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☆ How racing driverless cars is pushing autonomous technology
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Amy Gunia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

He’s been working on robotics since the 1980s, and he’s surprised by how quickly autonomous technology has advanced. He sees this in his day-to-day work at KUCARS, where researchers are working on everything from autonomous cars and drones to marine, agricultural, and manufacturing robotics. There have been other autonomous car races before, but A2RL’s was the first to include a race between four driverless cars, according to organizers. “But it was good to push the community.”Team Polimove competes during the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League. Pushing the technology to the edgeEfforts to set driverless cars loose on public roads have faced setbacks, especially as the result of collisions with unforeseen obstacles.

Persons: Lakmal Seneviratne, He’s, he’s, A2RL’s, ” Seneviratne, Daniil Kvyat, Amr Alfiky, Reuters ‘, Max Verstappen, TUM, Seneviratne, Polimove, Giuseppe Cacace, Simon Hoffman, ” Hoffman, Uber, Hoffman, ” Organizations: CNN, Netflix, P Global Mobility, Khalifa University Center, Autonomous Robotic Systems, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League, Reuters, Beijing Institute of Technology, Abu, Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Technical University of Munich, Getty, Yas Marina Circuit, Khalifa University of Science Locations: Abu Dhabi, KUCARS, Yas

☆ Sydney: Stabbed bishop delivers first message from hospital as malicious disinformation spreads
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The rapid spread of disinformation fomented an already volatile situation and days later authorities, faith groups and the bishop are still trying to calm community tension. But regulators are finding it much harder to act against social media platforms for the disinformation that spread online after the attacks – especially after the mass stabbing in the eastern suburb of Bondi. After the church attack, unconfirmed speculation also swirled about the faith of the alleged attacker and his motive. A 16-year-old boy has been charged with terrorism over the alleged stabbing of the bishop, police said Thursday. Video Ad Feedback Police: Australia church stabbing was 'terrorist incident' 04:31 - Source: CNNSystem of self-regulationBut stamping out some of the hateful comments that spread online has not been so easy.

Persons: Australia CNN —, Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, Jesus, ” Emmanuel, –, ”, Chris Minns, “ I’m, Steven Saphore, Australia’s, Meta, Facebook –, Marc Owen Jones, Russia influencer, Seven, Bondi, Jones, Hamad, won’t, he’s “, who’s, “, Elon Musk, That’s, Michelle Rowland, that’s, ” Rowland, Terry Flew Organizations: Australia CNN, Good Shepherd, State, Reuters, Facebook, NSW Police, West, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Police, CNN, Digital Industry Group Inc, Elon, Twitter, ABC Radio Thursday, Digital Communication, University of Sydney, European, Thursday NSW Police Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, NSW, Westfield, Bondi, Russia, Australian, Queensland, Gaza, Qatar, European Union

☆ Graphene: The world’s strongest material could be used to make clean drinking water
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Often referred to as a “miracle material,” graphene is one million times thinner than a single human hair and stronger than steel. The two-dimensional carbon material, made from single layers of graphite, a material mined from the ground, is extremely lightweight, conductive, and flexible, and has the potential to deliver transformational technologies across industries, from electronics to transportation. Now, researchers at Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are exploring another use for graphene: producing drinking water. That’s where graphene comes in: Arafat is working on a graphene-enhanced membrane that could make the process more efficient and cheaper. “Even in small quantities, these graphene materials significantly improve the performance of the membranes in terms of their water production,” he adds.

Persons: ”, Hassan Arafat, Arafat, “, Arafat isn’t, Molymem, Christophe Viseux, RIC2D, James Baker, Baker, You’re, ” Baker Organizations: CNN, Khalifa University, United Arab Emirates, United Arab, Research, Innovation, UK’s University of Manchester, University of Manchester, Bloomberg, Getty, Graphene@Manchester, European Union Locations: UAE, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Abu, Turkish, Emirates

☆ Japanese scientists want to send a wooden satellite into space
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Murata wondered if he “could build a wooden house on the moon or Mars,” and decided to test the theory — by creating a wooden satellite. Wooden satellites would be better for the planet while still providing the same functionality as their metal counterparts, says Murata. Now, they are working with Japan’s space agency (JAXA) and NASA to send the prototype satellite, called LingoSat, into orbit early next year. Engineers at Kyoto University are building a wooden satellite that will be launched into space in a joint mission with JAXA and NASA. Finnish startup Arctic Astronautics designed the WISA Woodsat, a wooden satellite that was supposed to be launched into space in 2021.

