Leftovers

• Hackaday ☛ 39C3: Recreating Sandstorm

  Some synthesizer sounds are just catchy, but some of them are genre-defining. We think you could make that case for the Roland JP-8000 patch “Sandstorm”, which you’ve heard if you listened to any trance from the 90’s, but especially the song that was named after it.

• Futurism ☛ Public Rejoices as Porsche Releases Beautiful Ad Not Made Using AI

  What a concept!

  >

• Science

  • Digital Music News ☛ Jazz Musicians Who Canceled ‘Dihydroxyacetone Man Kennedy Center’ Performance Face $1 Million-Plus Lawsuit

    The cancellation of a jazz performance on Christmas Eve at the newly renamed ‘Dihydroxyacetone Man Kennedy Center’ has prompted a lawsuit seeking $1 million in damages. Musician Chuck Redd called off the performance after the Kennedy Center was renamed to include Insurrectionist.

  • Science Alert ☛ World's Deepest Gas Hydrate Discovered Teeming With Life Off Greenland

    An oasis in the dark.

  • Science Alert ☛ South Asia's Dairy Intolerance Could Help Explain Our Ability to Drink Milk

    A strange paradox.

  • Science Alert ☛ There's a Surprisingly Easy Way to Remove Microplastics in Drinking Water

    You may already be doing it.

  • Science Alert ☛ Oldest Known Botanical Art Reveals Early Mathematical Thinking

    Long before we wrote down numbers.

  • Science Alert ☛ Even Low Doses of Aspartame Could Have Alarming Health Effects, Study Finds

    Zero sugar but at what cost?

  • Science Alert ☛ Earth's Core Seems to Be Wrapped in Layers Like an Onion, Study Finds

    A mystery wrapped in an enigma.

  • Science Alert ☛ What Actually Is Fire? The Answer Is Stranger Than You'd Think

    A physicist explains.

  • Science Alert ☛ Mathematician Shares Solutions For 10 Festive Brain Teasers

    Give them a go if you missed out!

• Career/Education

  • The Straits Times ☛ Chinese homeschool students embrace freer youth in cut-throat market

    Homeschooling is banned in China, although the authorities generally overlook rare individual cases.

  • The Straits Times ☛ What China’s most famous ‘gaokao factory’ reveals about the limits of its exam-driven education model

    The military-style Hengshui model seems to have lost its magic.

• Hardware

  • Ruben Schade ☛ (Thinking about) getting new printers

    Clara and I would like to replace our current Brother laser with a new printer setup. It’s served us dutifully over the last decade, and will be going to a good home where I’m sure they’ll be as impressed as we’ve been.

    But our list of needs and wants has changed:

    We want to be able to print double-sided. Technically we can achieve the same thing with the current unit by printing odd pages, then flipping them back into the paper try, and printing even pages. But life is too short.

  • Hackaday ☛ The Rise Of Fake Casio Scientific Calculators

    Scientific calculators are an amazing invention that take pocket calculators from being merely basic arithmetic machines to being pocket computers that can handle everything from statistics to algebra. That said, there are a few layers of scientific calculators, starting with those aimed at students. This is where Casio is very popular, especially because it uses traditional algebraic notation (VPAM) that follows the written style, rather than the reverse-polish notation (RPN) of TI and others. However, much like retro Casio wristwatches, it appears that these Casio calculators are now being (poorly) faked, as explained by [Another Roof] on YouTube.

  • Hackaday ☛ 3D Printing A Telescope Is Rewarding, Even If Not Always Cheaper

    What can one expect from 3D printing an 8″ Newtonian telescope? [Molly Wakeling] shares her thoughts after doing exactly that. The performance was on par with any solid 8″ telescope, but in the end it wasn’t really any cheaper than purchasing a manufactured unit. Does that mean it wasn’t worth it? Not at all!

  • Silicon Angle ☛ SMIC buys out subsidiary for $5.8B as China’s chipmaking progress accelerates

    Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., operator of China’s largest semiconductor fab, is going to get even bigger after announcing plans to buy the remaining 49% stake of a smaller foundry it already controls.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Former Samsung engineer accused of giving 10nm DRAM data to China's CXMT, handwritten notes detailed over 600 process steps — gas flow ratios, photoresist settings and more critical stages detailed

    A former Samsung Engineer accused of offering the secrets behind the company's 10nm DRAM data to China's ChangXin Memory Technologies has been accused of making hundreds of handwritten notes on detailed process steps.

