-WAIL

Human bipedalism did not begin in the African savannas: rather, it seems to have started among the branches of trees, with chimpanzees. For decades, as part of Charles Darwin's legacy to the scientific gaze, hominids were thought to have begun to walk on two legs in Africa. As the 'Cradle of Humankind', human bipedalism most likely began in the broad desert savannahs, where hominids had to stand upright to find food. It seems that it was not so. For 15 months, scientists from University College London observed a group of chimpanzees in Issa, Tanzania. Although this space has far fewer trees than tropical forests, it has enough for researchers to document an unusual phenomenon. The chimpanzees walked upright among the branches of the trees. In search of the juiciest fruits Contrary to what was thought for years, it seems that human bipedalism began in the treetops. In search of juicy fruits, the chimpanzees stretched out between tree branches on two legs, "climbing like apes, but walking like humans," the authors explain. However, what most surprised the research team is that the chimpanzees stayed longer on two legs among the branches than on the ground. This is how Alex Piel, one of the study's leading researchers, explains it: “IN ADDITION, BECAUSE MANY OF THE TRADITIONAL DRIVERS OF BIPEDALISM (SUCH AS CARRYING OBJECTS OR SEEING OVER TALL GRASS, FOR EXAMPLE) ARE ASSOCIATED WITH BEING ON THE GROUND, WE THINK WE WOULD NATURALLY SEE MORE BIPEDALISM HERE AS WELL. HOWEVER, THIS IS NOT WHAT WE FOUND”, DETAILS THE SPECIALIST IN SCIENCE ADVANCES. This implies that chimpanzees are not as terrestrial as originally thought. In fact, more than 85% of bipedalism cases occurred in trees. This behavior completely contradicts previous theories about how human bipedalism developed in the African savannah. Instead, we seem to have evolved to walk on two legs among the treetops. https://www.ngenespanol.com/animales/cuando-empezo-el-bipedismo-humano/

It’s a depressing fact that the carrozzerie of Turin have faded in output and influence over the past 20 years, if they still exist at all. Even the mighty Pininfarina, having split from longstanding client Ferrari after the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, is now more involved with architecture and toasters, while the spun-off Pininfarina Automobili brand, maker of the bazillion-horsepower Pininfarina Battista EV, is Indian-owned and Munich-based. Meanwhile, Italdesign Giugiaro is Volkswagen Group-owned so does little outside those corporate confines, and if you were being generous you could describe Bertone as ‘lying dormant’ (or at least you could until last week!). I’m not embedded enough in the design world to know the intricacies of how this slide into obscurity happened but it seems the the independent carrozzerie lost ground to an array of sprawling in-house operations (numbering many hundreds of designers in some cases), and with mixed results. Two examples: neither Ferrari’s flagship GT car, the 812 Superfast, nor the new BMW 7 Series – both designed by their makers where in the past their appearance would have been conceived by third parties in Turin – is what you’d call pretty. It's no surprise then that while 20 years ago the new Maserati MC20 (for Maserati Corse 2020) would have been penned and clay modelled by one of the carrozzerie, today it is merely another ‘Centro Stile’ product. Granted, the design was led by the talented, Coventry-trained Klaus Busse, but his job is also to oversee Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo and others besides. So much product! Churning it all out must be quite distracting. Might the result be a department too stretched and, in the case of the MC20, a supercar designed by committee? One trying to express some twee take on Maserati’s incredible history but failing to manage even that with the necessary conviction (hello Countach LPI 800-4). Something in-house but also inward-looking, without having benefitted from the reality check traditionally provided by an external carrozzeria. And yet the MC20 is nothing of the sort. Quite the opposite. It’s glorious to behold in the metal: subtle and almost plain in its form but with more presence than any competitor and plenty of freshness besides. It doesn’t do frippery, and while the front is perfectly Maserati, there’s something old-world and streamlinery about the sloping back and squared-off tail that I can’t quite put my finger on but think looks so inspiring. The MC20 is timeless, brooding, and I want one. To say the car succeeds as an object is an understatement, and as an all-new Italian supercar designed in Turin… Well, you’ve got to love that, haven’t you? Whether carrozzerie-conceived or not. Better still, the driving experience really delivers. The steering is a little lacking in comms, the brake pedal is too soft and the general vibe is quite basic and almost laughably brutish on the surface, but get to know the MC20 and it’s delicate, trustworthy, playful and truly authentic. And so, so fast! The Nettuno V6 is an animal, and suits the way the car looks and feels. Overall, what a product. Welcome back, Maserati. Crack on. https://www.autocar.co.uk/opinion/features/autocar-writers-cars-2022-maserati-mc20-0

