Leftovers

• Science / Mathematics / Computer Science

  • BIA Net ☛ Turkey posts significant gains in PISA 2025 while socioeconomic gaps persist

    The country moved above the OECD average for the first time in science and reading. However, the gap between the most and the least advantegous sections remain well over OECD average.

  • France24 ☛ Space: Europe urged to find its path, from crewed spaceflight to communications

    French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Thursday for Europeans to "act" on a massive scale to find their place against the United States and China in the space race, from communications to crewed spaceflight. Speaking with FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney, Svetla Ben-Itzhak, Assistant Professor of Space and International Relations, and Deputy Director of the West Space Scholars Programme at Johns Hopkins University, explains that "Europe does have world-class scientific and industrial capabilities, as well as aspirations, but it lacks the investment, the launch cadence, the scale as well as the degree of political integration that the US and China possess".

  • Science Alert ☛ Physicists Blasted a Quantum Material With Lasers – Then Watched It Rebuild Itself

    A tale of two phases.

  • Science Alert ☛ Visceral Fat, Not Aging, May Be The Real Driver of Low Testosterone

    It's not inevitable.

  • Science Alert ☛ Tiny Label on a Fast-Food Menu Changed What 10,000 People Ordered

    With simple guidance we might just make a better choice.

  • Science Alert ☛ The 'American Cheetah' Was Actually a Different Animal All Along

    A mind-blowing rethink of an awe-inspiring animal.

  • Science Alert ☛ A Woman's Intestines Literally Tied Themselves Into a Knot After Childbirth

    An incredibly rare case.

  • Science Alert ☛ Mysterious Viper With a 'Spider' For a Tail Reveals Another Surprise

    Evolution is nightmare fuel.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Witness Water Transforming Into a Weird 'Glass' Instead of Ice

    What's going on?

  • Science Alert ☛ Millions Could Spend Half Their Income on Food by 2050, Scientists Warn

    Welcome to the future.

• Hardware

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea ramps up spy law to protect chip secrets from China

    Half of all detected cases involving leaks of sensitive technology in 2025 involved China.

  • Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Take or License: Can a Contract Cap Trade Secret Damages at a Royalty?

    Versata v. Ford: trade secret law reaches a taker's gains, unlike patent monopoly law. Can a license cap that recovery at a royalty? Courts are split.

  • Tom's Hardware ☛ Chinese quartz approved for semiconductor equipment and DRAM manufacturing, but it still can't break America's monopoly — China secures domestic supply for chipmaking components, but Spruce Pine still holds the crucible monopoly

    Pacific Quartz gets its high-purity quartz qualified for semiconductor equipment and DRAM manufacturing.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Suicide rate among children under 15 tripled last year, as researchers urge schools and media to do better

    A university research centre has urged schools to strengthen mental health awareness among students after statistics revealed a rise in the suicide rate for children under 15 last year. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong announced the city’s latest suicide statistics on Thursday.

  • Cloudbooklet ☛ Man Sues Proprietary Chaffbot Company Over Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot Jesus Delusion Claim

    Could Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot make a user believe he was Jesus? One man's lawsuit against Proprietary Chaffbot Company has put the Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot Jesus Delusion Claim under the spotlight.

• Proprietary / Vendor Lock-in / Malware

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

    • Press Gazette ☛ Press Gazette launches newsroom tool to stop Hey Hi (AI) fakes before publication

      Made by Humans was devised by Press Gazette and built by Flip-Pay.

    • New York Times ☛ The Mathematician Crushed Between Proprietary Chaffbot Company and Anthropic Over a Math Problem

      Tristan Buckmaster was on the path toward an important proof when one of the Hey Hi (AI) giants used its staggering resources to get there first.

    • The Straits Times ☛ Hired to draw, told to prompt: How Hey Hi (AI) is changing creative work in Malaysia [Ed: Slop is a form of plagiarism, it's not art]

      Generative Hey Hi (AI) is reshaping the country's creative industries, impacting traditional jobs as new opportunities emerge.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ OpenAI's rogue Hey Hi (AI) agents accessed more websites to communicate than originally believed — defiant LLMs accessed old wikis and abandoned websites to co-ordinate in a bid to dupe assessors [Ed: This is just spam by bots]

      Rogue Proprietary Chaffbot Company agents used dozens of website to exchange information, new investigations have found. However, the real impact is yet to be determined.

  • Social Control Media

    • JURIST ☛ Meta failed to curb anti-LGBTI hate on Facebook (Farcebook) in Hungary, Amnesty International says

      Amnesty International on Tuesday condemned Meta Platforms Inc. for its alleged failure to adequately enforce its own content moderation policies against anti-LGBTI hate speech on Facebook (Farcebook) in Hungary, stating that the platform prioritized engagement over the safety of marginalized communities.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Steam enforces Australian age verification via credit cards — debit card glitches and low credit adoption alienate core gamers, privacy-first mindset leads to dearth of options that may hinder consumers [Ed: Use cash? Not with Steam.]

