Leftovers

• The Straits Times ☛ China unveils plan to make cities more youth- and child-friendly

  The blueprint aims to deepen the construction of “youth-development-oriented cities".

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Built a Robot That Can Beat Elite Human Players at Table Tennis

    First Pong, now ping-pong.

  • Science Alert ☛ Space Does Something Strange to Astronauts' Sense of Gravity

    It takes some adjusting.

  • Science Alert ☛ Personalized Vaccine For 'Deadliest Major Cancer' Keeps Patients Alive 6 Years Later

    "I'm a really lucky guy."

  • Science Alert ☛ The 988 Hotline Is Saving Thousands of Lives, US Study Suggests

    “Very heartening and very positive."

  • WhichUK ☛ Can eating more fibre make you look younger?

    It's not just about gut health. How hitting your 30g daily fibre target can fight skin ageing, calm inflammation and more

• Career/Education

  • Stanford University ☛ Unearthed 128-year-old speech provides glimpse into Leland Stanford’s life

    A rediscovered address to Stanford University sheds light on the life of its founder.

• Hardware

  • The Straits Times ☛ Sellers in China trade hub Guangdong seek tariff reprieve from Convicted Felon visit

    Factories in Guangdong province have borne the brunt of Mr Convicted Felon’s mercurial policies and a blistering trade war.

  • Games

    • It's FOSS ☛ The People Who Put Emulators on Your Steam Deck Now Want to Sell You a GNU/Linux Console

      The Playnix Console is a €1,179 Linux-powered gaming machine with an RX 9060 XT inside.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Bridge Michigan ☛ Opinion | Michigan must stay ahead of synthetic opioid cychlorphine before cases appear

    Cychlorphine is 10 times more potent than fentanyl. Modern overdose surveillance depends heavily on whether laboratories are looking deeply enough to identify what routine screens can miss.

  • Futurism ☛ AI Chatbots Telling Cancer Patients to Try Useless Woo-Woo Treatments Instead of Chemotherapy

    Why do chemo when you can try a "cancer-fighting diet" instead?

  • France24 ☛ ‘Hungry all the time’: US Navy deny food shortages after grim photos emerge

    The US Navy has fiercely denied claims that its warships in the Middle East are running low on food and leaving its sailors “hungry all the time,” as Washington’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz continues. Photos showing dismal, mostly-empty trays of food circulated online, with the claims that shortages are rife after a month and a half of war.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Too ‘fatty’: China has a glut of pork but consumers aren’t biting

    Producers have been asked to accelerate the culling of ageing breeding sows and weak piglets.

  • Heat maps show largest greenhouse farm in North Korea at less than half capacity

    The farm was said to be the area’s rebound from severe flooding, but it's not fully operational, analysts say.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Yellow dust keeps air quality ‘bad’ across South Korea

    The authorities advise older adults and individuals with respiratory conditions to take precautions.

  • New York Times ☛ Combative, Defensive and Occasionally Contrite, Kennedy Walks a Fine Line

    In four days of congressional testimony, the health secretary sought to please the White House and his MAHA base at the same time.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Health official warns of ‘moderate’ dengue fever risk after Hong Kong records first local case this year

    Dengue fever poses a “moderate” risk to Hong Kong, a health official has said after the city recorded its first local case of the infection this year.

  • Latvia ☛ Study shows most Latvians have some plastics or pesticides in their system

    The presence of various chemicals derived from pesticides or plastics has been detected in the bodies of the majority of the population, according to the results of a biomonitoring study conducted by researchers at Riga Stradiņš University (RSU), Latvian Radio reports on 22nd April.

  • Federal News Network ☛ DoD seeks to split Defense Health Program into two accounts in fiscal 2027

    "Prioritization of payments to health insurance companies degraded medical readiness platforms and military medical staff skills," DoD wrote.

  • New York Times ☛ ‘Free Births’ Are a New Pregnancy Trend. Critics Warn About Serious Risks.

    Promoters of free birthing reject any type of medical intervention during pregnancy or delivery. The movement has been trending on social control media, but critics warn it poses serious risks.

  • Science Alert ☛ Researchers Say We're Missing Something Important About Autism

    One finding is consistent.

  • France24 ☛ Food security: Why UN chief Guterres’s plan to get fertiliser flowing in Hormuz is stalling

    The United Nations is pushing its proposal for a humanitarian corridor to get fertiliser and other essential goods through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively blocked since the start of the Iran war. This plan, which FRANCE 24 has seen, has yet to be approved by several countries.

