Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Valentine's Day: 9 Cosmic Objects That Prove Love Is Universal

    Say it with electromagnetic radiation.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Giant Star Vanished, And Scientists Think a Black Hole Is to Blame

    "The most surprising discovery of my life."

  • Science Alert ☛ Discovery of an 'Inside Out' Solar System Puzzles Astronomers

    How did it form?

• Hardware

  • CNX Software ☛ SlimeVR Butterfly Trackers – nRF52833-based, ultra-slim, full-body VR trackers offer up to 48h battery life (Crowdfunding)

    Designed by SlimeVR in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the SlimeVR Butterfly Trackers are open-hardware, IMU-based, ultra-slim, full-body VR trackers designed for virtual reality gaming, motion capture, VTubing, and more. The trackers provide full-body positional tracking without base stations, cameras, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth. Each tracker uses an IMU to measure absolute rotation and transmits data over a custom 2.4 GHz ESB protocol via a dedicated dongle supporting up to 10 trackers, eliminating occlusion issues and router setup.

  • CNX Software ☛ de next-RAP8-EZBOX – An ultra-compact, fanless or actively-cooled defective chip maker Intel Core i7-1365UE Raptor Lake embedded system

    AAEON’s de next-RAP8-EZBOX is an ultra-compact embedded system powered by an defective chip maker Intel Core i7-1365UE 10-core Raptor Lake SoC paired with 16GB of LPDDR5x system and one M.2 2280 M-Key slot for storage. It’s offered as either a 42.5mm thick fanless or a 45.4mm thick actively cooled mini PC. Key interfaces include HDMI 1.4b video output, two Ethernet (2.5GbE + GbE) ports, and two USB 3.0 ports.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ U.S. lawmakers demand sales ban on chipmaking tools to China — bipartisan group targets ASML's Dutch exports of lithography machines used to create advanced chips

    Bipartisan group of lawmakers want the U.S. government to impose export controls on all wafer fab equipment bound to China except those that can be made locally and make allies do the following.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ 4 Months Trapped in a Hospital for an Obsolete Way of Treating Their Disease

    Health workers in developing countries know that isolating tuberculosis patients is an outdated and potentially harmful practice, but lack the resources to move away from it.

  • New York Times ☛ Federal Judge Blocks Convicted Felon Plan to Cut $600 Million in Health Funds

    It is the latest court ruling staving off deep cuts to social services that Democratic-led states say are politically motivated and would harm hundreds of thousands of people.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Punk wellness’: China’s stressed young people mix traditional medicine and cocktails

    “TCM bars” have popped up in several cities across China.

  • The Strategist ☛ Feeding 10 billion: Australia’s role in avoiding hunger-conflict spirals

    As the global population grows, one of the most complex threats will be the challenge of feeding so many people.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China orders cereulide tests as infant formula makers Nestle, Danone face recalls over toxin

    No poisoning cases linked to infant formula have been reported in China.

  • Science Alert ☛ Parkinson's May Emerge From a Deeper Brain Network Than We Thought

    Targeting it vastly improved treatments.

  • BIA Net ☛ Central Bank raises 2026 inflation forecast range amid food-driven risks

    Food prices played a significant role in January’s elevated inflation, the governor said, pointing specifically to a sharp increase in vegetable prices due to supply-side issues.

  • Science Alert ☛ Can Drinking Hot Water Really Help You Lose Weight? Experts Explain

    Here's what science actually says.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Discover a Brain Circuit That Enhances Physical Endurance In Mice

    It's needed to build strength.

  • New York Times ☛ Alcohol’s Effects on the Body: What Does Drinking Do to Your Health?

    From the moment you take a sip, drinking starts to influence your biology. Here’s an inside look.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China lowers EU dairy tariffs in final ruling after 18-month probe

    China will impose tariffs ranging from 7.4 per cent to 11.7 per cent on dairy imports from the EU.

  • Science Alert ☛ Ozempic-Style Patches Promise Easy Weight Loss, But Do They Work?

    Here's what two experts say.

  • Science Alert ☛ We Were Wrong About Fasting, Massive Review Shows

    What is fasting doing to your brain?

  • New York Times ☛ Why Tech Giants Are Accused of Causing Social Media Addiction

    In a series of landmark trials, plaintiffs are alleging that Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube caused personal injury through addictive products. Our technology reporter Cecilia Kang describes what’s at stake for tech giants and social control media users.

