Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ 'World's Oldest Baby' Born From 30-Year-Old Frozen Embryo

    There's a lot to unpack here.

• Career/Education

  • The Straits Times ☛ HK universities see success in drive to attract more top talent from abroad

    Push and pull factors are bringing more foreign-trained academics to the city, but diversity a concern as many new hires originate from mainland China.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Stand-ups won’t sit down in China

    While overtly political comedy can spell trouble, stand-up comics – including an increasing number of women – are finding creative ways to question restrictive norms.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ Are South Koreans lonely?

    Social isolation is especially acute in the capital city of Seoul - and it’s not just among the elderly

  • The Straits Times ☛ US CDC weighs travel notice for China as chikungunya cases rise

    China has recorded nearly 5,000 cases since one infection was introduced in early July.

  • Science Alert ☛ Common Viruses May Wake Dormant Breast Cancer Cells, Study Finds

    "Like the embers left in an abandoned campfire."

  • Science Alert ☛ Massive Study Links 6 Sleep Traits to Risk of 172 Diseases

    It's more than duration that counts.

  • Science Alert ☛ Promising New Male Contraceptive Passes First Human Safety Trial

    And it's hormone-free.

  • Science Alert ☛ Air Pollution Linked With Increased Risk of Brain Bleeds in US Study

    Researchers hope to encourage change.

• Proprietary

  • Social Control Media

    • Press Gazette ☛ White House embraces rise of ‘newsfluencers’

      How social control media 'newsfluencers' have made their way into the heart of the US government.

• Security

  • Confidentiality

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Senate legislation would direct federal agencies to fortify against quantum computing cyber threats

      The bill mandates a national strategy and establishes pilot programs in the federal government on quantum-safe encryption.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ US FBI opens office in New Zealand

    It is to improve the US and New Zealand's ability to counter China's presence in the Pacific region.

  • JURIST ☛ UCLA reaches $6.13M settlement with Jewish plaintiffs

    The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) announced on Tuesday that it has reached a settlement agreement in a lawsuit brought by a Jewish faculty member and students.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s Yoon resists questioning by lying on the floor in underwear

    Prosecutors obtained a fresh arrest warrant on July 31 to forcibly bring Yoon in for questioning.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thailand seeks neutral venue for border talks with Cambodia

    Malaysia is ready to host the meeting as the current chair of Asean.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thailand returns some Cambodian soldiers ahead of key border talks

    Defence ministers and military leaders from both sides are set to hold talks in Malaysia next week.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japanese woman with child injured in subway station attack in China

    A woman was reportedly walking with her child when she was struck with a stone-like object.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Djibouti is the next arena for US-China competition in the Red Sea

    Washington could upgrade its Djibouti relationship and secure its foothold along some of the world’s most important waterways.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ More Chinese companies expected to list in Hong Kong amid US-China tensions, finance chief says

    More mainland Chinese companies are expected to list on Hong Kong’s stock exchange amid geopolitical tensions making it harder to list in the US, finance minister Paul Chan has said.

  • Marcy Wheeler ☛ The Real Squeeze Inside Convicted Felon’s Brazil Tariffs

    Dihydroxyacetone Man excluded orange juice -- a crucial breakfast staple -- from yesterday's tariffs on Brazil, but not coffee -- possibly an even more crucial breakfast import. By doing so, he'll moot a lawsuit filed two weeks ago challenging his capricious attack on Brazil.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian military intelligence chief accused of psychological abuse, workplace bullying

      The head of Lithuania’s military intelligence service is facing a disciplinary investigation after a Defence Ministry probe found evidence of possible psychological abuse and workplace bullying toward intelligence officers.

    • The Straits Times ☛ India holds its ground for now as Convicted Felon slaps 25% tariff and threatens penalty for trade with Russia

      Mr Narendra Modi cannot afford to ignore his domestic constituency.

    • Marcy Wheeler ☛ How John Durham and Chuck Grassley Covered Up Getting Ass-Handed by Russia

      John Durham (with Chuck Grassley's help) tried to obscure that on the same day as the Russian spy report that drove his entire investigation, Russian spooks discussed seeding conspiracies about "dark forces."

    • RFERL ☛ China, Russia Showcase Security Ties With New Pacific Drills

      The five-day drills, dubbed Maritime Interaction 2025, focus on anti-submarine warfare, air defense, and search-and-rescue operations, showcasing their growing strategic alignment in a region marked by heightened security concerns.

