Leftovers

• The Straits Times ☛ Run, snap, sell: Jakarta’s joggers fuelling post-pandemic street photography market

  Photographers are lining popular running routes to capture ordinary joggers – and sell them the images.

• New York Times ☛ German Tourist Wins Lawsuit After Not Getting a Lounge Chair by the Pool

  A tourist won a refund after a court ruled that the hotel’s staff had failed to stop guests from reserving sun beds using towels.

• The Straits Times ☛ Indonesia’s Sumatra flood victims file lawsuit as reconstruction work stalls

  At least 1,200 people were killed and 300,000 homes damaged from the floods and landslides.

• Science

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Have Created The First Ever 'Smell Map', And It's Stunning

    It's far more ordered than we thought.

  • Science Alert ☛ Sir David Attenborough Is 100 Years Old Today! This Could Be The Secret of His Longevity.

    Happy birthday, sir!

  • Science Alert ☛ Is The Brain Born 'Blank' or 'Full'? New Study Reveals a Surprise

    Wait, what?

• Career/Education

  • New York Times ☛ A Project in Europe Tested Whether Students Could Live Without Smartphones

    For three weeks, thousands of children in Europe went without social control media or their smartphones, or both. This is the diary of their digital detox.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea confirms first locally transmitted case of tick-borne Oz virus

    Symptoms of Oz virus infection include fever, chills and muscle pain.

  • New York Times ☛ What My Father’s Experience Taught Me About Memory and the Brain

    In the final stages of his dementia, a long-lost memory from childhood returned, perfectly formed. What was going on in his brain?

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. Health Authorities Monitor Hantavirus Cruise Passengers in Georgia, California and Arizona

    People in at least three states are being monitored after being on the ship. None have shown symptoms, officials said.

  • New York Times ☛ Hantavirus Response Shows How Convicted Felon Cuts Have Compromised U.S. Preparedness

    The Forrest Dump administration has slashed funding for infectious disease research and has far fewer employees, including disease detectives, to respond to outbreaks.

  • Futurism ☛ The CDC Fired All Its Cruise Ship Inspectors Before the Hantavirus Outbreak

    That's reassuring.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Can South Korea’s praised school lunches keep their trays full?

    Staffing issues threaten the quality of the country’s universal free school lunch system.

  • New York Times ☛ Health Officials Race to Track Hantavirus Cruise Ship Outbreak but Predict ‘Limited’ Spread

    A Dutch flight attendant and French national were among the latest to be tested in connection with a deadly outbreak on a cruise ship. But an analysis in South Africa showed no mutations in viral samples.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Fake rumors, real killings: Inside Congo's deadly health misinformation crisis

    In Tshopo, a northeastern Congolese province blanketed in rainforest, rumours rippled through villages late last year claiming a mysterious illness had caused men's genitals to atrophy.

  • France24 ☛ Toxic beginnings: Babies exposed to pesticides in the womb

    The number of children diagnosed with cancer in France is on the rise. Other serious medical conditions – birth defects, neurodevelopmental disorders and reduced IQ – are following the same alarming trend. Scientists are increasingly pointing to pesticides as a major risk factor. Yet France remains Europe's leading consumer of pesticides and ranks third worldwide. Across the country, parents and doctors are speaking out about the use of pesticides and their impact on the health of children.

  • NYPost ☛ Ant-infested Canadian hospital pauses surgeries after insect invasion

    Anything -- even a single ant -- that could jeopardize sterility is an unacceptable risk for intensive health procedures, the medical facility said.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. and Zambia Feud: Convicted Felon Health Aid Deal Stalls Over Critical Minerals

    The tussle put a spotlight on the administration’s attempt to replace the United States Agency for International Development with a new, “America First” alternative.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Bonnie Tyler Placed In a Coma After Undergoing Emergency Intestinal Surgery

    Bonnie Tyler has been placed in an induced coma to assist her recovery following emergency intestinal surgery in Portugal. On Wednesday, Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler was rushed to a hospital near her home in Faro, Portugal, for emergency intestinal surgery.

  • Science Alert ☛ Some Signs of Depression May Show Up in Blood, Study Finds

    Those most at risk may benefit first.