• Proprietary

  • Qt ☛ Qt Creator 19 Beta2 released

    We are happy to announce the release of Qt Creator 19 Beta2.

  • Scoop News Group ☛ Apple discloses first actively exploited zero-day of 2026

    The vendor said the memory-corruption defect was exploited to target specific people, but it did not describe the objectives of the attack.

  • Security Week ☛ Apple Patches iOS Zero-Day Exploited in ‘Extremely Sophisticated Attack’

    Impacting the ‘dyld’ system component, the memory corruption issue can be exploited for arbitrary code execution.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Futurism ☛ Cofounders Fleeing MElon’s xAI

      "Grateful to have helped cofound at the start."

    • Futurism ☛ OpenAI Fires Top Safety Exec Who Opposed ChatGPT’s “Adult Mode”

      This is shady.

• Pseudo-Open Source

  • Openwashing

    • MIT Technology Review ☛ What’s next for Chinese open-source AI

      MIT Technology Review’s What’s Next series looks across industries, trends, and technologies to give you a first look at the future. You can read the rest of them here. The past year has marked a turning point for Chinese AI.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • NYOB ☛ Digital Omnibus: EU DPAs reject many proposed changes to the GDPR

  • Confidentiality

    • Security Week ☛ ApolloMD Data Breach Impacts 626,000 Individuals

      The company says hackers stole the personal information of patients of affiliated physicians and practices.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ C.I.A. Video Appeals to Potential Spies in China’s Military

    The agency is seeking Chinese officials who are frustrated with corruption in the People’s Liberation Army.

  • JURIST ☛ UN warns Sudan airstrikes threaten lives and vital establishments

    The United Nations (UN) on Wednesday cautioned that the escalating aerial attacks in Sudan are killing children, striking UN facilities, and damaging schools.

  • New York Times ☛ Canada School Shooter’s Online Life Showed Interest in Violent Extremism

    The suspect in the British Columbia shooting had long been posting about mental health problems, substance abuse and a fascination with weapons and online violence.

  • France24 ☛ North Korea warns of ‘terrible response’ over South Korean drone flights

    North Korea on Friday warned of a “terrible response” if more drones cross its border from the South, escalating tensions despite Seoul’s efforts to improve ties. Pyongyang said it shot down a surveillance drone last month. Kim Yo Jong cautioned that further incursions would trigger severe consequences.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea warns of ‘terrible response’ if South Korea sends more drones

    North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong warned Seoul that such incidents would not be tolerated.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China calls Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te a ‘war instigator’

    China called Taiwan’s leader Lai Ching-te a “war instigator” on Thursday after he warned in an AFP interview that Beijing would target countries in the region should it seize control of the self-ruled island.

  • New York Times ☛ How Europe Woke Up to Convicted Felon

    European leaders are wondering if they can ever trust the U.S. again.

  • European Commission ☛ Europeans perceive growing threat to their security and trust EU to do more in this field, according to latest Eurobarometer

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 13 Feb 2026 A new Eurobarometer survey released today, ahead of the Munich Security Conference, shows Europeans' growing perception of threat for their countries in the current international situation. The majority of them would also entrust EU with strengthening defence. Investment in this field is also seen as important. EU space programmes are perceived as essential instruments for addressing defence and security, environment and climate and competitiveness.

  • New York Times ☛ Europe’s Leaders Gather At Munich Summit, Reeling From Convicted Felon’s Criticism

    Officials gather on Friday for Europe’s biggest annual security summit, where a speech by Vice President JD Vance last year started an unraveling of trans-Atlantic relations.

  • New York Times ☛ NATO Remains Vital to U.S. Security, Ex-Ambassadors and Generals Say

    Amid doubts over Hell Toupée’s commitment to the alliance, an administration official told a NATO gathering that the U.S. is pulling back, but not abandoning European security.

  • France24 ☛ NATO downplays Greenland dispute as US defence chief absent from summit

    NATO allies say tensions over Greenland have eased after the launch of the Arctic Sentry mission aimed at boosting security in the Arctic and reassuring President The Insurrectionist, who had raised concerns over Russian and Chinese influence in the region. The dispute had briefly strained the alliance, members are now focused on strengthening Europe’s role within NATO, but US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was notably absent from the Brussels meeting, as FRANCE 24's Dave Keating explains.

