Leftovers

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Sudden Sight Loss Risk Almost 5x Higher With Wegovy Than Ozempic, Study Finds

    There's an urgent need for more research.

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Completely Bonkers': Astronomers Think They Saw Two Planets Collide

    "So many similarities to the impact that created the Earth and Moon."

  • Science Alert ☛ Asteroid Reveals The 5 Key Genetic Ingredients For Life on Earth

    Could they be widespread in the Solar System after all?

• Hardware

  • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Oppo reveals world’s first crease-free foldable phone

    The phone will debut alongside an Oppo Hey Hi (AI) Pen accessory.

  • CNX Software ☛ Industrial Wi-Fi 7 access point with redundant 12V – 48V DC inputs targets autonomous systems

    Advantech EKI-6333BE-4GD is a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 industrial-grade access point designed for autonomous systems with support for redundant 12V – 48V DC inputs and a -40°C to 75°C operating temperature range. The access point delivers up to 5.8 Gbps throughput over Wi-Fi 7, features four 2.5GbE RJ45 ports, and the Taiwanese company also highlights compliance with IEC 62443 industrial cybersecurity standards and CE RED (Radio Equipment Directive) regulations, as well as support for WPA3 authentication and encrypted SNMP communication.

  • Jonathan Dowland ☛ Jonathan Dowland: My Prusa Mini+ is broken

    Oh dear! I've been suffering print reliability issues on my Prusa Mini+ for quite a while, roughly since they introduced Input Shaping (although that might not be the culprit). Whilst trying different things to resolve it, I managed to sheer off the brass nozzle within the heatblock. I now have half the nozzle stuck in the ratchet spanner, and half in the heatblock.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ No H.I.V. Aid Without More Access to Minerals: U.S. Ponders ‘Sticks’ Against Zambia [Ed: Soft power and blackmail are opposites, USA lost its way]

    A draft State Department memo outlines ways the Convicted Felon administration may ratchet up pressure on the African country by ending health support “on a massive scale.”

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Opinion | Michigan’s health care is failing chronic pain patients, but we can do better

    Instead of restricting 7-OH and failing chronic pain patients, Michigan needs to fix a health care system that has been broken for years and focus on strengthening chronic pain care.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Following France and Australia, Mexico studies setting a minimum age for social control media

    Taking a cue from Australia's ban on social control media for minors under age 16, Mexico's Education Ministry is currently gathering data and ideas for a similar proposal to help protect the mental health of its young people.

  • Kev Quirk ☛ Fat Boy - Round 2

    Back in 2024 I went through the process of losing weight, and was fairly successful. I went from ~111kg (244lbs) to ~103kg (226lbs). My target was 100kg (220lbs), so I got very close.

    But then, in August 2024, I was promoted in work, ended up working way more hours, and my health suffered. I ended up burned out and ultimately I stepped down a few months ago.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea on highest alert as 3 major livestock diseases spread nationwide

    All three diseases remain at the highest of four alert levels.

  • The Straits Times ☛ 60% of South Korea’s diet pill users aren’t obese: Report

    The study also raised concerns about the risks of prolonged use of diet pills.

  • The Straits Times ☛ 6 hours on screen, 1 hour outdoors: South Korean teens shrug, parents worry

    Entertainment and studying were the most common uses of mobile phones and personal computers, a study found.

  • Science Alert ☛ Cancer Death Rates Fall to Record Low in The UK, But Some Types Are Rising

    Here's what we know.

  • Science Alert ☛ Vaccine Cuts Risk of Common Cancer For Decades, Major Study Finds

    Here's why getting it early matters.

  • Science Alert ☛ Rare Tattoo-Related Eye Condition Can Cause Vision Loss, Experts Warn

    Here's what to know.

  • Science Alert ☛ Birdwatching May Help Protect Your Brain From Age-Related Decline

    We totally knew it was cool.

  • Science Alert ☛ Exercise Triggers Memory-Related 'Brain Ripples', Study Finds

    Even just one 20-minute workout.

  • New York Times ☛ Judge Strikes Down RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Policies in Blow to Convicted Felon’s Health Agenda

    Ruling on a lawsuit brought by several prominent medical organizations, a district court said the federal government had not based its decisions on science in limiting Covid shots and revising the childhood immunization schedule.

