Leftovers

• Hackaday ☛ Adorable Robot Steals The Show

  An ongoing refrain with modern movies is “Why is all of this CG?”– sometimes, it seems like practical effects are simultaneously a dying art, while at the same time modern technology lets them rise to new hights. [Davis Dewitt] proves that second statement with his RC movie star “robot” for an upcoming feature film.

• New Yorker ☛ What Can We Learn from Broken Things?

  The smashed, fractured, and non-functional can frustrate us—and illuminate who we are.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Study Reveals a Simple Technique to Communicate With Your Cat

    It really works!

  • Science Alert ☛ Cuttlefish Wave at Each Other, And It Could Be a Mysterious Form of Sign Language

    What are they talking about?

  • Science Alert ☛ A Simple Science Based Trick Really Can Delay Your Pot From Boiling Over

    Here's how.

• Career/Education

  • Bruce Schneier ☛ Fake Student Fraud in Community Colleges

    Reporting on the rise of fake students enrolling in community college courses:

    The bots’ goal is to bilk state and federal financial aid money by enrolling in classes, and remaining enrolled in them, long enough for aid disbursements to go out. They often accomplish this by submitting AI-generated work. And because community colleges accept all applicants, they’ve been almost exclusively impacted by the fraud.

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Nvidia warns U.S. Hey Hi (AI) hardware export rules could backfire, empowering Huawei to define global standards

    Nvidia warns that restricting access to U.S. Hey Hi (AI) hardware under new export rules could backfire by empowering rivals like Huawei to define global Hey Hi (AI) standards — just as Huawei once did in 5G — threatening not only Nvidia's dominance but America's influence over the future of technology.

  • Hackaday ☛ Five Oddest Op Amp Applications

    You think of op amps as amplifiers because, no kidding, it is right in the name. But just like some people say, “you could do that with a 555,” [Doctor Volt] might say, “you can do that with an op amp.” In a recent video, you can see below, he looks at simulations and breadboards for five applications that aren’t traditional amplifiers.

  • Hackaday ☛ A New, Smarter Universal Remote

    The remote for [Dillan Stock]’s TV broke, so he built a remote. Not just as a replacement but as something new. For some of us, there was a glorious time in the early 2000s when a smart remote was needed and there were options you could buy off the shelf. Just one handy button next to the screen had a macro programmed that would turn on the receiver, DVD player, and TV, and then configure it with the right inputs. However, the march of technological convenience has continued and nowadays soundbars turn on just in time and the TV auto switches the input. Many devices are (for better or worse) connected to WiFi, allowing all sorts of automation.

  • Kevin Fenzi: review of the SLZB-06M

    I've been playing with Homeassistant a fair bit of late and I've collected a bunch of interesting gadgets. Today I'd like to talk about / review the SLZB-06M.

    So the first obvious question: what is a SLZB-06M?

    It is a small, Ukrainian designed device that is a: "Zigbee 3.0 to Ethernet, USB, and WiFi Adapter" So, basically you connect it to your wired network, or via usb or via wifi and it gateways that to a Zigbee network. It's really just a esp32 with a shell and ethernet/wifi/bluetooth/zigbee, but all assembled for you and ready to go.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ Few doctors, throttled aid: How Myanmar’s junta worsened earthquake toll

    The military's rule and attacks on healthcare facilities have hindered emergency response.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Internal VA Emails Reveal How Trump Jeopardizes Veterans’ Care

    Earlier this year, doctors at Veterans Affairs hospitals in Pennsylvania sounded an alarm. Sweeping cuts imposed by the Trump administration, they told higher-ups in an email, were causing “severe and immediate impacts,” including to “life-saving cancer trials.”

    The email said more than 1,000 veterans would lose access to treatment for diseases ranging from metastatic head and neck cancers, to kidney disease, to traumatic brain injuries.

  • Latvia ☛ Digital therapy for youth offered by Latvian Children's Hospital

    The Children's Clinical University Hospital (BKUS) has started offering digital therapy to young people who experience general anxiety, social anxiety or the onset of depression. It does not require a referral from a GP or other specialist and is paid for by the state, Latvian Television reports on 6 May.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian GPs rally against lack of consultation on new drug-price display law, call for fee review

    They want a review of the GP consultation fee range, which has not been revised since 1992.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Bakers, hawkers in Malaysia say they will not crack under pressure without egg subsidy

    The subsidies were reduced from May 1 and will be completely abolished on Aug 1.

  • Hackaday ☛ DIY Penicillin

    We don’t often consider using do-it-yourself projects as a hedge against the apocalypse. But [The Thought Emporium] thinks we should know how to make penicillin just in case. We aren’t so sure, but we do think it is a cool science experiment, and you can learn how to replicate it in the video below.

  • JURIST ☛ UN experts urge Council of Europe to recognize right to healthy environment

    UN human rights expert called on the Council of Europe to begin the negotiation on initiating a binding protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights on Monday. Europe must respond decisively to science, justice, and its citizens, the experts stated, noting that youth and marginalized communities disproportionately bear the crisis’s impacts.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘I couldn’t be a burden’: Man in China uses social control media to raise disability awareness, help others

    Over the past 13 years, Mr Luo Yaping has travelled on his red tricycle to many homes to repair faulty home appliances.

