Leftovers

• Science

  • Futurism ☛ Scientists Suggest That Igniting Oil Spills to Create Fire Tornadoes Might Actually Be Good for the Oceans

    "Our goal is to harness the chaotic nature of fire whirls as a powerful, precise restoration tool, to protect coastlines, marine ecosystems and the environment as a whole."

  • Lee Yingtong Li ☛ Simulation model of ventilation–perfusion mismatch

  • Science Alert ☛ This Strange Spiky Dinosaur Had Skin Unlike Anything We've Ever Seen

    But what was it for?

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Simulated The Big Bang's Aftermath, And Found The Universe Was Like Soup

    Mmm, delicious.

• Career/Education

  • BIA Net ☛ As the fifth year under trustee administration draws to a close: seeking the truth

    Today, the university is physically unrecognizable. Whereas the majority of management and administrative staff used to be women, now we see men all over the place, not to mention the many undercover police and the security staff. This was what we had predicted way back in 2021.

• Hardware

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Lenovo alerts partners to looming price hikes on consumer and server products — soaring memory costs drive the surge

    Lenovo warns partners of price hikes on client and server devices, advising them to place orders early to order at current prices.

  • Mobile Systems/Mobile Applications

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Several PC games run on Snapdragon 8 Elite Android device with 16GB RAM and emulation — The Witcher 3, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Cyberpunk 2077 playable at 720p

      YouTuber tests several PC games on Android with high-end Snapdragon-powered devices, showing how good PC emulation is on Android. Cyberpunk 2077 runs at over 60 FPS on liquid-cooled Red Magic 11 Pro.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Futurism ☛ It Seems Bad That Temu Is Selling Peptides

    "Our average customer is closer to a Starbucks barista."

  • Futurism ☛ Stanford’s New “Universal Vaccine Formula” Nasal Spray Protects Mice Against Stunning Range of Diseases

    "I think what we have is a universal vaccine against diverse respiratory threats."

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia’s TB outbreak: Public urged to mask up in crowded places as cases hit over 3,100

    Sabah has recorded the highest number of cases.

  • New York Times ☛ New York Nurses’ Strike Ends After 6 Weeks as Last Holdouts Approve Deal

    Workers at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia hospital voted for a contract with raises and layoff protections, meaning more than 4,000 nurses will return.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Stressed Chinese youth mix traditional medicine and cocktails

    By Emily Wang In a softly lit Shanghai bar, graduate student Helen Zhao stretched out both wrists to have her pulse taken — the first step to ordering the house special, a bespoke “health” cocktail based on traditional Chinese medicine.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ ‘Gov’t should bear greatest responsibility’: Tai Po fire survivors recall futile whistle-blowing attempts

    On October 19, Chinachem Tower, a commercial building in Central, caught fire while undergoing repairs. The flames spread quickly along the scaffolding nets, emitting large clouds of smoke visible across Victoria Harbour.  Four people were injured, and firefighters extinguished the blaze within five hours. The news was quickly forgotten the next day.

  • Science Alert ☛ This Week in Science: Children of Chernobyl, Hair Loss Light Therapy, And More!

    Our weekly science news roundup.

  • Science Alert ☛ This Extreme Radiation-Resistant Organism Evolved a Remarkable Ability

    How is this possible?

  • Science Alert ☛ Play Can Make Adults Feel Happier And Less Stressed, Research Shows

    It's not just for kids.

• Proprietary

  • Game Rant ☛ Microsoft Issues Statement on Potential Layoffs After Major Xbox Leadership Changes

    Any major executive changes at gaming companies will be met with a mix of reactions, ranging from overwhelming support to extreme discontent. At present, Xbox fans seem to be somewhere in the middle, with many comforted by Matt Booty's inclusion of a comment to dissuade fears of layoffs and others happy to see Asha Sharma's passionate "renegade spirit" for making Xbox better. Only time will tell if the new leaders at Xbox and Microsoft Gaming are able to build upon the legacy of their predecessors, and perhaps even surpass those that came before them, so interested fans can follow along for any more updates on the future of Xbox and other key players in the video game industry.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Futurism ☛ Developer’s Honest Assessment of Hey Hi (AI) at Work Rattles the Official Narrative

      AI won't save you, or your floundering company.

