Month: August 2022
Meta and Twitter takes down pro-US propaganda campaign taken
Twitter and Meta have removed from their platforms an online propaganda campaign aimed at promoting US interests abroad. The accounts promoted narratives in support of the US and its allies, while opposing countries like Russia, China and Iran, the researchers said. The suspended accounts, some of which were set up almost five years ago, were
Hacker sale of military data
Nato is assessing the impact of a data breach of classified military documents being sold by a hacker group online. Criminal hackers are selling the dossiers after stealing data linked to a major European weapons maker. The pan-European company, which is headquartered in France, said its information was hacked from a compromised external hard drive,
petrol-only vehicles to be banned in California by 2035
California is to ban the sale of new petrol-only vehicles by 2035, marking a historic step in the state’s attempts to tackle climate change. The move is important as California is the most populous state in the US and one of the world’s biggest economies. The new rules are aimed to force car makers to
Moderna suing Pfizer over Covid vaccine
Moderna said it is suing Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech for patent infringement in the development of the first Covid-19 vaccine. The lawsuit, which is seeking unspecified financial damages, was filed in the US and Germany. Pfizer said the company had not yet received the legal documents and were unable to comment at this
belonging to the late Microsoft co-founder to be sold at the largest art auction in history.
An estimated $1bn worth of art belonging to the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen will be sold at the largest art auction in history. The auction will sell 150 works of art spanning 500 years. Christie’s auction house said proceeds of the November sale would be given to charity, as Mr Allen wished. Mr Allen,
US in renewing Iran nuclear deal
After more than 16 months of start-and-stop negotiations through intermediaries, this progress is noteworthy, as both sides appear to be on the precipice of an agreement for the first time since the early months of 2022. Western officials expressed renewed optimism after Tehran dropped demands that a branch of its armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary
Rewriting human history
In Pretoria, the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History hosts the skull of Mrs Ples, a representative of Australopithecus africanus, cousin to prometheus, and one of the most famous hominin fossils yet found. That these specimens are millions of years old is not in doubt. But just how many millions is disputed. A sophisticated dating
Forest wildfires
Wildfires can be devastating for humans, but the scorched landscapes they leave behind are a crucial part of a woodland’s life cycle. Wildfires are a natural way for forests to increase fertility. Over time, debris collects on the forest floor, forming a nutrient-rich layer. when burned, the nutrients are released into the soil. Large trees
The sanctions war
At the outset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the West united to impose unprecedented sanctions on Vladimir Putin’s regime. Six months on, a furious debate has erupted about the true state of Russia’s economy, which has so far defied the gloomiest predictions. why Russia’s economy has defied expectations and ask what else the West can
Taiwan record increase of its defence budget
Taiwan lives under constant threat of invasion by China, which claims the democratic island as part of its territory to be seized one day by force if necessary. Taipei has proposed a defence budget of Tw$415.1 billion ($13.7 billion) for next year, up 13 percent year-on-year, pending parliamentary approval. Beijing’s sabre-rattling has grown more pronounced