Persons: that’s, Koji Murata, Murata, ”, It’s, Jari Mäkinen, ” Mäkinen, Yarjan Abdul Samad, Samad, Tatsuhito Fujita, Fujita Organizations: CNN, Kyoto University, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, “, JAXA, NASA, Murata, Engineers, Kyoto, NOAA, Astronautics, Khalifa University, United Arab Locations: Japan, East Asia, United Arab Emirates

Reuters fact-checking unit has identified numerous cases of social media posts using fake images and information about the Israel-Hamas conflict, and others in which confusion rather than deliberate disinformation appears to have heightened tensions. loading* A video of Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking about Ukraine last year was shared this month with fabricated subtitles warning the U.S. not to interfere in the Israel-Hamas conflict. The sheriff’s office said they were "targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the on-going Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis". Marc Owen Jones, a disinformation expert and professor at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Qatar, said there was often a rise in disinformation during conflicts. Clearly they seem directed at different audiences, but the combined effect is to muddy the waters about the truth in the conflict," he said.

Persons: Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, Joe Biden, we’ve, Biden, Farida Khan, Al Jazeera, Jazeera, Vladimir Putin, Pink, Gerald Darmanin, Thierry Breton, Rafi Mendelsohn, Abu Obaidah, Tayyip Erdogan, Marc Owen Jones, Hamad, Stephanie Burnett, Stephen Farrell, Hardik, Abdel Fattah Sherif, Neha Mustafi, Jonathan B Mathew, Nidal, James Mackenzie, Andrew Mills, William Maclean, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Al, Hamas, Reuters, Louvre, Facebook, Meta, YouTube, Israel’s Office, State Attorney, Twitter, Palestine, Hamad bin Khalifa University, Hardik Vyas, Thomson Locations: Gaza, AMSTERDAM, LONDON, Israel, ., Al Jazeera, Ukraine, Guatemala, Israeli, New Zealand, kibbutzes, France, In Illinois, London, Middle, Tehran, Turkey, Qatar, Amsterdam, Bangalore, Jerusalem, Doha

☆ COP28 in Dubai: Inside the push to greenwash the next climate summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The country has embarked on a major PR campaign to boost its green credentials ahead of the COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai later this year, prompting heavy criticism from climate groups and some politicians. The controversial road to COPThe climate summit takes place at a different location each year, with responsibility for hosting rotating among five regional groups. But the UAE stands out because of the way it chose to intertwine the summit with its oil business. In January, the UAE announced Sultan Al Jaber would be the summit president, to the horror of many climate groups. The country is “ideally suited to host” the summit, a spokesperson for the COP28 presidency told CNN.

Persons: ”, Jennie King, Sultan Al Jaber, Al Jaber, CNN Al Jaber “, Al Jaber’s, John Kerry, Frans Timmermans, “, ” Al Jaber, It’s, it’s, Al, ADNOC, Marc Owen Jones, Hamad, Jones, King, Cop28, Kat Ainger, ” King Organizations: CNN, United, United Arab Emirates, Centre, Climate, Guardian, Institute for Strategic, Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, US, Associated Press, EU, Hamad bin Khalifa University, Twitter, UAE COP28, UAE Ministry of, Environment, UAE, US Justice Department, Corporate Locations: United Arab, Dubai, UAE, Katowice, Glasgow, Abu Dhabi, Al Jaber, Qatar, Paris, China, India, ”

☆ Middle Eastern regimes have a history of shutting down the internet. But it’s costing them
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —When authoritarian Middle Eastern regimes feel threatened by their public, they often shut down the internet. Internet Society, a US-based non-profit organization that advocates for global internet access, last week released a new tool called NetLoss, which calculates the economic damage of government-imposed internet blackouts. After tracking global internet shutdowns in 2022, the organization found that countries in the Middle East and North Africa tightened restrictions on internet access over time. In the Middle East, internet shutdowns are correlated with authoritarian regimes, particularly during social unrest or conflict, Jones said. Neither country has ever imposed a complete internet shutdown, according to Internet Society, and both have a shutdown risk of under 10%.