  • Science Alert ☛ Study of a Million Blood Cells Helps Explain Why Women Face More Autoimmune Disease

    "The immune system needs to be studied with sex in mind."

  • Science Alert ☛ The '100-Day Cough' Often Missed in Adults Is Highly Contagious

    It can cause serious damage.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Sleep Disorder Affecting Nearly 1 Billion People Is Still Overlooked

    It compromises much more than a good night's rest.

• Proprietary

  • New York Times ☛ How Suspects Were Caught in Robbery of $1 Million in Fashion Company Apple Products

    Federal prosecutors said three men stole watches, iPads and iPhones from a truck in January. One of the men activated Fashion Company Apple watches after the heist, they said.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ After a $16 billion Stargate Hey Hi (AI) data center was built despite being voted down, Michigan towns rush to block new buildouts — massive facility will suck 1.4 Gigawatts of energy to power ChatGPT

    Backlash now covers county resolutions, bipartisan state legislation, and a regional water authority refusing to serve proposed facilities.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ College student hacks Taiwan high-speed rail line with software defined radios, stopping four trains — 19 years without crypto key rotation ends in predictable result as hacker sails through 7 layers of protection

    College student hacks Taiwan high-speed rail line, stopping four trains

  • So-Called 'Artificial Intelligence' ('AI') / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • Futurism ☛ The Situation With Richard Dawkins’ Hey Hi (AI) Girlfriend Just Got Way Weirder

      Someone needs to step in.

    • Futurism ☛ You’ll Never Guess Trade Unions’ Position on Hey Hi (AI) Data Centers

      "We're just saying, 'look, they do create a hell of a lot of construction jobs.'"

    • Futurism ☛ CEOs Say Hey Hi (AI) Gives Them Only Two Options, and Both Are Bad News for Employees

      Work harder, or don't work at all.

    • Futurism ☛ Under Threat of Perjury, OpenAI’s Former CTO Is Admitting Some Very Interesting Stuff About Scam Altman

      "Did you perceive Altman was not candid with you? Truthful? Honest?"

    • Security Week ☛ AI Coding Agents Could Fuel Next Supply Chain Crisis

      “TrustFall” attack shows how Hey Hi (AI) coding agents can be manipulated into launching stealthy supply chain compromises.

    • Licensing / Legal

      • Wired ☛ Musk v. Altman Evidence Shows What Microsoft Executives Thought of OpenAI

        Nadella asked four lieutenants for their input on how to respond three days later. Microsoft’s AI team saw “no value in engaging,” according to a response from Jason Zander, Microsoft’s executive vice president, that also documented how other teams felt. Its research team thought its own work was “more advanced,” while the public relation teams didn’t like the idea of supporting a group pushing the idea of “machines beating humans.” Ultimately, Zander suggested that Azure would benefit from associating with Musk and Altman but that he wouldn’t want to “take a complete bath,” or large financial hit, in doing so.

        A subsequent analysis showed that Microsoft stood to lose about $150 million over several years if it provided the services Altman wanted, according to one email. "Unless he can help us draw a more direct networking effect with OpenAI -> Microsoft business value, we will wind up having to pass,” Zander wrote.

  • Social Control Media

    • France24 ☛ French prosecutors seek charges against MElon and X over Grok content

      French prosecutors said Wednesday that they have opened an investigation into MElon and social control media platform X over the distribution of child sexual abuse images, deepfakes, disinformation and alleged complicity in denying crimes against humanity linked to the platform’s artificial intelligence system, Grok.

• Linux Foundation

  • Open Source For U ☛ Linux Foundation Launches Open Source Registry Initiative Amid AI-Driven Software Supply Chain Pressure [Ed: Slop promotion]

    The Linux Foundation, Sonatype and registry leaders have launched a new initiative to tackle the growing sustainability and security crisis facing open-source package registries amid surging AI-driven software consumption and nearly 10 trillion annual downloads.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Smart Glasses for the Authorities

      ICE is developing its own version of smart glasses, with facial recognition tied to various databases.