    • France24 ☛ US tariffs on India: A changing tide in their partnership?

      After weeks of negotiations, The Insurrectionist said the US will impose a 25% tariff on goods imported from India from Friday onwards, threatening an additional "penalty" owing to India's continued reliance on Russian oil for its energy needs.

      What does this mean for their relationship? FRANCE 24's Business Editor Charles Pellegrin breaks it down for you.

    • New York Times ☛ Aftershocks From 8.8-Magnitude Quake Rattle North Pacific

      Dozens of small earthquakes were recorded, most off the coast of Russia’s Far East. Five of them have been above magnitude 6.

    • LRT ☛ Russian drone strike destroys Lithuanian aid group Blue/Yellow’s warehouse in Kyiv

      A temporary aid warehouse operated by the Lithuanian nonprofit Blue/Yellow was completely destroyed in a Russian drone strike overnight Friday, the organisation reported.

    • Press Gazette ☛ How to build a 70-strong newsbrand with 20,000 subscribers in a warzone

      Kyiv Independent COO Zakhar Protsiuk explains how title built reader revenue model since November 2021 launch.

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    • Atlantic Council ☛ A Ukraine without Ukrainians: Putin is erasing Europe’s largest nation

      Russia is systematically erasing all traces of Ukrainian national identity throughout occupied Ukraine as Vladimir Putin pursues an extreme form of eliminationist imperialism in the heart of twenty-first century Europe, writes Peter Dickinson.

    • RFERL ☛ Kyiv Attack Death Toll Hits 31 In Russian Attack Convicted Felon Calls 'Disgusting'

      US President The Insurrectionist again displayed anger with Russia following its latest deadly attack on Kyiv -- a strike that killed 31 people, including five children -- calling the action “disgusting” and vowing to slap new sanctions on Moscow.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Tells Russian Official to ‘Watch His Words,’ but He Bites Back Instead

      The former Russian president Dmitri Medvedev offers Hell Toupée a useful foil to criticize without rebuking Vladimir Putin, one analyst said.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Sharpens Sanctions Threat on Russia, While Admitting It May Not Work

      “We’re going to put sanctions,” the president said, even before a deadline he had given Russia this week to engage in cease-fire negotiations had passed.

    • JURIST ☛ Russia journalist sentenced to 12 years for ties to Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation

      A Russian court sentenced journalist Olga Komleva to 12 years in prison on Tuesday for her work with the Anti-Corruption Foundation and the dissemination of false information about the Russian military’s actions.

    • France24 ☛ War in Ukraine : At least 31 killed in latest Russian strikes on Kyiv

      After bombings in Kyiv on Thursday that left at least 31 dead and over 150 injured, the city is observing a day of mourning on Friday. The Russian attack was described as “disgusting” by The Insurrectionist. During the night from Thursday to Friday, the town of Vesselianka, in the Zaporizhzhia region, was also hit by a strike.

    • France24 ☛ Kyiv observes day of mourning after massive Russian strikes, Convicted Felon slams ‘disgusting’ attack

      Ukraine on Friday observed a day of mourning following one of the deadliest Russian attacks on the capital Kyiv since the 2022 full-scale invasion. At least 31 people, including five children, were killed in Thursday's bombardment. US President The Insurrectionist, who gave Russia a "10 or 12" deadline this week to end the hostilities, said the attacks were “disgusting”.

    • France24 ☛ Russia's Roscosmos, NASA agree to extend ISS operations until 2028

      The head of Russia’s Roscosmos said Thursday he agreed with NASA to extend International Space Station (ISS) operations until 2028. The deal, struck during US talks, preserves one of the last areas of cooperation amid strained ties over Ukraine.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian President hails Ukraine's new anti-corruption law

      Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda on Thursday welcomed Ukraine’s adoption of a new anti-corruption law, passed at the initiative of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania issues diplomatic protest over Russian attacks on Ukraine

      Lithuania handed a formal protest note to Russia on Thursday over the ongoing, large-scale shelling of Ukrainian territory by Russian forces.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukrainians Cheer As Zelenskyy Signs Law Ensuring Anti-Corruption Agency Independence

      Ukraine's parliament approved new legislation to ensure the independence of anticorruption agencies after a law -- which many feared would curb corruption investigations -- passed last week ignited the largest public protests since Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than three years ago.