The conflict in Ukraine is about to enter its second calendar year. We asked several military analysts how they think events on the ground will unfold in 2023. Could it conclude in the coming year and how - on the battlefield or at the negotiating table? Or might it grind on to 2024? 'Russia's spring offensive will be key' Michael Clarke, associate director of the Strategic Studies Institute, Exeter, UK Those who seek to invade another country anywhere across the great Eurasian steppes are condemned eventually to winter in it. Napoleon, Hitler and Stalin all had to keep their armies moving in the face of a steppes winter, and now - his invasion going backwards on the ground - Vladimir Putin is digging his forces in for the winter to await a new Russian offensive in the spring. Both sides need a pause but the Ukrainians are better equipped and motivated to keep going, and we can expect them to maintain the pressure, at least in the Donbas. Around Kreminna and Svatove they are very close to a big breakthrough that would throw Russian forces 40 miles back to the next natural defensive line, close to where their invasion effectively began in February. Kyiv will be reluctant to halt when the immediate prize is so great. Ukrainian offensives might, nevertheless, pause down in the south-west, following the recovery of Kherson. Crossing over to the east side of the Dnipro river to pressure Russia's vulnerable road and rail links into Crimea might be too demanding. But the possibility of Kyiv launching a surprise new offensive can never be ruled out. How Russia is rebuilding its key bridge to Crimea For 2023, the key determinant will be the fate of Russia's spring offensive. Putin had admitted that about 50,000 of the newly mobilised troops are already at the front; the other 250,000 of those just mobilised are training for next year. There is no scope for anything but more war until the fortunes of those new Russian forces are settled on the battlefield. A short and unstable ceasefire is the only other prospect. Putin has made it clear he will not stop. And Ukraine has made it clear it is still fighting for its life. 'Ukraine will win back its land' Andrei Piontkovsky, scientist and analyst based in Washington DC Ukraine will win by restoring completely its territorial integrity by spring 2023 at the latest. Two factors are shaping this conclusion. One is the motivation, determination and courage of the Ukrainian military and Ukrainian nation as a whole, which is unprecedented in modern war history. The other is the fact that, after years of appeasement of a Russian dictator, the West has finally grown up to realise the magnitude of historical challenge it faces. This is best illustrated by a recent statement by Nato General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg. "The price we pay is in money. While the price the Ukrainians pay is in blood. If authoritarian regimes see that force is rewarded we will all pay a much higher price. And the world will become a more dangerous world for all of us." The exact timing of the inevitable Ukrainian victory will be determined by the speed at which Nato can deliver a new game-changing package of military assault weapons (tanks, planes, long-ranged missiles). What weapons are being supplied to Ukraine? I expect Melitopol will become the key battle point in the coming months (maybe weeks). Having taken over Melitopol, Ukrainians will easily move to the Azov Sea, effectively cutting off supply and communication lines to Crimea. Russian capitulation will be formally agreed upon at technical talks after devastating Ukrainian advances on the battleground. The victorious powers - Ukraine, UK, USA - will shape a new international security architecture. 'There is no end in sight' Barbara Zanchetta, Department of War Studies, King's College London Vladimir Putin expected Ukraine's passive acceptance of its more powerful neighbour's actions, with no meaningful involvement of other countries. This grave miscalculation has led to a protracted conflict, with seemingly no end in sight. The winter will be difficult, as Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure will try to break the morale and endurance of an already shattered po[CENSORED]tion. But Ukrainian resilience has proved to be remarkable. They will stand firm. The war will drag on. And on. The prospects for negotiation are bleak. For a potential peace deal the core demands of at least one side need to change. There is no evidence that this has happened, or that it will happen soon. How will the end come, then? The costs of the war, both material and human, might break the level of commitment of the Russian political elite. The key will be inside Russia. Past wars in which miscalculation was a crucial element, such as Vietnam for United States, or Afghanistan for the Soviet Union, only ended in this way. Domestic political conditions shifted in the country that had miscalculated, making exit - either "honourable" or not - the only viable option. This may only happen, however, if the West stands firm in its support for Ukraine, in the face of increased domestic pressures linked to the costs of the war. Sadly, this will continue to be a long-protracted political, economic and military battle of resolve. And by the end of 2023 it will most probably still be ongoing. 