    • Scoop News Group ☛ One House Democrat is pressing Commerce on the government’s spyware use

      Rep. Summer Lee’s letter, first reported by CyberScoop, follows ICE confirmation of using spyware and news of a Convicted Felon ally becoming NSO Group’s executive chairman.

    • Stanford University ☛ ResEd to replace RAs with Palantir surveillance technology

      University administrators outlined a new residential model that replaces RAs with student safety androids operated in partnership with Palantir Technologies.

• Defence/Aggression

  • Federal News Network ☛ Drone threats are escalating. America’s airspace intelligence isn’t keeping pace.

    The rise of drone activity within the U.S. and the recent EU incidents both clearly show adversaries are testing western defense systems.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea leader Kim inspects artillery that can hit South Korean capital

    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the production of new artillery with a range exceeding 60 km (37 miles) that would be deployed at the South Korean border and bolster its ability to hit Seoul and other targets, KCNA state news agency said on Friday.

  • Scoop News Group ☛ American duo sentenced for hosting laptop farms for North Korean IT workers

    The men’s separate schemes impacted almost 70 U.S. companies and generated a combined $1.2 million in revenue for the North Korean regime.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia seeks clarification from Norway after export control halts missile supply

    Malaysia will discuss appropriate steps to safeguard its interests.

  • The Straits Times ☛ British MPs to visit China for first time in seven years, sources say

    A cross-party delegation of British lawmakers will visit China this month for the first time since 2019, two sources familiar with the preparations said, in a sign of warming ties since a visit in January by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

  • New York Times ☛ In Hungary, Voters Exposed the Limits of China’s Ties to Orban

    Beijing depended on Hungary’s outgoing leader, Viktor Orban, to gain a toehold in Europe. A giant battery factory proved a step too far.

  • The Strategist ☛ China’s grey-zone fleet is eroding Taiwan’s control at sea

    China’s pressure on Taiwan increasingly relies on vessels that aren’t warships.

  • New York Times ☛ China Sentences 2 Former Defense Ministers on Bribery Charges

    Gen. Wei Fenghe and Gen. Li Shangfu are likely to spend the rest of their lives in prison after receiving suspended death sentences.

  • France24 ☛ Brazil’s Lula to discuss fighting organized crime, tariffs in Convicted Felon meeting

    Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva flew to Washington Wednesday for talks with US President The Insurrectionist on thorny issues, while seeking to boost his image at home ahead of October elections. Lula, 80, and Convicted Felon, 79, are ideological opposites who have had a rocky relationship, and their meeting Thursday will be only their second official encounter since they held talks in Malaysia last year.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Vigils planned across Australia for dead 5-year-old indigenous girl

    Vigil organisers have asked attendees to bring candles and wear pink – the girl’s favourite colour.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China vessel conducting ‘illegal’ research near gas-rich Reed Bank, says Philippines

    Reed bank is within Manila’s exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Paraguay President lauds friendship with Taiwan, China tells him to sever ties

    Paraguay is one of 12 countries that still maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China may try ‘manoeuvring’ over Taiwan issue at Convicted Felon meeting, Taiwanese official says

    The US has reaffirmed that its policy on the island has not changed, a top Taiwanese intelligence official said.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Myanmar military claims recapture of trade artery towards China

    Myanmar has pledged to step up trade with China, reviving discussions of long-stalled projects.

  • Filipino man tells RFA how he spied for China, military says there are more

    Information that “Danny” sold to Beijing may have led to 2024 Sabina Shoal ramming incident.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ 2 UK-Chinese dual nationals convicted of spying on Hong Kong dissidents

    A retired Hong Kong policeman and a former UK Border Force official were convicted by a London jury Thursday of conducting “shadow policing” on British soil on behalf of China.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Japan fires missiles during drills, drawing China rebuke

    Japan fired surface-to-ship missiles and sank an old warship in waters between the Philippines and Taiwan as part of major military exercises that include US forces, angering China.

  • New York Times ☛ German Leaders Clash With Spy Chiefs Over Domestic Threat From Iran

    Intelligence agents have privately warned of the potential of hybrid attacks from Iran-linked groups. But political leaders, including Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have publicly played down the risk.