    • Vasudev Kamath: Learning Notes: Debsecan MCP Server

      Since Generative Hey Hi (AI) is currently the most popular topic, I wanted to get my hands dirty and learn something new. I was learning about the Model Context Protocol at the time and wanted to apply it to build something simple.

    • Futurism ☛ Amazon’s Blundering Hey Hi (AI) Caused Multiple proprietary trap AWS Outages

      Is this a forecast of how hopelessly AI-dependent our tech overlords will be going forward?

• Security

  • Security Week ☛ Critical Grandstream Phone Vulnerability Exposes Calls to Interception

    The flaw tracked as CVE-2026-2329 can be exploited without authentication for remote code execution with root privileges. 

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korean movie about assassination attempt of leader aired on TV

    The film “Days and Nights of Confrontation” depicts a plot to kill Mr Kim Jong Il.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Man nabbed while trying to steal railway cables in Malaysia

    The suspect also has 28 prior criminal records.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Brazil, India ink critical minerals deal as leaders meet

    The deal comes as India seeks to cut its dependence on China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippine senator calls out China in visit to disputed island

    Thitu Island, known as Pag-asa in the Philippines, is home to about 400 Filipinos.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Australian warship transits Taiwan Strait, tracked by China’s navy

    The Toowoomba conducted a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait on Feb 20 and Feb 21.

  • France24 ☛ Hezbollah says 'resistance' is the only choice after deadly Israeli strike

    A Hezbollah official on Saturday said that "resistance" was the only option after Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed eight of its operatives. On Friday, the Israeli military said it had hit Hezbollah command centres in eastern Lebanon and targets linked to the Palestinian group Hamas in the south.

  • New York Times ☛ At Least 10 Killed in Lebanon, Officials Say, After Israel Strikes Hezbollah

    The Lebanese militant group said eight of its members were among those killed late Friday. The attacks threaten to further destabilize an already tenuous cease-fire.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Pakistan launches deadly strikes in Afghanistan

    Islamabad said it hit seven sites along the border region targeting Afghanistan-based militant groups.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Pakistan says it carried out cross-border strikes in Afghanistan

    Pakistan said it carried out cross-border strikes on militant targets inside Afghanistan after blaming a series of recent suicide bombings - including attacks during the holy month of Ramadan - on fighters it said were operating from Afghan territory.

  • RFERL ☛ Pakistan Launches Fresh Attacks Inside Afghanistan Amid Rising Tensions

    Pakistan said it launched strikes on seven militant sites inside Afghanistan in a "retributive response” to recent suicide attacks it said were carried out by Afghan-based extremists, as tensions escalated between the two South Asian neighbors.

  • France24 ☛ US ramps up military buildup in Middle East amid talks with Iran

    President The Insurrectionist said on Friday that limited strikes against Iran are possible even as the country’s top diplomat said Tehran expects to have a proposed deal ready in the next few days following nuclear talks with the United States. Convicted Felon's warning came as the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean Sea after being sent by Convicted Felon from the Caribbean, according to images of the ship by maritime photographers posted to social control media.

  • RFERL ☛ Iranian Students Chant Anti-Government Slogans, Clash With Security Forces In Tehran

    Iranian students chanting anti-government slogans faced off with security forces outside a Tehran university, according to social control media videos and other reports.

  • New York Times ☛ How $600 Drones Are Outsmarting Colombia’s Billion-Dollar Military

    Security officials say easy access by guerrilla groups to commercial drones, cheaply modified into deadly weapons, has put the nation’s army on its heels.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • New York Times ☛ Dihydroxyacetone Man Official Backs Russia’s Return to Global Sports

      Paolo Zampolli, a special envoy for Hell Toupée, endorsed Russia’s participation at next month’s Paralympics, a move greeted with dismay in European capitals.

    • New York Times ☛ The Ex-Taxi Driver at the Center of Russia’s Shadow War

      The Kremlin’s sabotage campaign against European allies of Ukraine has been escalating. It needs people like Aleksei Kolosovsky, 42, to carry it out.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Claims New Long-Range Cruise Missile Hit Weapons Factory In Central Russia

      Russian pounded Ukraine's Black Sea city of Odesa overnight, hitting a power facility, while launching scores of drones and missile at targets across the country. At least two people were injured in the barrage.