Persons: ”, Marc Owen Jones, Hamad, Jones, Hanna Kreitem, Kreitem, ” Kreitem, “, ” Jones Organizations: CNN, Internet Society, Rapid Support Forces, Bank, Society, Hamad Bin Khalifa University Locations: Libya, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain, Iraq, Algeria, Iran, US, East, North Africa, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, Ukraine

☆ One-fifth of water pollution comes from textile dyes. But a new material inspired by shellfish could clean it up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Every year, the textile industry uses 1.3 trillion gallons of water to dye garments – enough to fill 2 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. Textile wastewater contains toxic chemicals from dyes that pollute the enviornment -- like wastewater released from factories into Dravyavati River, in India (pictured). Noemi Cassanelli/AFP/Getty ImagesThey targeted “anionic dyes,” because there are not many effective methods to remove these types of dye from water. He also hopes to devise solutions for cleaning more than just textile dyes from water. Nashef says that using membrane-based nanomaterials in pre-treatment could cut the energy needed to clean the water.

☆ The China-brokered Saudi-Iran deal has big repercussions for the Middle East — and the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Taking up a specific role that the U.S. could not have fulfilled, this was Beijing's first foray into Middle East mediation, an area that for the past few decades was largely occupied by Washington. "I think China was a good partner to do this. I think they're the right people," he said, noting that China invests heavily in Saudi Arabia and is its top trading partner. Chinese President, Xi Jinping (L) is welcomed by Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (R) at the Palace of Yamamah in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 8, 2022. And not just economically, as it already exports an immense amount of goods to the Middle East and is the largest importer of Saudi oil – but politically.

☆ Fact Check-Embassies say there is no truth to claims about Western diplomats fleeing Turkey before the Feb. 6 earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters found no evidence supporting claims online that eight ambassadors to Turkey left the country 24 hours before the Feb. 6 deadly earthquake. The U.S. and Belgian embassies in Turkey did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. There is also no evidence to support claims these countries’ ambassadors knew about the earthquake beforehand. The online claims may have been inspired by this news, but this meeting took place in Turkey. Reuters found no evidence of claims that eight Western ambassadors to Turkey left the country 24 hours before the Feb. 6 earthquake.

☆ China has to figure out how to care for 400 million people over the age of 60 by 2040 — and it's off to a rocky start
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

By 2040, it's expected to have 400 million people above the age of 60 — more people than in the entire US. "It's obvious that relying on contributions from medical insurance schemes to fund age care services is not likely to be viable in the longer term," she said. Alzheimer's is quickly rising as a concern in China, Luk said. "Is China aging rapidly? Beijing has been pressuring the private sector into building daycare centers, wards, and other age care infrastructure to shore up gaps in local government finances, Gu said.

The running of the World Cup is the only opportunity that Qatar sees for redemption," said Marc Owen Jones, an associate professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. "The markers of a successful World Cup would be as a nation-branding exercise, to position Qatar as an important sports hub in the Middle East and the wider Arab world," he said. 'HYPOCRISY'The first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, Qatar hailed it as a regional milestone when it was awarded the tournament in 2010. "The reasons given for boycotting the World Cup do not add up. Pressing back against its criticism, Qatar points to labour reforms aimed at protecting migrant workers from exploitation and says the system is a work in progress.

☆ Anti-vaxxers evaded social-media content bans by replacing the word 'vaccine' with a carrot emoji, BBC investigation finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One large Facebook group used the carrot emoji to replace the word vaccine, per the BBC. The shot glass emoji was also used to replace the word "shot" and disparage vaccines. Per the BBC, several social media groups were using the emoji as a code for the word "vaccine." He said in a Twitter thread on Sunday the carrot emoji symbol was used to replace the word vaccine "presumably to evade censorship. Turqay Melikli/Getty imagesThe BBC flagged the group using the emojis as code to Facebook's parent company Meta, which took them down.

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