• Proprietary

  • 4Square Media Pty Ltd ☛ Microsoft CEO Now Selling “Microslop” To The Australian Government & Albanese Is Lapping It Up

    Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella touched down in Australia this week, appearing alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to pledge a massive $25 billion investment in the nation’s AI and cloud infrastructure.

    But while the Federal Government hails the tech giant as a “saviour” for a stalling economy, businesses and consumers are calling it a calculated shakedown.

    The “largest investment in Microsoft’s 40-year history in Australia” is being viewed through a cynical lens by an industry already reeling from “product fatigue,” buggy software, and a looming July 1 price hike that many label as a forced subsidy for unwanted AI.

  • Former Head of Xbox Film/TV Kiki Wolfkill Has Left Microsoft After 28 Years

    In the wake of rumors about Microsoft planning a fresh bout of layoffs, Kiki Wolfkill, one of the company’s long-standing talents, has confirmed her exit from the company on LinkedIn.

    “After 28 years, I’ve made the difficult but exhilarating decision to leave Microsoft! Friday was my last day at a place where I grew up and learned so many invaluable lessons – how to listen, lead, be accountable, and most importantly, to care deeply for who you serve – your team and your audience. I’m so grateful for the opportunities that Microsoft has given me and the career that it let me build in an industry that I love,” she wrote.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Anthropic's Model Context Protocol includes a critical remote code execution vulnerability — newly discovered exploit puts 200,000 Hey Hi (AI) servers at risk

      Researchers at OX Security have exposed an architectural vulnerability in Anthropic's Model Context Protocol that allows for remote code execution on affected systems.

    • Futurism ☛ Today Is the Day Anthropic Promised That Fully Autonomous Employees Would Be Tearing Through the Business World

      How time flies.

    • Futurism ☛ Rogue Group Gains Access to Anthropic’s Dangerous New Mythos AI

      That didn't take long.

  • Social Control Media

    • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian Fentanylware (CheeTok) creator arrested for wearing police gear in viral video

      The incident involves a video believed to be recorded for online content.

    • NYPost ☛ Radical plan to ban California kids from social control media moves forward despite concerns from privacy advocates

      California lawmakers are charging ahead with a controversial plan to ban kids under 16 from TikTok, Instagram and other social control media platforms — clearing a major hurdle despite a growing chorus of critics.

    • The Straits Times ☛ YouTube complies with Indonesia’s social control media curbs, minister says

      YouTube has changed the minimum age in its guidelines to 16, Indonesian Communications Minister Meutya Hafid said.

    • Digital Music News ☛ YouTube Expands Likeness Detection Tool to Entertainment and Music — Enabling Artists and Others to Flag Hey Hi (AI) Deepfakes

      With an eye on doing away with deepfakes, YouTube has officially made its likeness detection tool available to the music and wider entertainment industries. The video-sharing giant just recently announced the expansion in a concise release.

• Security

  • Integrity/Availability/Authenticity

    • The Straits Times ☛ China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi calls for complete eradication of Cambodia scam centres

      Mr Wang Yi also said he supported initiatives aimed at normalising relations between Cambodia and Thailand.

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Futurism ☛ Nvidia CEO Says Hey Hi (AI) Will Be a Permanent Micromanaging Boss Who Never Stops Nagging You

      Oh, great.

    • Futurism ☛ Leak Shows ICE Planning to Use Facial Recognition Glasses to Identify Targets in Real Time

      "It might be portrayed as seeking to identify illegal aliens on the streets, but the reality is that a push in this direction affects all Americans, particularly protestors."

    • Michael Geist ☛ Lawful Access Heads to Committee: The Opposition Found Its Voice, the Government Never Found Its Defence

      After several days of debate in which the opposition to lawful access seemed half-hearted at best, the Conservatives woke up on Monday. MP after MP rose to argue, correctly, that Bill C-22 represents an unprecedented surveillance threat: mandated metadata retention (including location information) for up to a year, security vulnerabilities built into the interception architecture the bill requires, and a weakened legal standard for access to subscriber information.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ House Republicans roll out national privacy bill

      Experts say the federal legislation takes inspiration from states laws in Virginia and Kentucky, but a lack of bipartisan support could spell trouble. 

    • Federal News Network ☛ OSINT is transforming the intelligence battlespace

      The issue is whether acquisition discipline, U.S. person privacy protections, auditability and constitutional safeguards will evolve at the same pace.

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ ICE Uses Graphite Spyware

      ICE has admitted that it uses spyware from the Israeli company Graphite.

  • Confidentiality

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea fines matchmaking agency over leak of sensitive user data

      The company said it deeply regretted its failure to adequately protect its members’ personal data.