'No other outcome except Russian defeat' Ben Hodges, former commanding general, United States Army Europe It's too early to plan a victory parade in Kyiv but all the momentum is with Ukraine now and there is no doubt in my mind that they will win this war, probably in 2023. Things will move slower over the winter but there's no doubt that Ukraine's forces will be better able to cope than Russia's because of all the winter equipment coming from the UK, Canada and Germany. By January, Ukraine could be in a position to begin the final phase of the campaign which is the liberation of Crimea. We know from history that war is a test of will and a test of logistics. When I see the determination of the Ukrainian people and soldiers, and the rapidly improving logistical situation for Ukraine, I see no other outcome but a Russian defeat. Can we expect peace talks to begin? The Russian pull-out from Kherson has partly led me to this conclusion. Firstly as a psychological boost for the Ukrainian people, secondly as a profound embarrassment for the Kremlin and thirdly by handing Ukraine's forces a key operational advantage - all approaches into Crimea are now within range of Ukrainian weapon systems. I believe that the end of 2023 will see Crimea fully restored to Ukrainian control and sovereignty though there may be some sort or agreement that allows Russia to phase out some of its naval presence in Sevastopol… perhaps even to the end of the treaty (approximately 2025) that had existed before Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea. Reconstruction efforts will be under way on the Ukrainian infrastructure along the Azov Sea coast, including the important ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk, and the reopening of the North Crimean Canal that diverts water from the Dnipro to Crimea will be another important project receiving attention. 'Expect more of the same' David Gendelman, military expert based in Israel Instead of "how it's going to end" here is what each side would like to achieve in the next phase. Only about half of Russia's 300,000 mobilised troops are already in the fighting zone. The rest, together with the forces freed for action after Kherson withdrawal, gives the Russians an opportunity to launch an offensive. The occupation of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions will continue but a major Russian breakthrough like a drive from the south to Pavlograd to encircle the Ukrainian forces in the Donbas is less likely. More probable is a continuation of current tactics - a slow grinding of Ukrainian forces on narrow directions and a slow advance, like in Bakhmut and Avdiivka areas, with possible same tactics in Svatove-Kreminna area. Continuing targeting of Ukrainian energy infrastructure and other attacks on Ukrainian rear will complete this war of attrition strategy. Significant Ukrainian forces were also freed after a Russian retreat from Kherson. For them the most strategically valuable direction is south, to Melitopol or Berdyansk, aiming to cut the Russian mainland corridor to Crimea. That would be a major Ukrainian victory, and that is exactly why Russians are fortifying Melitopol. Another option for Ukraine is Svatove - success there would endanger the whole northern flank of the entire Russian frontline. The big question is how many Ukrainian forces are free and available for the offensive at this point, and what timetable General Zaluzhnyi has on his desk stating how many new reserve brigades and corps that are being built will be ready in one, two or three months from now, including manpower, armoured vehicles and heavy weapons. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63987113

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The Guardian newspaper has come under a suspected ransomware attack. It said there had been a "serious incident" affecting its IT systems in the last 24 hours, with disruption to "behind the scenes services". The company said it was continuing to publish globally to its website - one of the most visited news sites in the world - and was "confident" it could still print the physical paper. Staff have been told not to go into the office and to work from home. In a statement, the Guardian said: "Our technology teams have been working to deal with all aspects of this incident, with the vast majority of our staff able to work from home as we did during the pandemic. "We believe this to be a ransomware attack, but are continuing to consider all possibilities." Ransomware is malicious software used by hackers - and often sent via attachments in emails - to gain access to an organisation's or individual's computer systems. The criminals then find and encrypt important or sensitive files - and demand a ransom for them to be unlocked. A huge range