Leftovers

• Bjoern Brembs ☛ Procurement Before Prestige

  How audit rules and public infrastructure could break science’s publishing monopolies. An English version of my post for the Verfassungsblog from December 19, 2025.

• Latvia ☛ New National Research and Innovation Institute might be ready in about 16 months

  According to a draft order prepared by the Ministry of Education and Science and approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, the forthcoming merger between the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis and the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre will result in the formation of a new organisation — the National Research and Innovation Institute, reports Labs of Latvia.

• Career/Education

  • JURIST ☛ Rights group calls for Egypt to improve access to education and healthcare

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated on Wednesday that the Egyptian government has “severely undermined the rights to education and health care” through a lack of funding. It called for the government to “guarantee free primary education” and “ensure high-quality health care is universally accessible.”

  • JURIST ☛ Ghana teachers threaten mass protests and legal action over unpaid salary arrears

    The Ghana Coalition of Unpaid Teachers, made up of College of Education and university graduates, on Monday issued an ultimatum to the government, threatening mass protests and legal action over unpaid salary arrears spanning between 12 and 15 months.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • France24 ☛ Indians suffer from health scourge of noise pollution

    Between traffic, excessive use of car horns, building sites and religious celebrations, the ears of residents in Indian megacities like New Delhi and Mumbai rarely get a moment of respite. Authorities remain silent on possible solutions to combat this health scourge. Our correspondents Lisa Gamonet and Alban Alvarez report.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Michigan leaders, legislators vow to improve nursing homes after Bridge report

    Two Republican candidates for governor and at least one lawmaker promise changes following a two-day Bridge series laying out neglect, abuse and short staffing in Michigan nursing homes. Another lawmaker, a Democrat, says the key is in staff pay.

  • Futurism ☛ Instant Bifocals: New Glasses Can Change Their Prescription on the Fly Depending on What You’re Looking At

    Imagine never having to see an eye doctor ever again.

  • Latvia ☛ Flu continues spreading in Latvia

    Inpatient and laboratory data show that the influenza virus is still actively circulating, according to current data from the Disease Prevention and Control Centre (SPKC). The resumption of school increases the likelihood of respiratory virus infections spreading, SPKC said on 7th January.

  • Burn victims treated worse than suspects: Crans-Montana double-whammy, years of arguments over medical bills and compensation

    The owners of the bar, who are suspects have been given unconditional bail and are free to come and go as they please while the investigation is underway, even while some of the victims may be involuntarily confined to hospital for months.

    When somebody fell on Carla in Zurich, the Swiss authorities spent two years protecting the yoga studio and blaming Carla and I.

    I hope the victims of the fire will not spend the next two years in arguments about insurance. The jurist Rolf Steinegger suggests it may be much longer than that.

    While victims wait for the money questions to be resolved, they may have a black mark on their credit record. This is called a Betreibung in German or a poursuite in French. The same word is also used to describe stalking. Think of these black marks on the credit record as analogous to the life-long scars on the victims' faces.

    The Holocaust kicked off with the Kristallnacht, or night of broken glass, on 9 November 1938. Incidentally, one of the most violent attacks against a young woman in Australia took place on 9 November 2005. Lauren Huxley was beaten with a wrench and then set on fire.

  • Science Alert ☛ One Gut Microbe Blocks Weight Gain in Mice on a High-Fat Diet

    "I didn't think one microbe would have such a dramatic effect."

  • Science Alert ☛ Just 3 Days of Binge Drinking Triggers Rapid Gut Damage in Mice

    "Highlighting a potential early step in alcohol-related gut and liver injury."

  • Science Alert ☛ Fusion Physicists Found a Way Around a Long-Standing Density Limit

    Tiny Sun, here we come.

  • Science Alert ☛ 7 Expert Tips to Help You Exercise Safely in The Winter Cold

    Get your New Year's resolution off to a good start.

  • CS Monitor ☛ As stand-your-ground laws expand, so do firearm fatalities

    After 20 years of stand-your-ground laws, spreading to most U.S. states, experts see an accompanying rise in shooting deaths. South Carolina offers a lens on the issue.

• Proprietary

  • Qt ☛ Congratulations Qt Champions 2025!