• Proprietary

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Microsoft and Samsung scramble to fix a major C: drive lockout bug on Galaxy devices — faulty Galaxy Connect app leaves users with 'limited' recovery options following recent backdoored Windows 11 update

    A bug with a Samsung app on backdoored Windows 11 has caused some users to lose access to their C: drive, following the installation of the KB5077181 security update, according to a notice posted by Abusive Monopolist Microsoft online.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • OpenRightsGroup ☛ Home Office use of Hey Hi (AI) in asylum cases likely to be unlawful, legal opinion finds

      The Home Office’s failure to inform asylum applicants that Hey Hi (AI) tools are being used in their assessments is likely to be unlawful, according to a legal opinion, published today.

    • OpenRightsGroup ☛ Legal Opinion: The use of Artificial Intelligence tools in asylum cases

      Open Rights Group has commissioned this legal Opinion to explain how civil society actors can evaluate the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and systems by the Government, whether through dialogue or litigation. It is particularly concerned to prevent the deployment of Hey Hi (AI) in ways that risk violating the rights of migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers.

    • Digital Music News ☛ YouTube Music CEO Echoes the Company Line on Embracing AI—But Draws the Line at Likeness Rip-Offs and ‘Slop’

      YouTube’s Global Head of Music reaffirmed the company’s stance on embracing AI, but doubled down on building guardrails for likeness detection and fighting the spread of “low-quality” Hey Hi (AI) slop. On Monday, YouTube’s Global Head of Music, Lyor Cohen, released his first newsletter of the year, reaffirming YouTube CEO Neal Mohan’s earlier remarks on generative AI.

    • Futurism ☛ MElon Just Made a Small Change That Speaks Volumes About His Desperation

      Grok, is this true?

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Teens launch lawsuit against xAI over Grok deepfakes

      Three Tennessee teenagers launched a lawsuit today against MElon’s Hey Hi (AI) chatbot Grok for allegedly generating sexually explicit deepfake images of them without their consent.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • Security Week ☛ Threat Actor Targeting VPN Users in New Credential Theft Campaign

      Storm-2561 is distributing fake VPN clients through SEO poisoning, deploying trojans, and stealing login information.

    • Latvia ☛ De Facto: 400,000 eID cards could become invalid for e-signatures in Latvia

      A week ago, the Digital Security Committee convened for an emergency meeting at the Ministry of Defence. The reason: it is expected that by June of this year, it will no longer be possible to renew qualified electronic signature certificates for approximately 400,000 ID cards. If nothing is done, these e-signatures could lose their legal validity, Latvian Television's De Facto reported on 15th March.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippines rejects Beijing's claim to sovereignty over entire South China Sea

    The Philippines said on Monday it rejected Beijing's assertion of sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, disputing a claim by China's embassy that a Filipino diplomat had once conceded the disputed Scarborough Shoal was not part of Philippine territory.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippines questions authenticity of China-circulated letter on Scarborough Shoal claim

    The 1990 diplomatic letter appears to suggest Manila once acknowledged the shoal was outside Philippine sovereignty.

  • France24 ☛ Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of killing more than 200 civilians in Kabul strike

    The Taliban government in Afghanistan on Monday accused Pakistan’s military of targeting a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul in airstrikes that they say killed 200 people and wounded several others. Pakistan rejected the accusation, saying it had targeted "military installations".

  • The Straits Times ☛ Afghan Taliban says 400 killed in Pakistan air strike on Kabul hospital, Pakistan rejects claim

    KABUL, March 17 - At least 400 people were killed and 250 injured in an air strike by Pakistan on a drug users rehabilitation hospital in the Afghanistan capital Kabul, a spokesman of the Afghan Taliban government said on Tuesday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China says envoy sent on Afghanistan-Pakistan mediation mission

    China urged an immediate ceasefire after deadly cross-border clashes flared.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of deadly air strike on drug rehab centre in Kabul

    A Pakistani air strike purportedly hit a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, killing civilians.

  • France24 ☛ ‘Sleeping in our car is the only option’: Displaced Lebanese face skyrocketing rents

    Hezbollah’s entry into the war against Israel on March 2, in retaliation for the US-Israeli strikes on its Iranian ally, has triggered a massive displacement of civilians across Lebanon. With many shelters at capacity and rental prices skyrocketing, many now find themselves sleeping in the streets or in their cars.

