Singapore turns to wearable contact-tracing Covid tech
Andrew Huang Singapore’s TraceTogether Tokens are the latest effort to tackle Covid-19 with tech. But they have also reignited a privacy debate. The wearable devices complement the island’s existing contact-tracing app, to identify people who might have been infected by those who have tested positive for the virus. All users have to do is carry […]
Japan’s humble birthplace of soy sauce
Tom Schiller (Credit: Tom Schiller) Soy sauce is ubiquitous throughout Japan and the world. But few know about the ancient origins of the holy grail of Japanese cuisine. Carefully climbing the steep stairs, I followed Tsunenori Kano into the loft of the fermentation room of his family’s 180-year-old soy sauce brewery, Kadocho. The dark space […]
Tensions grow as China ramps up global mining for green tech
Getty Images Lithium is extracted in Chile’s Atacama desert, located within the “lithium triangle” Earlier this year, Ai Qing was woken up in the middle of the night by angry chants outside her dormitory in northern Argentina. She peered out of the window to see Argentine workers surrounding the compound and blockading the entrance with […]
Nigeria basketball: Fiba warns of long-term impact of withdrawal from internationals
“Nigeria is due to participate in the Fiba 2023 Basketball World Cup (FBWC23) qualifiers and 2022 Women’s Basketball World Cup,” Fiba said in a letter addressed to the NBBF president Musa Kida. “Any withdrawal of Nigeria from the competitions will trigger potential disciplinary sanctions as per the Fiba internal regulations. “Furthermore, if the absence of […]
Open University overhaul risks job cuts
Getty Images The OU is proposing a radical overhaul to secure its future for the next 50 years Staff at the Open University are likely to face job losses as the institution launches “a radical overhaul”. A “root-and-branch review” aims to save £100m from an annual budget of £420m, said OU management in a statement. […]
Hong Kong’s ‘greasy spoon’ cafes
D3sign/Getty Images (Credit: D3sign/Getty Images) With a fifth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic washing over Hong Kong, all restaurants in the city have been ordered to pull down their shutters by 18:00. Daytime business in the city’s cha chaan tengs has mostly remained brisk, however. The quirky, no-nonsense cafes have long served up affordable staples […]
Tory donor accused of racist Diane Abbott remarks
Getty Images A major Tory donor has apologised after reportedly saying MP Diane Abbott made him “want to hate all black women” and that she “should be shot”. The Guardian reports that Frank Hester made the remarks about the then-shadow home secretary during a 2019 meeting. Mr Hester, who runs a health tech firm and […]
UK unveils new Tempest fighter jet model
Reuters A model of the UK’s planned new fighter jet, the Tempest, has been unveiled at the Farnborough Air Show. The UK’s Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson, said the jet could be used with either pilots or as a drone. The craft will eventually replace the existing Typhoon fighter jet. It will be developed and built […]
Canada’s rare new skiing adventure
Greg Hill (Credit: Greg Hill) Snowflakes gathered lightly on Greg Hill’s jacketed shoulders as he broke trail on his skis, guiding our group up a mountain in British Columbia’s Rogers Pass. It was February, prime time to experience this ski mecca, which lies less than 70km from the town of Revelstoke that Hill has called […]
Trump supporters target black voters with faked AI images
AI-GENERATED IMAGE This image, created by a radio host and his team using AI, is one of dozens of fakes portraying black Trump supporters Donald Trump supporters have been creating and sharing AI-generated fake images of black voters to encourage African Americans to vote Republican. BBC Panorama discovered dozens of deepfakes portraying black people as […]