    Through the Qt Project, both The Qt Group and a global community of developers, open source projects, customers, and partners work together to evolve the libraries, tooling, and documentation. 2025 has been a very active year again, with consistently well over 500 commits merged into the different Qt modules and branches every week. Nearly 200 contributors to the code base are not working for the Qt Group and account for about 15% of all commits. A big Thank You to all of you!

  • Qt ☛ Building on Diverse Experience: Shaping the Future of Customer Success at Qt Group

    My name is Nobuko Echizen, and I work as a Customer Success Engineer at Qt Group. My role is to help customers who adopt our products make the most of them from a technical perspective.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • The Straits Times ☛ Addiction or companionship? Chinese Hey Hi (AI) chatbots come under government scrutiny

      Their popularity with users has raised concerns about unhealthy emotional over-dependency.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ ‘MElon is playing with fire:’ All the legal risks that apply to Grok’s deepfake disaster

      There are legal tools in place to curb what’s happening on X, but the incident will be precedent-setting for how these laws and regulations are wielded for AI-generated images.

  • Social Control Media

    • NYPost ☛ Shocking number of Americans would rather ditch social control media than GLP-1 drugs: survey

      The poll of 2,000 US adults found nearly a quarter currently use GLP-1s or have used them within the past five years.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • The Straits Times ☛ Alleged scam kingpin Chen Zhi arrested, deported to China; Cambodian citizenship revoked

      The operation followed months of joint investigations between the authorities in Cambodia and China.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China says it will release more details about extradition case from Cambodia

      China said on Thursday it will release more information related to the extradition of an individual named Chen Zhi from Cambodia, without confirming the person's whereabouts or if he is the same person sanctioned by the U.S. and Britain, accused of operating large online scam centres.

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Accused scam boss Chen Zhi arrested in Cambodia, extradited to China, Phnom Penh says

      Chinese-born tycoon Chen Zhi, who was indicted by the United States on fraud and money-laundering charges for running a multibillion-dollar cyberscam network from Cambodia, has been arrested there and extradited to China, Phnom Penh said Wednesday.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Prince Group founder linked to online scams extradited to China, says CCTV

      Prince Group founder Chen Zhi, a Chinese national, has been extradited from Cambodia to China, where he is wanted on suspicion of fraud and operating illegal casinos, Chinese national broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean leader turns to penguins in bid to meet Kim Jong Un

    The post was a reference to Pororo the Little Penguin, a popular South Korean children’s animation.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean man stabbed to death in India in fight with girlfriend

    Police said the couple had a history of frequent arguments.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s Defence Ministry punishes generals tied to Dec 3 martial law incident

    Disciplinary measures have been imposed on four army lieutenant-generals and one army colonel.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan protests against China’s gas drilling vessel in East China Sea

    This comes amid worsening ties between the two countries over comments made by PM Takaichi in November.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China-bound exports of Japanese sake, food items delayed amid row: Sources

    Trade industry sources said customs clearance for sake items in China doubled in some cases.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China accuses Japan of rising nuclear ambitions under its right-leaning government

    It has also rolled out export bans and a trade probe, piling pressure on Japan amid rising tensions

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Japan urges China to scrap controls on dual-use exports

    Japan has urged China to revoke its decision to impose tougher export controls on products with potential military uses, possibly including rare earths. The Chinese commerce ministry said in a statement Tuesday that authorities have “hereby decided to strengthen export controls on dual-use items to Japan”, noting that the new measures take effect immediately.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Pooh-tin is testing Japan’s ties with Convicted Felon by escalating trade battle

    The latest moves show President Xi's pressure campaign against Japan's Prime Minister Takaichi is just getting started.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China refutes comparison between Taiwan and Venezuela

    Beijing says the Taiwan question is an internal matter for the Chinese people.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Ban on exports of dual-use items to Japan aimed at only military companies, says China

    A Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson told reporters that civilian users will not be affected.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ South Korean President Lee says he urged Chinese leader Pooh-tin to help curb Pyongyang’s nukes

    By Agatha Cantrill with Kang Jin-kyu in Seoul South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday he had urged Chinese leader Pooh-tin Jinping to help him curb Pyongyang’s nuclear programme and suggested a freeze in its development of weapons of mass destruction was “feasible” with the right conditions.