• Defence/Aggression

  • The Straits Times ☛ China urges further build-up on islands amid territorial disputes

    China has built infrastructure over the years in disputed waters in the South China Sea.

  • The Strategist ☛ Helping Iran, China is a party in the war

    China may claim neutrality and call for peace in the Middle East, but it is heavily invested in the Iran conflict.

  • France24 ☛ Sheinbaum weighs sanctions on Chihuahua state after CIA agents died after drug lab raid in Mexico

    Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that she's considering possible sanctions against the government of Chihuahua — a state bordering Texas — for allowing CIA agents to participate in an operation to dismantle drug laboratories, because any security collaboration with the U.S. should be approved by Mexico's federal government. FRANCE 24's Ioan Grillo reports from Mexico City.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ Sheinbaum confronts US over unauthorized CIA operation in Chihuahua: Wednesday’s mañanera recapped

    President Sheinbaum said on Wednesday that the Foreign Ministry sent a letter to U.S. Ambassador Ron Johnson demanding answers, and reiterated that U.S. involvement in Mexican security operations falls outside agreed protocol.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte’s wealth scrutinised in impeachment probe

    A hearing zeroed in particularly on her alleged lack of any declarations of cash on hand or in banks from 2019 to 2024.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Chinese navy brushes past Okinawa islands after Japanese transit in Taiwan Strait

    China regards democratically-governed Taiwan as part of its territory despite Taipei’s rejection.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US slams China’s pressure on African countries to block Taiwan president’s trip

    Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar revoked permission for Taiwan's presidential plane to cross their airspace.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Taiwan minister makes rare visit to South China Sea island for drills

    It is the first time in seven years a minister had visited the island, which is also claimed by China.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan leader postpones Eswatini trip after overflight permits revoked due to ‘intense pressure’ from China

    Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has postponed an official trip to Eswatini, the democratic island’s only diplomatic ally in Africa, after several countries revoked overflight permits following “intense pressure” from China, a senior aide said Tuesday.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ China ‘appreciates’ African countries revoking Taiwan president flight permits

    China said Wednesday it had “high appreciation” for African countries after several revoked overflight permits, curtailing a planned trip by Taiwan’s leader to Eswatini, the island’s only diplomatic ally on the continent. China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and opposes the self-governed island’s participation in international organisations and exchanges with other countries.

  • Futurism ☛ Florida Opens Criminal Probe Into ChatGPT’s Role in School Shooting

    "If that bot were a person they’d be charged with a principal in first degree murder."

  • The Straits Times ☛ Thailand ceremony at disputed border temple draws Cambodia rebuke

    The two South-east Asian countries have been at odds for decades over the demarcation of their 800km border.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Fury as Indonesian court dismisses 1998 mass rape lawsuit

    Rights groups called the ruling a major step backwards that further perpetuates impunity.

  • Site36 ☛ German Army to equip reconnaissance cockroaches with AI, manufacturer plans explosive capability

    The German Army has tested electronically controlled cockroaches for reconnaissance in Munster. Equipped with sensors, these “AutoBugs” from Swarm Biotactics are used to scout buildings. Future versions may also carry explosives. The German Army has for the first time made public tests with electronically controlled cockroaches.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • LRT ☛ Lithuanian PM rules out rapprochement with Belarus without goodwill steps

      Lithuania will not seek rapprochement with Belarus until Minsk demonstrates goodwill, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said on Wednesday.

    • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea, Russia aim to open new road bridge soon, KCNA says

      The 850m bridge will connect to Russia’s highway system.

    • The Straits Times ☛ As more ASEAN states turn to Russia for fuel, will Moscow boost its influence in the region?

      Asian countries have been especially affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

    • RFERL ☛ Italian PM Meloni Hits Back After Russian TV Host Calls Her A 'Wild Beast'

      Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has responded on social control media to crude insults made by a bombastic Russian state TV host, writing that "these caricatures certainly won't make us change course."

    • Security Week ☛ Most Serious Cyberattacks Against the UK Now From Russia, Iran and China, Cyber Chief Says

      British businesses need to prepare themselves to defend against cyberattacks because the U.K. could be targeted “at scale,” if it became involved in an international conflict.

    • New York Times ☛ Anti-Dihydroxyacetone Manism Unites Europe

      Dihydroxyacetone Man’s brand has sunk so low that conservatives are now joining leftist politicians in opposing him.

    • New York Times ☛ EU Considers $106 Billion Loan to Ukraine, Delayed for Months by Orban

      After months of impasse because of objections from Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orban, E.U. ambassadors took a critical step on the way to disbursing the much-needed money.