  • The Strategist ☛ Holding out: Taiwan urgently needs more energy storage and generation

    If China chose to blockade Taiwan instead of, or as a prelude to, invading it, the island nation and its high-tech economy would go dark [...]

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan to strengthen screening of foreign investments with US-style panel

    The panel will aim to prevent leakage of critical technologies and intelligence.

  • The Straits Times ☛ UN Afghan mission gets limited extension after US review call

    March 16 - The U.N. Security Council voted on Monday to extend the mandate of the UNAMA assistance mission in Afghanistan for a shorter-than-usual three-month period, after Washington called last week for a review of assistance and engagement in the Taliban-ruled country.

  • Defence Web ☛ Could Egypt be pulled into the Sudanese civil war?

    As Sudan’s civil war rages to its south, Egypt has boosted security along its southwestern border to prevent violence and [...]

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Jewish officials seek security funding, reforms after Michigan attack

    Days after the Temple Israel attack, Jewish officials in Michigan urge more security funding and new efforts to fight antisemitism.

  • Security Week ☛ China-Linked Hackers Hit Asian Militaries in Patient Espionage Operation

    The state-sponsored hackers deployed custom tools and stayed dormant in the compromised environments for months.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Myanmar’s junta chief expected to hand over top military post to long-time protege

    Observers say the move could formalise a military-controlled political system rather than signal real democratic change.

  • Russia, Belarus, Baltics, and War in Ukraine

    • Security Week ☛ Hacking Attempt Reported at Poland’s Nuclear Research Center

      Initial evidence indicates Iran may be behind the attack, but officials admitted it could be a false flag. 

    • New York Times ☛ Is Cheburashka, the Beloved Soviet-Born Character, Ruining Russia?

      Instead of obsessing over the fictional Cheburashka, Russians should be focused on more important things like the rebirth of a Russian empire, influential conservatives say.

    • New York Times ☛ As War With Iran Hurts Oil Prices, U.S. Turns to Iranian Boats for Help

      Iranian-linked ships carrying Russian oil were among those that received temporary exemptions from sanctions, a sign of how dire the energy crisis is becoming.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Nations must honour oil pacts amid export curbs, says Philippines

      Manila is in talks with Indonesia and Russia as the nation races to secure its fuel supply.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Azerbaijan jails Frenchman for a decade in espionage case

      A court in Azerbaijan sentenced a French citizen to ten years in jail on Monday after finding him guilty of spying on behalf of Paris, a charge he partially pleaded guilty to, Russia's RIA state news agency reported.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian conservatives propose barring Belarusians, Russians from temporary residence

      Conservative lawmakers in Lithuania’s parliament have proposed suspending new applications for temporary residence permits from citizens of Russia and Belarus, while also tightening rules for Belarusians who travel back to their home country or Russia.

    • The Strategist ☛ Ukraine shows Hey Hi (AI) changing how coalitions fight

      Coalition warfare has always been messy. Different procedures, systems, standards, doctrines, and operational caveats complicate and slow coordination at every level of conflict.

    • CS Monitor ☛ Iran strikes neighbors with missiles and drones. Ukraine shows how to fight back.

      Iran has shown they can do a lot of damage to United States and Israeli assets – and regional allies in the Gulf – via missile and drone attacks. Ukraine can help stop it.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian and Hungarian ministers get into spat over Russian oil sanctions

      Hungary’s foreign minister on Friday accused the Baltic states of “dancing to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s tune” after Lithuania’s top diplomat said he would be ashamed to live in a country that buys Russian oil.

    • France24 ☛ Kenyans will no longer be enlisted to fight for Russia in Ukraine

      In tonight's edition, Russia says it will stop recruiting Kenyan nationals. Also, Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine says he has left the country because he fears for his life following January's election. And when Ramadan and Lent overlap in Senegal, this holy period has been highlighting how the country’s religious communities live together peacefully.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia marks 12 years since Russia's fake Crimea referendums

      March 16th, 2026 marks twelve years since Russia staged bogus referendums on the annexation of Ukrainian territories to the Russian Federation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvians warned about USA supplement recall

      The Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) is issuing a warning regarding the U.S.-manufactured dietary supplement "Rosabella Moringa Capsules," in which salmonella has been detected.