  • Hackaday ☛ Keebin’ With Kristina: The One With The Keyboard-Mouse, Again

    The astute among you may remember an earlier version of this Russian beauty, the Lapa, which I featured last year around this time. Creator [lemosbor] claims that the worry was less about visual beauty and more about ergonomics. Way more. Well then, let this serve rather nicely as a textbook definition of that old form-follows-function principle.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ Experts Question Denmark’s Vaccine Program as a Model for the U.S.

    The United States is expected to adopt the vaccine schedule used by Denmark, a much smaller country with universal health care.

  • New York Times ☛ New York City Takes Over Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn

    Maimonides Health is a community fixture that will become part of NYC Health + Hospitals. Many of its patients are on government medical plans.

  • NYPost ☛ NYC Health+Hospitals to take over ailing Maimonides Hospital, Mayor Adams says

    New York City is taking over Maimonides Hospital, a medical facility located in the heart of the orthodox Jewish sections of southern Brooklyn, Mayor Eric Adams and hospital officials announced Monday.

  • Federal News Network ☛ Florida congresswoman accused of stealing COVID funds maintains innocence

    U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick reiterated her innocence Monday outside a Miami federal courthouse, where she faces charges of conspiring to steal $5 million in federal COVID-19 disaster funds.

  • NYPost ☛ Daughter allegedly kills Parkinson’s-stricken mom after she was denied medically assisted suicide: cops

    Martha said that they tried to find alternatives, including suicide by pills, but ditched the idea because they didn't have anything on hand that was actually lethal.

  • NYPost ☛ Canadian actress, 48, seeks medically assisted suicide after lengthy battle with crippling mental health issues

    “And it’s been too much already,” Brosseau said. “It’s enough.”

  • New York Times ☛ Claire Brosseau Wants to Die. Will Canada Let Her?

    Ms. Brosseau says mental illness has made her life unbearable. She wants a medically assisted death. Even her psychiatrists are split over whether she should have one.

  • Futurism ☛ Alzheimer’s Fully Reversed in Mice, Scientists Say

    "The key takeaway is a message of hope."

  • Futurism ☛ People Jabbing Themselves With Black Market “GLP-3” Drugs

    "All of this stuff just scares the crap out of me."

  • Latvia ☛ Blood donors especially welcome between holidays in Latvia

    The State Blood Donor Centre (VADC) is calling for blood donations to help patients during the holiday season and beyond. Donors of all blood types are welcome, especially A-, B-, and O-.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Durian tsunami’: Musang King prices in Malaysia fall after bumper crop

    One stall has even introduced a “fill-the-bag” Musang King package.

  • New York Times ☛ Hundreds Sue Virginia Hospital and Executives Over Unneeded Surgeries

    More than 500 women claimed that they had received unnecessary operations. Hospital leaders said they were not aware of a doctor’s misconduct.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong to tighten smoking ban, double fine to HK$3K from January 1

    Starting on New Year’s Day, Hong Kong will double its fine for smoking-related offences to HK$3,000 and ban smoking in certain areas, including at bus stops and taxi stands. The new rules are part of amendments to the city’s tobacco laws passed in September, aimed at discouraging smoking and promoting public education around tobacco use.

• Proprietary

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Rainbow Six Siege X servers are back online after a hack completely shut down the game — Ubisoft rolling back free ultra-rare skins and billions of credits

    Rainbow Six Siege has recovered from yesterday's attack, with servers now fully operational once again. The only issues players will experience re-entering the game are a possible wait queue.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • JURIST ☛ FBI announces increased response to fraud in Minnesota public support programs

      FBI Director Kash Patel announced Sunday that the agency will send a large number of investigators and resources to Minnesota to continue investigating a multi-million dollar fraud scheme that stole federal food aid from children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Defence/Aggression

  • France24 ☛ Syrian Alawites protest after deadly mosque bombing

    Members of Syria's Alawite minority protested in their thousands on December 28, days after an attack on an Alawite mosque killed eight people. Clashes between demonstrators and security forces broke out at some of the protests, with at least four people killed and dozens injured. The religious minority has become a target since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December, the deposed dictator being an Alawite himself.

