Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Sun Fires Off 4 Powerful Flares as More 'Exciting Activity' Is Forecast

    Get ready for a wild week of space weather.

  • Science Alert ☛ Early Warning Signs of Parkinson's May Be Hidden in Your Blood

    Detectable up to 20 years before the main symptoms appear.

• Career/Education

  • CER ☛ Defining Learner-Centered Design of Computing Education: What I did on my sabbatical

    My planned activity during my sabbatical was to revise my 2015 book “Learner-Centered Design of Computing Education.” One of the fixes I wanted to make was a better definition of what “learner-centered design” was.

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ Cincoze CV-221C 21.5-inch modular slim Panel PC supports up to defective chip maker Intel Core Ultra 3/5/7 Meteor Lake-PS SoC

    Cincoze CV-211C is a family of 21.5-inch modular slim panel PCs powered by defective chip maker Intel Core Ultra 3/5/7 Meteor Lake-PS SoC (P2302 Series), Core i3-1215UE or Core-i5-1245UE Alder Lake processor (P2202 Series), Core i3-8145UE or Core i5-8365UE Whiskey Lake SoC (P2102 Series), or Core  i3-6100U or Core i5-6300U Skylake processor (P2002 Series). All are advertised as new models, despite some being powered by Skylake processors released in 2015. They share similar key features such as up to a 21.5-inch TFT panel with 1920×1080 resolution, VGA output, dual Ethernet, three to four USB 3.2 ports, and more.

  • Ruben Schade ☛ The defective chip maker Intel i486 SX-25 that started it all

    Years ago I had a friend who loved talking about his first car, the Mitsubishi Magna. This isn’t to be confused with the Mitsubishi Manga, a novel about a student transported to another world in which a Japanese conglomerate invented mecha time machines. He’d always mention the Magna was a mediocre car with unremarkable fuel economy, panel gaps that would make a Tesla owner blush, peeling paint on the “C pillar” (whatever that means), a windscreen that had been repaired multiple times, and a bumper that… had been. Yet he said it was his favourite car of all time, on account of the simple fact that it was his first.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • France24 ☛ Malaysian court acquits French man facing possible death penalty on drug charges

    A Malaysian court on Tuesday acquitted 34-year-old French national Tom Félix on eight drug-related charges. The Veolia executive spent nearly two and a half years behind bars.

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Zombie' Remnants of COVID-19 Hunt In Packs And Kill Our Immune Cells

    This explains a lot.

  • Science Alert ☛ We Were Wrong About How Much Your Genes Shape Your Lifespan

    A surprising twist was hiding in the data.

• Proprietary

  • It's FOSS ☛ Windows 11 May Introduce a Linux-like Feature for its Power Users

    This sure does feel familiar to any GNU/Linux user. And it is for backdoored Windows power users.

  • Windows TCO

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Notepad++ update server hijacked in targeted attacks — outfit claims Chinese state-sponsored hackers may be to blame

      The Notepad++ project yesterday disclosed that its update server was covertly hijacked in a targeted supply chain attack that began in June 2025,

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Microsoft is Giving the FBI BitLocker Keys

      Microsoft gives the FBI the ability to decrypt BitLocker in response to court orders: about twenty times per year.

    • Security Week ☛ Russia’s APT28 Rapidly Weaponizes Newly Patched Office Vulnerability

      The attacks targeting Europe were analyzed by Ukraine’s CERT-UA and the cybersecurity company Zscaler.

• Defence/Aggression

  • France24 ☛ Israel to stop MSF work in Gaza: Destroying health system 'as a way of making Gaza uninhabitable’

    Reacting to the news of Israel's decision to stop MSF operations in Gaza, Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah, a British-Palestinian surgeon has worked with MSF in Gaza, said it was "absolutely devastating" for Gazans. Termination of MSF operations would further damage Gaza health system, he said. Israel is "destroying the health system inside Gaza as a way of making Gaza uninhabitable," he noted.

  • France24 ☛ India-US: Tariff slashed spark exporter optimism

    US President The Insurrectionist said on Monday he had struck a trade deal with India to cut tariffs after Prime Minister Narendra Modimir pledged to halt purchases of Russia oil over the war in Ukraine. He said levies on Indian goods would fall to 18% from 25% under the agreement.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ Striking Ukraine amid harsh winter, part of Russian strategy

      Russia launched a major drone and missile strike on Ukraine during the coldest winter day, leaving hundreds of thousands without heating and damaging key infrastructure, including a Soviet-era WWII monument. The attacks came just one day before Ukrainian and Russian delegations were set to meet in Abu Dhabi for a new round of peace talks.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian president says there are risks in ‘overly close’ ties with China

      Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said restoring diplomatic relations with China would require goodwill from both sides, while warning that Lithuania sees significant risks in closer cooperation with Beijing’s government.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian PM says relations with Belarus unlikely to improve

      Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said Tuesday that relations with Belarus are unlikely to improve in the near future, accusing Minsk of favouring displays of force over dialogue.

    • LRT ☛ Nationality, race, Crimea: foreigners face barriers in Lithuania’s rental market

      Foreign nationals moving to Lithuania continue to face significant obstacles in the rental housing market, from initial contact with landlords to day-to-day living, according to a study by the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson.