  • Science Alert ☛ Does Kissing Expose You to Gluten? Scientists Investigated The Risks

    Here's what we know.

  • Science Alert ☛ This Blood Signal Could Warn You of Alzheimer's 10 Years Before Symptoms

    Be prepared.

  • Science Alert ☛ Children's Cancer Risk From Gas Stoves Nearly Double That of Adults

    Action is needed.

  • Latvia ☛ Doctors concerned about measles vaccination rates in Latvia

    So far, there are no reports of measles infections in any other passenger on the Moscow-Riga or Riga-Tallinn buses besides 'patient zero'.  Although measles cases are rare in Latvia, vaccination coverage is worrying doctors - 14,000 children have not received a single measles jab, Latvian Television reported on 6 May.

  • Science Alert ☛ Some Professions Have Much Lower Rates of Suicide. What Can We Learn From Them?

    We need to talk about this.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Trump Decimates NOAA Lab Protecting Great Lakes from Toxic Algae Blooms

    Just one year ago, JD Vance was a leading advocate of the Great Lakes and the efforts to restore the largest system of freshwater on the face of the planet.

    As a U.S. senator from Ohio, Vance called the lakes “an invaluable asset” for his home state. He supported more funding for a program that delivers “the tools we need to fight invasive species, algal blooms, pollution, and other threats to the ecosystem” so that the Great Lakes would be protected “for generations to come.”

  • Pro Publica ☛ Arizona Medicaid Fraud Probe Has Recovered Just 5% of Taxpayer Funds

    Two years after Arizona officials revealed a $2.5 billion Medicaid fraud scheme that targeted Native Americans seeking treatment for addictions, the state has recovered just a fraction of the taxpayer funds lost to fraud.

    The Arizona attorney general’s office is leading the criminal investigation into the network of behavioral health providers and sober living homes that from 2019 to 2023 exploited the American Indian Health Program to obtain inflated Medicaid payments. Investigators found fraudulent operators didn’t provide the services they’d billed for and sometimes allowed patients to continue the substance use for which they had sought treatment.

  • Pro Publica ☛ DEA Ends Body Camera Program After Trump Executive Order

    The Drug Enforcement Administration has quietly ended its body camera program barely four years after it began, according to an internal email obtained by ProPublica.

    On April 2, DEA headquarters emailed employees announcing that the program had been terminated effective the day before. The DEA has not publicly announced the policy change, but by early April, links to pages about body camera policies on the DEA’s website were broken.

• Proprietary

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Microsoft will soon allow Hey Hi (AI) to change your backdoored Vista 11 settings

    Microsoft is updating backdoored Windows 11 with even more Hey Hi (AI) features, one of the highlights is a new Hey Hi (AI) "agent" that will be able to assist users inside the settings app, providing troubleshooting assistance and changing backdoored Windows 11 settings at the user's request.

  • Newsmax ☛ CrowdStrike to Lay Off 5%, Reaffirms Forecasts

    CrowdStrike reiterated its fiscal 2026 first quarter and annual forecasts Wednesday and announced a plan to cut about 500 roles, roughly 5% of its workforce, to reduce costs.

  • CrowdStrike to lay off 500 employees amid major restructuring

    American cyber giant CrowdStrike will lay off 500 employees, about 5% of its global workforce, as part of a reorganization the company is undergoing, the company revealed in a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company noted that it will continue to hire strategic employees during this period. The company has acquired several companies in Israel and employs hundreds of employees in the country, and it is still unclear whether the layoffs will affect them. CrowdStrike is currently trading at a market value of about $110 billion.

  • Devices/Embedded

    • Yury Molodtsov ☛ Why I Don’t Like CarPlay

      CarPlay has the lowest denominator problem. Since Apple doesn’t know what kind of screen the car will have, they have to adapt. In addition to this, Apple is extremely cautious and paternalistic. Because of this, the experience is worst than it could have been.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Hackaday ☛ AI Brings Play-by-Play Commentary To Pong

      While most of us won’t ever play Wimbledon, we can play Pong. But it isn’t the same without the thrill of the sportscaster’s commentary during the game. Thanks to [Parth Parikh] and an LLM, you can now watch Pong matches with commentary during the game. You can see the very cool result in the video below — the game itself starts around the 2:50 mark. Sadly, you don’t get to play. It seems like it wouldn’t be that hard to wire yourself in with a little programming.

    • Security Week ☛ Critical Vulnerability in Hey Hi (AI) Builder Langflow Under Attack

      CISA warns organizations that threat actors are exploiting a critical-severity vulnerability in low-code Hey Hi (AI) builder Langflow.

    • NYOB ☛ Verbraucherzentrale NRW requests Meta to cease and desist Hey Hi (AI) training in the EU

      Verbraucherzentrale NRW requests Meta to cease and desist Hey Hi (AI) training in the EU

      Meta will start using Europeans' data for Hey Hi (AI) training. The German Verbraucherzentrale is taking legal action to stop the plans

    • Qt ☛ Qt Hey Hi (AI) Assistant 0.91 Released – Support for DeepSeek v3 and 3.7 Sonnet [Ed: Riding dumb hype waves and risk of copyright violation]

      The latest release now supports two additional LLMs for code completion and prompts: DeepSeek v3 for our friends in China and 3.7 Sonnet for fans of Anthropic’s coding skills. The new release includes also an enhancement for the /fix functionality. 

