and support for up to 2K (2160×1440) resolution at 60 FPS.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Qualcomm debuts new Snapdragon G handheld gaming PC chips to compete with defective chip maker Intel and AMD

    Qualcomm launches the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3, Snapdragon G2 Gen 2, and Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 for handheld gaming devices.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Keydous NJ98-CP V2 HE Review: Dedicated calculators

    The Keydous NJ98-CP V2 HE is a magnetic switch gaming keyboard with a compact 96-percent layout, a hot-swap PCB that supports both magnetic and mechanical switches, and a built-in calculator.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ China to spend $55 billion on R&D in 2025 — Semiconductor, Hey Hi (AI) and quantum computing fields to benefit

    China set to inject $55 billion in research and development of fundamental technologies and innovating enterprises.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ China unveils guideline to improve nutrition quality

    The guideline called for a shift toward nutrient-rich food consumption.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Trump’s Halted Agent Orange Cleanup Risks Poisoning Local Residents

    In mid-February, Trump administration leaders received a desperate warning from their diplomats posted in Vietnam, one of the most important American partners in Asia.

    Workers were in the middle of cleaning up the site of an enormous chemical spill, the Bien Hoa air base, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio abruptly halted all foreign aid funding. The shutdown left exposed open pits of soil contaminated with dioxin, the deadly byproduct of Agent Orange, which the American military sprayed across large swaths of the country during the Vietnam War. After Rubio’s orders to stop work, the cleanup crews were forced to abandon the site, and, for weeks, all that was covering the contaminated dirt were tarps, which at one point blew off in the wind.

  • New York Times ☛ Digital Therapists Get Stressed Too, Study Finds

    Chatbots should be built with enough resilience to deal with difficult emotional situations, researchers said.

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Administration Aims to Eliminate E.P.A.’s Scientific Research Arm

    More than 1,000 chemists, biologists and other scientists could be laid off under a plan to dismantle the Office of Research and Development.

  • New York Times ☛ Texas Midwife Charged in Abortion Case

    The two arrests in greater Houston appear to be the first time health care providers have been charged with violating abortion bans in their state since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US aid cuts to Myanmar are having catastrophic impact, says UN rapporteur

    Sudden cuts to food and health programmes are making an already grave humanitarian situation worse.

  • University of Michigan ☛ A modern health crisis: microplastics

    Humanity is not evading, and will not evade, the effects of its own plastic waste. Health science researchers at the University of New Mexico  published a study in February 2025 which found that the average human brain contains about a credit card’s worth of microplastics — five to seven grams on average.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Hidden Compound in Rosemary Could Help Fight Alzheimer's

    "It didn't just slow down the decline, it improved virtually back to normal."

  • Science Alert ☛ Chronic Conditions in Children Have Surged Dramatically in 20 Years

    The kids are not alright.

  • Science Alert ☛ Regularly Giving Blood Could Benefit Your Own Health, Too

    Win-win!

  • Science Alert ☛ Common Habit Could Be a Source of Plastic Pollution We Never Considered

    Gross.

  • New York Times ☛ Vatican Releases First Photo of Pope Francis Since He Was Hospitalized

    The release of the photo a month into his treatment came after dozens of young people gathered under the pontiff’s windows to offer wishes for a quick recovery.

  • Science Alert ☛ 5 Early, Speech-Related Signs You're at Risk of Alzheimer's Disease

    Warning signs to watch for.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Pregnant woman turned away from hospitals in South Korea gives birth in ambulance

    An ongoing medical strike is making it difficult for ambulances carrying emergency patients to find hospitals.

  • France24 ☛ 'It's about survival': 5 years on, patients still suffer from Long Covid

    On the March 17, 2020, France went into lockdown as Covid-19 rapidly spread. Five years on, many infected by the virus still suffer symptoms, a condition known as Long Covid. Complications vary, but often include exhaustion, muscle ache, regular fevers, heart conditions and difficulty concentrating. FRANCE 24's Claire Paccalin went to meet these patients whose lives have been completely transformed by Long Covid.

  • France24 ☛ Long Covid: 5 years on, sufferers search for answers

    On March 17th 2020, France locked down for the first time during the Covid-19 pandemic. Five years later, sufferers of a condition that’s become known as Long Covid are still struggling to obtain recognition and effective treatment plans. FRANCE 24’s Claire Paccalin has met with Long Covid patients and specialist doctors who are searching for answers.