    • New York Times ☛ Threat of Evictions Darkens Russia’s Rosy Picture of Occupied Ukraine

      A new law forces Ukrainians in the captured regions to get Russian title deeds or risk losing their homes.

    • RFERL ☛ EU Gives Preliminary Approval For Major Ukraine Aid Package As Oil Heads Toward Central Europe

      European Union ambassadors have given a green light to a 90 billion euros ($106 billion) loan for Ukraine for this and next year, after Hungary and Slovakia lifted their vetoes following the resumption of operations on the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline.

    • France24 ☛ Unblocked EU loan provides relief to Ukraine's strained finances

      European Union ambassadors unblocked ⁠on Wednesday a ​90-billion-euro ($106 billion) loan to Ukraine that is critical for Kyiv's ability to keep up the fight against Russia. The loan, which ​was approved by the European Council in December, had been halted by a Hungarian veto amid a dispute over oil flows via the Druzhba pipeline.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian government backs another EUR 70 million for Ukraine

      On Tuesday, 21st April, the government approved the Ministry of Defence’s proposal to reallocate 70 million euros for military aid to Ukraine.

    • European Commission ☛ Speech of Commissioner Marta Kos at the 2026 Ukraine Business Summit

      Why is Ukraine central to European security and economic resilience? What makes Ukraine today one of the most strategic investment destinations in Europe?

• Environment

  • France24 ☛ Mapping the environmental toll of the Middle East war

    Oil refineries set ablaze, missiles hitting pesticide factories, an oil slick in the Strait of Hormuz... In under two months, the US and Israel’s war on Iran has inflicted a heavy toll on the environment, fuelling concerns over the public health impact on local populations.

  • Internet Society ☛ Climate and Environmental Sustainability Within the IETF and IRTF

    As we celebrate Earth Day 2026, what is the technical community—the people who actually build and operate the Internet—doing about climate and environmental sustainability?

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Vietnam, South Korea sign deals on tech, nuclear power

      South Korea is Vietnam’s biggest source of foreign investment and one of its top trading partners.

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea, Vietnam agree to boost nuclear energy, high-tech cooperation

      Vietnam and South Korea's leaders agreed to boost cooperation in nuclear energy and high-tech at a meeting in Hanoi on Wednesday, as the two countries seek to strengthen supply chains amid global trade turmoil.

    • New York Times ☛ Pilot Was Taking Pictures Before South Korean Fighter Jets Collided

      A member of the other plane’s crew was making a video to commemorate the mission, the government said in a report on the 2021 crash. No one was hurt.

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korean fighter pilot fined over midair photos that caused crash

      He has been ordered to pay $76,000 in damages.

    • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s air force apologises after audit blames 2021 jet collision on mid-air selfies

      South Korea's air force apologised on Thursday for a 2021 mid-air collision involving two fighter jets, a day after auditors said pilots were taking selfies and filming during the flight and held them responsible for the accident.

    • The Straits Times ☛ 334,000 litres of fuel saved with Malaysia’s work-from-home move: Government spokesman

      Officials said the number of civil servants who have applied for WFH exceeded 155,000.

  • Overpopulation

    • LRT ☛ Money, attitudes or gender equality: how to fix Lithuania's falling birth rate?

      Lithuania is grappling with a declining birth rate, and a new survey suggests most of its residents believe the answer lies in financial incentives. But researchers and psychologists warn that simply writing bigger cheques will not be enough.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia's king says he will choose next anti-graft agency chief

    Malaysia's King Sultan Ibrahim said on Thursday that he will select the next head of the country's anti-graft body, with the agency's current chief under growing pressure to resign over misconduct allegations.

  • WhichUK ☛ What does the war in the Middle East mean for food prices and supplies?

    We reveal the latest on grocery inflation and expert views on what lies ahead

  • American Oversight ☛ Lawsuit Seeks Records on White House’s Potential IRS Weaponization Against President’s Perceived Political Opponents

    We’re representing Protect Democracy in a lawsuit seeking transparency into potential White House efforts to target taxpayers for IRS scrutiny.

  • New York Times ☛ Whether for or Against the War, Iranians Say They’re Feeling Economic Pain

    At a border crossing in Turkey, one Iranian woman said her friends struggled to afford food because there was no work to be found and strikes had forced factories to close.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea tells US lawmakers it will ensure no discrimination against US tech firms

    Seoul was implementing measures to ensure US digital companies did not face discriminatory measures.

  • The Straits Times ☛ High-profile inmates in South Korea cashing in on donations behind bars

    Jailed former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol received more than 1.2 billion won (S$1 million) in inmate funds.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Arts groups in South Korea protest against ‘celebrity’ appointments to cultural posts

    Criticism has centered on what observers describe as a pattern of non-specialist appointments.