  • France24 ☛ Arctic Sentry: Europe takes the lead in NATO Arctic security mission

    At Thursday's NATO meeting in Brussels, US Secretary of State Pete Hegseth was absent, highlighting concerns about America stepping back from the alliance. European allies announced Arctic Sentry, a new mission to strengthen Arctic security amid Russian and Chinese activity. While analysts see it largely as a rebranding of existing drills, NATO hopes it will reassure The Insurrectionist and let Europe take a bigger role in defence.

  • JURIST ☛ Amnesty chief warns “attacks on international law” are undermining global security

    Amnesty International’s chief on Wednesday warned that the “predatory attacks” on international law are undermining global security, ahead of the Munich Security Conference. The rights group’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard issued her statement ahead of the 62nd Munich Security Conference, where she is set to address world leaders and senior officials.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • France24 ☛ EU leaders back major economic overhaul to counter pressure from US, China and Russia

      European Union leaders on Thursday agreed on an action plan to overhaul the bloc’s economy and boost competitiveness amid pressure from US President The Insurrectionist, China and Russia. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the March plan would upgrade energy grids, deepen financial integration and ease merger rules.

    • Latvia ☛ Security service seeks prosecution for Latvian helping Russian company

      On February 2nd, the State Security Service (VDD) proposed to charge a Latvian citizen with providing unauthorised programming services to a company in Russia, in violation of European Union (EU) sanctions.

    • PHR ☛ Attacks on Health in Ukraine Continue to Escalate Four Years into Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion

      Research by Physicians for Human Rights and partners shows that the 2,591 attacks on health since the start of the full-scale invasion are not isolated incidents but part of Russia’s systematic strategy with long-term consequences for civilian health and survival in Ukraine.

    • RFERL ☛ Russia Strikes Ukraine Overnight As Zelenskyy Denies Plans For Elections On War Anniversary

      Russian forces launched overnight ballistic missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed reports that elections or a referendum on territorial integrity would be announced on the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.

    • New York Times ☛ These Ukrainian Drones Don’t Just Kill. They Deliver Oatmeal Cookies.

      In a war where drones are synonymous with destruction, some are also used to drop care packages to Ukraine’s frontline soldiers.

    • New York Times ☛ Ukrainian Olympian Is Disqualified Over Helmet Honoring War Dead

      Olympic officials ruled that Vladyslav Heraskevych’s helmet violated a prohibition on political speech, setting off outrage at the Winter Games in Italy. He plans to appeal the decision.

    • France24 ☛ Milano-Cortina: Controversy erupts over Ukrainian athlete’s helmet

      Ukraine’s skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Milano Cortina Games for wearing a helmet commemorating Ukrainian athletes killed in the war with Russia. Ukraine’s Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi called the decision “unjust,” but confirmed the team would continue competing. The move has sparked a growing controversy over the IOC’s rules on political symbols. FRANCE 24's Seema Gupta has more from Rome.

    • France24 ☛ Milano-Cortina: Ukrainian athlete disqualified over war tribute helmet

      Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Olympic race for wearing a “helmet of remembrance” honouring athletes killed since Russia’s invasion, breaching IOC rules banning political messages in competition. He can remain at the Games after a last-minute intervention by IOC President Kirsty Coventry, while his team plans to appeal the disqualification.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania condemns Ukrainian athlete's disqualification from Winter Olympics

      Lithuania has condemned a decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics after he wore a helmet bearing images of athletes killed during Russia’s war in Ukraine.

    • CS Monitor ☛ A Ukrainian athlete wanted to honor fallen countrymen. The IOC said no.

      Winter Olympics skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych wanted to wear a helmet decorated with images of Ukrainian athletes and civilians killed during the Russian invasion. The IOC said it was a violation of its rules.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukrainian Skeleton Athlete Disqualified From Olympics Over Helmet Dispute

      Vladyslav Heraskevych, a Ukrainian skeleton pilot, will not be allowed to compete in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games after refusing to comply with guidelines of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

    • LRT ☛ Minsk seeking to formally legalise truck detentions, Lithuanian association says

      More than three months after Minsk redirected Lithuanian lorries to designated parking sites, where they remain to this day, the head of Lithuania’s national road carriers’ association Linava says the Belarusian authorities are attempting to formally legalise the detention of the vehicles.