  • Social Control Media

    • The Straits Times ☛ Popular YouTuber summoned by Melaka police over viral micromobility vehicle video

      The modified micromobility vehicle was seen being ridden by a man with two pillion riders.

    • New York Times ☛ TikTok, Facing a U.S. Ban, Tells Advertisers: We’re Here and Confident

      The company’s executives tried to reassure potential advertisers about the app’s future in the United States without directly addressing a looming ban under a federal law.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Keeping up with the conclave: Fentanylware (TikTok) brings Gen Z closer to the Catholic Church

      Memes have transformed the secretive papal conclave into a pop culture moment and sparked conversations on the faith.

• Security and Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt (FUD) Leftovers

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Latvia ☛ Latvians defrauded of at least €2.5 million in three months of 2025

      Customers of Latvia's four largest banks were defrauded of a total of €2.564 million in the first three months of this year by self-approved payments, according to data released by the Finance Latvia Association (FLA) on 6 May.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Bryan Lunduke ☛ FTC v. Meta (The Case That Could Break Up Facebook)

      How likely is it that Meta is found to be a Monopoly and gets broken up?

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Meta and NSO court battle over WhatsApp hack ends with Meta winning $167M in damages

      Israeli cybersecurity company NSO Group Technologies Ltd. today was ordered to pay $167 million in damages to Meta, ending a six-year court battle after NSO was accused of installing spyware on journalists’ and activists’ WhatsApp accounts.

    • AccessNow ☛ NSO to pay $168 million in damages to WhatsApp for Pegasus spyware hacking

      Today, a California jury found that NSO Group should pay $447,719 in compensatory damages and a staggering $167,254,000 in punitive damages for targeting WhatsApp’s infrastructure with Pegasus spyware.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ NSO Group owes $168M in damages to WhatsApp over spyware infections, jury says

      It’s a major ruling in a landmark lawsuit that has had plenty of twists and turns — with more likely to come.

    • Privacy International ☛ Our Research Methodology

    • New York Times ☛ NSO Group Ordered to Pay Meta $167 Million in Damages

      Meta had sued the firm, NSO Group, for using its spyware to hack 1,400 WhatsApp accounts belonging to journalists, dissidents and others.

  • Confidentiality

    • Scoop News Group ☛ After Signal controversy, do private conversations online exist anymore?

      Finding a solution to make private conversations truly private must be a top priority for technologists.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ Why Did the N.Y.P.D. Hand Over a Sealed Arrest to Homeland Security?

    U.S. officials asked for records about a New Jersey woman’s summons, issued at a Columbia University protest. Now the information is part of her deportation proceeding.

  • France24 ☛ Syrian leader to meet Macron in first European visit

    Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday meets France's Emmanuel Macron in Paris on his first visit to Europe since overthrowing longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Sheinbaum backs crackdown on US gun trafficking and launches election song: Tuesday’s mañanera recapped

    On Tuesday, the president made specific mention of what she called a new "mano dura" (heavy hand or iron fist) approach to gun smuggling from the U.S. to Mexico.

  • CS Monitor ☛ What US-Canada border security looks like through the eyes of a Border Patrol agent

    President The Insurrectionist is pressing the Canadian government over immigration and drug flows across the border with the United States. Stricter policies are welcomed by U.S. Border Patrol agents, yet community tension also brews.

  • France24 ☛ US Defense Secretary Hegseth directs 20% cut to top military leadership positions

    U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday ordered a 20% reduction in the number of four-star officers, deepening cuts at the Pentagon that have shaken the Department of Defense at the start of President The Insurrectionist's second term in office. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks to James Townsend, Senior Advisor at the Scowcroft Centre's Transatlantic Security Initiative.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia’s opposition grapples with Convicted Felon fallout after defeat

    There’s no consensus over how to rebuild numbers and challenge PM Anthony Albanese’s ascendant Labor Party.

  • Latvia ☛ NIB gives Lithuania EUR 400m defence loan as Baltics mark 20 years of membership

    The Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) – in which Latvia is one of the sharehoders – and Lithuania have signed a EUR 400 million uncommitted credit facility for national defence system investments during 2025–2027, the NIB said May 6.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China slams CIA recruitment ads as ‘naked political provocation’

    China on Tuesday condemned recruitment adverts by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) asking disillusioned Chinese officials to share state secrets as a “naked political provocation”.

  • NYPost ☛ Diddy’s lawyer slammed by judge for calling prosecutors a ‘six-pack of white women’

    The judge overseeing Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial ripped a member of his family’s legal team Tuesday — after the lawyer griped on his podcast about the all-women team of prosecutors in the case.