  • Mike Brock ☛ A Republican Judge Just Voided 2.3 Million Virginia Ballots

    The ruling is a produced object. Not the output of a judge wrestling with a hard constitutional question. The output of a legal apparatus that has figured out how to manufacture judicial rulings on demand. Friendly judges. Court-shopped venues. Full awareness that the ruling will be reversed on appeal, because the ruling’s value is not legal.

  • Robert Reich ☛ When They Go Low, We Go …

    But I think Michelle Obama set up a false choice. I’d rather we go high, but to do that it’s first necessary to deter them from going low. I applaud what the voters of Virginia (and my state, California) have done. I don’t view it as a betrayal of earlier reforms. The only way to deter them from going low is to match them — not go lower than they go, but match them in a way that removes their incentive to go low in the first place.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • JURIST ☛ US Supreme Court weighs whether FCC can impose massive penalties without a jury trial — SCOTUS Dispatch

  • Press Gazette ☛ Winning design unveiled for first memorial to UK journalists killed doing their jobs

    Design revealed for On the Record installation being created for National Memorial Arboretum.

  • New York Times ☛ Israeli Strikes Kill a Journalist and Injure Another in Lebanon

    Lebanese officials say rescue teams came under fire while trying to aid Amal Khalil, a reporter for a Lebanese newspaper, and Zeinab Faraj, a photojournalist.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • Digital Music News ☛ Kanye’s Upcoming Italy Concert Draws Condemnation After UK and France Cancellations

    Kanye West’s upcoming concert in Italy is causing an uproar due to the rapper’s descent into antisemitism, after the UK and France already cancelled gigs. Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, is scheduled to headline the Hellwatt Festival on July 18 at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

  • JURIST ☛ DOJ indicts Southern Poverty Law Center for fraud

    The US Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on Tuesday for wire fraud and other crimes in connection to its infiltration operations targeting violent extremist organizations. The indictment alleges that the SPLC misled donors and made false statements to banks in its use and transmission of funds to SPLC individuals.

  • American Oversight ☛ American Oversight Condemns Convicted Felon DOJ’s Politicized Prosecution of Southern Poverty Law Center

    We released a statement condemning the Convicted Felon administration’s politically motivated indictment of the SPLC.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Patents

    • JUVE ☛ HGF tech practice receives another boost with Barker Brettell partner [Ed: Yet more marketing spam disguised as or dressed up as "news"]

      UK and European patent monopoly attorney Oliver Pooley has joined HGF’s Birmingham office. He will bolster the firm’s tech and engineering team. Pooley has a degree in physics and chemistry and a PhD in electronic and electrical engineering. His technical specialties include electronics, AI, quantum computing, telecommunications, medical devices and additive manufacturing.

    • JUVE ☛ Sekisui and Bird & Bird deal another blow to competitor Kuraray

      Two Japanese companies are fighting it out in German courts. This is rare, but the dispute between Sekisui Chemicals and Kuraray is particularly intense. Sekisui Chemicals has filed four lawsuits based on four patents against its Japanese competitor Kuraray in Germany.

  • Copyrights

    • Public Domain Review ☛ Pulex irritans: The Attack of the Monster (1885)

      Lantern slide of man battling bug.

    • Public Domain Review ☛ Magic by Return of Post: How Mail Order Delivered the Occult

      What allowed occultism to blossom in the United States at the turn of the 20th century? Linotype machines, cheap pulp paper, and newly improved postal networks. Allan Johnson investigates the forgotten history and (still living) world of mail-order magic.

    • New York Times ☛ Alan Osmond, Who Led His Brothers in a Boy Band, Dies at 76

      He was the eldest original member of the Osmonds, a family singing group that hit it big in the 1970s with songs like “One Bad Apple.”

    • New York Times ☛ Leaked Code for Anthropic’s Claude Code Tests Copyright Challenges in Hey Hi (AI) Era

      Artificial intelligence tools are making it faster than ever to reproduce creative work. Does copyright monopoly even matter anymore?

    • Digital Music News ☛ Anthropic Doubles Down on Fair Use Claims In Attempt to End Music Publishers’ Copyright Suit: ‘Training on Lyrics (and Other Copyrighted Text) Is Transformative’

      Does training generative Hey Hi (AI) models on protected lyrics without permission constitute fair use? After years of debate – and a couple court rulings – the question is taking center stage in Anthropic’s new push for summary judgment in a copyright monopoly lawsuit filed by Concord and others.