of targets - from schools and hospitals to government agencies and media organisations - have fallen victim to ransomware, with research indicating hackers are paid in the majority of cases, especially in the UK. According to the Press Gazette, the Guardian is the ninth most-read news site in the world, with almost 390 million visits in November. In its own reporting of the incident, the Guardian said online publishing was "largely unaffected". It said Guardian Media Group chief executive Anna Bateson and editor-in-chief Katharine Viner had sent a message to the company's workforce. "Thank you to everyone working hard throughout this incident to keep us publishing," they said. "We will continue to keep our staff and anyone else affected informed. "With a few key exceptions, we would like everyone to work from home for the remainder of the week unless we notify you otherwise." Jake Moore, global cyber-security adviser at security software company ESET, said the Guardian being targeted was not a surprise. "News organisations have become a regular target for cyber-attacks this year, and these attacks often have even more damaging effects on the companies targeted," he said. "Ransomware can often bring all departments to a standstill, so it is fortunate that despite this attack the organisation will still see some key areas working as usual." https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-64056300

Like other animals in the Costa Rican jungle, Pardo the ocelot was in a car accident. This is how the local community responded to help him. On the roads of Costa Rica, animals travel just like cars. Completely unprotected by the public infrastructure that invades their territory, especially where the main road from Nicaragua to Panama converges with an important biological corridor, they become victims of urban advance on protected natural areas. It was there that Pardo, the ocelot, received a severe accident. In April 2022, an emergency call was received at the Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary veterinary clinic, where an ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) had been seriously injured by a vehicle, abandoned in the middle of the road. The team followed the rescue protocols to receive it: they named it "Pardo", and they prepared the ocelot for its rehabilitation, since it had a serious head injury. The rescue center has a special enclosure, totally isolated in the jungle, separated from humans so as not to establish abnormal connections. The juvenile ocelot entered at an early age of six months; orphaned and injured, various tests had to be complied with to determine the natural health and corresponding behaviors of a predator in order to decree its release into the wild. That's why he had to be under supervision for almost a year. A team effort has been made in complete union: from the veterinarian with the medical tests, the animal caretaker with the behavior protocols, to the supervisor with the coordination of the entire program. Nearly 2 thousand rescued animals Despite the fact that almost 2,000 animals have been rescued since it opened in 2014, the percentage that has been able to be monitored has been minimal, since the monitoring equipment and tracking tools are highly expensive. Being a non-governmental organization, funds are not guaranteed and the center is highly dependent on donations to continue research for long-term projects. Cristina Azzopardi is a specialist in environmental sciences and biodiversity conservation. As the person in charge of managing operations at Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary, she emphasizes the urgency of monitoring species affected by human conflict: "IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, IT GIVES US NEW PERSPECTIVES ON THEIR BEHAVIOR: WHAT THEY ARE DOING, WHERE THEY ARE MOVING, WHAT THEY ARE AVOIDING... WE CAN EFFECTIVELY PROTECT THEIR ENVIRONMENT, ATTACK LEGISLATION AND TRY TO IMPROVE CERTAIN ASPECTS", EXPLAINS THE SPECIALIST IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IN SPANISH. Threatened animals that enter the facilities of the Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary, in southern Costa Rica, generally arrive badly injured. Specifically in the tourist area of Bahía Ballena, the main causes are: Run over (37%) Electrocutions (8%) Orphaned animals (12%) Attacks by pets (11%) Confiscations (17%) Others (15%) When establishing an evaluation overview with all the different scenarios, it is essential to determine the critical points and causes where the largest number of injured animals are found. 