  • France24 ☛ How Maduro's capture in Venezuela weakens China in Latin America

    The capture of Nicolas Maduro was, among other things, a way for Washington to reaffirm that Venezuela – and Latin America in general – fall under the US sphere of influence. The message may have been primarily directed at China, which will now find it more difficult to pursue its interests in the region.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Why Maduro’s removal could ultimately benefit China

    Two important factors make the recent US operation in Venezuela less of a loss for China than many analysts realize.

  • RFERL ☛ Live Blog: Death Toll Rises, Internet Restricted In Iran On 12th Day Of Protests

    Driven by soaring prices, inflation, and a plunging currency, Iranians have taken to the streets in what is the biggest threat to the Islamic regime in years. Journalists from RFE/RL’s Iranian service, Radio Farda, bring you the latest developments, analysis, and reporting from on the ground.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australia to hold royal commission inquiry into Bondi Beach shooting

    The highest level of inquiry, it will probe everything from intelligence failures to the prevalence of anti-Semitism.

  • JURIST ☛ Rights group reports mass arbitrary arrests against civilians in South Sudan

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Wednesday that South Sudanese security forces have committed human rights violations against civilians, including arbitrary arrests and torture, under the pretext of a crackdown on criminal gangs.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Joint operation nabs suspected ringleader behind South Korean student’s death in Cambodia

    The student was found dead in August, with an autopsy later revealing he had been tortured.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ France's Macron slams 'temptation to divide up world' among 'great powers'

      French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the United States was "breaking free from international rules" and turning away from allies as he addressed top diplomats on Thursday in a speech dominated by the fallout from the US attack on Venezuela.

    • France24 ☛ Live: Macron slams 'real temptation to divide up world' among 'great powers'

    • France24 ☛ REPLAY: French President Macron addresses diplomatic corps

      French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the United States was "breaking free from international rules" as he addressed top diplomats on Thursday in a traditional New Year speech designed to spell out France's foreign policy priorities for the 12 months ahead.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Ukraine security guarantees are futile without increased pressure on Putin

      Western leaders have hailed progress toward "robust" security guarantees for Ukraine this week, but until Putin faces increased pressure to make peace, Russia will remain committed to continuing the war, writes Peter Dickinson.

    • New York Times ☛ When It Comes to Russia, Convicted Felon Navigates Conflicting Goals

      Hell Toupée’s efforts to court President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia are rife with contradictions about stability and displays of American power.

    • France24 ☛ Russia frees imprisoned French researcher Laurent Vinatier

      Russia has freed Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher serving ​a ‍three-year ​prison sentence for flouting laws requiring "foreign agents" to register with authorities. Vinatier will be exchanged for detained basketball player Daniil Kasatkin, accused by the US of hacking. Russian media reported that Vinatier had ​been pardoned by President Vladimir Putin.

    • France24 ☛ Russia frees imprisoned French researcher Laurent Vinatier

      Russia will free Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher serving ​a ‍three-year ​prison sentence for flouting laws requiring "foreign agents" to register with authorities. Vinatier will be exchanged for detained basketball player Daniil Kasatkin, accused by the US of hacking. Russian media reported that Vinatier had ​been pardoned by President Vladimir Putin.

    • France24 ☛ Russia frees imprisoned French researcher Laurent Vinatier

      Russia has freed Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher serving ​a ‍three-year ​prison sentence for flouting laws requiring "foreign agents" to register with authorities. Vinatier will be exchanged for detained basketball player Daniil Kasatkin, accused by the US of hacking. Russian media reported that Vinatier had ​been pardoned by President Vladimir Putin. France24 Angela Diffley explains further.

    • France24 ☛ Russia frees French researcher Vinatier convicted under country's 'foreign agents' law

      Russia has freed Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher serving ​a ‍three-year ​prison sentence for flouting laws requiring "foreign agents" to register with authorities. Vinatier will be exchanged for detained basketball player Daniil Kasatkin, accused by the US of hacking. Russian media reported that Vinatier had ​been pardoned by President Vladimir Putin. Eliza Herbert and Laurent Berstecher report.

