Parts of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest are being illegally sold on Facebook, the BBC is reporting. From the report: The protected areas include national forests and land reserved for indigenous peoples. Some of the plots listed via Facebook’s classified ads service are as large as 1,000 football pitches. Facebook said it was “ready to work with local authorities”, but indicated it would…
Tag: Authorities
US Says Saudi Prince Approved Journalist Khashoggi Killing
A US intelligence report has found that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the murder of exiled journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. BBC: The declassified report released by the Biden administration says the prince approved a plan to either capture or kill the US-based Saudi exile. It is the first time America has publicly named the crown prince, who denies…
Could an Ethically-Correct AI Shut Down Gun Violence?
The Next Web writes:
A trio of computer scientists from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York recently published research detailing a potential AI intervention for murder: an ethical lockout. The big idea here is to stop mass shootings and other ethically incorrect uses for firearms through the development of an AI that can recognize intent, judge whether it’s ethical use, and…
Mount Etna erupts
Italy’s Mount Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, has erupted twice in less than 48 hours, spewing a fountain of lava and ash into the sky. Source: https://earthsky.org/todays-image/mount-etna-erupts-feb2021…
TikTok Hit With Consumer, Child Safety and Privacy Complaints in Europe
TikTok is facing a fresh round of regulatory complaints in Europe where consumer protection groups have filed a series of coordinated complaints alleging multiple breaches of EU law. From a report: The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) has lodged a complaint against the video sharing site with the European Commission and the bloc’s network of consumer protection authorities, while consumer organisations in…
After Researchers Raise Spying Concerns, Clubhouse Promises Blocks on Transmitting to Chinese Servers
“The developers of audio chat room app Clubhouse plan to add additional encryption to prevent it from transmitting pings to servers in China,” reports The Verge, “after Stanford researchers said they found vulnerabilities in its infrastructure.” In a new report, the Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO) said it confirmed that Shanghai-based company Agora Inc., which makes real-time engagement software, “supplies back-end infrastructure…
Is the Dyatlov Pass incident solved?
The Dyatlov Pass incident has intrigued people for generations, but a new theory pointing to a slab avalanche as the culprit does a thorough job of explaining how the 9 Russian trekkers died. A new video and more here. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/dyatlov-pass-incident-mystery-solved-slab-avalanche…
Germany To Let Citizens Store ID Cards On Smartphone
Germany says its citizens will be able to use smartphones to store their government-issued ID cards and prove their identity online. The Associated Press reports: The Interior Ministry said Wednesday that from this fall, citizens will be able to use the electronic ID stored in their smartphones together with a PIN number to prove they are who they claim to be…
Authorities Arrest SIM Swapping Gang that Targeted Celebrities
Eight men were arrested across England and Scotland this week as part of a coordinated crackdown against a SIM swapping gang that has hijacked the identities and social media profiles of US celebrities. From a report: The UK National Crime Agency, which made the arrests on Tuesday, said the gang targeted well-known sports stars, musicians, and influencers, primarily located in the…
Chinese spacecraft enters Mars’ orbit, joining Arab ship
A Chinese spacecraft went into orbit around Mars on Wednesday on an expedition to land a rover on the surface and scout for signs of ancient life, authorities announced in a landmark step in the country’s most ambitious deep-space mission yet. Source: https://phys.org/news/2021-02-chinese-spacecraft-mars-orbit-arab.html…