    • New York Times ☛ How the Makers of ‘Mr. Nobody Against Putin’ Addressed ‘an Ethical Minefield’

      The documentary about Vladimir V. Putin’s wartime indoctrination of Russian schoolchildren won an Oscar at Sunday’s Academy Awards.

    • LRT ☛ Born in Lithuania, living without papers: One man’s 16-year fight for a passport

      “I came to ask for help, and I left as an illegal.” That is how Ruslan Kutishchev recalls a visit to the migration office at age 19, a moment that crystallised years of uncertainty in a life spent without official documents.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ Airport Security Lines Grow as TSA Goes Unpaid in Partial Shutdown

      “There’s going to be a breaking point sooner or later,” one union official warned, with travelers at some airports being told to arrive three hours ahead of time.

    • LRT ☛ airBaltic suspends Dubai flights until late October over Middle East security concerns

      Latvian airline airBaltic announced it will suspend all scheduled flights to and from Dubai until the end of October due to the current security situation in the Middle East.

    • Defence Web ☛ South African authorities fine four Chinese fishing vessels over illegal entry

      Four Chinese-flagged fishing vessels that entered South Africa’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and territorial waters without the required authorisation [...]

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • Science Alert ☛ Watch: Oldest-Known Whale Song Recording Found on a Lost 1949 Disc

      You can hear a hauntingly different ocean.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Young Malaysians find themselves in growing debt trap

    Financial commitments, such as repayment of credit cards, eat into the bulk of their monthly budget.

  • Latvia ☛ Some interest shown in new 'specialised credit institution' licence

    Amendments to the recently adopted Credit Institutions Law introduce a new category of financial market participant in Latvia – specialised credit institutions. According to the Fintech Latvia Association, at least 3–4 market participants have already expressed an interest in obtaining such a licence, and consultations with the Bank of Latvia are currently underway, reports Labs of Latvia.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Partial win for Mirror as four hacking claims deemed out of time

    Model Paul Sculfor is the only one of five test claimants allowed to continue hacking claim.

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • APNIC ☛ Getting network automation right: A practical strategy for enterprise networks

    Guest Post: Network automation promises speed, accuracy, and efficiency, but a full-scale rollout can be risky in a brownfield environment. This post examines the tradeoffs, tool choices, and why a gradual, bottleneck-driven approach is often the most effective way to begin.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Patents

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ The Patent Term Distribution, and What it Reveals

    A chart of expected patent monopoly term for recently issued U.S. patents reveals how prosecution strategy, PTA, continuations, and terminal disclaimers shape the term patents actually receive.

  • JUVE ☛ VoiceAge vs HMD saga continues with constitutional complaint

    HMD filed the constitutional complaint on 12 March, roughly six weeks after the Federal Court of Justice dismissed its appeal on 27 January.

  • JUVE ☛ InterDigital vs Amazon – A chronology of the escalation

    InterDigital is suing for the infringement of ten patents in courts across Germany, the US, Brazil and the UPC. All patents-in-suit relate to video content compression and picture quality improvement through high dynamic range (HDR) technology.

  • Software Patents

    • CAFC Affirms Dismissal for Lack of Standing in Software Patent Dispute

      The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) today issued a decision in Applications in Internet Time, LLC v. Salesfarce, Inc., affirming a district court’s dismissal of AIT's patent monopoly infringement suit against Salesfarce for lack of constitutional standing.

    • Unified Patents ☛ Sulaco Enterprises cybersecurity patent monopoly prior art found

      The team at Unified IP Services used Pearl to successfully identify and chart prior art against U.S. Patent 8,990,942, owned by Sulaco Enterprises LLC, an NPE. The ‘942 patent monopoly is generally related to application programming interface (API)-level intrusion detection. The patent monopoly has been asserted against Fortinet, Check Point Software Technologies, Radware, and Sophos.

• Copyrights

  • Heather J Meeker ☛ “Malus”: Is Copyleft Dead?

    I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people predict the death of open source software over the years. Each time some new tech trend arrives–crypto, source available licensing, SaaS–people predict the death of open source.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Travis Scott, SZA, and Future Are Still On the Hook as ‘Telekinesis’ Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Moves Forward

    The copyright monopoly claim against Travis Scott, SZA, and Future over their 2023 track “Telekinesis” will move forward after a judge refused to toss the case. The claims have been substantially trimmed, however.