Month: December 2021

$75bn takeover of chip designer Arm by rival Nvidia in jeopardy

US regulators move to block ‘the largest semiconductor chip merger in history’ The $75bn takeover of Cambridge-based chip designer Arm by its rival Nvidia is in jeopardy after US regulators followed the UK and Europe in moving to block “the largest semiconductor chip merger in history”. The Federal Trade Commission has sued to stop the …

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Xinjiang: Twitter closes thousands of China state-linked accounts spreading propaganda

Content was often ‘embarrassingly’ produced and pumped out via repurposed accounts, analysts say Twitter has shut down thousands of state-linked accounts in China that seek to counter evidence of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, as part of what experts called an “embarrassingly” produced propaganda operation. The operations used photos and images, shell and potentially automated …

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Best podcasts of the week: the reality show that ridiculed its trans star

Harsh Reality considers how TV has changed, as it celebrates Miriam Rivera’s life rather than mocking her. Plus: how a group of American students ended up at ‘Fake Oxford’ Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam RiveraIn 2004, when There’s Something About Miriam was touted as the next big thing, ratings were more important than duty …

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Rights groups urge EU to ban NSO over clients’ use of Pegasus spyware

Letter signed by 86 organisations asks for sanctions against Israeli firm, alleging governments used its software to abuse rights Dozens of human rights organisations have called on the European Union to impose global sanctions on NSO Group and take “every action” to prohibit the sale, transfer, export and import of the Israeli company’s surveillance technology. …

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UK government’s risk planning is weak and secretive, says Lords report

Chair of committee points out unpreparedness for Covid shows better anticipation of future threats is needed Assessment and planning by the government relating to risks facing the UK are deficient and “veiled in secrecy”, a report has found. The 129-page report, entitled Preparing for Extreme Risks: Building a Resilient Society, was produced by the House …

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Cabinet Office fined £500,000 over New Year honours list data breach

Regulator says safety of hundreds of individuals was jeopardised after their addresses were posted online The Cabinet Office has been fined £500,000 by the UK’s data watchdog after the postal addresses of the 2020 New Year honours recipients were disclosed online. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) found officials failed to put in place “appropriate technical …

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Facebook takes down Chinese network behind fake Swiss biologist Covid claims

Meta says misinformation spread by fictional scientist called Wilson Edwards focused on US blaming pandemic on China Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Facebook’s owner has taken down a Chinese misinformation network that attempted to spread claims about coronavirus using a fake Swiss biologist. Meta, the parent organisation of Facebook and Instagram, …

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Why do female pro gamers earn millions less than men?

The best esports competitors make millions, and the industry prides itself on meritocracy. So why are there so few women among the top earners? According to independent site esportsearnings.com, the highest-paid esports player has accumulated more than $7m (£5.2m) in winnings across his career. Johan “N0tail” Sundstein is a Danish Dota 2 player and has …

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Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City review – unpretentiously gory horror-game reboot

The long-running franchise is back with a reasonably entertaining 90s-set story of the emergence of a zombie virus Like the zombie-making virus which is the true game engine of this long-running franchise, the world of Resident Evil keeps evolving, respawning and regenerating extra mutant limbs and organs in different media. First there was the influential …

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Elon Musk jokes about whistleblowing in Tesla merchandise tweet

Chief executive posts ‘Blow the whistle on Tesla!’ amid lawsuits brought against carmaker Tesla’s chief executive, Elon Musk, has appeared to joke about whistleblowers on Twitter in the wake of high-profile lawsuits against the electric carmaker brought by current and former staff. The billionaire urged his 65 million Twitter followers to “Blow the whistle on …

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