      Valve starts enforcing Australian age verification law, but its privacy-minded choice of bank card as the only verification method is causing issues with many consumers.

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ Some Republicans Balk at Convicted Felon’s $5,000 ‘Dividend’ Offer

    The president’s call to send a $5,000 “dividend” to every American adult if Republicans win the midterms disturbed some members of his party.

  • Federal News Network ☛ TSA brings back gate access for some people without plane tickets 25 years after 9/11

    TSA is allowing eligible TSA PreCheck members without tickets to pass through security and enter gate areas, a practice that largely disappeared after 9/11.

  • Site36 ☛ 25 years of anti-terror laws: Germany and the EU responded to 9/11 with a new era of “pre-emptive” policing

    The surveillance powers Germany introduced after 9/11 were meant to be temporary. Twenty-five years on, they have become the rule rather than the exception – from a database exempt from data-protection limits to a “Gefährder” concept now headed for EU level.

  • Defence Web ☛ After Somalia strikes, Africom Deputy Brennan outlines US counterterrorism priorities

  • France24 ☛ Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels seize strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha

    Yemen’s Houthis seized the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha on Thursday as their offensive against Saudi-backed government forces intensified. Saudi Arabia launched dozens of airstrikes over the past 24 hours, the Houthis said, after the Iran-backed group carried out attacks on Saudi territory that wounded dozens of people.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Australia jails marketing executive who compiled reports for China

    An Australian man convicted of reckless foreign interference for compiling reports for Chinese intelligence was sentenced to more than three years in jail by a Sydney court on Thursday. Marketing executive Alexander Csergo, 58, was arrested in Sydney by Australian police in 2023, shortly after he returned from living in Shanghai.

  • New York Times ☛ The ‘Forever War’ in Afghanistan: 25 Years in Pictures

    From the first weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks to the chaotic U.S. withdrawal and return of the Taliban, The New York Times has documented a quarter-century of conflict and daily life in Afghanistan.

  • JURIST ☛ Rights group raises concerns over Hezbollah’s usage of cluster munitions in northern Israel

    Human Rights Watch on Wednesday raised concerns surrounding Hezbollah’s alleged unlawful use of cluster munitions in attacks on Metula in northern Israel on March 4 and March 15, 2026, calling for an independent investigation into the attacks.

  • RFERL ☛ US Military Aircraft Damaged In Iranian Strikes On Base In Jordan

    As the conflict in the Persian Gulf continues to impact and shape the region, journalists from RFE/RL's Central Newsroom and Iranian service, Radio Farda, deliver ongoing updates and analysis.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • Defence Web ☛ Russian recruitment of foreigners to fight in Ukraine is human trafficking – Amnesty

      Russia has used deceptive, coercive and exploitative practices to recruit foreign nationals into its military forces [...]

    • Latvia ☛ Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine joining forces to clean up the world

      The World Cleanup Day events, taking place around the world on September 20th for the ninth time, will be covered via an international live broadcast from Rīga, Latvia, it has been announced.

    • RFERL ☛ Russian Drone Attack Kills 2 Near Moldova As Norway Says Zelenskyy's Plane Nearly Struck

      A Russian drone attack targeted a border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova, killing two people and injuring three others, while another drone struck a residential building in Kyiv, as Moscow continues its campaign of near-continuous strikes across Ukraine.

    • New York Times ☛ Russian Drone Incursion Delayed Zelensky Flight to Oslo, Moldova Says

      An airspace closure delayed the Ukrainian leader’s trip between Moldova and Norway, officials said. They did not confirm a claim by Norway’s prime minister that a drone had “almost hit” the plane.

    • France24 ☛ Zelensky's plane 'almost hit' by drone en route to Oslo, Norway PM says

      Ukraine and Moldova on Wednesday played down claims from Norway's prime minister that a plane carrying President Volodymyr Zelensky was almost hit by a drone as it flew to Oslo. Jonas Gahr Store told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK that Zelensky's plane was "almost hit by a drone when it was taking off from Moldova". But a source in the Ukrainian presidency described the claim that Zelensky was at risk as "exaggerated".

    • RFERL ☛ Zelenskyy In Canada Seeking Support Amid Deadly Russian Attacks

      PAVLOHRAD, Ukraine -- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ottawa will provide Ukraine with air defense support as he visited Canada in an attempt to shore up support from the country's allies amid deadly Russian drone and missile attacks.