    • RFERL ☛ Live Blog: Russia Reiterates Offer To Store Iran's Enriched Uranium

      Thousands of Iranians are dead or detained in a brutal crackdown after they took to the streets in what is seen as 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.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania will press for EU sanctions extension on Belarus – president

      Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said Tuesday he will push firmly for the European Union to extend sanctions on Belarus, citing Minsk’s continued alignment with Russia, repression of political opponents and what he described as escalating hybrid attacks against Lithuania.

    • RFERL ☛ NATO's Rutte Arrives In Kyiv Hours After It's Pounded By Russian Air Strikes

      Russia has launched a massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv and multiple regions of Ukraine, striking energy infrastructure and residential buildings as US-mediated peace talks are set to resume and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte visits the Ukrainian capital.

    • France24 ☛ Russia resumes strikes against Ukraine energy infrastructure amid subzero temperatures

      More than 1,100 buildings were left without power in Kyiv on Tuesday after Russia resumed its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure after a brief period where Moscow stopped targeting energy facilities. A second round of trilateral peace talks between Ukraine, Russia and the US will take place in Abu Dhabi this week.

    • France24 ☛ Russia resumes strikes on freezing Ukrainian capital ahead of talks

      Russia carried out its largest drone and missile assault of the year on Ukraine, striking during a severe cold snap and leaving hundreds of thousands without heating. The attacks damaged critical infrastructure and a Soviet-era WWII monument, and came just one day before Ukrainian and Russian delegations were due to meet in Abu Dhabi for a new round of peace talks. FRANCE 24's Emmanuelle Chaze has the latest on the ground.

    • NYPost ☛ Russia fires 450 drones and 70 missiles at Ukraine

      Russia fired around 450 long-range drones and 70 missiles of various types at Ukraine in a major attack overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday.

    • LRT ☛ Belarusian oppositionist urges Lithuania to restore transport links with Belarus

      Maria Kalesnikava, a leading Belarusian opposition figure recently freed from prison, urged Lithuanian authorities on Tuesday to restore more intensive transport links with Belarus, including resuming passenger rail and bus services, Lithuanian officials said.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Accuses Russia Of 'Winter Genocide' After New Strikes On Energy Sites

      Russia has launched a massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv and multiple regions of Ukraine, striking energy infrastructure and residential buildings as US-mediated peace talks are set to resume and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte visits the Ukrainian capital.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian PM says Vilnius ‘jumped in front of a train’ with Taiwanese office

      Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said Tuesday that Lithuania made a strategic mistake by allowing a Taiwanese representative office to open in Vilnius under the name “Taiwanese”, arguing the move was not coordinated with the European Union or the United States and led to a sharp deterioration in relations with China.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China to ban hidden car door handles from next year in industry shift

      China will ban hidden door handles on cars sold in the country from next year, phasing out the minimalist design popularised by Tesla over safety concerns.

    • France24 ☛ China bans hidden car door handles after deadly incidents

      China will ban hidden car door handles from January 1, 2027, citing safety concerns, phasing out the minimalist designs popularised by Tesla. The new rules require doors to have both interior and exterior mechanical releases and could influence global EV design as China asserts itself as a standards-setter. FRANCE 24's Jan Camenzind Broomby has more details from Beijing.

• Finance

  • France24 ☛ Inside the Chinese factories of fast-fashion giant Shein

    The meteoric rise of Shein, one of the world's biggest fast-fashion retailers, has not been without controversy. For years, human rights groups have warned of labour law violations in its supplier factories. Our China correspondents Jan Camenzind Broomby and Eudeline Boishult investigate.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man administration seeks 'to influence electoral outcomes' across the Americas

    Charles Pellegrin is pleased to welcome Tiziano Breda, Latin America & the Caribbean Senior Analyst at ACLED. President The Insurrectionist is set to welcome Colombian President Gustavo Petro to the White House for talks only weeks after threatening military action against the South American country and accusing the leader of pumping cocaine into the United States. US administration officials say the meeting will focus on regional security cooperation and counternarcotics efforts. Mr Breda says 'Petro's utmost priority is to straighten Convicted Felon's view of the country' and seek out effective solutions to take on armed rebels and organized crime.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • The Strategist ☛ Too casually, X tells us how Beijing is spamming Chinese users

      Last week X’s head of product, Nikita Bier, made an allegation of enormous consequence with remarkable casualness: China controls millions of spam accounts used to censor the platform during periods of political unrest.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • BBC ☛ Solicitors' offices shut over 'regulatory' issues

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said the firm had "not closed in the manner we would expect" and it would be contacting its partners to remind them of their "professional obligations". PM Law Group, which owns Butterworths, has also been approached for comment.

    The sign on the Kendal branch said: "Due to regulatory matters, the PM Group of Businesses carried out within this building can no longer trade."

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Digital Music News ☛ Marsha Blackburn Leads a Coalition of US Senators Urging the FTC To Take Legal Action Against Ticketmaster

  Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is leading a coalition of Senators who are urging the FTC to take action against Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation. The filing supports the FTC’s ongoing lawsuit against both companies and focuses on the allegations of enabling anticompetitive behavior in ticket sales.

• Patents

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Michalski Hüttermann partner launches new patent monopoly firm Aurodion [Ed: Ad or journalism? More exploitation of a corrupt system such as EPO and kangaroo courts?]

      The new IP firm’s biggest office is Düsseldorf where most of the former Michalski Hüttermann attorneys were located. Wasilis Koukounis, Elmin Fatić, Andrea Koukounis, and Gerrit Fachinger have all previously worked at Michalski Hüttermann which is one of the biggest patent monopoly attorney firms in West Germany.