    • LRT ☛ Tsikhanouskaya’s aide says she wrote to Lithuanian PM before Warsaw move but got no reply

      An adviser to the Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has said she wrote to Lithuania’s prime minister about her security arrangements before relocating from Vilnius to Warsaw, but received no response.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Chinese tourists head to Russia, Thailand on extended Chinese New Year break

      China expects a record 9.5 billion passenger trips during the accompanying 40‑day travel rush.

    • JURIST ☛ Russia Telegram block condemned as a blow to freedom of expression by rights group

      Marie Struthers, the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director at Amnesty International, criticized Russian authorities for blocking and slowing down the Telegram messaging app, undermining people’s ability to communicate freely and securely.

    • France24 ☛ Russia fully blocks WhatsApp, intensifying it's 'crackdown on free expression'

      WhatsApp has been fully blocked in Russia after authorities said the Meta-owned messaging app failed to comply with local laws. The Kremlin is now encouraging users to switch to a state-backed “national messenger”, a move widely seen as tightening control over online communication and free expression. FRANCE 24’s international editor Doug Herbert explains how this fits into a broader crackdown on digital freedoms in the country.

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • JURIST ☛ US dispatch: Attorney General questioned over Epstein files, federal shootings, surveillance

    On the morning of February 11, 2026, Attorney General Pam Bondi faced a divided House Judiciary Committee, defending the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) recent actions in a hearing primarily anchored in the department’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act (H.R. 4405).

• Environment

  • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man revokes Obama-era climate finding on greenhouse gas risks

    The Forrest Dump administration on Thursday revoked a long-standing scientific finding underpinning US efforts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, marking its most sweeping rollback of climate policy. The Environmental Protection Agency rescinded the 2009 “endangerment finding,” which determined carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare.

  • France24 ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man scraps legal basis for climate rules

    It's been billed by the White House as the 'largest deregulatory action in US history' - The Insurrectionist has formally revoked a landmark scientific finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health by driving climate change - a determination that underpins regulations aimed at curbing planet-warming pollution. The repeal is expected to be swiftly challenged in the courts. France 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks with Meredith Hankins, federal climate legal director at the US-based NGO, National Resources Defence Council.

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man cancels federal climate regulations. Here’s what it means for Michigan

    Despite scientific consensus on the harms posed by climate change, the administration no longer views greenhouse gases as harmful to public health. That sets the stage to stop regulating them.

  • The Straits Times ☛ More cloud seeding under way to beat dry season, says Malaysian disaster agency

    The agency is addressing the decli­ning water levels due to dry weather.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • Mexico News Daily ☛ Chinese automakers BYD, Geely are bidding on Mexico’s shuttered Aguascalientes Nissan plant

      A win by either would give China's auto sector the foothold in Mexico it has been seeking for years. But there's a third competitor in the mix — Vietnamese EV maker VinFast.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • New Yorker ☛ Is the Rat War Over?

      In New York, a rat czar and new methods have brought down complaints. We may even be ready to appreciate the creatures.

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ Flexibility and Rising Costs Are Keeping Mothers at Work [Ed: Well, "thanks to flexible work setups" = 'thanks' to employers paying too little and giving salaries below living costs]

    Labor force participation for women with small children continues to float above prepandemic levels, thanks to flexible work setups — and rising costs.

  • France24 ☛ Indian farmers protest trade deal with US

    Indian farmers and trade unions staged a day of nationwide strike and protest over a recently announced trade deal with the United States.  While the government says measures to safeguard the country's agriculture sector have been put in place, farmers worry the agreement will lower barriers for US farm products.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia’s anti-graft chief says open to probe on his shareholding after media report

    The report said Mr Azam Baki held shares that were currently worth about RM800,000 (S$259,000).

  • France24 ☛ Bangladesh election raises expectations of a new political era

    As Bangladeshis cast their ballots on Thursday in their first free election in 17 years, many are hoping for an end to corruption, greater safety and security, improved economic conditions, and real structural changes in their daily lives, as explained by FRANCE 24's journalist Navodita Kumari.