    • France24 ☛ Policing the sky: NATO’s high-risk patrols near Ukraine

      The war in Ukraine has not only reshaped borders on the ground but also transformed the airspace above Europe, forcing NATO’s European allies to redefine aerial security by patrolling a tense new frontier over the Black Sea in what is described as a “policing of the sky” mission aimed at upholding international law and signaling the Alliance’s readiness to respond to any provocation; several times a year, the French Air Force leads these high-risk operations over Romanian waters, to which our reporters Pauline Godart and Olivia Bizot were granted exclusive access.

    • JUVE ☛ Sailing into calmer waters

      A turbulent 2025 lies behind us, both in terms of patent monopoly law and geopolitics. The Insurrectionist’s first year back in office shook up the world order, leading to dramatic changes in political practice. Greenland, Venezuela, Taiwan: crises are popping up like whack-a-mole [...]

    • LRT ☛ Drawing on Ukraine’s experience, Lithuania considers training doctors in war trauma care

      Lithuanian medical professionals are being encouraged to gain hands-on experience in Ukrainian hospitals as the country considers changes to medical training programs to better prepare doctors to treat war-related injuries.

    • LRT ☛ Aivaras Abromavičius selling his agrobusiness in Ukraine – media

      Ukraine’s largest grain producer and exporter, agricultural holding Kernel, has agreed to acquire Agro Region, a farming group partly owned by former Ukrainian economy minister and Lithuanian national Aivaras Abromavičius, Ukrainian news portal Latifundist reported, citing two sources.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian PM says Volkov’s remarks on Ukraine ‘unacceptable’, questions his right to stay

      Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said Wednesday that remarks by Russian opposition activist Leonid Volkov about Ukraine are unacceptable and that he should not be allowed to remain in the country.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania could send ‘several hundred’ troops to Ukraine after war – minister

      Lithuania could deploy several hundred soldiers to Ukraine as part of security guarantees once peace is established, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said Wednesday, following an agreement among Western allies on support for Kyiv.

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskyy Says Plan On Security Guarantees 'Essentially Ready' As Russian Strikes Leave Ukrainians In The Dark

      President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a plan on security guarantees for Ukraine is "essentially ready" after an overnight barrage of Russian strikes crippled electricity, heating, and water infrastructure in parts of Ukraine, leaving around 1 million people in the dark amid freezing temperatures.

    • The Straits Times ☛ On a Chinese island, a sunny sanctuary for Russian tourists

      Elsewhere, Russians have learned to keep their voices down because of the war in Ukraine.

    • New York Times ☛ Russian Strikes Knock Out Power in Dnipro Region of Ukraine

      The Ukrainian authorities urged residents in the Dnipropetrovsk region to stock up on water as crews raced to restore service.

    • New York Times ☛ Europe Tries to Come to Terms With Convicted Felon’s Intervention in Venezuela

      Needing U.S. support to fend off Russia in Ukraine, European leaders have been cautious about criticizing Hell Toupée on Greenland, Iran, Venezuela and much else.

    • New York Times ☛ Reshuffle at Ukraine’s Intelligence Agencies Draws Criticism

      Some ask whether the shake-up risks disrupting the agencies’ operations and is political in nature.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian citizen set to be prosecuted for spying for Russia

      On December 30th, 2025, the State Security Service (VDD) requested that the prosecutor's office initiate criminal proceedings against a Latvian citizen for illegally gathering information about Latvian military facilities on behalf of the Russian military intelligence service, the VDD said in a statement.

    • France24 ☛ How do shadow fleets work? US seizes two sentenced oil tankers

      The phrase “shadow fleet” refers to ageing oil tankers that operate under false flags to bypass Western sanctions on Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan crude, a practice Russia has reportedly invested billions of euros in since 2022 to maintain its oil exports. But how these shadow, or so-called “ghost,” fleets function in practice is less widely understood, August Hakansson investigates.

    • RFERL ☛ US Seizes 'Stateless' Russian-Flagged Tanker After Lengthy Chase Across Atlantic

      US naval forces boarded and seized a runaway Russian shadow fleet tanker in the North Atlantic, the latest in a series of moves by Washington against vessels linked to illegal trade in Venezuelan oil.

    • New York Times ☛ Why Russian Tourists Are Flocking to Southern China’s Beaches

      Russians find a refuge on the beaches of Sanya from sanctions and “sideways looks,” toasting the New Year beside a Chinese nuclear submarine base.