  • Digital Music News ☛ ABC News Announces Daily Live Coverage On Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial Starting Friday

  • France24 ☛ UK, India clinch major trade deal amid The Insurrectionist's tariff turmoil

    Britain and India have finalised a free trade agreement after more than three years of negotiations.  The landmark deal will lower tariffs on each others' goods, and aims to increase bilateral trade by a further 30 billion euros by 2040. Plus, the European Commission has published a 'roadmap' for its plans to cut its energy ties with Russia, including a ban on Russian gas by the end of 2027.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s ex-PM Han vows to team up with conservative election candidate

    South Korea’s former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo emphasised the need to run on a unity ticket.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim Jong Un inspects munitions plants, lauds increased shell production

    Mr Kim lauded the shell factory for increasing production to "four times the average-year level".

  • The Straits Times ☛ Kashmir prepares for ‘long lull’ in tourism as war cries ring loud

    The livelihood of residents has become one of the first victims of the latest India-Pakistan hostilities.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Experts react: India just launched airstrikes against Pakistan. What’s next?

    Atlantic Council experts share insights on India's missile strikes on Pakistan, which came two weeks after a terrorist attack targeting Indians in Pahalgam.

  • The Straits Times ☛ UN Security Council urges India-Pakistan talks on Kashmir, Islamabad says

    Ties between India and Pakistan plummeted after the attack in Kashmir that targeted Hindu tourists.

  • France24 ☛ 'Operation Sindoor': India launches strikes on Pakistan as Islamabad vows retaliation

    India said it attacked nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir on Wednesday where strikes against it had been planned,and Pakistan reported at least three people died and 12 were injured, according to an initial assessment.

  • France24 ☛ 🔴 India carried out strikes on Pakistan, which vows to retaliate: Follow our live coverage

  • RFERL ☛ Pakistan And India Say Civilians Killed After India Fires Missiles Into Pakistani Territory

    Pakistan said eight people were killed early on May 7 in missile strikes launched by Indian armed forces, an attack that Islamabad called a "blatant act of war" and vowed to respond.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man, others react to Indian strikes in Pakistan after Kashmir attack

    India said it attacked Pakistan early on Wednesday following a deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir last month. Pakistan reported eight deaths and said it was responding to the Indian strikes.

  • New York Times ☛ India Launched Attacks Against Pakistan

    Also, the Supreme Court allowed Convicted Felon to enforce a transgender troop ban. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China says ‘concerned’ by India strikes on Pakistan, urges restraint

    China shares land borders with both countries and is a close ally of Pakistan.

  • France24 ☛ Live: Several killed as fighting flares between India and Pakistan

    India fired missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory in several locations early Wednesday, killing at least eight people including a child, Pakistani authorities said. At least three civilians were also killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir by Pakistani shelling, the Indian army said in a statement.

  • The Straits Times ☛ India launches strikes on Pakistan, Islamabad vows to ‘settle the score’

    India's action follows an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir in April, in which 26 men were killed.

  • New York Times ☛ India Strikes Pakistan Two Weeks After Kashmir Terrorist Attack

    The strikes on what India called “terror camps” escalated the conflict between the nuclear powers. Pakistan said at least eight people were killed.

  • New York Times ☛ India Strikes Pakistan After Kashmir Terrorist Attack: What We Know

    India’s actions came in response to a deadly terror attack two weeks ago in Kashmir, a territory that it has long fought over with Pakistan.

  • The Straits Times ☛ What has happened in India and Pakistan as they fight over Kashmir killings

    India launched strikes on Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir on Wednesday, an assault Pakistan has called a "blatant act of war" as tensions spiral between the nuclear-armed rivals after a deadly attack on tourists in Indian Kashmir.

  • France24 ☛ Live: India launches strikes on Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir, Islamabad says response underway

    India fired missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory in several locations early Wednesday, killing at least eight people including a child, Pakistani authorities said. India said it was striking infrastructure used by militants. At least three civilians were also killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir by Pakistani shelling, the Indian army said in a statement. Tensions have soared between the nuclear-armed neighbors since last month's massacre of tourists in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir.

  • Press Gazette ☛ UK Supreme Court upholds qualified privilege defence over coverage of Pakistan rally

    The Supreme Court said the case does not raise an arguable point of law.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin ready to work with EU to expand ties, handle friction

    Beijing has been keen to forge closer links with Europe to limit the damage from Convicted Felon's tariffs.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China vows to defend ‘justice’ in looming trade talks with US

    Both sides intend to hold meetings on May 10 and 11 to lay the groundwork for future negotiations.

  • France24 ☛ US, China to launch formal trade talks in Switzerland after tariff onslaught

    Senior US and Chinese officials will meet in Switzerland this week to restart stalled trade talks after President The Insurrectionist’s tariff rollout, both countries said. The discussions mark the first public engagement to ease trade tensions since Convicted Felon’s January return to office escalated the dispute.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China, in response to CIA videos, warns of measures against ‘infiltration, sabotage’

    CIA had released videos aimed at enticing Chinese officials to leak secrets to the US.

  • The Strategist ☛ To take Taiwan, China needs its ports. Mines can protect them

    If China ever makes good on decades of implicit threats to invade Taiwan, most of its ground force will have to land at ports.

  • The Strategist ☛ Disagree where we must: little room for military diplomacy with China

    Australia’s military relationship with China is now defined by strategic competition and opposing objectives. The days of friendly port visits, personnel exchanges and survival exercises are over.