  • JURIST ☛ World leaders reject Israel recognition of independent Somaliland

    A group of 21 Arab, African and Islamic nations on Saturday issued a joint statement formally rejecting Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as an independent state.

  • France24 ☛ UN ambassadors condemn Israel's recognition of Somaliland

    UN ambassadors criticised Israel during an emergency Security Council meeting on Monday, condemning its unilateral recognition of Somaliland as a violation of sovereignty and international law. Several delegates called the move morally reprehensible and rejected any proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Somaliland. The US was the only member state to defend Israel's recognition of the breakaway region.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Families demand answers a year after South Korea’s deadliest air crash

    Officials have yet to release a full accounting of the Jeju Air tragedy.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim says new rocket launchers can ‘annihilate the enemy’

    This comes a day after Pyongyang carried out a test-fire of two strategic long-range cruise missiles.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea leader Kim calls for strong artillery production ahead of party congress

    SEOUL, Dec 30 - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a factory that produces multiple rocket launchers and ordered increased output of the weapons system that would be the mainstay of the country's modernised long-range artillery, state media reported on Tuesday.

  • The Strategist ☛ Editors’ picks for 2025: ‘Road-mobile ballistic missiles: a strong option for bolstering ADF self-reliance’

    If Australia needs greater defence self-reliance, it needs to field road-mobile ballistic missiles. To do that, it should partner with Israel or South Korea.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia raids several firms as part of anti-graft probe into army procurement

    The country’s anti-graft agency has frozen six bank accounts belonging to a suspect and his kin.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Hindu mum in Malaysia gets interfaith boost in race to find abducted daughter before she turns 18

    The custody dispute should be seen as a humanitarian issue rather than a religious one, activists said.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China seeks better US ties while vowing not to cede on Taiwan

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi signalled that Beijing intends to assume a more assertive role on the global stage.

  • France24 ☛ China launches second day of military drills around Taiwan

    China conducted a second day of live-fire military drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, staging rocket launches and naval-air exercises it said were aimed at simulating a blockade of the self-ruled island, as Taipei condemned the manoeuvres as "military intimidation".

  • The Straits Times ☛ China's war games around Taiwan over the years

    China launched its most extensive war games around Taiwan on Monday called "Justice Mission 2025" to showcase Beijing's ability to cut off the island from outside support in a conflict.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China launches live-firing drills around Taiwan in its biggest war games to date

    This marks China’s sixth major round of war games since 2022.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China launches military drills simulating blockade of Taiwan ports; Taipei condemns ‘military intimidation’

    By Peter Catterall with Joy Chiang in Taipei China launched live-fire drills around Taiwan on Monday that it said would simulate a blockade of the self-ruled island’s key ports, prompting Taipei to condemn Beijing’s “military intimidation”.

  • JURIST ☛ China conducts military drills around Taiwan as ‘stern warning’

    China’s military deployed army, navy, air force, and rocket force troops to conduct joint military drills around Taiwan on Monday as a “stern warning” against Taiwanese independence. In response, Taiwan placed its forces on “high alert,” condemning China’s “irrational provocations” and claiming the actions “undermine regional peace.”

  • The Straits Times ☛ Explainer-What is 'Taiwan independence' and is Taiwan already independent?

    TAIPEI, Dec 30 - China said on Tuesday it would "never hesitate to combat separatism" as it held a second day of war games around Taiwan, describing the drills it calls "Justice Mission 2025" as a warning against independence and foreign interference.

  • New York Times ☛ China Mobilizes Forces Near Taiwan for Live-Fire Drill

    The exercises ended months of relative calm across the Taiwan Strait, and came after the Convicted Felon administration announced plans for arms sales to the island.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China steps out of diplomatic shadows to take credit for efforts on Cambodia-Thailand ceasefire

    Beijing also appears eager to assert that its steadier, lower-key diplomatic approach was superior to Washington’s.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thailand and Cambodia agree to consolidate ceasefire in China talks

    Thailand and Cambodia plan to rebuild mutual trust and consolidate a ceasefire, Beijing said.

  • France24 ☛ China launches second day of military drills around Taiwan, simulating blockade

    China conducted a second day of live-fire military drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, staging rocket launches and naval-air exercises it said were aimed at simulating a blockade of the self-ruled island, as Taipei condemned the manoeuvres as "military intimidation".

