Leftovers

• Science

  • Futurism ☛ This Photo of Mars at Night Is Straight Up Haunting

    It would really suck to be all alone on Mars at night.

• Career/Education

  • The Straits Times ☛ Tighter curbs at major Western education hubs may steer more students to South Korea: Study

    South Korea has stepped up efforts to attract more international students.

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Researcher builds bizarre 128-byte USB drive the size of a dinner plate using ancient pre-semiconductor magnetic core memory technology — data disappears once it is read, requiring special handling

    A computing enthusiast has assembled one of the most bizarre low-capacity USB drives we have ever seen.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Open source IDE-ATAPI drive emulator launches for vintage computers — drop-in 3.5-inch bay solution can save oodles of optical and HDD images to a microSD

    PicoIDE is touted as 'an open source IDE/ATAPI drive emulator for vintage computers.'

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ Graft busters freeze $320k in accounts over e-waste probe in Malaysia, seize $54k

    The probe involves officials from the Environment Department and a civilian.

  • Science Alert ☛ Missing Link Between Parkinson's Protein And Damage to Brain Cells Discovered

    A crucial hidden detail of the disease.

  • Science Alert ☛ Surgeons Kept a Man Alive With No Lungs For 48 Hours. Here's How.

    The impossible made possible.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Voters in Japan less likely to support female politicians wearing masks: Survey

    The findings underscored the differences in how the public perceived politicians after the Covid-19 pandemic.

  • Science Alert ☛ Nipah Virus Outbreak Has Asia on High Alert Amid Deaths in India

    How worried should you be?

  • Science Alert ☛ There's a Surprising Problem Behind The Modern Mindfulness Trend

    What is it?

  • Science Alert ☛ 250-Million-Year-Old Fossil Reveals Origins of Our Unique Hearing

    It's older than we thought.

• Proprietary

  • Gulf News ☛ Oracle mulls laying off up to 30,000 employees to fund AI infra: Report [Ed: Nothing to do with "hey hi", just an excuse for commercial failures and soaring debt]

    Mumbai: US tech giant Oracle is planning to cut 20,000 to 30,000 jobs and sell parts of its activities to help finance expansion of its AI data‑centre capacity, a new report has claimed.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • New York Times ☛ Indonesia Lifts Ban on Grok After New Assurances From X Corp

      Indonesia joined Malaysia and the Philippines in reversing its restrictions, weeks after it blocked the chatbot because it was used to generate sexually explicit images of real people.

    • Futurism ☛ New Study Examines How Often Hey Hi (AI) Psychosis Actually Happens, and the Results Are Not Good

      Yikes.

• Security

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Malicious OpenClaw ‘skill’ targets crypto users on ClawHub — 14 malicious skills were uploaded to ClawHub last month

    Security researchers are warning that the growing ecosystem around ‘OpenClaw,’ the self-hosted Hey Hi (AI) assistant formerly known as Clawdbot, has already become a target for malware distribution.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ Federal Courts Undercut Convicted Felon’s Mass Deportation Campaign

    A policy intended to keep immigrants detained indefinitely has led to a deluge of lawsuits, overwhelming some federal courts and resulting in many releases.

  • The Strategist ☛ Resilience, cooperation, self-reliance: what the US’s strategies mean for the Indo-Pacific

    The Forrest Dump administration’s new defence and security policies affect the Indo-Pacific less through fresh promises than through fresh requirements for allies—and for Australia, that shift is immediate and concrete.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Pakistan forces kill 145 militants after attacks in Balochistan

    Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan and has faced a decades-long separatist insurgency.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer ends China trip aimed at reset despite Convicted Felon warning

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrapped up a four-day trip to China on Saturday, after his bid to forge closer ties prompted warnings from The Insurrectionist.

  • France24 ☛ Syrian Kurdish forces announce curfew in northeast cities ahead of deal with Damascus

    Syrian Kurdish security forces announced a curfew in two northeastern cities starting early next week, ahead of implementing a deal with Damascus to integrate Kurdish military and civilian institutions into the state. Kurdish leader Mazloum Abdi said the agreement would begin on Monday, with both sides pulling back from frontline positions.

  • The Strategist ☛ Critics of US need to explain Australia’s place in a China-dominated region

    If there is a flourishing future for Australia in a region dominated by China (and without a US presence) I want to know about it.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ US Marine Corps develops first 3D printed drone with no China-sourced parts, dubbed HANX — modular design makes it quick to adapt from reconnaissance to one-way attack, and other duties

    HANX, the first NDAA compliant drone, has been announced by the U.S. Marine Corps.