    • New York Times ☛ Moscow Claims Ukraine Planned to Start a War Between Russia and the U.K.

      Britain warned that Russia uses disinformation to divide Ukraine from its international partners.

    • Latvia ☛ Saeima moves toward grain transit sanctions on Russia, Belarus

      Latvia's parliament, the Saeima, decided on September 10th to back initial proposals that will extend the sanctions in place against aggressor states Russia and Belarus.

    • LRT ☛ US envoy John Coale ‘likely’ to visit Lithuania, PM says

      US President The Insurrectionist’s special envoy John Coale, who is planning to visit Belarus in the near future, may also travel to Vilnius, Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said Thursday.

    • Latvia ☛ Nearly 100 illegal border crossers stopped in 24 hours

      On Wednesday, September 9th, State Border Guard officers prevented 97 people from attempting to illegally cross the Latvian-Belarusian state border, according to the latest official statistics.

    • France24 ☛ French govt warns right-wing TV channel about rebroadcasting expelled pro-Putin pundit

      France's government on Thursday condemned the return of expelled Russian commentator Xenia Federova to conservative TV channel, CNews, for alleged Kremlin ties. Federova was formally expelled from France in August over claims she was a Kremlin agent and accusations that she spread Kremlin propaganda on French television and radio.

    • New York Times ☛ With Messaging That Mirrors Putin’s, Germany’s Far-Right Party Gains Ground

      Embracing positions extolled by the Kremlin, the Alternative for Germany party may govern for the first time in a German state.

    • CS Monitor ☛ What the far right’s victory in Germany could mean for the war in Ukraine

      The victory of Germany’s far-right party in state elections could have implications far beyond its borders. Another winner could be Vladimir Putin.

    • Tom's Hardware ☛ Self-taught tinkerer demos working room-sized Cold War-era supercomputer with vacuum tubes — takes 15 minutes to warm up and smells like burning dust, 8-bit design uses 460 recycled 1950s Soviet tubes

      A self-taught electronics tinkerer called Mike recently shared details of his retro-computing vacuum tube computer project.

• Environment

  • Energy/Transportation

    • France24 ☛ Iran raises fuel prices for heavy users

      The rise of the price of fuel is an issue for both the United States and Iran in this conflict. US president The Insurrectionist has conceded that prices will not fall before the midterm elections where the US voters could hold him to account. Meanwhile in Iran where many communities have been bombed since February 28th, there's now the added problem of incresing fuel prices. FRANCE 24's Ali al Basha sent this report.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China halts new battery factories on capacity concerns: Report

      Projects still in planning stages could be suspended.

    • New York Times ☛ Cargo Ship Fire in Eastern China Kills 25

      The ship was docked in the port city of Qingdao for repairs at the time of the blaze, whose cause remained unclear, according to state media.

    • JURIST ☛ [Plagiarism] data centres pose growing threat to electricity systems worldwide, UNECE says

      The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) on Tuesday has alerted the public that the use of data-intensive technologies, specifically artificial intelligence (AI) data centres, is growing faster than the current electricity infrastructure can handle.

    • New York Times ☛ A.I. Data Center Pollution Poses Health Threat, Former E.P.A. Officials Warn

      Air pollution from gas-fired power plants to run data centers is expected to add at least $20 billion in annual health care costs by 2028, the group warns.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • CS Monitor ☛ Nature is forever carving, and recarving, picturesque Upper Antelope Canyon

      The site, on Navajo Nation land a few miles south of Page, Arizona, is one of the most photographed slot canyons in the world.

    • France24 ☛ French firefighters on six-week strike after record summer blazes

      Firefighters in France are on strike over a lack of funding for essential emergency services. Their dedication was pushed to the limit in the recent wild fire episodes south of Paris and near Bordeaux. Short comings in the current system were highlighted by these extreme cases. FRANCE 24's Mark Owen speaks with Yael Lecras, Vice-President of the National Union of Professional Firefighters.

• Finance

  • The Straits Times ☛ After years of unfinished homes, China is changing its decades-old presale model

    But analysts say dismantling the presale model, while making home buying safer, comes with its own trade-offs.

  • New York Times ☛ Oil Prices Surge as Stocks and Bonds Wobble

    Crude oil hit its highest levels in months, bond yields continued to rise and stocks fell for a fourth consecutive session as investors worried about energy supplies and inflation.

  • New York Times ☛ Carney, at a Cabinet Retreat, Considers Further Trade Strikes Against the U.S.

    Canada’s retaliation this week against Hell Toupée’s tariffs was met with more American tariffs and a closed U.S. border on some Canadian products.