  • France24 ☛ Chinese military drills a warning to 'separatist forces' and 'external interference' in Taiwan

    China has launched sea and air military drills around Taiwan, which it claims as its own. Riled by a US arms package to the island nation and Japan saying it would intervene in the case of an invasion, it calls its war games a warning against what it calls separatist forces and external interference. The drills are the sixth carried out in Taiwan's vicinity since 2022, adding to fears an invasion could happen in the next few years.

  • France24 ☛ Arms deal with Taiwan is a bargaining chip for Convicted Felon in negotiations with China

    As China holds military drills around Taiwan to deter what it calls separatist forces, why is it happening now? Several reasons include the United States' multi-billion arms deal to Taipei, at a time where the Convicted Felon administration is trying to woe the Chinese government on trade. While the US is bound by law to protect Taipei, Convicted Felon also sees it as a bargaining chip. FRANCE 24's Philip Turle tells us more.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Anime festival in Hong Kong halted amid China-Japan diplomatic tensions

    The event's organisers said earlier it would be held in the city in 2026, after a years-long hiatus.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China says it’s ‘seriously dissatisfied’ with monument demolition in Panama

    A local government tore down a monument honouring Chinese contributions to the Panama Canal.

  • France24 ☛ Panamean monument honouring China's contribution to Canal torn down

    China has spoken out against the demolition of a monument near the entrance to the Panama Canal, celebrating the friendship of the two nations, with local authorities citing safety issues and an expired land concession. It comes amid warnings from The Insurrectionist over Beijing's influence over the key waterway, which he claims could threaten global trade and security.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Monument to China’s contributions to Panama Canal torn down

    Near the entrance to the Panama Canal, a monument to China’s contributions to the interoceanic waterway was torn down Saturday night by order of local authorities. The move comes as US President The Insurrectionist has made threats in recent months to retake control of the canal, claiming Beijing has too much influence in its operations.

  • France24 ☛ Hamas armed wing confirms spokesman Abu Obeida killed by Israeli strike in August

    Hamas's armed wing confirmed on Monday the death of its spokesperson in a video statement, months after Israel announced he had been killed in an air strike in Gaza.

  • New York Times ☛ Grim Evidence of Convicted Felon’s Boat Strikes Washes Ashore on a Colombian Peninsula

    First came the scorched boat. Then the mangled bodies. Then the packets with traces of marijuana. Now, fishermen fear the ocean that feeds them.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. Kills 2 in Strike in Pacific, as Convicted Felon Pressures Venezuela

    The attack was the 30th announced by the U.S. military since early September. It came days after Hell Toupée said the U.S. had struck a coastal site related to drugs and Venezuela.

  • France24 ☛ Saudi-led coalition says targeted weapons shipments from UAE in Yemen

    A Saudi-led coalition said Tuesday it had carried out air strikes on weapons and combat vehicles being unloaded in Yemen from ships arriving from the United Arab Emirates, as tensions deepen between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi-backed factions battling for control of the country’s south.

  • JURIST ☛ UN chief urges ceasefire as Sudan conflict escalates

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan, urging the country’s warring parties to prioritize compromise and protect civilians as the conflict enters another year amid escalating violence, displacement, and attacks on peacekeepers.

  • Federal News Network ☛ At the FBI, a national security safeguard was quietly dropped for top leadership

    "One of the immediate impacts could be on the morale of other FBI employees...it presents a double standard that hasn't been explained," William Turton said.

  • Federal News Network ☛ This DoD lab’s mission is shaping future cyber investigations

    "The complexity and the volume of data just continue to explode on orders of magnitude," Kevin Rivera said.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ Russia says Ukraine attacked Putin's home, Kyiv calls this 'lie'

      Russia accused Ukraine on Monday of having fired dozens of drones at one of President Vladimir Putin's homes, an accusation that Ukraine called a "lie" aimed at undermining US-led efforts to end the war. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who does not typically announce drone strikes, said Ukraine had fired "91 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles" at Putin's residence in the Novgorod region between late Sunday and early Monday, all of which were shot down.

    • LRT ☛ Washington and Brussels play good cop, bad cop on Belarus

      Recent moves by Washington and Brussels show diplomatic tracks heading in opposite directions with regard to Belarus, highlighting a growing divide between the allies on how to deal with Europe's security.

