Month: November 2022
End to Covid misinformation policy
Twitter had previously reported suspending more than 11,000 accounts for Covid misinformation as of September this year. Under its Covid-specific policy, Twitter operated a “five-strike system” for accounts posting “demonstrably false or misleading” content that may “lead to significant risk of harm” – such as exposure to Covid or damage to public health systems. Its
A surgical robot used to remove throat tumour
Previously, operating on the oesophagus – which connects the mouth to the stomach – would have been performed through open surgery, with the surgeon making the incision manually. For the first time surgical team used a robot to remove a cancerous tumour from a patient’s throat.Versius surgical robot made it possible to operate on Mr
Metaverse human concerns
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has branded the metaverse – a virtual world accessed via virtual reality headsets where users can access all their essential services as well as work and socialise with others around the world – the future of the internet. However, the metaverse is a concern because it will encourage more screen time
Chinese new historic space mission
China has begun the first ever in-orbit crew rotation of its space station after three astronauts docked with the Tiangong on Wednesday morning. The six-month mission, commanded by Fei Junlong and crewed by Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu, will be the last in the station’s construction phase, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The
Francisco police allowed to use Killer robots
Police in San Francisco will be able to use robots capable of killing people in emergency situations after lawmakers approved a controversial new policy on Tuesday. San Francisco police currently have a dozen functioning ground robots used to assess bombs or provide eyes in low visibility situations which were acquired between 2010 and 2017, and
Ban of GMOs in Mexico
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador issued a presidential decree on 31 December 2020 calling for genetically modified (GM) corn for human consumption to be phased out by the end of January 2024. Banning GM corn was one of the Mexican president’s campaign promises. Earlier this month, he insisted Mexico was a “sovereign free country”
retaking Crimea
Momentum is on Ukraine’s side following two counter-offensives, around Kharkiv in the north-east, and Kherson in the south, that were conducted with a minimum of loss and a maximum of triumph. But those victories now raise the prospect of what would be much more humiliating Russian reverses in the Donbas and Crimea, territory seized by
The end to China’s zero-covid policy could be chaotic
The Chinese economy is suffering. Lockdowns and onerous restrictions on movement have stunted consumer confidence and economic growth. Over the past fortnight they have inspired protests across the country, with tensions escalating over the weekend. Young people on the streets of Shanghai on November 27th rejected the prospect of endless testing and lockdowns, chanting: “We
Musk on Apple over Twitter advertising
Mr Musk, who purchased Twitter for $44bn last month, is under pressure as some companies halt spending. Elon Musk has said Apple has halted most of its advertising on Twitter and accused the company of threatening to remove the platform from its app store. In a series of Tweets on Monday, he accused Apple of
Meta fined €265m for data breach
The Meta fine is over a data breach that saw the personal details of hundreds of millions of Facebook users published online. Meta, the company which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has been fined €265m by the Irish Data Protection Commission .As well as the fine, Meta has been issued with a reprimand and an