  • France24 ☛ 'It's very difficult, 5 years on, to attribute any depressive symptoms of young people to COVID'

    On the 5th anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic, people across the globe are still deeply affected physically and psychologically. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on the long-term impact of the devastating once-in-a-century pandemic, France 24's Genie Godula welcomes Dr. Vivian Kovess-Masfety, MD, PHD, Psychiatrist and Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

• Proprietary

  • LLMs

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ ERNIE 4.5 Hey Hi (AI) model by Baidu claims to match DeepSeek R1 at half the cost

      Baidu claims its ERNIE 4.5 model offers advanced multimodal understanding with enhanced language, reasoning, generation, and memory capabilities.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Raspberry Pi and Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot bring Hey Hi (AI) conversations to your retro rotary phone

      Pollux Labs is using a Raspberry Pi to power this rotary phone project that integrates Chat GPT and remembers previous conversations.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Who is sending those scammy text messages about unpaid tolls?

      The latest smishing scam follows a familiar process as ones the industry has seen over the past decade.

      >

    • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian police arrest job-scam ‘victim’ rescued in Myanmar on suspicion of human trafficking

      Malaysian police arrested the 20-year-old man on suspicion of human trafficking.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong lawmaker suggests reporting hotline and cash prizes for students to snitch on ‘space oil’ sellers

      A Hong Kong lawmaker has suggested that authorities should set up a reporting mechanism to flag “space oil” sellers amid the drug’s rising popularity among the city’s youth in recent years.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Pulls Secret Service Protection From Hunter and Ashley Biden

    The president posted on social control media that Hunter Biden would lose his security detail “effective immediately” and also identified the country he was vacationing in.

  • Defence Web ☛ Police budget gets a boost

    The South African Police Service (SAPS) budget has received an increase that has kept pace with inflation, getting an additional R7 billion for the 2025/26 financial year to bring it to R120.8 billion.

  • The Strategist ☛ Australian politics needs clearer national security boundaries

    We need to establish clearer political boundaries around national security to avoid politicising ongoing security issues and to better manage secondary effects.

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s Legal Blackballing Effort Selectively Protects Jones Day

    In addition to claiming that Perkins Coie and Paul Weiss pose a threat to national security, Convicted Felon's attempts to blackball the two law firms attack their commitment to diversity. It turns out that Jones Day, long the GOP's law firm, makes the same laudable commitment.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea condemns U.S. strikes against Yemen, KCNA says

    North Korea condemned recent U.S. strikes on Yemen as an act violating international law and a country's sovereignty and said such a move could never be justified in any way, the North's state media quoted on Tuesday its ambassador to Yemen as saying.

  • RFERL ☛ Mayor Resigns After Deadly North Macedonia Nightclub Blaze

    The authorities and citizens of North Macedonia are searching for answers amid the carnage of a nightclub fire that killed at least 59 people and injured more than 150 others, as questions arise about the legality of the venue's license to operation.

  • RFERL ☛ US Strikes On Yemen's Houthis A Message To Iran

    The United States has launched extensive air strikes against Huthi targets in Yemen, aiming to curb their threat to shipping while also signaling a warning to Iran.

  • RFERL ☛ Israel Strikes Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Threatening To Reignite War

    Israel has launched extensive air strikes in the Gaze Strip, Lebanon, and southern Syria in what it said were targeted attacks against extremists planning terror assaults, reigniting tensions that threatened to engulf the region in new, bloody conflict.

  • Myanmar children, monks among dozens killed in heavy airstrikes

    Attacks in Shan state and Mandalay region aimed at civilians, rebels say.

  • France24 ☛ 'Houthis have proven to be extremely resilient', analyst says as US launches strikes in Yemen

    Houthi media said fresh US strikes hit Yemen on Monday, after huge crowds gathered in the conflict-torn country to protest earlier bombings targeting the Iran-backed rebel group. FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee speaks to Andreas Kreig, Associate Professor of Defence Studies at King's College London. He says that the Houthis have proven to be extremely resilient and the latest US strikes are an 'opening gambit to a greater negotiation' with the region's powers.

