Month: February 2022
Global Democracy on Low
The annual survey, which rates the state of democracy across 167 countries on the basis of five measures electoral process and pluralism, the functioning of government, political participation, democratic political culture and civil liberties finds that more than a third of the world’s population live under authoritarian rule while just 6.4% enjoy a full democracy.
Bitfinex: Stolen Bitcoin
Stolen Bitcoin worth more than $5bn has been seized by the US Department of Justice – the largest ever confiscation of its kind. The funds, stolen by a hacker who breached a cryptocurrency exchange in 2016, were valued at about $71m. The money originates from the 2016 hack of a crypto exchange known as Bitfinex.
chip shortage hits Toyota
The world’s best-selling carmaker has cut its annual production target by 500,000 vehicles to 8.5 million. It comes as manufacturers around the world are struggling to find enough microprocessors for their products. Japanese motor industry giant Toyota saw its profits fall by 21% for the last three months of 2021 as the global chip shortage
Solar Storms hit Spacex
Starlink is Mr Musk’s bid to provide high-speed internet using thousands of orbiting satellites. SpaceX has lost dozens of satellites after they were hit by a geomagnetic storm a day after launch, causing them to fall from orbit and burn up. Such solar “storms” are caused by powerful explosions on the sun’s surface, which spit
Samsung phones made from fishing nets
Samsung has announced a range of new Galaxy smartphones, offering improved cameras and the option of a stylus. The firm talked up the use of recycled materials such as repurposed fishing nets and used water bottles. The nylon fishing nets are turned into polyamide resin pellets used in the production of brackets which hold the
Racism in Football
Racist abuse which was sent to Manchester United’s Anthony Elanga via social media is being investigated, police have confirmed. A police spokesman said the force was “investigating an incident of racist abuse linked to a social media post which is believed to have been posted on Friday evening following the football match between Manchester United
Cancelling Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan’s mouth has put Spotify in a tough spot, but the streaming giant is apparently not ready to part ways with the popular podcast host despite intense criticism over his anti-coronavirus vaccine comments and racial slurs. The firm paid Rogan a reported 100 million dollars to exclusively host the podcast. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek
Royal Shakespeare Company Partnership with TikTok
The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced a new partnership with TikTok to help inspire the next generation of theatre audiences. The Royal Shakespeare Company said the collaboration will deliver “unique creative and educational experiences” for young people and students across the country, with a particular focus on those living in “communities facing structural disadvantage”. As
Porn sites Identity Verification
Websites that publish pornography will be legally required to verify the age of their users under new online safety rules, the Government has announced. Sites could use secure age verification technology to confirm a user possesses a credit card and is therefore at least 18, or use a third-party service to confirm someone’s age against
War on Encryption
A group of civil society organisations and privacy campaigners have accused the Government of using “scare tactics” to try to sway public opinion over the use of end-to-end encryption in messaging apps. The open letter, which has been signed by a number of experts as well as members of the Global Encryption Coalition including Index