'Pardo', the ocelot: symbol of rehabilitation and hope for wild cats In order to ensure the safety and fullness of Pedro Pardo, the help of different organizations was needed. One of them being Osa Conservation, which focuses its projects on research and conservation of endangered species such as the protection of sea turtle nests, monitoring of king vultures and tapirs. Both organizations pooled their knowledge and experiences to achieve deeper, broader and more efficient results, as well as investigate the most appropriate and safe area for their release. These cats need tracts of land from 2 to 43 square kilometers, far from civilization and roads to avoid conflicts with human beings. Being the first time that a rehabilitated wild cat, previously close to death, has been tracked, Pedro Pardo means a world of opportunities for future research on its behavior, distribution ranges and the discovery of its unique role in the jungle ecosystem. From his tracking, information was collected through the GPS collar, connected to a location program to process essential information. “MONITORING THE OCELOT IS A PILOT CASE, BECAUSE IT IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE MONITORED AN ANIMAL WITH GPS. BY HAVING EVERYTHING ON RECORD, WE WILL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THAT INFORMATION WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SO THEY MAY HAVE THE TOOLS TO CONTINUE WITH THESE PROTOCOLS. IN THE END, WE ALL HAVE THE SAME PURPOSE: TO PROTECT WILDLIFE,” EXPLAINS THE SPECIALIST IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IN SPANISH. 4 keys to restore endangered species According to the WWF 2022 “Living Planet” nature report, there has been a 69% decline in po[CENSORED]tions of species – mammals, reptiles, birds, fish and amphibians – in animal trends monitored since 1970. Different types of conservation efforts are needed to halt the continued loss of biodiversity. In the same study, the researchers emphasize observing them with different technologies (radio tracking, camera traps, GPS collars) to devise solutions to the complex problems they encounter. Not all animal releases are success stories, until results of their survival are obtained, even if they have received the necessary medical treatment and rehabilitation. Based on the information collected with these tracking techniques, the Osa Conservation team of scientists has been able to calculate with more precision the indicators of success on survival and different perspectives on the incorporation back into the wild, depending on the species. Generally, success is measured by the following parameters: Feeding Reintegration into his herd or group, being a social animal reproduction in the wild Caring for the young until they reach adulthood From a rehabilitative point of view, the affirmation of progress or possible complications is necessary to conclude that the efforts have been worthwhile. In this way, rehabilitation protocols and future releases can be complemented and adapted to continue conserving different species. “THE KEY IS IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION. PEOPLE ARE INTRIGUED AND INVOLVED WITH LEARNING THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSERVATION; ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THESE UNFORTUNATE SITUATIONS CAN BE PREVENTED FROM THE START”, CONCLUDES AZZOPARDI. Alessandra de Zaldo is a Mexican photographer based in Budapest. She studied at the Active School of Photography. She was an intern at Alturas Wildlife Sanctuary for over a year, and there she confirmed her passion for the conservation of endangered species. She is now a regular contributor to National Geographic en Español. https://www.ngenespanol.com/animales/pardo-el-ocelote-que-habla-por-su-especie/

On a clear day, if you stand on one side of the Solent and peer across at the other, with a bit of guidance you will soon see it once it leaves its pad and starts to build pace: this small object in the distance, moving fast among the far more sluggardly yachts, liners and tankers around it, kicking up spray as it accelerates towards its maximum speed. Around eight minutes after you first make it out, it will be upon you, making a distinct buzz that, once heard, you will never mistake for anything else, as it skims across shingle (in Southsea) or sand (in Ryde), flying on a bed of air so delicately that it could run over an egg without breaking it. As this incongruous yet familiar craft settles on its concrete pad and, skirt deflating, rests gently onto its hull, a timer measuring the five-mile journey from one side of the Solent to the other will tick over at just 10 minutes. The Griffon Hoverwork 12000TD – commonly known as the Isle of Wight hovercraft – is the fastest way to cross the Solent, the strait that separates the British mainland from the Isle of Wight. It’s a route that two current craft, identical 12000TDs called Solent Flyer and Island Flyer, have plied since they entered service in 2016, having been built by Griffon not too far away on the south coast and operated by its sister company, Hovertravel. The hovercraft is unique in its ability to travel across both water and land, or an otherwise impassable mixture of the two. The Hovertravel service is the only year-round scheduled hovercraft service anywhere in the world, in the summer departing as often as every 15 minutes. Fittingly, if somewhat belatedly, it’s the first hovercraft to become the subject of Autocar’s Christmas road test. Design and engineering Buy a ‘ticket to Ryde’ in Southsea and you’ll walk through a waiting area and onto a concrete pad, so things