Month: December 2022
China’s covid-industrial complex
Sentiment towards zero-covid has shifted rapidly over the past two weeks. On December 7th the central government announced the end of unnecessary testing and allowed quarantining at home for asymptomatic cases after protests against prolonged, heavy-handed restrictions broke out in cities across the country. The policy shift is the most dramatic since China closed to
Gay marriage in America
In states where gay marriage is legal, the federal government will recognise these unions. States that do not permit gay marriage will not be forced to adopt it. But they will be obliged to recognise marriages performed in other states. Thus the law strikes a balance between majority opinion, which favours gay marriage by a
Blocking content on Instagram
Instagram has launched a new tool to let you know if your posts are barred from being recommended to other users. Instagram users will be able to edit or delete posts which have fallen foul of the platform’s rules. They will also be able to appeal to Instagram if they feel any content has been
The united States seek to block Activision purchase
Activision Blizzard owns some of the most popular games in the world, including the Call of Duty series, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Candy Crush. The US is entering a legal battle with Xbox-maker Microsoft to block its plan to purchase the gaming firm behind hit titles such as Call of Duty. The complaint against
Sam Bankman hope to make money to pay FTX investors
The FTX crypto exchange allowed customers to trade normal money for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Sam Bankman faces several federal investigations into his former company’s handling of funds. Disgraced crypto boss Sam Bankman-Fried says he hopes to start a new business to make enough money to pay back victims of the FTX collapse. The former billionaire
Elton John quits Twitter
Since Mr Musk completed his $44bn (£38.1bn) Twitter takeover in October, there has been controversy over the Covid policy roll-back, as well as other moves such as reinstating some previously suspended accounts and charging users for their “blue tick”. Sir Elton John has become the latest celebrity to leave Twitter since its acquisition by Tesla
Iran now Russia’s ‘top military backer’
Ukraine had accused Iran of supplying Russia with “kamikaze” drones used in deadly attacks on 17 October, which Tehran initially denied. he Ukrainian air force said it downed 10 of 15 such drones used to attack southern regions in the early hours of Saturday. The governor of Odesa said the strikes caused power cuts in
Civilians killed by M23 rebels in DRC
It is estimated that at least 131 civilians were killed by Mouvement 23 Marches (M23) rebels at the end of November.The UN investigation indicates that these deaths occurred mainly in two localities, Kishishe and Bambo, in the Rutshuru district of North Kivu province. The victims were executed in what points to a series of retaliatory
Changing Covid-19 name
China’s approach to COVID-19 which has emphasised widespread testing and the quarantining of positive cases in specialised facilities – should change from “passive detection” to “active prevention”, with recuperation at home for light cases. China should optimise epidemic prevention and control measures next year as it seeks to better coordinate policies with economic and social
COP27 climate conference progress
At last year’s summit, COP26, in Glasgow, countries agreed to “phase down” coal. At one point during this year’s negotiations countries were discussing expanding that to include oil and gas. The issue of loss and damage has been highly controversial. Richer nations have previously not wanted to agree to a new fund as they thought