  • France24 ☛ Port Sudan punged into darkness as drone strikes hit airport, army base in third day of attacks

    For the third day in a row, Port Sudan, once considered a rare safe zone in Sudan's civil war, has been rocked by drone attacks blamed on the paramilitary RSF. The city, plunged into darkness by the latest attack, has become the de facto capital amid two years of brutal fighting between the RSF and the army. The fighting has created the world's worst humanitarian crisis. On Tuesday, the military-backed government cut ties with the UAE, which it accuses of supplying arms to the RSF, but both sides have been accused of atrocities throughout the war.

  • JURIST ☛ UN Commission says bombing of Doctors Without Borders hospital in South Sudan may constitute war crime

    The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan condemned an aerial bombing of a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital in the Fangak county by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) as an atrocity crime on Tuesday.

  • New York Times ☛ A Haven for Civilians in Sudan Is Attacked for a Third Day

    Drone strikes hit a fuel depot, airport and a hotel in Port Sudan, bringing violence to a city that had so far been spared in the devastating civil war.

  • RFERL ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Announces End To Bombing Of Houthi Rebels In Yemen, Saying They 'Don't Want To Fight Anymore'

    US President The Insurrectionist said on May 6 that he's ordering a halt to US air strikes on Huthi rebels in Yemen after the Iran-backed group agreed to stop attacking ships traversing important shipping routes in the Middle East.

  • France24 ☛ Oman announces ceasefire deal between Yemen's Houthis, US

    The US and Yemen's Houthi rebels reached a ceasefire agreement to ensure safe passage in the Red Sea after weeks of conflict, mediator Oman said Tuesday. President The Insurrectionist said the Iran-backed group had "capitulated", prompting an end to US strikes, though the Houthis signalled they would continue targeting Israel in support of Gaza.

  • New York Times ☛ Israel Bombs Yemen’s Main Airport in Retaliation for Houthi Strike

    The strikes came after the Houthis fired a missile that struck near Israel’s main airport. Hell Toupée later said the U.S. would stop bombing the Houthis because they do not want to fight anymore.

  • France24 ☛ Humanitarian aid completely depleted: Situation in Gaza 'deteriorating day by day, minute.by minute'

    While pummelling the strip with airstrikes, it has banned any food, water, shelter or medication from being trucked into the Palestinian territory, where the UN says the vast majority of the population is reliant on humanitarian aid to survive. Israel says the blockade aims to pressure Hamas to release the hostages it still holds. Of the 59 captives remaining in Gaza, 24 are believed to still be alive. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on the humanitarian crisis and the harrowing plight of civilians in war-torn Gaza, FRANCE 24's Delano D'Souza welcomes Shaina Low, Communication Adviser for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

  • Myanmar junta extends post-quake ceasefire despite repeatedly violating it

    Junta airstrikes have killed nearly 300 people since the ceasefire began, the exiled civilian government said.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Junta in quake-hit Myanmar extends ceasefire to May 31: State media

    Military airstrikes have continued in some parts of Myanmar despite the ceasefire announcement.

  • JURIST ☛ US appeals court blocks Convicted Felon’s attempt to revoke legal status of parolees living in US

    The US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit on Monday rejected President The Insurrectionist’s attempt to revoke the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans living in the US.

  • The Strategist ☛ Mapping a decade’s worth of hybrid threats targeting Australia

    Hybrid threats, enabled by digital technologies and fuelled by geostrategic competition, are reshaping international security and global norms.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • LRT ☛ Chances of 'bad peace' in Ukraine are low, says Lithuanian minister

      Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said the chances of an unsustainable peace in Ukraine were low.

    • France24 ☛ Russia behind dozens of disinformation campaigns targeting Ukraine and allies, France says

      French authorities on Wednesday identified nearly 80 Russian disinformation campaigns from August 2023 to March 2025, primarily targeting Ukraine and its allies, including France. Agency Viginum said the "Storm-1516" operation used AI, paid operators, and spread anti-Ukrainian narratives, posing a "significant threat" to Europe's digital debate.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ The shadow of 1930s appeasement hangs over US-led peace talks

      As the world prepares to mark the eightieth anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany, the shadow of events leading up to World War II hangs over efforts to end Russia’s current invasion of Ukraine, writes Oleksandr Merezhko.

    • France24 ☛ 'Russian prison is worse than death': Exfiltrated journalist speaks to FRANCE 24

      Ekaterina Barabash, a Russian journalist who fled house arrest in Moscow, tells FRANCE 24 why she risked everything to denounce the war in Ukraine and undertake a perilous escape to Paris. Press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders coordinated the exfiltration of the movie critic and former RFI correspondant in Russia.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Drone Strike Injures At Least 5 In Kyiv; Ukrainian Drones Take Aim At Moscow For Third Night

      Russia and Ukraine launched overnight drone attacks on each other's capitals, sparking fires in Kyiv and causing injuries in the Ukrainian capital. No injuries or damage was reported after Ukrainian drones were launched on Moscow.