  • New York Times ☛ Why Targeting Iran Is Riskier Than Ousting Maduro

    Iran’s ability to strike Israel and destabilize the wider Middle East makes it a far more dangerous adversary.

  • France24 ☛ Iran brands European armies 'terrorists' and warns of 'regional war'

    Iran's supreme leader warned Sunday that any attack by the United States would spark a “regional war” in the Mideast, further escalating tensions as President The Insurrectionist has threatened to militarily strike the Islamic Republic over its crackdown on recent nationwide protests. Story by Shirli Sitbon.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Gaza’s Rafah crossing prepares for partial opening

    The announcement came a day after Israeli strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians, according to hospital officials, yet the ceasefire is moving ahead.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • The Straits Times ☛ China tells Russia’s security chief bilateral relations could ‘break new ground’ in 2026

      China will work with Russia to “deepen strategic coordination and push relations to break new ground", says its foreign minister.

    • France24 ☛ MElon says 'unauthorised' Russian use of satellite-based Starlink internet stopped

      MElon said on Sunday that moves by his SpaceX company ⁠to stop the 'unauthorized' use by Russia of its internet system Starlink seemed to have worked, while Kyiv's defence chief said officials were working ​on ways to prevent any future use by Moscow. Kyiv's ‍military relies on tens of thousands of satellite-based Starlink internet connections for battlefield communication and ​for piloting some drone missions, but said this week it ​had found Starlink terminals on long-range drones used in Russian attacks. Story by Camille Knight.

    • NYPost ☛ SpaceX cuts Russian military link to Starlink satellites, MElon says

      SpaceX has successfully cut off the Russian military from having "unauthorized" access to the Starlink satellite systems that had been used to attack Ukraine, CEO MElon said Sunday.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Starlink uses emergency fix to block Russian drones using its devices to bomb Ukraine — company looking for permanent solutions to stop unauthorized use of its service

      The Ukrainian government has successfully blocked unauthorized Starlink terminals from operating within its borders, stopping Russian drones from using the internet service to strike targets deep within the country.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukraine Peace Talks Delayed After Russia and U.S. Meet

      It was unclear why the latest round of negotiations, which had been expected on Sunday, were postponed for several days.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Strikes Ukraine’s Energy Sector, Killing 12 Miners

      The attack comes during a winter freeze and despite efforts by Hell Toupée and others to get the two countries to negotiate a truce.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Hits Maternity Hospital In Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya, Kills 16 Miners In Dnipropetrovsk

      Russian drone strikes on Ukraine killed more than a dozen in the Dnipropetrovsk region and damaged a maternity hospital in the city of Zaporizhzhya as a new round of negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow was announced for next week.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Awaits New Round Of Trilateral Talks As Deadly Russian Attacks Mount

      Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a new round of trilateral talks with Moscow and Washington is set for February 4-5 in the United Arab Emirates, with the gathering coming after another round of deadly Russian air strikes on civilian sites.

    • France24 ☛ Ukraine: US envoy reports 'constructive' talks with Russia amid mass power outage in Kyiv

      US envoy Steve Witkoff said Saturday he had held constructive talks with a Russian envoy in Florida as part of Washington's drive to end the war in Ukraine. The meeting came just a day before Ukrainian and Russian negotiators were scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi to discuss a US-backed plan to halt the nearly four-year conflict that began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Details by FRANCE 24 correspondent in Kharkiv, Emmanuelle Chaze.

    • France24 ☛ Russia strikes a maternity hospital and a miner's bus in Ukraine, killing at least 21

      Fifteen people were killed ​and seven wounded after a Russian drone struck a ‍bus carrying miners in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, energy firm DTEK and government officials said ​on Sunday. Earlier on Sunday, regional officials said at least nine had been wounded in Russian strikes on a maternity hospital and a residential building in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia. Details by FRANCE 24 correspondent in Kharkiv, Emmanuelle Chaze.

    • France24 ☛ Russian drone strike on bus transporting Ukrainian energy sector workers kills 15

      A Russian drone attack on a bus carrying miners in Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region on Sunday killed 15 employees returning from their shift, the company that owned the bus said. Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal called it a "cynical and targeted attack" on the country's energy sector as the country copes with one of the harshest winters in recent memory.

    • New York Times ☛ Why Is Taking the Rest of the Donetsk Region So Important to Putin?

      Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the question “the one remaining item” in Abu Dhabi peace talks. Russia disputed that.

    • 6/21/26: Solartopia: Ukraine at the Brink of Atomic Apocalypse

      We enter “California Solartopia” as Vladimir Putin plays Chernobyl Roulette with the 15 operable atomic power plants in Ukraine, and 4 zombie corpses at Chernobyl, bringing the world once again to the brink of a radioactive apocalypse. With global experts KARL GROSSMAN and HOWIE HAWKINS, co-hosts SUNNY WASSERMAN and TATANKA BRICCA warn that by targeting Ukraine’s off-site power stations and grid connection, Putin risks repeating the 2011 and 1986 explosions at Fukushima and Chernobyl.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘I have absolutely no connection whatsoever’: Malaysian PM Anwar on e-mail involving Epstein

    A screenshot of the e-mail has gone viral, showing an exchange on Feb 21, 2012.

  • New York Times ☛ The Government Published Dozens of Nude Photos in the Epstein Files

    The photos, which showed young women or possibly teenagers with their faces visible, were largely removed after The New York Times began notifying the Justice Department.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Science Alert ☛ NASA Begins Practice Countdown For First Human Moon Mission Since 1972

      “It’s a pretty exciting time to be part of NASA.”

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Iguanas Drop From Florida's Trees as Record Cold Blasts Southern US

      Extreme weather has many side effects.

• Finance/Resources

  • The Straits Times ☛ Chinese cash in jewellery at automated gold recyclers as prices soar

    China is the world’s largest consumer of gold.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Chinese cash in jewellery at automated gold recyclers as prices soar

    Teng Dozens of people crowded around an automated gold recycling machine at a Shanghai mall, hoping to melt down family heirlooms for cash as prices of the precious metal hit record highs.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China targets ‘rats’ stealing military funds after launch of high-profile probe into top generals

    Priority should be given to cases where “political and commercial issues are intertwined”, according to a commentary.

  • Futurism ☛ Mamdani Forces Delivery Apps to Pay Back $4.6 Million Cheated From Drivers

    "The era of giant corporations juicing profits by underpaying workers is over."

  • France24 ☛ Japan taps rare earth-rich mud from deep-sea floor to cut reliance on China

    Japan retrieved sediment containing rare earth minerals from a depth of 6,000 metres during a test mission aimed at reducing reliance on China, the government said on Monday. Officials said the world-first operation would be analysed to determine mineral content, calling it a significant step for economic security and maritime development.

  • Junichi Uekawa: Got rid of documents I had for last year's Tax return.

    Got rid of documents I had for last year's Tax return. Now I have the least document in my bookshelf out of the year.

  • NYPost ☛ California tech company moving headquarters to Florida in another devastating blow

    In a dramatic sign of the rising allure of low-tax, pro-business states, a quantum computing firm announced it is relocating its corporate headquarters.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • The Straits Times ☛ K-pop concerts face renewed uncertainty in Greater China

    Nationality issues appear unlikely to have been the primary cause in the cancellations.

  • Ali Reza Hayati ☛ Living behind firewalls

    The internet censorship and filtering in Iran is now in another level. We’re now living behind a firewall. Not long ago, before the 20-day full blackout, we had a blacklist-type internet filtering system.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia police probe ex‑Free Malaysia Today journalist, Chinese daily under Sedition Act

    The case involving Mr Tan comes after a public lecture held on Jan 12.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • The Straits Times ☛ Young South Koreans show renewed interest in marriage: Survey

    The rise in people intending to get married coincides with an uptick in actual marriages.

  • France24 ☛ China accused of erasing Mongolian language and culture online, new study finds

    When the Mongolian language started to disappear from classrooms in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China's north, many turned to the internet to keep their language and culture alive. A new investigation shows those remaining online spaces are being targeted by the Chinese government.

  • JURIST ☛ Egypt’s crackdown on online Religion discussions violates fundamental freedoms, Rights Group warns

    Egyptian authorities must immediately end their crackdown on individuals who discuss religious beliefs online, Amnesty International said on Thursday, warning that prosecutions and arrests under broadly worded laws are violating the rights to freedom of religion and expression.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Tom's Hardware ☛ Former Surveillance Giant Google engineer convicted of stealing GPU and TPU trade secrets for 'Chinese interests' — tried to raise funding for his own start-up

  A federal jury in San Francisco has convicted a former Surveillance Giant Google engineer of stealing confidential Hey Hi (AI) infrastructure data and transferring it to benefit Chinese interests.