  • LRT ☛ Lithuania considers peacekeeping role in Hormuz Strait, not combat operation – minister

    Lithuania will not participate in combat operations but could join a peacekeeping mission aimed at restoring maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said Thursday.

  • France24 ☛ Photo shows Israeli soldier desecrating a Virgin Mary statue in Lebanon

    The Israeli military says it has launched an investigation after a photo showing one of its soldiers desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary in South Lebanon went viral, as he placed a cigarette into the statue's mouth whilst smoking. The IDF said it "respects freedom of religion" and that the soldier will be disciplined. The incident took place Debel, in the same village where last month, an Israeli soldier was filmed smashing a Jesus statue with a sledgehammer.

  • RFERL ☛ US Strikes Iranian Naval Assets, Military Sites After 'Unprovoked' Attacks On Warships

    As the US-Israeli war with Iran continues to impact and shape the region, journalists from RFE/RL's Central Newsroom and Iranian service, Radio Farda, deliver ongoing updates and analysis.

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. and Iran Trade Strikes as Tensions in Strait of Hormuz Rise

    The escalating attacks raise the threat that the cease-fire could break down.

  • France24 ☛ Live: Explosions heard in several Iranian cities, including in naval port of Bandar Abbas

  • New York Times ☛ Israel Says It Killed a Hezbollah Chief Near Beirut, Testing the Truce

    The strike was the first near the Lebanese capital since a cease-fire that has curbed fighting but not halted it. Washington is pushing for a lasting peace, hoping it will ease diplomacy with Iran.

  • France24 ☛ Israel strikes Beirut and southern Lebanon despite truce

    Israel pummelled southern Lebanon on Thursday, state media and AFP correspondents said, a day after it targeted a Hezbollah commander in its first strike on Beirut's southern suburbs since a truce sought to end weeks of fighting. The Israeli army said Thursday that the strike on the southern suburbs killed "the Commander of Hezbollah's 'Radwan Force' Unit", an elite unit within the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah. FRANCE 24's Renée Davis reports from Beirut, Lebanon.

  • France24 ☛ Keeping the Lebanese army weak: A hardened US military doctrine at Israel's service

    As Lebanon marks a month since “Black Wednesday”, when massive Israeli strikes killed 361 people, the international community continues to call on the Lebanese army to disarm Hezbollah. But the US legal imperative to ensure Israel has a “qualitative military edge” (QME) has kept the Lebanese military under-funded, under-equipped and unable to perform its role.

  • France24 ☛ Al-Qaeda-linked attacks in central Mali kill more than 30 people

    More than 30 people were killed in central Mali on Thursday after two attacks blamed on Al-Qaeda-linked militants, according to local, security and administrative sources. The strikes, claimed by JNIM, come amid renewed violence in the West African nation following recent coordinated assaults on military positions.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania says no airspace violations detected after drones enter Latvia from Russia

      Lithuania has not recorded any airspace violations after several drones entered Latvia from Russia early Thursday, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said.

    • France24 ☛ Norway's Svalbard archipelago, a pawn on Russia's chessboard

      Not far from the North Pole, in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, lies a piece of Russia. In NATO member state Norway, two Russian villages, or "settlements" as Moscow calls them, have been active for decades. This frozen, hostile land at the ends of the Earth has caught Moscow's interest.

    • Latvia ☛ No school Thursday in Rēzekne, Ludza; remote learning in Balvi

      On Thursday morning, foreign unmanned aerial vehicles flew into Latvian territory from Russia, and two drones crashed in Latgale. Given the threat, a decision was made in Rēzekne, as well as in the Rēzekne and Ludza municipalities, to suspend classes at all educational institutions, LSM.lv has confirmed.

    • CS Monitor ☛ North Korea as peacemaker?

      Changes to its constitution indicate that it recognizes South Korea as a separate country, and might also like to be treated as a normal state.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Ramps Up Threats Toward Ukraine Over Victory Day Parade

      Kremlin officials said a large strike on Kyiv would be “inevitable” if Ukraine disrupted the May 9 event, a prospect President Volodymyr Zelensky has appeared to allude to.