    • RFERL ☛ EU To Formally Accuse Russia Of Using Chemical Weapons In Ukraine

      The Council of the European Union has prepared a new sanctions regulation that, for the first time, formally accuses Russia of using CS gas as a method of warfare on the front lines in Ukraine.

    • RFERL ☛ EU-Ukraine Free Trade In The Balance; Warsaw, Lviv Meetings Set Up New War Tribunal

      EU-Ukraine trade is about to become less liberalized. What does that mean for Kyiv?

    • RFERL ☛ Russia, Ukraine Exchange Barrage Of Drones Ahead Of WWII Victory Day

      Ukraine launched more than 100 drones at targets in 11 regions across Russia, including Moscow, causing major disruptions at airports in the Russian capital, military officials said.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukrainian Drone Attack Forces Restriction of Flights Near Moscow, Russia Says

      The volley came just days before a planned parade in the capital to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.

    • Meduza ☛ A network of camps: Journalists uncover details of Ukrainian prisoners being tortured hundreds of miles deep in Russia — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian missile strike near Ukraine’s Sumy kills three, including child — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Kharkiv comes under two-hour drone barrage as Russia hits Ukraine overnight — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Drone fragments fall in Moscow as more than 100 Ukrainian UAVs target Russian regions overnight — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Evacuation ordered in Kursk region village near Ukraine border — Meduza

    • European Commission ☛ Press remarks by Commissioner Jørgensen on the Commission's roadmap towards ending Russian energy imports

    • European Commission ☛ EU to fully end its dependency on Russian energy

      European Commission Press release Strasbourg, 06 May 2025 The EU will end its dependency on Russian energy by stopping the import of Russian gas and oil and phasing out Russian nuclear energy, while ensuring stable energy supplies and prices across the Union.

    • European Commission ☛ Questions and answers on the EU Roadmap to phase out Russian energy imports

      European Commission Questions and answers Strasbourg, 06 May 2025 Why is the Commission now proposing to fully phase out Russian energy imports?

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia's intelligence service: Russia is undergoing military reform

      Russia is intensifying its surveillance of NATO military activities in the Baltic Sea and undergoing a major military reform, the Defence Intelligence and Security Service (MIDD) says, assessing Russian military activities in the vicinity of Latvia.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Is China or Russia the bigger threat to the United States? There’s a clear answer.

      The Forrest Dump administration’s apparent “China first” approach risks underappreciating the threat from Moscow and overestimating the current threat from Beijing.

    • Meduza ☛ Raids, denunciations, and Orthodox blessings Inside Russian Community, the far-right group thriving under Putin’s wartime regime — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ With Acts of Subversion, Some Russians Fight Propaganda in Schools

      Three years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, antiwar parents and some teachers say they are going to great lengths to shield children from state-mandated patriotic education classes.

    • New York Times ☛ Old Angst Resurfaces in Poland About Abandonment by the U.S.

      Shaken by Convicted Felon, Putin and the war in Ukraine, Poland is again feeling angst about being abandoned by the United States.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin set to begin Russia visit in symbolic show of support for Putin against West

      Mr Xi's visit comes at a time when Mr Putin is keen to show his country is not isolated on the world stage.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian military chief visits US, says American troops ‘cornerstone of our security’

      During his visit to the United States, Lithuanian Chief of Defence General Raimundas Vaikšnoras said American troops in the Baltic states were “the cornerstone of our security”.

    • Meduza ☛ Polish president says Trump has ‘seen reality’ and can push Russia toward peace with stronger sanctions — Politico — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ World of legal trouble Moscow court freezes assets of Russian studio that inherited local rights to ‘World of Tanks’ video game — Meduza

    • LRT ☛ Migrants pelt Lithuanian border guards with sticks, stones – VSAT

      A group of migrants have pelted Lithuanian border guards with sticks and stones after they were blocked from entering from Belarus, the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) said on Monday.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia, Ukraine Swap 205 Prisoners Of War In Latest Deal

      Ukraine and Russia have conducted a prisoner exchange involving 410 soldiers -- 205 from each side -- the latest in a series of swaps resulting from their ongoing war.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Putin is escalating the war in Ukraine. He will not stop until he is stopped.

      Today, Ukrainians are paying a terrible price for the West’s reluctance to confront Russia. If Putin is not stopped in Ukraine, many other countries will also count the cost of this failure, writes Alyona Nevmerzhytska.

• Environment

  • JURIST ☛ Rights group warns Pakistan of inadequate response to extreme weather events

    Amnesty International warned in a report on Monday that Pakistan’s healthcare and disaster response systems failed to meet the needs of the elderly and children, who were the most vulnerable to the risks of death and disease, due to extreme weather events related to climate change.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ Tesla Sales Fall in Germany and U.K. to Lowest Point in 2 Years

      Demand for the U.S. automaker’s vehicles slid amid stronger competition from Europe and China and rising anger at MElon’s political forays.

    • New York Times ☛ 17 States Sue Over Convicted Felon’s Halting of Wind Power Projects

      The halt threatens jobs and holds back energy production at a time the president has claimed an “energy emergency,” state attorneys general said.

