Month: September 2022
Police murders in America
In 2020 the number of people killed was 28% higher than it was in 2019 the single biggest increase recorded in more than a century. In 2021 many cities saw further rises. Almost nowhere has been spared, including suburbs and rural areas. In spring 2020 the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by
China’s property crisis
More than two-thirds of urban households’ wealth is tied up in property and the industry underpins a fifth of gdp. The housing market is slumping into a deepening hole, dragging the economy down and even causing small outbreaks of social unrest. In July the value of new home sales fell by 29% compared with a
Anti-vax groups on facebook
Facebook groups are using the carrot emoji to hide anti-vax content from automated moderation tools. Facebook’s algorithms tend to focus on words rather than images. The groups are being used to share unverified claims of people being either injured or killed by vaccines. One group we saw has been around for three years but rebranded
Drought and famine in Africa
Drought conditions in eastern Ethiopia, northern Kenya and Somalia have led the UN to warn that some 22 million people could be at risk of starvation. In Somalia, the rainfall in the March to May season was the lowest in the last six decades. But measurements of soil moisture also show how in some countries,
Uber hack
Uber’s computer network has been hacked. The ride-hailing company said it was investigating after several internal communications and engineering systems had been compromised. Shortly before the Slack system was taken offline, Uber employees received a message that read: “I announce I am a hacker and Uber has suffered a data breach.” It appeared that the
new ‘Clean Energy Charging’ option to iPhone
Clean Energy Charging aims to decrease the carbon footprint of the iPhone by optimizing charging times for when the grid is using cleaner energy sources. The feature adds a new process to the iPhone that runs in the background and gathers information from the power grid about carbon emissions, according to data found in the
PlayStation’s new grey camouflage range
As PlayStation 5 stock has become a bit easier to spot out in the wild, the grey camouflage range is sure to give it that stealthy edge as it brings a fresh, unique aesthetic into play. The camo range will be available for the dualsense controller, the Pulse 3D wireless headset as well as the
Pakistan floods threaten health crisis
Local authorities set up tent camps for displaced people on the grounds of a school. Cholera, diarrhea and dysentery are also spreading in the displacement camps due to lack of clean water.ore medicine is urgently needed to stop the spread of waterborne diseases after the flooding. Pharmacies are out of painkillers, antibiotics, and medicines for
The energy crisis in Germany
Germany is an export behemoth. It is the third-biggest exporter in the world, behind China in first and narrowly behind the United States in second place. Germany is heavily exposed to the trade headwinds which have beset the global economy in recent years. The energy crisis is the latest, and there are fears it could
Putin and Erdogan grain deal
Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of a regional security meeting in Uzbekistan. It is expected that the focus of the talks will lie on grain export from Ukraine. Since the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the country had been blocking ports to disrupt the export of