    • RFERL ☛ Ukraine Says It Hit Russian Caspian Sea Warship; Kremlin Boosts Security For May 9 Victory Day

      Russia warned Kyiv-based diplomats and representatives of international organizations to prepare to evacuate the Ukrainian capital, saying its forces would launch a "massive" missile attack against the city if Ukraine disrupted its May 9 World War II commemorations.

    • Latvia ☛ Latvian Saeima hosting regional security and defence forum

      Latvia is hosting the Annual Security and Defence Forum of the Defence Committees of the Nordic and Baltic Sea Countries on May 7th and 8th, to discuss the regional security situation and strengthening cooperation.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ Asia heatwaves spell double trouble for economies hit by oil

      Inflation has accelerated to multiyear highs across much of Asia.

    • New York Times ☛ New NTSB Report Into Deadly China Eastern Crash Suggests Struggle in Cockpit

      A report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board offers new details about the China Eastern Airlines crash in 2022, which killed all 132 people on board.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • European Commission ☛ Speech by Commissioner Lahbib in Cyprus on Preparing for Wildfires

• Finance

  • New Yorker ☛ The Real Cost of Downsizing Social Security

    Under new leadership, the agency has reduced the role of field offices across the country and centralized its operations, making it harder for millions of Americans to get help with their benefits.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Samsung chip workers reject $340,000 one-time bonus, demand annual payouts like SK hynix's $900,000 — workers want share of Hey Hi (AI) windfall, impending 18-day strike could cost Samsung up to $11.7 billion

    Negotiations between the National Samsung Electronics Union, which represents workers in the company’s chipmaking division, and management have seemingly broken down over a single issue.

  • Law Society Gazette ☛ SRA plans shock budget raid on profession

    The Solicitors Regulation Authority today announced an unprecedented cash call on the profession, comprising hefty increases in practising certificate fees and compensation fund contributions. Solicitors will pay an extra £100 next year as a result.

    In a business plan also unveiled today, the regulator announced that its budget for 2026/27 must rise by 29% to £111.5m to fund a complete overhaul of the organisation. To meet this demand, the SRA proposes to increase its call on the PC fee for individual solicitors from £190 to £240. That will cover 40% of the SRA’s requirements; the remaining 60% will be charged to firms and calculated based on turnover.

  • NYPost ☛ Outrage as San Diego prepares to kill historic Christmas tradition amid staggering budget cuts

    For years, December Nights has transformed Balboa Park into a winter wonderland, turning it into one of the city's biggest tourist draws of the year.

  • New York Times ☛ Vote Brings ‘Freeze the Rent’ Closer to Reality in New York

    The panel that regulates rents for nearly one million apartments cast its first vote since Mayor Zohran Mamdani took office, approving ranges that included no increases.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea heads to local elections under shadow of disgraced former president

    South Korea's martial law scandal is set to loom large over local elections in June that will test whether opposition conservatives can rein in the power of the ruling party of President Lee Jae Myung.

  • New York Times ☛ True Believers Blow Convicted Felon’s Mind

    Our most transactional president is having trouble processing.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • The Straits Times ☛ Communist-run Vietnam eyes influencers, Hey Hi (AI) to spruce up propaganda, documents show

      Vietnam's ruling Communist Party plans to revamp its propaganda efforts by drafting in social control media influencers and artificial intelligence experts while adopting new formats such as podcasts and targeted content, internal documents seen by Reuters show.

    • France24 ☛ Propaganda war: The Gen Z team behind Iran’s hit anti-Dihydroxyacetone Man videos

      Satirical Lego animations depicting US President The Insurrectionist as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s puppet while casting Iran as the defender of the oppressed mark the latest propaganda coup for the Iranian regime in its war with the US. The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke to one of the young Iranians behind the videos.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ Wall Street Journal story on Convicted Felon and Epstein took six months and 20 staff

    "Bad faith" threats put public interest reporting at risk, leading journalists tell summit.

  • Press Gazette ☛ Output down, page views up: Axios shifts from volume to value

    Axios output in Q1 was down 22% compared to a year earlier but page views were up 30%.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Record no. of nominations for HKFP at this year’s prestigious SOPA journalism awards

    Hong Kong Free Press journalism has been nominated for three prestigious Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Awards – a new record for the newspaper.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Site width tweaks for readability, maybe?