  • France24 ☛ Counting starts in Bangladesh’s first free election in 17 years

    The polls are closing and counting begins in Bangladesh’s first free election in 17 years. The historic vote has sparked hope for an end to corruption, improved security, and better economic conditions, as citizens look for real change in their daily lives.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China cracks down on anti-marriage social control media content during Lunar New Year holiday

    China’s top internet regulator said on Thursday it would launch a crackdown during the Lunar New Year holiday period to curb social control media content it deemed problematic including any that fanned fears about getting married or having children.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Police decline to disclose number of sedition arrests over comments about fatal Tai Po blaze

    Police have declined to disclose the number of people arrested for suspected sedition in connection with the deadly Tai Po fire in November.

  • Stanford University ☛ ‘Disagreement itself has become morally legible’: Glenn Loury critiques self-censorship

    Loury presented a lack of candor as a systemic issue, rather than an individual one based in fear.

  • New Yorker ☛ “If We Don’t Have Free Speech, Then We Just Don’t Have a Free Country”

    The Insurrectionist’s attempt to criminalize political expression is crossing a line that’s held since 1798.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Nandy launches competition probe into DMGT’s Telegraph takeover

  • AccessNow ☛ Addressing human rights abuses and attacks on press freedom facilitated by AppLogic Networks in Egypt

    To:Mr. Mark Driedger, Chief Executive Officer Ms. Carol Tate, Chief Ethics & Compliance OfficerAppLogic Networks Re: Addressing human rights abuses and attacks on press freedom facilitated by AppLogic Networks in Egypt

  • AccessNow ☛ From Sandvine to AppLogic Networks: a rebrand doesn’t mean reform

    Access Now, alongside several human rights organizations and independent news platforms, are calling on AppLogic Networks (previously Sandvine) to substantiate its announced corporate reforms following its removal from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List.

  • AccessNow ☛ Artificial Insecurity: threats to information integrity

    In the second part of our series on the dodgy digital security practices underlying advanced Hey Hi (AI) tools, we examine how LLMs threaten information integrity.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Thanks for participating in APRICOT 2026

    Thanks for participating in APRICOT 2026, held with APNIC 61 in Jakarta, Indonesia. We look forward to seeing you at APNIC 62!

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Epic Games brings Secure Boot and TPM to competitive Fortnite — most players unaffected by new measures [Ed: Terrible and malicious agenda brought about by GAFAM; of course, as usual, it has nothing to do with security, it is about controlling people against their will]

    Epic Games has announced new security measures for Fortnite, but the elevated requirements only apply to tournament play — for now.

  • Digital Music News ☛ YouTube Music Lyrics Are Now Locked Behind Premium Subscription — Let’s See How This One Goes Over

    Lyrics in YouTube Music will now require a YouTube Premium or Music Premium subscription, with free users getting a handful of lyric plays. YouTube Music is pushing its lyrics behind a paywall in a change that appears to be rolling out now.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• New York Times ☛ Gail Slater Leaves Role as Justice Dept.’s Antitrust Chief

  Her departure follows months of mounting tension over her division’s work to determine whether companies violated antitrust laws.

• Patents

  • Unified Patents ☛ InstaCom patent monopoly validity challenge coming soon

    The team at Unified IP Services is using Pearl to identify and chart prior art against a patent monopoly owned by InstaCom LLC, an NPE and entity of Elon Life LLC. Unified Patents, the top requester of ex parte reexaminations in recent years, will likely challenge its validity.

  • JUVE ☛ Peterreins Schley and ZSP enforce PIs for Wobbleworks over 3Doodler

    WobbleWorks owns EP 2 928 672 B1, which protects a “hand-held three-dimensional drawing device”. The patent monopoly relates specifically to a device that extrudes feedstock material to apply it to a surface. Users can apply the material in multiple layers to create three-dimensional objects.

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ ClicknClear Inks Universal Music Deal Following ‘Minions’ Winter Olympics Licensing Debacle

    One Winter Olympics rights debacle later, choreographed-sports licensing specialist ClicknClear has inked a deal with Universal Music Group (UMG). ClicknClear founder and head Chantal Epp took to Microsoft's Surveillance Arm LinkedIn to unveil that pact on the heels of much-discussed (at least in figure-skating circles) Olympics licensing headaches.