  • France24 ☛ 🔴 Israel launches news strikes against Hamas after talks stall

  • France24 ☛ Israel strikes military targets in southern Syria over national security concerns

    The Israeli army said Monday it had targeted military sites in southern Syria that were deemed a ‘threat to the State of Israel’. Syria's health ministry also reported three killed in an Israeli strike near the southern city of Daraa.

  • France24 ☛ Live: Israel launches full-scale strikes against Hamas in Gaza after talks stall

    Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, saying it was striking Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January. Follow our liveblog for all the latest developments.

  • Defence Web ☛ Colombian mercenaries in Sudan show internationalisation of conflict

    A single road cuts through the Libyan desert from the coastal city of Benghazi to al-Uwaynat on the northwestern border of Sudan. It was that road, analysts say, that carried dozens of Colombian mercenaries to fight on the side of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in late 2024.

  • NYPost ☛ Israel resumes strikes in Gaza as cease-fire ends over Hamas’ refusal to release more hostages

    Israeli forces launched new airstrikes against Hamas in the Gaza Strip early Tuesday as the cease-fire deal fell apart following the terror group’s reported refusal to free more hostages.

  • BIA Net ☛ Airstrike in Syria’s Kobanî kills nine civilians, including seven children

    All the killed individuals were from the same family, bringing the civilian toll of the clashes escalated since December to 65.

  • France24 ☛ Lebanon and Syria agree on ceasefire after deadly border tensions

    Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa and Syrian counterpart Murhaf Abu Qasra announced a ceasefire following cross-border clashes that left 10 dead. Both nations agreed to maintain contact between their army intelligence directorates to avert further border deterioration.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s ruling party says it will respect Yoon impeachment verdict

    The Constitutional Court is expected to deliver its verdict on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment this week.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China says military exercises near Taiwan a punishment for encouraging ‘separatism’

    The Chinese exercises involved at least 54 warplanes that flew all around Taiwan.

  • Detained Taiwanese publisher stood trial last month for ‘secession’

    Fu Cha was detained on a trip to China to renounce his household registration two years ago.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean court might deliver ruling on Yoon Suk Yeol later this week

    Yoon’s case is the lengthiest in the history of South Korean presidential impeachment trials.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan expects US support in case of China hostilities, says Taipei official

    The flow of US military hardware to Taiwan has slowed in recent years due to the US backing Ukraine.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Ex-South Korea defence minister denies insurrection in martial law plot

    SEOUL - A former South Korean defence minister charged with insurrection for his role in trying to enforce martial law defended his actions at the start of his trial on Monday and blamed \"wicked behaviour\" by the opposition for triggering a political crisis.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Sensitive country’ designation likely a move by the US to deter Seoul’s nuclear ambitions

    South Korea is said to have been blindsided, catching wind of the move only last week.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Betting frenzy over S. Korean President Yoon’s impeachment spreads to global prediction market

    Betting on Mr Yoon’s fate has proved popular beyond South Korea as well, fuelling a surge in international wagers.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea's opposition says delay of Yoon impeachment ruling is irresponsible

    "The country and the people have come to the breaking point," said a Democratic Party leadership member.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea, Ukraine discuss handling of North Korean prisoners of war

      Kyiv says more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers were killed or injured in Russia by early January 2025.

    • New York Times ☛ In Ukraine’s Frontline Town of Sloviansk, a Taste of Normalcy Beckons

      Sushi has long been a popular indulgence in Ukraine. For the residents of Sloviansk, a city in Russian cross hairs, it can provide a sense of normalcy that is akin to a necessity in wartime.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Discussion With Putin to Focus on What Ukraine Will Lose

      In an echo of the Yalta Conference in 1945, the American and Russian leaders will talk on Tuesday about who gets what in the process of ending the war in Ukraine.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man’s Plan to Discuss Ukraine’s Power Plants With Putin Prompts Questions

      The call, scheduled for Tuesday, will be the first known conversation between the two leaders since Mr. Putin laid out numerous conditions for a cease-fire with Ukraine.

    • New York Times ☛ U.S. to Withdraw From Group Investigating Responsibility for Ukraine Invasion

      The decision is the latest indication of the Convicted Felon administration’s move away from holding President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia accountable for crimes committed against Ukrainians.