feel more like an old airport departure lounge than a ferry terminal. And that’s fitting, because a hovercraft owes as much to the aerospace industry as it does to marine engineering. For the first few decades of the machine’s existence, operations were even governed by the Civil Aviation Authority rather than maritime authorities. Well, it does fly, after all, albeit at quite a low altitude. The hovercraft was conceived by Christopher Cockerell, an engineer who had bought a boat hire company and wondered how to make them go faster. Moving through air is a lot easier than moving through water, so he figured it would be better if you could lift your boat out of the sea. Thus inspired, and using two tin cans and a vacuum cleaner, he proved the concept at home before patenting the idea in 1955 – and in doing so, laid out some principles that still apply today. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/features/christmas-road-test-2022-griffon-hoverwork-12000td

More than one million Americans and Canadians are facing Christmas Day without power as a massive winter storm continues to pummel North America. A bomb cyclone, when atmospheric pressure plummets, has brought snow, strong winds and freezing temperatures. Nearly 250 million are affected, and at least 19 deaths have been linked to the storm that extends more than 2,000 miles (3,200km) from Quebec to Texas. Thousands of flights have been cancelled during the festive period. They fled south to escape winter. The storm still found them How to stay safe in a winter storm The western US state of Montana is the worst hit by the cold, with temperatures dropping to -50F (-45C). Near white-out conditions have been reported in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. In the city of Buffalo, New York state, the US National Weather Service (NWS) reported "zero mile" visibility. In the Pacific Northwest, some residents ice-skated on frozen streets in Seattle and Portland. Coastal flooding has been seen in America's north-eastern New England region, inundating communities and downing power lines. This man in Minneapolis, Minnesota state, clearly struggled to clear a passage from heavy snow This restaurant in Hamburg, New York state, was covered in ice from the spray of Lake Erie waves In Canada, a number of motorists have had to abandon their vehicles in blizzards in the province of Ontario Even the usually milder southern states of Florida and Georgia are experiencing hard-freeze warnings. The only region that has largely been spared the cold weather is California where continental mountain ranges are helping to protect the Golden State. In Canada, the provinces of Ontario and Quebec were bearing the brunt of the Arctic blast. Much of the rest of the country, from British Columbia to Newfoundland, was under extreme cold and winter storm warnings. US winter storm in pictures What extreme cold does to a human A number of the storm-related fatalities have involved road traffic accidents, including a 50-car pile-up in Ohio that killed four motorists. Another four died in separate crashes in the state. Travel problems across the country were being exacerbated by a shortage of snowplough operators, with low pay rates being blamed. The NWS says more than 100 daily cold temperature records could be tied or broken over the next few days. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64088985

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Music Title: Djalil Palermo - Calma Signer: - Release Date: 25/12/22 Official Youtube Link: Informations About The Signer:- Your Opinion About The Track (Music Video):10/10

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Facebook owner Meta has agreed to pay $725m (£600m) to settle legal action over a data breach linked to political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. The long-running dispute accused the social media giant of allowing third parties, including the British firm, to access Facebook users' personal data. The proposed sum is the largest in a US data privacy class action, lawyers say. Meta, which did not admit wrongdoing, said it had "revamped" its approach to privacy over the past three years. In a statement, the company said settling was "in the best interest of our community and shareholders". "We look forward to continuing to build services people love and trust with privacy at the forefront." Tech author James Ball told the BBC it was "not a surprise" that Meta has had to agree to a serious pay-out but that it was "not that much" money to the tech giant. "It's less than a tenth of what it spent on its efforts to create 'the metaverse' last year alone," he said. "So Meta probably won't be too unhappy with this deal, but it does stand as a warning to social media companies that mistakes can prove very costly indeed." The suggested settlement, which was disclosed in a court filing late on Thursday, is subject to the approval of a federal judge in San Francisco. "This historic settlement will provide meaningful relief to the class in this complex and novel privacy case," lead lawyers for the plaintiffs, Derek Loeser and