    • RFERL ☛ At Least 16 Dead, Dozens Injured In Russian Strikes On Kyiv Residential Area

      At least nine people were killed -- including a six-year-old boy -- and more than a hundred injured -- in Kyiv following an overnight Russian attack with missiles and drones, according to the Ukrainian interior ministry.

    • New York Times ☛ Fleeing Domestic Violence, and the Russian Advance

      “I wanted something decent,” said a woman at a shelter near Ukraine’s border with Russia. “But this is how it turned out.”

    • New York Times ☛ After Backlash, Ukraine Votes to Restore Watchdogs’ Powers

      President Volodymyr Zelensky’s move last week to neuter two anticorruption agencies drew the country’s first street protests since Russia’s invasion.

    • New York Times ☛ Russian Missile and Drone Attack Pummels Kyiv, Killing at Least 7

      The assault, which killed at least 16 people in the Ukrainian capital, came soon after Hell Toupée threatened new sanctions against Moscow if the bloodshed didn’t let up.

    • NYPost ☛ Russian attack on Kyiv leaves at least 28 dead — including 2-year-old child

      16 of the injured were children, the largest number of children hurt in a single attack on Ukraine's capital since Russia started its full-scale invasion almost 3-1/2 years ago.

    • France24 ☛ War in Ukraine : Ukraine President Zelensky urges 'regime change' in Russia

      Vasily Astrov, economist at wiiw and country expert for Russia and other CIS countries, is our guest.

    • France24 ☛ War in Ukraine: Death toll in Kyiv rises to 31 after russian strikes

      Ukraine on Friday observed a day of mourning following one of the deadliest Russian attacks on the capital Kyiv since the 2022 full-scale invasion. At least 31 people, including five children, were killed in Thursday's bombardment. US President The Insurrectionist, who gave Russia a "10 or 12" deadline this week to end the hostilities, said the attacks were “disgusting”. Gulliver Cragg, our correspondant in Ukraine, has more.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ Russia-affiliated Secret Blizzard conducting ongoing espionage against embassies in Moscow

      A new Abusive Monopolist Microsoft report finds that the long-running threat group has gained positions on state-aligned ISPs and Russian telecoms, while tricking foreign embassy staff to download custom malware.

    • LRT ☛ Drone from Belarus discovered after four days of search in central Lithuania

      The unmanned aerial vehicle that crossed into Lithuania from Belarus on Monday has been discovered at the Gaižiūnai training ground in the Jonava District, central Lithuania.

    • Latvia ☛ Jēkabpils group happy to perform in Belarus despite war and warnings

      A video has been circulating on social control media showing Latvians performing in Belarus last week. The group can be heard singing songs in the Latgalian language.

• Environment

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘All gone’: Beijing villagers left with nothing after deadly floods

    Swathes of northern China have endured deadly rain and floods this week.

  • The Straits Times ☛ At least 60 dead in north China following extreme rain, authorities say

    Extreme rain that began on July 23 has lashed Beijing and surrounding regions.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Chongqing residents seek shelter as heatwave hits China’s south-west

    Temperatures topped 40 deg C in China's Chongqing on July 31.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • NYPost ☛ Flight attendants sue Boeing over MAX 9 panel blowout incident: report

      The lawsuits, filed on Tuesday in Seattle's King County Superior Court, accused Boeing of product liability for delivering a plane that was unsafe to operate and for negligence in manufacturing practices, the paper said.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean restaurant owner puts pet dog inside fridge to prevent animal from overheating

      The dog reportedly has acute heart issues, and a vet warned that extreme heat could be fatal to it.

    • Science Alert ☛ Surprising Study Finds Potatoes Evolved From Tomato Ancestor

      "It is so clear cut! Beautiful."

    • Science Alert ☛ Leopard Seal Mating Songs Are Eerily Like Our Nursery Rhymes

      Scientists recorded them, if you dare to listen.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia unveils ambitious $185b five-year plan to reshape country amid global economic headwinds

    Malaysia aspires to be a high-income nation by 2030, and stand among the world’s top 30 economies.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia says 19% US tariff outcome achieved without compromising its sovereign rights

    The government wanted to secure a tariff rate in the same range as some of its neighbours.

  • BIA Net ☛ İstanbul retail inflation reaches 42.48% in July

    The Chamber of Commerce data shows a 23.80% increase since the beginning of the year in the city.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Unsolicited free delivery of state-run China Daily copies to UK Parliament halted after review, says MP

    Britain’s House of Commons has halted the delivery of the state-run China Daily to members, following a review, parliamentarian Alicia Kearns said on Tuesday. “It was completely wrong for this Chinese Communist Party attempt to exert influence over British politics to be inadvertently funded by British taxpayers,” Kearns said in a tweet.