    • Meduza ☛ Kremlin says it’s too early to say when next Trump–Putin meeting will occur — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Trump says he will speak with Putin on Tuesday

    • Latvia ☛ Are confiscated Latvian cars really for sale in Ukraine? No.

      In recent weeks, disinformation related to Ukraine has increased on social control media in Latvia.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Hadley, Fried, and Kramer in Foreign Affairs on the importance of US strength to end the war in Ukraine

      On March 7, Atlantic Council Executive Vice Chair Stephen Hadley, Board Director Franklin D. Kramer, and Weiser Family Distinguished Fellow Daniel Fried were published in Foreign Affairs on the imperative of the United States to achieve “peace through strength” to end the war in Ukraine.

    • France24 ☛ ‘Horror everywhere’: In Kursk, evacuated Russians long for peace

      Russia says it has evacuated 371 of its civilians from towns it has recently retaken from Ukraine in the Kursk region, many of which have been left in ruins by the fighting. The civilians became trapped when Ukraine launched its surprise incursion in August 2024 and until now little was known about life for Russian citizens in the areas held by Kyiv. "The Ukrainian soldiers did not hurt us. They treated us kindly,” said one evacuee from the town of Martynovka.

    • JURIST ☛ US withdraws from group investigating Russia for crime of aggression in Ukraine

      The New York Times reported Monday that the United States is withdrawing from the International Centre for The Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA). “

    • Meduza ☛ Zelensky appoints new chief of General Staff

    • Meduza ☛ Ukraine sets ‘red lines’ for peace deal with Russia

    • Meduza ☛ ‘The city is just gone’: Photos from Sudzha, back in Russian hands after seven months of Ukrainian control — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russia’s Kursk counteroffensive and what losing Sudzha means for Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ No, this video does not show Ukranian troops surrendering in Kursk

      A viral video shared by some internet users claims to show Ukranian troops surrendering to Russia's forces in the Kursk region. However, as France 24's Charlotte Hughes explains, the video has been taken out of context and was not, in fact, filmed in Kursk.

    • LRT ☛ Conservative MPs propose tightening residence rules for Russians, Belarusians

      Three opposition MPs from the conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats party have proposed revoking Lithuanian residence permits for Russian and Belarusian citizens if they make frequent trips to their home countries.

    • LRT ☛ Vilnius Ikea fire linked to Russia, to be tried as terror act – Lithuanian prosecutors

      Lithuanian prosecutors consider the fire at the Ikea store in Vilnius last May to be a terrorist attack as they have referred the case to court.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘The system could collapse’: A ceasefire would mean hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers returning home. Moscow is bracing for chaos. — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Lithuania says Russian intelligence behind IKEA arson attack

    • Meduza ☛ Trump envoy says U.S. and Russia discussing Black Sea port access as part of potential ceasefire deal — Meduza

    • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Sets March 18 Call With Putin In Search Of Cease-Fire In Ukraine War

      US President The Insurrectionist said he plans to speak by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 18 as he bids to bring about a cease-fire in the long war in Ukraine that has drained both sides of soldiers and resources.

    • RFERL ☛ What Will Convicted Felon's Game Plan Be In High-Stakes Call With Putin?

      Mainstream Washington has often fretted over encounters between US President The Insurrectionist and his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin.

    • France24 ☛ 'Ceasefire doesn’t mean the end of the war’, Ukraine's former FM Dmytro Kuleba says

      FRANCE 24 spoke to Ukraine's former foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba. With The Insurrectionist back in the White House, many believe that the US is ready to hand Vladimir Putin a win in his war against Ukraine. "Has Ukraine's position worsened? It did", Kuleba first admitted, "but does it mean that we lost the war? No. We are far away from that", he claimed. "We may be moving towards the ceasefire, but I wouldn't say that we are close to it. And the ceasefire does not mean the end of the war," Kuleba pointed out.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania’s bids to put its Christmas Eve tradition on UNESCO heritage list

      Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine plan to submit a joint application for the Christmas Eve dinner tradition to be put on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian eastern border crossing points could be restricted for months

      The Pāternieki border crossing point between Latvia and Belarus in Krāslava region was closed over the weekend to prevent a possible surge in illegal border crossings, Latvian Television said March 17.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Enough carrots for Putin. For better negotiations, serve ‘maximum pressure’ instead.

