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At least 19 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine
Is the war entering a new phase? Ukrainian officials say at least 19 people have been injured in Russian missile and drone strikes targeting Kyiv and surrounding areas. Ukraine's Air Force said on Thursday that it destroyed or suppressed 131 Russian aerial targets during the overnight attacks, adding that the main areas targeted were the Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia and Odesa regions. Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces hit metallurgical and electronics plants, factories of the military-industrial complex, energy and transport facilities in the three regions. Three bulk carriers and a ferry used to carry supplies for the Ukrainian military were hit in the port of Chornomorsk, added the ministry.
The EU Wants to Break Up Kids and Their Chatbots
The EU plans to ban chatbots from simulating emotions or interpersonal relationships in interactions with anyone under the age of 18 as the bloc tries to stop children from developing emotional dependencies on the technology. The rules will be part of the EU Kids Act, proposed on Thursday, which includes similar restrictions on minors' access to social media and video-sharing platforms. Children under 13 will be banned from accessing chatbots without their guardians' supervision, and digital platforms will have to build child-safety protections into their products or face fines of up to 6% of total worldwide turnover, according to a draft of the legislation seen by WIRED. Chatbots operating in the EU will also not be allowed to retain memory of interactions between separate conversations under the new rules, since the Commission worries this could lead to systems accumulating sensitive data of minors over time and potentially reinforcing harmful interaction patterns. Providers of online social networking sites, video-sharing platforms, and games should not automatically activate or encourage the use of AI chatbots on their services, the proposed law will also stipulate.
Russia's attacks on Europe are getting more brazen and more dangerous
Russia's attacks on Europe are getting more brazen and more dangerous Firefighters extinguish a fire inside a train carriage that was damaged by a drone strike near Ukraine's border with Poland on Saturday. Over the course of the summer, Russian attacks have been pushing ever deeper into European territory. On Aug. 11, military divers destroyed two drones floating off the coast of Romania near a €4 billion ($4.7 billion) energy project. Nine days later, Bucharest scrambled two F-16s to take out a maritime drone near the same Black Sea gas platform with hundreds of workers on board. Earlier that month, German police detected an armed UAV at Leipzig airport, while this week NATO jets downed another unmanned aircraft that entered Lithuanian airspace from neighboring Belarus, an ally of Moscow.
From Yanbu to Sohar: Tracking Saudi Arabia's alternative oil routes
Did Iran capture a US submarine? Saudi Arabia's oil exports took another blow last week when drone attacks knocked out part of the country's East-West pipeline, halting oil flow and removing 4-5 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil from global supply. It is unclear how long repairs will take, although The Associated Press estimates three to five weeks, citing two regional officials. The 1,200km (746-mile) pipeline connects the kingdom's main oil-producing fields in the east of the country with Yanbu port on the Red Sea coast in the west, allowing Saudi crude to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which has largely remained closed since the United States-Israel war on Iran began on February 28. As the world's second-largest oil producer, Saudi Arabia's ability to keep crude flowing has significant consequences for global energy markets.
EU announces plan to restrict social media access for under-15s
The EU has announced plans to restrict social media access for under-15s across its member states, in a bid to increase wellbeing and tackle online safety. Under the plans, there would be a gradual approach to children using social media which would include banning under 13s from accessing platforms. Those aged 13 to 15 would only be able to access platforms for an hour per day via mini accounts set up through their parent or guardian's social media account. The European Commission said social media companies would need to prove their platforms were safe by design, while EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said the move would put parents back in the driving seat. She added the legislation - called the EU Kids Act - would give parents the tools to help their children navigate a safer world.
Flock Once Touted Its Cameras as 'Made in the USA.' Now It's Not So Clear
Flock Once Touted Its Cameras as'Made in the USA.' Now It's Not So Clear Flock reveals little about where its license plate readers are assembled, but the answer could have geopolitical and cybersecurity implications. Flock CEO Garrett Langley has said the company made its first license plate cameras in his Atlanta home, permanently scratching his dining table with drill marks. A decade later, where the company assembles its signature--and fiercely debated --product has become more of a mystery. For years, Flock touted publicly that its devices were produced in the United States. But more recent marketing materials from the company reviewed by WIRED no longer specify where its cameras come from. One US manufacturer that previously identified Flock as a customer quietly removed a mention of the company from its website earlier this year as public backlash against the company's surveillance technology grew.
'Everybody was as one': Reverend reflects on search effort for Noah Woods
'Everybody was as one': Reverend reflects on search effort for Noah Woods The love shown by a community who rallied to search for missing three-year-old Noah Woods was a thread of positivity amongst the tragedy, a reverend has said. Noah disappeared from a playground in Brantham, Suffolk, at about 15:00 BST on Tuesday after becoming separated from a relative. At least 1,300 people helped to try to find him in the following 24 hours, before a child's body was discovered on Wednesday afternoon at a nearby pond. Reverend Chris Willis said: Everybody was as one... what we saw throughout was a real coming together of people and a willingness to work together which, in spite of the deep sadness, was a thread of real positivity seeing how people cared. About 100 bunches of flowers have been left at the playground where he was last seen and more than £21,000 has been donated to a fundraiser to support his family.