Lesley Weaver, said in a statement. Facebook scandal 'hit 87 million users' Facebook agrees to pay Cambridge Analytica fine Facebook sued for 'losing control' of users’ data The complaint was filed on behalf of a large proposed class of Facebook users, whose personal data on the social network was released to third parties without their consent. The class size is "in the range of 250-280 million" people, according to the ruling document, representing all Facebook users in the US during the "class period" which runs from 24 May, 2007 to 22 December, 2022. It is not clear how the plaintiffs would claim their share of the settlement. Janis Wong, a privacy and ethics researcher at The Alan Turing Institute, said it would only amount to two or three dollars per person if each individual decided to make a claim. A further hearing on the settlement is due to take place on 2 March, 2023. "Even though this $725m settlement doesn't cover UK users, earlier this year a competition law expert put forward a multi-billion dollar class action suit against Meta regarding users' data exploitation that does cover the Cambridge Analytica period. "We should hear more about that from the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal in the new year," she told the BBC. The harvesting of Facebook users' personal information by third-party apps was at the centre of the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal, exposed in 2018. The consulting firm, now defunct, worked for Donald Trump's successful presidential campaign in 2016, and used personal information from millions of US Facebook accounts for the purposes of voter profiling and targeting. The firm obtained that information without users' consent from a researcher who had been allowed by Facebook to deploy an app on the platform which harvested data from millions of its users. Facebook believes the data of up to 87 million people was improperly shared with the political consultancy. The scandal prompted government investigations into Facebook's privacy practices, leading to lawsuits and a high-profile US congressional hearing in which Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg was questioned. In 2019, Facebook agreed to pay $5bn to resolve a Federal Trade Commission probe into its privacy practices. The tech giant also paid $100 million to settle US Securities and Exchange Commission claims that it misled investors about the misuse of users' data. Investigations by state attorneys general are continuing, and the company is challenging a legal action by the attorney general for Washington DC. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-64075067

The sperm whale is famous for hunting giant squids and other underwater beasts. This is all we know of the species. Sailing the waters of the Mediterranean, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of California, the sperm whale is one of the largest cetaceans on the planet. Currently, because of how versatile the species has proven to be, it is one of the most abundant cetacean species in the world. Not only that: it is among the most mobile whale species in existence. Male sperm whales travel to northern latitudes to feed, while females and their young stay in between. This is what we know about the species. Sperm whale: a giant-headed cetacean In addition to being the longest cetaceans in the Mediterranean, sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are distinguished from other whales by having truly immense heads. The skull alone corresponds to a third of its entire body, documents the CRAM foundation, dedicated to scientific conservation projects in Europe. For this reason, too, they have the largest brains in the animal kingdom. Adult specimens are generally gray or brown, with a white lower jaw. If they have spots on their bellies, they are most likely scars from encounters with other sperm whales—or with their prey. In adulthood, they reach up to 20 meters in length. The species presents sexual dimorphism. That is, the males are much larger and heavier than the females. In both cases, they can live between 60 and 70 years. They typically mate in tropical waters in mid-winter and mid-summer, seeking warmer waters. What does the longest cetacean in the Mediterranean eat? Sperm whales are famous for eating giant squids. In the depths of the ocean, he looks for large animals to get his fill. However, it can also eat "octopuses, rays and some demersal bony fish", documents the CRAM foundation. IN FACT, THE SPERM WHALF IS SAYED TO BE THE ORIGINAL INSPIRATION FOR HERMAN MELVILLE'S MOBY DICK NOVEL (1851): "A WHALE THAT RAMED AND SANK THE SHIP ESSEX AND AN ALBINO ADULT MALE CALLED MOBY DICK", DOCUMENTS OCEANWIDE EXPEDITION. The monstrous quality with which Melville portrayed the whale in his novel is no accident. On average, an adult sperm whale eats 900 kilos of meat. Generally, their prey "dive between 300 and 1,200 meters deep," the institution details. However, the species has the ability to dive up to 2 kilometers below the surface to hunt. Although families of sperm whales have up to 20 specimens, males prefer to lead a life in solitude. The females live with their young and other companions. However, from the age of approximately 4, the males move away from their families and live on their own. They only come back to reproduce. Still, when they sense a threat, they defend the most vulnerable members of the group in a 'daisy' formation. This means that the weaker specimens stay in the center, while the stronger ones are placed around it, in the form of petals. For the rest, the species is not characterized by being particularly sociable. https://www.ngenespanol.com/animales/cachalote-que-come-y-donde-vive/