      Since Russia appears content for negotiations to move slowly, the Convicted Felon administration should turn up the pressure with new sanctions.

    • Latvia ☛ STRATCOMCOE podcast ponders Artificial Intelligence threats

      The Rīga-based NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence (STRATCOMCOE) has a new podcast available to watch online.

• Environment

  • JURIST ☛ Amnesty International calls for effective remedy to victims of environmental pollution

    Amnesty International submitted on Monday its input to the UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights regarding the effects of toxic exposure and the accessibility to justice. The report emphasized on the right to access to justice and effective remedies in the context of environmental degradation.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ UK energy minister in Beijing seeks to press China on emissions, Hong Kong

      UK energy minister Ed Miliband met officials in Beijing on Monday after vowing to press them on China’s emissions as well as touchy topics such as Hong Kong and forced labour. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sought to boost engagement with China since coming to power in July, despite concerns over security and human […]

    • Hackaday ☛ Turning Down The Noise On SMPS

      On paper, electricity behaves in easy-to-understand, predictable ways. That’s mostly because the wires on the page have zero resistance and the switching times are actually zero, whereas in real life neither of these things are true. That’s what makes things like switch-mode power supplies (SMPS) difficult to build and troubleshoot. Switching inductors and capacitors tens or hundreds of thousands of times a second (or more) causes some these difficulties to arise when these devices are built in the real world. [FesZ Electronis] takes a deep dive into some of the reasons these difficulties come up in this video.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Kiribati eyes deep-sea mining deal with China

      The International Seabed Authority is meeting in Jamaica to thrash out the rules for deep-sea extraction.

    • Pacific nation of Kiribati explores deep sea mining deal with China

      Campaigner says The Metals Company’s loss of a third of its exploration area is sign of a stuttering industry.

    • New York Times ☛ Families of Jeju Air Plane Crash Victims Press for Answers

      Gathering at the airport, relatives of those who died are turning themselves into aviation experts to explore what caused the country’s worst air disaster.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Arrivals up 7% in Jan/Feb 2025, driven by short-haul visitors – but figures still down 30% compared to 2019

      Hong Kong has recorded 8.4 million visitor arrivals in January and February this year, a 7 per cent year-on-year increase, driven by short-haul visitors from neighbouring countries.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ China has a plan to boost consumption, but will it work?

    China unveiled a much anticipated plan on March 16 to invigorate consumption by boosting jobs and strengthening the social safety net, at a time when joblessness is creeping up and a property recovery is fizzling out.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Social Security sets the record straight on its Death Master File

    The Social Security Administration says its confident it's Master Death File is highly accurate.

  • Foreign firms avoid Lao workers because they ‘have no skills,’ labor official says

    A top lawmaker wants the companies to hire locally, but observers say the situation is complicated.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Changing the conversation about religious freedom: An integral human development approach

    Religious freedom is essential for human dignity and development. Persecution restricts minorities' access to healthcare, education, and jobs. Integral Human Development offers a holistic, inclusive approach, fostering dialogue and collaboration. To combat discrimination effectively, policymakers must move beyond protection and empower all individuals to contribute to society’s common good.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Push to Amend the Constitution Could Expand Trump’s Power

    A behind-the-scenes legal effort to force Congress to call a convention to amend the Constitution could end up helping President Donald Trump in his push to expand presidential power.

    While the convention effort is focused on the national debt, legal experts say it could open the door to other changes, such as limiting who can be a U.S. citizen, allowing the president to overrule Congress’ spending decisions or even making it legal for Trump to run for a third term.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Fugitive activist Tony Chung’s stepfather questioned by Hong Kong nat. sec police – reports

    The stepfather of fugitive activist Tony Chung has been taken in by Hong Kong national security police for questioning, according to local media reports. Chung’s stepfather was “taken away” on Tuesday morning by national security police, Ming Pao reported, citing sources.

  • France24 ☛ 'Unprecedented': Israel heading towards a 'constitutional crisis'

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired or forced out a string of top officials since the deadly Hamas attack on Israel in 2023 that triggered the war in Gaza. The country's domestic security chief is the newest target. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective as Israel's political crisis inches towards an all-out constitutional crisis, FRANCE 24's Annette Young welcomes Itamar Rabinovich, Founder and President of the Israel Institute; Former Ambassador of Israel to USA and President Emeritus of Tel-Aviv University.

