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US's new scramble for Africa is biomedical imperialism

Al Jazeera

US's new scramble for Africa is biomedical imperialism Late in February, Zimbabwe pulled out of a proposed $367m United States health funding agreement after objecting to provisions requiring broad American access to sensitive health data. The five-year programme was presented as support for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and epidemic preparedness efforts. However, the terms demanded extensive sharing of national health intelligence, including epidemiological surveillance data and pathogen samples, while offering no binding guarantees that Zimbabwe would receive equitable access to medical technologies developed from them. Harare called the proposal an "unequal exchange", warning that Zimbabwe risked supplying the "raw materials for scientific discovery" while the resulting benefits could remain concentrated in the United States and global pharmaceutical firms. Critics increasingly describe this pattern as biomedical extractivism: a toxic combination of exploitative research practices and colonial thinking that reinforces Western dominance.


Scammers use AI-generated images of lost dogs to target pet owners

Popular Science

A scammer took a real image of a this German shepherd and used AI to make it seem like it was injured. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Increasingly realistic, easy-to-make AI-generated images are a major asset for online scammers looking to trick unsuspecting victims. While past AI-generated scams have tried to deceive people with fake celebrities or potential love interests, attackers increasingly have a new target: distraught pet owners searching for their lost companions . Over the past few months, numerous reports have surfaced following a similar pattern.


Will AI take Australian jobs, or is it just an excuse for corporate restructure?

The Guardian

AI has been blamed for more than 1,000 job cuts in Australia in the past few months. AI has been blamed for more than 1,000 job cuts in Australia in the past few months. Will AI take Australian jobs, or is it just an excuse for corporate restructure? More than 1,000 local tech jobs have recently been cut, with companies citing AI productivity gains. But that's not the full story, experts say T eresa Lim has one of the most recognisable voices in Australia.


The CIA once trained cats to be Cold War spies

Popular Science

Project Acoustic Kitty went about as well as you'd expect. The CIA tried to train cat spies. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Here's the scene: A man wearing a trench coat and a fedora sits on a park bench, looking up frequently from his newspaper to cast furtive glances at passersby. A stray cat wanders by.


Games with loot boxes to get minimum 16 age rating across Europe

BBC News

Games which feature loot boxes will soon be given an age rating of 16 across Europe, including in the UK, under a host of changes by the European video game ratings organisation. The Pan-European Game Information body (PEGI)'s age ratings are displayed on games sold in the UK and other countries in Europe to indicate their suitability for children of different ages. Loot boxes are an in-game feature allowing players to buy random mystery items with real or virtual currency, but recent research has found they blur the line between gaming and gambling. The new ratings, taking effect from June, could see games containing loot box systems, such as EA Sports FC, receive a much higher age rating. The PEGI system is used in 38 countries to help consumers and particularly parents make informed decisions about the games they purchase.


Google's AI Searches Love to Refer You Back to Google

WIRED

The app reads your email inbox and your meeting calendar, then gives you a short audio summary. It can help you spend less time scrolling, but of course, there are privacy drawbacks to consider.


Days really are dragging! Length of days on Earth is increasing at an 'unprecedented' rate - and scientists say climate change is to blame

Daily Mail - Science & tech

'Comatose' Mojtaba Khamenei'is UNAWARE there is a war on and has no idea he is supreme leader', report says - despite regime issuing his'first statement' FBI storms home of Lebanese-born restaurant worker who drove truck filled with explosives into synagogue and opened fire after his'family were killed in airstrike' Trump slammed after lifting oil sanctions on Russia as gas prices skyrocket: 'It's a betrayal' Alexander brothers' alleged HIGH SCHOOL rape video: Classmates speak out on sickening footage... as creepy unseen photos are exposed Kylie Jenner's total humiliation in Hollywood: Derogatory rumor leaves her boyfriend's peers'laughing at her' behind her back Billy Joel's daughter Alexa Ray gives health update amid his battle with rare brain disorder Concerning whispers inside Trump World that Operation Epic Fury is suddenly at risk... and the critical question that will determine how this ends: MARK HALPERIN Meghan Markle masks up to cheer young patients at Los Angeles children's hospital as she agrees deal to sign her latest documentary Beauty queen slams Trump as she's FIRED by White House: 'I stood by you for 20 years... now, I don't even recognize you' Wall Street issues stark warning that Iran oil attacks could wreck Trump's key election promises Truth behind the massacre of 110 school girls in Iran: How shameful episode sparked a deluge of conspiracy theories and lies... as JAKE WALLIS SIMONS explores what really happened Long hair over 45 is ageing and try-hard. I've finally cut mine off. NFL fans left divided as team replace historic logo with'boring' new design as part of franchise rebrand I worked with Carolyn Bessette. This is the'messy' truth about what she was REALLY like in secret. After she met JFK Jr she tried to hide it... but we all knew the nighttime gossip Trump says US is'totally destroying' Iran as he issues chilling threat of more action coming TODAY The 7 types of'hyperarousal' - so, do you get cold sweats or tingling fingers?


The Download: how AI is used for military targeting, and the Pentagon's war on Claude

MIT Technology Review

The Download: how AI is used for military targeting, and the Pentagon's war on Claude Plus: an ex-DOGE staffer has been accused of stealing social security data. The US military might use generative AI systems to rank targets and recommend which to strike first, according to a Defense Department official. A list of possible targets could first be fed into a generative AI system that the Pentagon is fielding for classified settings. Humans might then ask the system to analyze the information and prioritize the targets. They would then be responsible for checking and evaluating the results and recommendations. OpenAI's ChatGPT and xAI's Grok could soon be at the center of exactly these sorts of high-stakes military decisions.


China's OpenClaw Boom Is a Gold Rush for AI Companies

WIRED

China's OpenClaw Boom Is a Gold Rush for AI Companies Hype around the open source agent is driving people to rent cloud servers and buy AI subscriptions just to try it, creating a windfall for tech companies. George Zhang thought OpenClaw could make him rich, even though he didn't really understand how the viral AI agent software worked. But he saw a video of a Chinese social media influencer demonstrating how it could be deployed to manage stock portfolios and make investment decisions autonomously. Zhang, who works in cross-border ecommerce in the Chinese city of Xiamen, was intrigued enough that he decided to try installing OpenClaw in late February. Zhang is one of the many people in China who got swept up in the craze over OpenClaw recently.