    • Meduza ☛ Documentary exposé leads to 13-year sentence for Moscow teacher in child sexual abuse case — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ Russian occupation forces reopened the Mariupol theater Moscow bombed in 2022. Here’s what it looks like today. — Meduza

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania formally withdraws from Ottawa Convention

      Lithuania on Saturday formally withdrew from the Ottawa Convention prohibiting the use, stockpiling, and production of anti-personnel mines.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania's Amber Grid, Russia's Gazprom sign new gas transit deal

      
      

    • New York Times ☛ For Zelensky, Just Keeping Convicted Felon Talking About Ukraine Peace Deal Counts as a Win

      Though discussions produced little tangible progress, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine at least avoided the type of setbacks that have blighted earlier meetings.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Threatens to Harden Its Stance on Ukraine

      Plus, food trends for 2026. Here’s the latest at the end of Monday.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine: Theatre in Mariupol reopens after three years

      A theatre that became a symbol of Russia’s 2022 siege of Mariupol has reopened after extensive restoration, Russian authorities said. State television showed a gala event and rebuilt interiors, including a marble staircase, columns and a large crystal chandelier. Amnesty International said at least 12 people were killed in the 2022 bombing.

    • France24 ☛ Why the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is a sticking point in Ukraine peace talks

      Control over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in east Ukraine has remained one of the main sticking points in peace negotiations since Russia took control of it in March 2022. Zaporizhzhia's proximity to the front lines has sparked international fears for the safety and stability of the nuclear plant, which is Europe's largest.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian state aid for Ukrainians to shrink next year

      Next year, state support for Ukrainian civilians in Latvia will be significantly reduced. The government says that the reduction is related to the state budget's capabilities and the desire to align the support with that received by Latvian residents. The Ukrainian community warns that reducing support will have negative consequences, Latvian Television reported on 28th December.

    • Meduza ☛ Russian foreign minister says without evidence that Ukrainian drones attacked Putin’s Valdai residence — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ ‘Russia is at it again’: Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington trade outrage over alleged attack on Putin’s Valdai residence — Meduza

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Threatens to Toughen Its Stance on Ending the War in Ukraine

      Moscow said a Ukrainian drone attack targeted a residence of President Vladimir V. Putin, which Ukraine denied, accusing the Kremlin of fabricating an excuse not to make peace.

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man, Pressing Ahead on Ukraine-Russia Talks, Confronts Difficult Realities

      The U.S.-led negotiations have made some progress, but still face fundamental challenges, including over security guarantees to counter future Russian aggression.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Claims Ukraine Targeted Putin Residence, Vows To Retaliate

      The United States has offered Ukraine "strong" security guarantees for 15 years as part of a peace deal to end the war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after talks with US President The Insurrectionist, with Kyiv looking for a longer pledge from Washington to keep Moscow in check.

    • Meduza ☛ ‘90 percent agreed’: Trump and Zelensky tout ‘progress’ at Florida meeting but make no major breakthroughs — Meduza

• Environment

  • New York Times ☛ Meet a U.S. Start-Up Trying to Break China’s Rare-Earth Monopoly

    Companies like Phoenix Tailings, which recently began producing metal in New Hampshire, are using new processing methods to compete with Chinese suppliers.

  • Science Alert ☛ Amazon Is Shifting Into a 'Hypertropical' State Unseen For Millions of Years

    There's no modern comparison.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China’s high-speed rail network passes 50,000-km mark

      China’s sprawling high-speed rail network passed 50,000 kilometres (31,000 miles) in total operating distance with the opening of a new line on Friday, state media reported. The country has the world’s largest rail network — one-fifth longer than the circumference of the earth.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ FBI issues wanted notice for alleged North Korean remote IT workers accused of $900,000 crypto theft — $5 million reward up for grabs for information on DPRK-linked suspects

      The FBI has published a public wanted notice naming four individuals accused of operating as fraudulent remote IT workers on behalf of North Korea.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean police probe hamster abuse allegations

      The suspect is accused of abusing hamsters, guinea pigs, pygmy squirrels and Mongolian gerbils.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Jakarta’s minimum wage bump disappoints labourers

    Jakarta has the highest basic living expenses in the country, but its minimum wage is below neighbouring cities'.

  • Daniel Pocock ☛ From the ABC to Techrights: recognizing fake news about economics, finance and investment

    On Sunday, I published some brief comments about the Eurozone, Bulgaria, fake news, inflation and bullion. Shortly afterwards, various reports appeared which contradict my own comments.