  • France24 ☛ Homeland Security says professor deported to Lebanon with US visa supported Hezbollah leader

    Homeland Security officials on Monday said that a doctor from Lebanon who was deported over the weekend despite having a U.S. visa “openly admitted” to supporting a Hezbollah leader and attending his funeral. The 34-year-old Lebanese citizen, who held an H-1B visa, was detained on Thursday at Logan International Airport in Boston after returning from a trip to Lebanon to see family. FRANCE 24's Jessica Le Masurier reports from New York.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Digital Music News ☛ Universal Music Moves to Toss Drake’s ‘Meritless’ Defamation Suit — Drake Attorney Fires Back Against the ‘Desperate Ploy by UMG to Avoid Accountability’

    Universal Music Group (UMG) is once again firing back against Drake’s “Not Like Us” lawsuit – this time with a firmly worded motion to toss the “meritless” complaint.

  • France24 ☛ Free speech in Convicted Felon's America: Drawing up the battlelines

    US President, The Insurrectionist, likes to say he's the protector of free speech. Yet, his administration has already threatened Democratic Congress members with investigation for criticizing conservatives while withdrawing federal grants that include language it opposes. This as it sanctioned law firms that represent Convicted Felon’s political opponents and arrested the Palestinian organizer of student protests that Convicted Felon criticized as “anti-Semitic, anti-American.” The US president stripping back the government-funded news organisation Voice of America as he accused it of being "anti-Dihydroxyacetone Man" and "radical". So will free speech survive in America? And are we merely witnessing the opening salvos of a war on so-called wokeism?

  • JURIST ☛ Rights group files lawsuit to block deportation of Palestinian activists

    The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) filed a lawsuit on Monday challenging the constitutionality of the Convicted Felon administration’s actions to deport Palestinian activists. The lawsuit seeks a nationwide injunction against executive orders that violate scholars’ freedom of speech.

  • New York Times ☛ The Tell-All Book That Facebook (Farcebook) Doesn’t Want You to Read

    The “free speech” champion Mark Kapo-berg tries to shut up a critic.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Ex-Meta exec. claims censorship tool developed to monitor viral content in Hong Kong and Taiwan – report

    Former Meta executive Sarah Wynn-Williams has accused the social control media giant of developing a censorship tool to monitor viral content in Hong Kong and Taiwan when Facebook (Farcebook) attempted to gain access to the Chinese market.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Telegraph pays ‘substantial’ libel damages to tech entrepreneur

    Apology added to 13 Telegraph articles about Zia Chishti.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Chinese media, Hun Sen celebrate White House order to close US-funded news outlets

    Asian dissidents, activists voice dismay over funding freeze to Radio Free Asia.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Ofcom drops politician presenter investigations against GB News

    Ofcom has now withdrawn a total of five rulings it had originally upheld against GB News.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • JURIST ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man administration moves to dismiss lawsuits against Iowa, Oklahoma immigration laws

    The Forrest Dump administration moved on Friday to dismiss lawsuits against Iowa and Oklahoma regarding state laws criminalizing undocumented immigration.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia slams reported targeting of citizen by Hong Kong

    Mr Kevin Yam was targeted in letters that carried his photo and alleged national security offences.

  • Photo of the Week: Protests and rallies mark Tibetan uprising anniversary

    Tibetans around the world marked the 1959 uprising against Chinese rule with protests Monday.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ APNIC Academy — 2024 in review

    A successful trial of new certified course content highlighted another busy year of technical training in the region.

  • APNIC ☛ The root of the DNS

    Opinion — How is the root zone service ensuring capacity growth to meet rising query rates?

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Digital Music News ☛ Live Nation’s DOJ Antitrust Battle to Continue Under Convicted Felon — Federal Judge Denies Live Nation’s Motion to Dismiss the Case

  Last year, the Justice Department and 30 attorneys general filed an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation. Now, that lawsuit will move forward. The Justice Department and 30 state and district attorneys general sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster last year with allegations of monopolistic control over performance venues across the US.