    I’ve adjusted the width of posts on the blog, which I think makes them easier to read. I remember reading years ago that having between 12-15 printed words to a line was optimal for text “readability”, which I’ve maintained here since 2004. Aside from the fact I haven’t been able to find any concrete, scientific basis for this claim, I also know it’s not true for me. So I’ve widened it a bit.

  • AccessNow ☛ Submission on amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (“IT Rules, 2021”)

• Internet Policy/Net Neutrality

  • Internet Society ☛ Community Snapshot—April

    Our community works locally, regionally, and globally to keep the Internet a force for good: open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy.

  • APNIC ☛ SCION: The overlay network for bankers

    SCION has both supporters and critics, but it faces a major challenge: Replacing BGP while competing in an environment where network decisions are driven more by carrier costs than by strategic priorities.

  • APNIC ☛ The invisible hand: Regaining control of service quality from outsourced satellite networks

    Guest Post: MNOs lease LEO satellites from SNOs as a cost-effective way for to expand coverage, but cannot guarantee service quality without control over the satellites. Ripple is a competition-driven framework that directly links SNOs' revenue to the service quality they deliver.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Patents

    • JUVE ☛ Partial success for Millenium Pharma in battle over Velcade in Paris

      Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Cilag accuse several generic drug companies of infringing patents EP 2 251 344 B1 and EP 3 078 667 B1. Both protect a formulation of boronic acid compounds. They form the basis of Millennium’s drug Velcade with the active ingredient bortezomib. The drug treats multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma.

    • Kangaroo Courts

      • IP Kat ☛ A Venetian surprise: Does the UPCA transitional period really require an opt-out to access national courts? [Ed: To be very clear, UPC is illegal and it was enabled by EPO corruption, media complicity, and politics of corporations rather than law]

        The transitional period of the Unified Patent Court Agreement (UPCA) is widely understood to offer a safe harbor of choice. For a period of seven years, patentees holding "classic" European patents have rested on the comfortable assumption that they can freely choose between asserting their rights before the new Unified Patent Court (UPC) or sticking with familiar national courts.

      • JUVE ☛ UPC highly popular with Chinese and US claimants [Ed: UPC is not only illegal, it is also bad for Europe and JUVE played a role into normalising this attacks on nations in Europe and their respective constitutions]

        The team behind the UPC has every right to be proud. Just three years after its launch, the UPC has overcome its biggest criticism from users — the much-maligned CMS has been completely overhauled.

  • Copyrights

    • Digital Music News ☛ Dynamic Pricing Strikes Again! Olivia Rodrigo’s AMEX/Ticketmaster Pre-Sale Quickly Devolves Into a Price-Spiked Nightmare

      Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing strikes again, angering fans with exorbitant ticket prices that some said should be “illegal” for an arena show. Olivia Rodrigo is embarking on the “Unraveled Tour,” a global trek with 65-plus dates in support of her forthcoming third album—but fans are already disgruntled over the pre-sale ticket prices.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Nvidia’s ISP piracy defense backfires as judge refuses to dismiss copyright monopoly lawsuit over more than 197,000 pirated books — scripts in NeMo Framework allegedly ‘have no other purpose’ than to speed up infringement

      Nvidia said that its NeMo Megatron Framework has non-infringing uses and that it's not liable for any piracy that its users might do.

    • Digital Music News ☛ Court Rejects NVIDIA Contributory Claim Dismissal Attempt in Authors’ Suit; Chipmaker ‘Knew That Its Scripts Were Directly Contributing to Infringement’

      Despite the Supreme Court’s Cox v. Sony Music decision – and the subsequent end of multiple contributory infringement suits – a federal judge has denied NVIDIA’s attempt to dismiss a related claim in its copyright monopoly showdown with authors.

    • Digital Music News ☛ Vietnam Triggers a Major Piracy Crackdown In the Face of Renewed Convicted Felon Tariff Threats

      Vietnam is cracking down on online piracy and counterfeit goods, as well as copyright monopoly violations by media that includes movies, music, and TV shows.