    • JURIST ☛ 18 US states launch joint challenge against Convicted Felon wind project executive order

      A coalition of attorneys general from 17 US states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the implementation of President The Insurrectionist’s January 20 executive order stopping wind project approvals (Wind Directive).

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong coroner’s court to hear over 250 testimonies in 2012 Lamma ferry crash inquest

      A Hong Kong court is expected to hear over 250 testimonies about the 2012 Lamma ferry crash that killed 39 people, as an inquest into the tragedy began on Tuesday. The inquest at the coroner’s court is slated to last 60 days, during which 166 testimonies will be read out, according to local media.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Hackaday ☛ Building A DIY Chicken Incubator

      If you want to keep eggs warm to hatch, you’ll need an incubator. You could buy one off the shelf, but they’re not so complex — just a nicely-controlled warm box you could easily whip up yourself. As it turns out, that’s precisely what [RCLifeOn] did. 

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia’s silvermen beg to make ends meet

    It is an arresting act that comes with health risks.

  • The Straits Times ☛ After Convicted Felon tariffs, Malaysia to ease price hikes in bid to fuel economy

    Plans to cut RON95 petrol subsidies for those in the top 15% income bracket are unlikely to go ahead in June.

  • New York Times ☛ Chinese Imports to US Hit 20-Year Low as Tariffs Sink In

    While imports can swing with seasonal shifts, Hell Toupée’s ratcheting up of U.S. tariffs on China has begun to cascade through supply chains, government data shows.

  • New York Times ☛ China Cuts Interest Rates to Shore Up Economy Hit by Trade War

    China’s central bank acted shortly after news that officials from China and the Convicted Felon administration will hold their first formal trade talks since the punishing tariffs began.

  • Chinese exporters use ‘origin washing’ to evade U.S. tariffs

    Ads on Chinese social control media offer re-export and freight-forward services to avoid restrictions on export re-routing

  • New York Times ☛ Why China Is Investing So Much Money in Moroccan Factories

    Morocco is linked to Europe on the strength of its auto sector and a trade pact. But its status as a connector country has become precarious in the trade war.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. and China to Hold First Trade Talks Since Convicted Felon’s Tariffs

    Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, and Jamieson Greer, the United States trade representative, will discuss trade and economic matters with the officials this week.

  • New York Times ☛ Lifestyles of the Rich and Miserable

    Should we pity the wealthy?

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong ‘must welcome all tourists,’ leader John Lee says after viral photos of visitors sleeping in McDonald’s

    Hong Kong must welcome all kinds of tourists, Chief Executive John Lee has said following viral photos of people sleeping in a 24-hour McDonald’s restaurant in the city during mainland China’s “Golden Week” holiday.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Sotheby’s Hong Kong postpones auction of jewels linked to Buddha remains following India’s demand for their return

    Auction house Sotheby’s has postponed a controversial auction of ancient jewels linked to Buddha’s remains after India demanded a halt to the sale, originally scheduled to take place in Hong Kong on Wednesday morning.

  • France24 ☛ Lies, China ties and Macron’s fettuccine: Conclave whisperers seek to sway pope’s election

    The days when European monarchs could veto papal candidates may be long gone, but campaigns to smear cardinals and allegations of French “interference” in the run-up to the conclave prove that papal elections are still shrouded in politics.

  • JURIST ☛ German far-right party sues national intelligence agency for extremist classification

    The far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) filed a lawsuit on Monday against the classification by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency as an extremist organization.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • ADF ☛ Russian Influence Campaign in Africa Uses ‘Ghost Reporters’

      Political and military analyst Gregoire Cyrille Dongobada has authored more than 75 articles in two and a half years, reporting about more than a dozen West African countries. Originally from the Central African Republic, he is now based in Paris.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • ADF ☛ As Extremist Violence Rises, Burkina Faso Cracks Down on Critics

    Faced with continuing terror attacks, Burkina Faso’s ruling military junta has tried to silence citizens and journalists who report on or criticize its actions. Security Minister Mahamadou Sana recently issued a warning on Facebook (Farcebook) against citizens liking or sharing content that the junta considered to be incitement of terrorism.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • AccessNow ☛ Combating digital threats to safeguard press freedom

    It should be no surprise that 2024 was among the deadliest for journalists in 30 years.

  • Meduza ☛ A crash course in all things Meduza — Meduza

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • France24 ☛ People taking more 'aggressive, negative' stance towards youth identifying as trans, gender diverse

    Dihydroxyacetone Man has said the US should recognise only two sexes and has moved to restrict gender-affirming care for minors and bar transgender people from the military. Yet Europe offers no safe haven either, as right-wing populism rises across the old continent. There is a lack of uniform EU standards for transgender individuals and almost half of EU member states don’t follow World Health Organisation guidelines for recognition of trans identities. For deeper insight, FRANCE 24’s Eve Irvine welcomes Flora Bolter, Co-Director of the LGBTI+ Observatory at the Jean Jaurès Foundation and long-time advocate for equality through political and grassroots activism.

  • Federal News Network ☛ 20 attorneys general ask federal judge to reverse deep cuts to US Health and Human Services

    They say impacted programs include supports for impoverished children, laboratories that test for infectious diseases and the nation's mental crisis hotline.