• Digital Music News ☛ Neil Young Abandons Ticketmaster’s Platinum Tickets—Calls It Fan Exploitation

  Neil Young & the Chrome Hearts are hitting the road this year—but they’re not embracing Ticketmaster’s platinum ticketing. Young cites Robert Smith’s efforts to keep The Cure ticket prices and service fees low for its 2023 tour.

• Patents

  • Forbes ☛ Updated Switch 2 Patent Is Great News For 150 Million Switch Owners

    An updated patent monopoly spoils Nintendo plans for using Hey Hi (AI) on the Switch 2, but it's also a potential warning to downscale our expectations.

  • JUVE ☛ Year in review: Top 10 patent monopoly cases in France

    While the UPC in France increasingly serves as an alternative for national patent monopoly disputes, the Paris civil courts remained busy and issued several significant rulings. Most landmark decisions concerned pharmaceutical cases, traditionally a key field for patent monopoly disputes in France. In some instances, the courts reached different conclusions than judges in other countries.

  • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 awarded for IngenioSpec eyewear patent monopoly prior art

    Unified is pleased to announce PATROLL crowdsourcing contest winners, Rahul Vijh, Dinesh Swami, and Andrei Gilya, who split a cash prize of $2,000 for their prior art submissions on U.S. Patent 11,657,827, owned and asserted by IngenioSpec LLC, an NPE.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Patent Law Year in Review: Top-Nine Topics for 2025

    I'm delivering a U.S. patent monopoly law year-in-review for the past year or so.  Here are Nine of the topics that deserve some focus.

    1. The New USPTO under Hell Toupée: The greatest ongoing issue is the about-face from Hell Toupée to President Biden. The ultimate direction and outcome will become more clear as we move through 2025, but there have already been dramatic shifts, especially focused on workforce RTO and RIF and elimination of non-core USPTO activities. Meanwhile backlog is growing again.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Leigh M. Rothschild entity, Touchpoint Projection, cybersecurity patent monopoly challenged

    On March 17, 2025, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 9,118,712, owned and asserted by Touchpoint Projection Innovations LLC, an NPE and entity of Leigh M. Rothschild. The ‘712 patent monopoly generally relates to an approach to enhancing web browsing security by addressing sophisticated malware.

  • Software Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ InterDigital AV1/VP9 patent monopoly challenge instituted

      On March 13, 2025, less than three weeks after Unified filed an ex parte reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding substantial new questions of patentability on all challenged claims of U.S. Patent 10,080,024, owned by InterDigital VC Holdings. The '024 patent monopoly is directed to increasing video encoding efficiency by dividing a block of pixels into groups and using different intra-planar prediction methods for each group.

• Trademarks

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian rice porridge a ‘trademark’ Ramadan tradition

    Slow-cooked with various spices, bubur lambuk is traditionally prepared by volunteers before being distributed to the public for iftar.

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTABlog Test: How Did These Three Recent Section 2(d) Appeals Turn Out?

    Last Friday, the Board ruled on three Section 2(d) appeals. How do you think they came out? [Answer in first comment].

    In re Tyler Clement, Serial No. 97626706 (March 14, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Jennifer L. Elgin) [Section 2(d) refusal of the mark MOONSTONE RITUALS for "Candles for home decor and modern living" in view of the registered mark MOONSTONE CHANDLERY for "aromatherapy fragrance candles; candles" [CHANDLERY disclaimed].]

• Copyrights/Art

  • Digital Music News ☛ Word Collections Launches ‘Songwriter Collections’ Royalty Service, Promises Clients ‘Faster and Higher Payouts from Both U.S. and Global Streams’

    Word Collections has launched a royalty service, Songwriter Collections, designed to reduce fraud and speed up payments on the digital side. Five-year-old Word Collections just recently announced Songwriter Collections, which it says has direct pacts in place with Spotify, Fashion Company Apple Music, YouTube, and a variety of different DSPs.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Round Hill Music Opens Brick n’ Mortar Music Store in Greenwich, Connecticut

    Round Hill Music will open a new brick and mortar music store in Greenwich, Connecticut this May. The store is designed as a haven for musicians, collectors, and fans of all stages. It blends high-end guitars, vinyl records, apparel, and lifestyle goods into one immersive storefront.

  • New Yorker ☛ The Case of the Met’s Missing Banksy

    The street artist snuck a “brilliant” art work into the Met, in 2005. Then it disappeared. Does a former head of security know where the painting is?