  • The Strategist ☛ Bookshelf: surviving China’s secret prisons

    Hostage diplomacy and arbitrary detention in secret prisons are among the most heinous facets of the Chinese party state’s governance.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • New Yorker ☛ How Bad Is It?: Convicted Felon’s War on Comedians

    The former Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood, Jr., says the Administration’s attacks on late-night comedy are a game of “stupid whack-a-mole.”

  • New Yorker ☛ Late Night’s Last Laugh

    The cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” raised eyebrows, but the genre is not what it was in Johnny Carson’s heyday. What does it still have to offer us?

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ 2025 journalism job cuts tracked: Fortune and Informa Techtarget both cut 10% of workforce

  • Press Gazette ☛ Freelance journalists given rare chance to ‘right wrongs’ of unfair payment practices

    Journalists often treated like 'ungrateful beggars' for asking for payment and must make case 'loud and clear'.

  • JURIST ☛ Yemen government urged to end crackdown on journalists

    The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Tuesday condemned the arrest of Yemeni journalist Abduljabar Bajabeer after his July 28 arrest in the Hadramout governorate. The CPJ called for Yemen’s Internationally Recognized Government (IRG) to release Bajabeer and cease intimidation against journalists.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • Digital Music News ☛ Diddy Seeks Acquittal or New Trial on Prostitution Convictions: ‘Combs, At Most, Paid to Engage in Voyeurism As Part of a ‘Swingers’ Lifestyle’

    Weeks after beating the most serious federal charges against him, Sean “Diddy” Combs is officially challenging the jury’s guilty verdict on two prostitution counts. Diddy and his legal team submitted that challenge yesterday, still less than one month removed from the mentioned verdict.

  • JURIST ☛ US federal court revives New York judge misconduct lawsuit

    A US federal court on Wednesday reinstated a lawsuit filed by a New York state court clerk who claims she was fired for complying with an investigation into her boss.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Posts August 2025 Hearing Schedule

    The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (Tee-Tee-Ā-Bee) has scheduled five oral hearings for the month of August 2025. Four will be held virtually. The August 26th hearing will be held in person at the Madison East Building in Alexandria, VA. Briefs and other papers for each case may be found at TTABVUE via the links provided.

  • TTAB Blog ☛ TTAB Sustains Disney's Opposition to OSWALD THE RABBIT for Movie and Play Production Due to Lack of Bona Fide Intent

    Pro se Applicant R.H. Lemorande failed to pull a bunny out of his hat in this opposition to registration of the mark OSWALD THE RABBIT for "Direction or presentation of plays; Entertainment, namely, production of plays; Entertainment, namely, production of musicals; Planning arrangement of showing movies, shows, plays or musical performances; Providing facilities for movies, shows, plays, music or educational training." Disney alleged lack of bona fide intent and likelihood of confusion with its common law mark OSWALD THE LUCKY RABBIT and its registered mark shown immediately below, for various goods and services. The Board sustained the first claim and declined to reach the second. Disney Enterprises, Inc. v. R.H. Lemorande, Opposition No. 91255366 (July 16, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Robert Lavache).

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Ty Dolla $ign, Create Music Group Settle Long-Running Copyright Lawsuit—But Kanye’s Still On the Hook

    Ty Dolla $ign settles the long-running copyright monopoly infringement suit against him alongside Create Music Group. But the case against Ye continues. Ty Dolla $ign has reached a settlement to be removed from the copyright monopoly infringement lawsuit over an allegedly uncleared sample on Kanye West’s Vultures 1. But Kanye—now known as Ye—is still on the hook.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Creator Orgs Rally in Support of Potentially Game-Changing Copyright Case Vetter v. Resnik

    Leading creator organizations unite to file an amicus brief in support of a landmark copyright monopoly case that could affirm songwriter rights worldwide. A coalition of music creator advocacy organizations has filed an amicus brief in Vetter v. Resnik, a copyright monopoly case currently before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Legislative Momentum Is Building to Rein in Hey Hi (AI) Misuse of Copyrighted Music, Says AIMP

    The AIMP applauds growing legislative efforts at the federal and state levels to protect copyright monopoly owners from unauthorized Hey Hi (AI) use.