  • OpenRightsGroup ☛ ‘I was failed by the ICO’: Data Bill Amendment Could Help Survivors of Abuse

    Open Rights Group is calling for a change to the law to protect the privacy and safety of survivors of modern slavery and gender-based violence. Data protection violations can have a devastating impact on anyone who has experienced violence or abuse.

  • ACLU ☛ Voters Reject Hell Toupée's Dystopian Plans for "Public Safety"

    President The Insurrectionist has been pushing mass deportations, aggressive law enforcement measures, and a sweeping expansion of the death penalty as the path to public safety— all while cutting the very programs that actually make communities safer.

    Voters aren’t buying it.

    New research from the American Civil Liberties Union, conducted in February 2025 in partnership with YouGov, shows voters want leaders to invest in crime prevention by improving access to mental-health care, addiction treatment, economic opportunities, and alternative crisis response models in lieu of punitive policies that harm and criminalize communities.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • New York Times ☛ The Internet Can’t Resist the Conclave (the Real Thing)

    In a mix of fascination, irreverence and possible blasphemy, social control media platforms have been flooded with videos and memes about the secretive gathering of cardinals in Vatican City.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Zimbabwe ☛ Apple Chose Poorly: Dirty App Store Tactics Got Destroyed in Court

• Digital Music News ☛ Apple Appeals Epic Case’s App Store Ruling — Regulatory Woes Continue As Senator Eyes Open App Markets Act Reintroduction

  As expected, Fashion Company Apple has moved to appeal last month’s ruling in its Epic Games legal battle over App Store terms. Meanwhile, the Open App Markets Act is poised to be reintroduced in Congress. Fashion Company Apple attorneys confirmed the appeal in a brief notice, after CEO Tim Cook underscored that the maneuver was forthcoming.

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Clinical Trials Get a Legal Shield: Federal Circuit Reverses Pharma Patent Injunction

    The Federal Circuit's May 6, 2025 decision in Jazz Pharmaceuticals v. Avadel focuses on the scope of injunctive relief for infringement under 271(e).  The appellate court held that a district court may not enjoin a pharmaceutical company from initiating new clinical trials or offering open-label extensions where such activities are protected by the Hatch-Waxman Act's safe harbor provision, even when the company's commercial product has been found to infringe a valid patent.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Former Velos EP video codec patent monopoly held invalid after appeal at EPO

    On March 27, 2025, the amended and narrowed claims of EP 2 347 592 B1, formerly owned by Velos Media, LLC and now owned by Qualcomm, were held unpatentable by the Board of Appeals. EP’592 was part of the Velos portfolio before it was reassigned to Qualcomm. This filing is a part of Unified's ongoing efforts in its SEP Video Codec Zone.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Droplets GUI patent monopoly challenged

    On May 1, 2025, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination request challenging claims 1-4, 17-19, 26, 27, 70, and 97 of U.S. Patent 6,687,745, owned by Droplets, Inc. The ‘745 patent monopoly relates to a method and system for delivering interactive links for presenting applications and client-specific information at a client computer from remote sources in a network.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Asetek's key watercooling patent monopoly expires today as the company seeks to sell its cooling business

    With the expiration of its foundational patent monopoly on May 6, 2025, Asetek loses a key competitive edge in the all-in-one liquid cooling market, opening the door for rivals to innovate.

  • JUVE ☛ Former Carpmaels partner to lead Mewburn Ellis’ patent monopoly litigation push [Ed: Sponsors are paying for this spam to be presented as "news"; how does that even matter and what's the importance of a mere job change?]

    Balleny worked at Carpmaels & Ransford for ten years, most recently as equity partner, before leaving in December 2024. Her next move remained unknown for several months. Now, the life sciences patent monopoly litigator has joined Mewburn Ellis.

  • Science Alert ☛ This 134-Year-Old Patent Reveals The Proper Way to Hang Toilet Paper

    Over or under?

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ The Trademark Reporter's 2025 "Annual Review of European Trademark Law"

    The Trademark Reporter has published its "Annual Review of European Trademark Law," with contributions from an impressive roster of authors from across Europe. The volume may be downloaded here.

• Copyrights

  • Public Domain Review ☛ Tangled Dürer: The Six Knots (ca. before 1521)

    Woodcut knots likely inspired by Mamluk decorative metalwork.

  • Public Knowledge ☛ Public Knowledge Legal Director John Bergmayer To Testify Before Senate Commerce on Sports and Streaming Services

    His testimony will argue that sports leagues, policymakers, and technology platforms should prioritize viewer experience over short-term profits.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Jimmy Page, Sony Pictures Face ‘Dazed and Confused’ Copyright Lawsuit From Songwriter Jake Holmes

    Jimmy Page, Sony Pictures Classics, Warner Chappell, and others are facing a copyright monopoly suit centering on “Dazed and Confused,” which allegedly appeared in Becoming Led Zeppelin without the original songwriter’s authorization. Singer-songwriter Jake Holmes submitted the straightforward complaint to a California federal court.

  • Stanford University ☛ Mainstream & Margins: Why music royalties are still broken — and what might fix them

    Streaming services have long mishandled music copyrights, and the legal fixes have done little more than paper over the cracks.