    Techrights has asked Debt as the new currency?.

    In fact, most banks are expected to hold some form of reserve. The reserve is actually a loan to the government. In countries with central banks, the central bank lends money to the government and it is authorized to print banknotes and make other loans. The founding of the Bank of England famously involves a loan of GBP 1.2 million to the British Government. The loan is a liability for the British government and it is an asset for the Bank of England. Off the back of this asset, the Bank can print banknotes.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Number of Japanese restaurants overseas down for first time amid China slowdown

    The Chinese economy has recently been hit by weak domestic demand amid a property industry crisis.

  • New York Times ☛ Iran’s Currency Collapse Pushes Protesters to the Streets

    High inflation and a currency collapse have squeezed Iranians’ budgets, challenging the country’s leaders.

  • RFERL ☛ Iranians Clash With Police During Second Day Of Protests Over Economic, Currency Woes

    Protests in Iran over a plummeting currency and inflation fears continued for a second day in the capital, despite attempts by security forces to disperse crowds with volleys of tear gas.

  • France24 ☛ Iran's central bank chief resigns amid protests and currency turmoil

    Iran's state TV says the country's central bank chief Mohammad Reza Farzin has stepped down, as the country faces growing protests over the high cost of living.  The move comes after the currency rial plummeted to a record low against the dollar on Sunday.  The central bank has been accused of printing too much money in an effort to shore up the currency, but instead pushing the nation on the verge of hyper-inflation. Also in the segment, the price of silver briefly hit a record high.

  • Evan Hahn ☛ Notes from "Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream"

    Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream is a book about private equity in the United States. My main takeaway: private equity is bad. I also learned a few other straightforward lessons: [...]

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • France24 ☛ Bangladesh's first female prime minister Khaleda Zia dies aged 80

    Bangladesh’s former prime minister and opposition leader Khaleda Zia has died at the age of 80, her party said Tuesday, just months before elections many expected would return her to power. Her death ends a turbulent political career marked by imprisonment, ill health and a dramatic comeback attempt following the fall of her longtime rival Sheikh Hasina.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia’s former PM Najib files appeal against High Court’s dismissal of house arrest bid

    His lawyer confirmed that the appeal was filed on Dec 24.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Rosmah denies VIP jail claims for Malaysia ex-PM Najib as 1MDB legal battles continue with appeals

    She said security precautions have been taken for his safety, but there is no preferential treatment.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Former Malaysia PM Muhyiddin resigns as chief of opposition bloc Perikatan Nasional

    His resignation comes amid tensions in December within the Malay Muslim-dominated PN coalition.

  • CS Monitor ☛ In 2025, China proved its innovation prowess. But are some workers getting left behind?

    Traveling across China this year, the Monitor’s Beijing Bureau Chief found optimism, nimbleness, and resilience – even in the face of U.S. sanctions and slowing economic growth.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Three of the best: IPv6

    The IPv6 transition continues throughout the Asia Pacific region at different rates. Here are three of the best IPv6 posts in 2025 on the experiences and misconceptions about the transition.

  • Internet Society ☛ Encryption Making Africa Safer: Internet Society Hosts Encryption Advocacy Workshop for African Civil Society

    In September 2025, the Internet Society organized its first-ever Africa Cybersecurity (Encryption) Advocacy Workshop in Windhoek, Namibia, held alongside the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Digital Music News ☛ Apple Music’s Per-Stream Payouts Are Still Dramatically Higher Than Spotify’s—According to the Latest Artist Data Dump

    Welsh indie rock band Los Capesinos!’s public breakdown of Spotify royalties offers a concrete, fan-facing snapshot of how little per-stream payouts are for working indie artists—even with a successful album cycle. While Spotify wins on volume, Fashion Company Apple Music’s per-stream payouts are 62% higher in the breakdown.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Unified Patents ☛ Another Wilus Wi-Fi patent monopoly challenge instituted

    On December 29, 2025, two months after Unified filed an ex parte reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding substantial new questions of patentability on the challenged claims (1-6, 12-17) of U.S. Patent 10,567,047, owned and asserted by Wilus Institute of Standards & Technology, Inc., an entity of Good Day to Invent, Inc. The '047 patent monopoly is generally directed to Wi-Fi 6 devices configured to information in the HE-SIG-A field of an HE MU PPDU to understand the configuration of the HE-SIG-B field when using full bandwidth MU-MIMO.

