Tech News

Online manipulation, hate 'must stop': UN conference

Digital platforms have changed how we interact, and urgent action is needed to stop the manipulation of users and hate speech, a UN conference in Paris heard Wednesday.. As a result of the conference, UNESCO aims to draw up global guidelines to fight disinformation and hate speech for governments, regulatory bodies and digital companies by mid-2023. lp-ah/sjw/fb

Google hails 'key milestone' in quantum computing

Google scientists said Wednesday they have passed a major milestone in their quest to develop effective quantum computing, with a new study showing they reduced the rate of errors -- long an obstacle for the much-hyped technology.. Julian Kelly, another study co-author, hailed the development as "a key scientific milestone", saying that "quantum error correction is the single most important technology for the future of quantum computing".

Energy-starved S.Africa offers tax breaks to boost green power

South Africa unveiled Wednesday new tax incentives to encourage investment in the production of clean power to help the country battle an energy crisis that has sparked worsening blackouts.. The continent's most industrialised country has been labouring under a devastating energy shortfall for months, largely due to under-investment in power utility Eskom's ageing and poorly maintained plants.

Kenya launches probe into sex abuse claims at UK tea firms

Kenyan prosecutors on Wednesday said they will investigate accusations of sexual abuse on tea estates that supply some of Britain's most popular brands.. More than 70 women working in the plantations in Kenya's Rift Valley told an undercover investigation by the BBC that they had been sexually abused by their supervisors for years.

UNESCO conference tackles disinformation, hate speech

Participants at a global UN conference in France's capital on Wednesday urged the international community to find better safeguards against online disinformation and hate speech.. She said that, at the height of online campaigns against her for her work, she had received up to 98 hate messages an hour.

Chinese-owned British Steel says plans 260 job cuts

British Steel plans to cut up to 260 jobs in Britain after being hit by soaring energy costs, the Chinese-owned group announced Wednesday. . The announcement comes as British Steel, owned by Chinese group Jingye since 2020, seeks financial support from the UK government.

Game on: Sony re-enters VR headset fray

Consumer tech giant Sony is launching a virtual reality (VR) headset for its PlayStation on Wednesday, six and a half years after its last attempt to crack a market that is still struggling to gain a widespread public following.. By comparison, Sony claims to have sold 30 million PlayStation 5 consoles last year.

Russian oligarchs' superyachts on sanctions radar

Luxurious superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs reportedly close to the Kremlin have proved difficult to seize under Western sanctions imposed over Moscow's war in Ukraine.. Abramovich has been hit with sanctions by Britain and the EU, though not the US, for his close ties to Putin.