    • New York Times ☛ Hoisting Russian Flags, ‘Shadow Fleet’ Edges Into the Light

      The Marinera, which was seized by the U.S., isn’t the only ship from the “shadow fleet” of oil tankers to switch lately to a Russian identity, seeking protection.

    • New York Times ☛ U.S., Cementing Control on Venezuelan Oil, Seizes Russian-Flagged Tanker

      The vessel was one of two taken into American custody as the Convicted Felon administration said it was executing a “deal to take all the oil.”

    • New York Times ☛ U.S. Seizes Oil Tanker and Boards Another Amid Tensions With Russia

      The first ship had eluded the Coast Guard after being stopped on its way to pick up oil in Venezuela. U.S. forces also boarded another tanker in international waters near the Caribbean.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Sends Naval Vessel to Escort Oil Tanker U.S. Is Pursuing

      The development deepens the confrontation over the tanker formerly known as the Bella 1, which the United States wants to seize but which Russia has sought to protect.

    • Latvia ☛ Estonian-Russian dual citizen to be prosecuted in Latvia for ammo smuggling attempt

      A criminal case has been sent to the Riga City Court against a dual Estonian-Russian citizen, who is accused of attempting to violate sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) by attempting to transport a large amount of firearm ammunition components across the Latvian border and deliver them to Russia, the prosecutor's office said on January 8th.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Taxi driver in South Korea found to have taken cold medication before fatal crash

      A forensics test found an antihistamine used to treat colds – a common side effect is drowsiness and dizziness.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Is South Korea ready for an era of ageing drivers?

      As South Korea’s population ages, the number of elderly drivers has increased rapidly.

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea plane crash victims would have lived but for runway barrier, simulation shows

      The crash killed everyone on board except for two flight attendants seated in the tail section.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia Airlines flight from Paris turns back after guidance system issue

      The plane halted its climb at an altitude of 4,572m.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Japan to conduct deep-sea rare earth mining test in Pacific

      Aiming to break free of reliance on China, other countries are also scrambling to build new supply chains.

    • The Straits Times ☛ How rare earths raise the stakes in China-Japan spat

      In 2024, around 70 per cent of Japan's rare earth imports came from China.

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ China Touts Hainan, Its Duty-Free Island, Amid $1 Trillion Trade Surplus

    Policies meant to lure importers to Hainan, a resort island off China’s coast, signal an opening up, Beijing says. One expert calls it a “bait and switch.”

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia’s anti-graft agency arrests five, including ex-army chief and his two wives

    They were arrested after providing statements over an ongoing probe involving military contract tenders.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Former Malaysian army chief remanded for a week after arrest by anti-graft agency

    Former army chief Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan and his two wives were detained on Jan 7.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Michigan reverses $645M in ‘unconstitutional’ cuts. GOP vows lawsuit

    Michigan is resuming planned spending after Attorney General Dana Nessel declared a House GOP vote to cut $645M was ‘unconstitutional.’ The House response? See you in court.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia closes deputy PM’s graft case ahead of Umno meet

    The Attorney-General’s Chambers cited insufficient evidence to prosecute him.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia confirms final closure of graft case against Deputy PM Zahid ahead of UMNO assembly

    The move is expected to boost ties between his UMNO party and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling coalition.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Mirror publisher seeks legal disclosures to prove 61 hacking claims are out of time

    Estimated cost of dealing with Mirror hacking claims is around £150m, Press Gazette analysis reveals.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ BGP in 2025

    Geoff Huston’s annual analysis of BGP routing table growth for 2025 and some projections.

  • APNIC ☛ Three of the best: Capacity development

    APNIC plays an active role in promoting the development of the Internet in the Asia Pacific. Here are the top three posts on the topic from 2025.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • It's FOSS ☛ Bose SoundTouch End of Life Gets Less Painful With Public API Release

    The API documentation opens the door for developers to build their own control apps (hopefully open source ones).

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Danish Music Festival AiaSound Officially Shuts Down

    The years after the pandemic have taken a toll on live music festivals. That trend appears to be continuing into 2026 as Danish music festival AiaSound throws in the towel. After five years, the festival is taking a break. “For five summers in a row, we have called Tiøren our home turf.