  • Unified Patents ☛ Another International Semiconductor Group Wi-Fi 6 patent monopoly challenge instituted

    On December 19, 2025, two months after Unified filed an ex parte reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding substantial new questions of patentability on the challenged claim of U.S. Patent 11,363,595, owned by the International Semiconductor Group, an NPE. The '595 patent monopoly is generally directed to transmitting a first frame on a first channel that identifies a second channel that can be used, and then receiving frames via both channels.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Marking Minefield: How NPE Settlements Can Kill Back Damages

    Fed. Cir. affirms fees against NPE ignoring marking and discovery rules. Unanswered: do dismissals with prejudice trigger § 287 marking duties?

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ RAND licence battle in InterDigital against Amazon continues over Christmas [Ed: Unified Patent Court is illegal, as are software patents, but this illegal kangaroo courts now serves patent trolls, as many warned it would]

      The Unified Patent Court never sleeps. This analysis had already prevailed in 2024 and also applies to the Christmas season this year. Shortly before the holidays, the Mannheim local division under presiding judge Peter Tochtermann published its decision in Amazon’s appeal against an ex parte anti-interference licence injunction (AILI).

    • JUVE ☛ Top 10 patent monopoly cases of the year 2025 [Ed: Celebrating litigation and monopolies instead of actual science, justice, facts and so on]

      JUVE Patent’s top 10 patent monopoly cases in Europe 2025: CJEU reopens European cross-border litigation in BSH vs Electrolux ruling Munich Higher Regional Court confirms new FRAND guidelines in VoiceAge vs HMD UK Court of Appeal orders Fashion Company Apple to pay Optis more money in FRAND dispute UPC decisions in FujiFilm vs Kodak [...]

  • Software Patents

    • Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 awarded for IP Investments Group entity, eComm Innovations, web layout patent monopoly prior art

      Unified is pleased to announce PATROLL crowdsourcing contest winners, Mani Manikandan, Ketan Sachdeva, and Guddu Yadav, who shared an award of $2,000 for their prior art submissions on U.S. Patent 7,409,635, owned by eComm Innovations LLC, an NPE and entity of IP Investments Group. The '635 patent monopoly focuses on advancements in data processing, specifically aiming at improving layout and rendering techniques in web and print publishing.

    • Unified Patents ☛ EasyWeb authorization patent monopoly prior art found

      The team at Unified IP Services used Pearl to successfully identify and chart prior art against U.S. Patent 10,114,905, owned by EasyWeb Innovations, LLC, an NPE. The ‘905 patent monopoly generally relates to an innovative system and method for enabling electronic message publication to a wide audience via the internet, overcoming limitations of traditional broadcasting methods.

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ BOWENS for Guitars is Primarily Merely a Surname, Says TTAB

    The Board affirmed a Section 2(e)(4) refusal to register the proposed mark BOWENS for guitar and audio equipment, finding the mark to be primarily merely a surname and therefore barred from registration (absent a showing of acquired distinctiveness). The Board observed that BOWENS is neither a rare surname nor a common one, but it is the surname of tens of thousands of individuals. There was "some evidence that this term has surname significance in some other established contexts," and no evidence of any other established meaning of BOWENS. In re The Hoist Group Inc., Serial No. 98444366 (December 22, 2025) [not precedential] (Opinion by Judge Mark A. Thurmon).

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Jane’s Addiction, Perry Farrell Settle Their $10 Million Lawsuit — And Yes, This Band Is Over, Folks

    The members of Jane’s Addiction have settled the $10 million lawsuit against lead singer Perry Farrell as the band announces breaking up for good. Jane’s Addiction announced splitting up just a week before the band settled its $10 million assault and battery lawsuit against lead singer Perry Farrell, which was filed back in July.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Late-2025 Legal Paperwork Flies Between the Majors (Minus Warner Music) and Suno — New Confidentiality Order Points to Intensifying 2026 Showdown

    With days remaining in 2025 – and despite Warner Music’s Suno settlement – the legal paperwork is continuing to fly between the Hey Hi (AI) platform as well as Universal Music Group (UMG) and Sony Music Entertainment (SME). This latest indication of a protracted courtroom confrontation arrived in the form of a signed-and-sealed confidentiality order.