    • France24 ☛ French baker brings bread and comfort to war-hit Ukraine

      Since the Russian invasion began in 2022, French baker Loïc Nervi – originally from the Var region – has repeatedly driven through war-torn Ukraine to bring fresh bread to civilians in hard-hit areas, turning an old truck into a mobile bakery to bake and distribute loaves to communities struggling amid the conflict.

    • RFERL ☛ Four Years On, Ukraine Supporters Rally in Washington, Call for ‘Rock-Solid’ Western Unity

      Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbor, hundreds of Ukraine's supporters gathered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, transforming the heart of the US capital into a sea of blue and yellow.

• Environment

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • The Straits Times ☛ Virus kills over 70 tigers at north Thailand park

      They were found to have canine distemper virus as well as bacteria affecting the respiratory system.

• Finance

  • New York Times ☛ JPMorgan Admits to Debanking Convicted Felon After Jan. 6 Capitol Attacks

    Nation’s largest bank, in response to a lawsuit filed by the president, confirmed his longstanding complaint about “debanking.”

  • France24 ☛ US Supreme Court strikes down Convicted Felon's sweeping tariffs

    The Supreme Court struck down President The Insurrectionist's far-reaching global tariffs on Friday, handing him a stinging loss that sparked a furious attack on the court he helped shape. The decision could have ripple effects on economies around the globe after Convicted Felon's moves to remake post-World War II trading alliances by wielding tariffs as a weapon. But an unbowed Convicted Felon pledged to impose a new global 10% tariff under a law that's restricted to 150 days and has never been used to apply tariffs before.

  • New York Times ☛ Uncertainty in Europe After Convicted Felon’s Supreme Court Tariff Loss

    The decision could distract from other challenges facing the continent, like issues with China and the war in Ukraine.

  • Latvia ☛ Police official suspected of money laundering role

    The Internal Security Bureau (IDB) has this month detained an official of the State Police on suspicion of money laundering as part of a group.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Competing for another country

    I was in a waiting room last week when I saw a highlight reel play on breakfast TV of Chinese American skater Eileen Gu at the Milano Cortina Olympics. Wow, she was spectacular!

    She also chose to compete for the PRC, instead of her birth country of the United States. Her mother is Chinese, so it sounds reasonable to me. But it’s also been a point of contention for certain people.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • Futurism ☛ It’s Comically Easy to Trick Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot Into Saying Things About People That Are Completely Untrue

      "Anybody can do this."

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • JURIST ☛ North Korea’s ninth party congress bolsters repression of youth and information

    North Korea began the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea on February 20, 2026, signaling a tightening of control over youth and access to information.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • France24 ☛ "We returned from hell’: Rights group raises alarm over torture in Israeli jails

    The Committee to Protect Journalists published a report alleging the systematic abuse of Palestinian media workers in Israeli detention centers between 2023 and 2026. Through interviews with dozens of former detainees, the organization documented harrowing accounts of torture, starvation, and sexual violence aimed at silencing the press. The findings highlight that the majority of these journalists were held under administrative detention without formal charges or access to legal counsel. Evidence such as medical records and photographs supports claims of extreme weight loss and untreated injuries resulting from physical beatings. The advocacy group is now calling for international accountability and independent investigations into these alleged violations of humanitarian law. Despite these testimonies, the Israeli military maintains that it adheres to international standards and does not intentionally target members of the media.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Jonathan Dowland ☛ Jonathan Dowland: Lanzarote

    I want to get back into the habit of blogging, but I've struggled. I've had several ideas of topics to try and write about, but I've not managed to put aside the time to do it. I thought I'd try and bash out a one-take, stream-of-conciousness-style post now, to get back into the swing.

• Digital Restrictions (DRM)

  • Devices/Embedded

    • Futurism ☛ Lockheed Martin F-35s Can Be Jailbroken Like $80 Million iPhones, European Military Chief Says

      Depending on who you ask, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II is either the most sophisticated weapons platform ever built, or an $80 million disaster that’s too fragile for rain and its namesake lightning. What it definitely is, Dutch defense secretary Gijs Tuinman insists, is jailbreakable — “just like an iPhone.”