  • Latvia ☛ Offline card payments introduced by some retailers in Latvia

    The Bank of Latvia, in collaboration with providers of essential services and retailers, has introduced a solution for situations where card payments cannot be made in the usual way due to internet or mobile network disruptions – offline card payments. This would enable people to purchase essential goods – food, fuel and medicines, according to the Bank of Latvia.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • France24 ☛ Ugandan royal succession scandal

    In tonight's edition, a dramatic struggle for control of a throne in Uganda. Also, Rwanda shut down 101 alcoholic beverage factories last month and declared a public health crisis after at least 50 people were killed by contaminated illegal supplies. And Ethiopia celebrates its new year.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter believed to have younger sibling: Seoul

    Seoul’s spy agency has previously said Kim is believed to have three children.

  • JURIST ☛ UN Security Council welcomes Libyan election deal as “important step” toward national elections

    The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) issued a press statement Tuesday, hailing the August 30 agreement between Libya’s rival political factions as “an important step” toward facilitating the country’s first national elections in more than a decade.

  • France24 ☛ 'No facts': Morocco denies involvement in deadly Ceuta migrant rush

    Moroccan authorities said on Thursday there were "no facts" establishing its involvement in the migrant rush into Spain's North African exclave of Ceuta in July. It was the kingdom's first official response to a Spanish police report accusing its security forces of "total permissiveness" when the mass crossing took place.

  • Latvia ☛ NB8 diplomats discuss emergency responses and mental health

    On 10th September, a meeting of the directors of the Consular Departments of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic and Nordic countries (NB8) took place in Tallinn, Estonia.

  • France24 ☛ Infantino's FIFA re-election bid faces setback as France withdraws support

    The French Football Federation withdrew its support for Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president on Thursday after his controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup. The FFF said the executive committee decision was unanimous.

  • France24 ☛ As New York marks 25 years since 9/11, Muslims recall stigmatisation in aftermath of attacks

    As New York marks 25 years since the terrorist attacks on September 11th, New York’s Muslim community has become increasingly part of the fabric of the city. One sign of that is the election of Zohran Mamdani as the city’s mayor last November. Another is the state's largest mosque, due to open its doors at the end of the year. But while things have improved, many Muslims still remember the difficult months that followed the attack. FRANCE 24's Monte Francis reports.

  • France24 ☛ Hindu sect BAPS comes under scrutiny in France, US

    France got a crash course on BAPS, the Hindu sect at the heart of an Eiffel Tower strike this week. But for Indians in France who have been trying to raise awareness of far-right Hindu groups, it comes too late. The sect came under scrutiny in the US more than five years ago. Now French public opinion is asking how the group got the green light for a mega temple near Paris and why questions were not raised.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • The Straits Times ☛ Chinese student sentenced to 18 months’ jail in S. Korea for creating 1,100 deepfakes of colleagues

      He used Hey Hi (AI) to superimpose the victims’ faces onto sexually explicit images and videos.

    • Press Gazette ☛ IPSO complaint against Press Gazette upheld over alleged sex offence admission

      Press Gazette failed to include rebuttal to serious allegation.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • BIA Net ☛ Journalist and writer Erdal Süsem has been in prison for 25 years despite European court rulings

    Both the ECtHR and Turkey's Constitutional Court previously gave rulings in favor of Süsem. His next hearng will be held on Oct 6.

  • JURIST ☛ Lesotho authorities must investigate reported abduction and assault of journalist, Amnesty International says

    Amnesty International on Tuesday called on authorities in Lesotho to investigate the reported abduction and assault of journalist Kananelo Boloetse. Boloetse, a journalist and human rights defender, was reported to have been abducted from his home in Maseru on September 5th and was tortured and severely beaten as a result of his investigative journalism.

• Civil Rights / Policing / Accessibility

  • Citizen Lab ☛ Group of Bipartisan Lawmakers Ask US Government to Ban Several Hack-for-Hire Firms

    U.S. lawmakers call for sanctions on hack-for-hire companies, citing Citizen Lab report.

• Monopolies/Monopsonies

  • Copyrights

    • Digital Music News ☛ T-Pain Once Again Sues Akon-Founded Konvict Entertainment, Seeking Nearly $500,000 in Allegedly Missing Royalties

      T-Pain is once again suing Akon’s Konvict Entertainment, this time for allegedly failing to cough up nearly $500,000 in due royalties. Tallahasse-born T-Pain (real name Faheem Najm) just recently submitted the in-depth complaint to the Fulton County Superior Court, naming Konvict Entertainment as the lone defendant.

    • Public Domain Review ☛ Metamorphosis: Transformations in the Early Modern Flap Book (early 19th century)

      By manipulating paper flaps, the child could turn Adam into Eve into a mermaid, a lion into a griffin into an eagle — all while learning about the inevitability of death.