"This isn’t quite the end of the earth – but you can see it from here,” quips one of our hosts. Looking north from our windswept perch across the heaving seas, I think he might be right. We’re closer to the Arctic Circle than we are to London, but our passports are safely at home because we’re still in the UK. Just. Rewind 24 hours and Autocar staff photographer Max Edleston and I meet at Port Edgar, a smart marina just outside Edinburgh, with a plan to drive north until the blacktop stops. Our car for the journey is a fully electric Polestar 2, whose namesake celestial body – variously known as the Pole Star, Polaris or the North Star – will guide us there, hanging as it does directly above the North Pole. We’re in the entry-level 2, which means 228bhp, front-wheel drive and a claimed range of 297 miles. Limited to 100mph, it’s a pragmatic spec for a relatively pragmatic car. As such, the 2 isn’t overburdened with modes and I’ve already found ‘mine’ – the middle choices for regen (intended to mimic engine braking) and for steering (it’s overly light or overly springy otherwise), with step-off creep switched on. Queensferry Crossing’s cables gleam white in the sunshine as we silently span the Firth of Forth, the Polestar’s easy-going character immediately apparent. There is a slight bobbing over the M90’s smaller ripples as we press through Fife, otherwise it’s how exactly motorway driving in an electric car should be: clean and serene. If we’d been heading for John O’Groats, we’d keep our course at Perth, but we have bigger plans. We veer coastwards past Dundee and on to Aberdeen, the gateway to Britain’s most distant outpost: the 100-island archipelago of Shetland. We’re hoping to drive the length of Shetland and back without needing a charge, so after an untaxing cruise we pause at Porsche Centre Aberdeen to use its public DC rapid charger, meaning the battery is at 99% as we turn into the NorthLink Ferries terminal. (There are AC fast chargers at the port, but you can’t charge on board – the logic being that using the ferry’s four diesel engines as generators for EVs would be self-defeating.) We soon board the imposing, 125-metre MV Hrossey. This route is vital to industry, commerce and leisure alike and the ship can take 600 people and 140 cars. The Polestar installed on the lower of two vehicle decks and ourselves in a pair of compact but impeccably equipped cabins, we’re under way by the time we sit for dinner. In keeping with every Scottish island ferry I’ve been on, there’s a noticeably cheerful atmosphere on board. Something to do with all being in the same boat, I suppose. A postprandial recce to the deserted top deck has me peering into the now pitch-black sky. Jupiter blazes to the south-east, but cloud scotches the view north. A stargazing app confirms the Pole Star’s location, though, reassuringly plumb between Hrossey’s funnels. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/features/charging-north-chasing-pole-star-polestar-2

A leading human rights activist in Iran has written from prison to give the BBC details of how women detained in recent anti-government protests are being sexually and physically abused. Narges Mohammadi said such assaults had become more common in recent protests. She is serving a lengthy sentence in Tehran's notorious Evin prison. The protests were triggered by the death in custody in September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, arrested for violating strict dress codes. She was detained by morality police in mid-September for allegedly wearing her hijab, or headscarf, "improperly". More than 500 protesters, including 69 children, have been killed, while thousands of others have been arrested, human rights activists say. Dozens of Iranian security personnel are also reported to have been killed. Many of those arrested have allegedly been subjected to torture and other ill-treatment in custody. Identifying those killed in Iran's protests Ms Mohammadi is deputy head of Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi's Defenders of Human Rights Center. She has received several jail sentences since 2011 and is currently in prison for "spreading propaganda". This year she was also included in the BBC's 100 Women - a high profile list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world. Prominent political prisoners in Iran like Ms Mohammadi, who are not in solitary confinement, are often able to communicate with the outside world via their families or fellow activists. 'Hands and legs tied to hook' Ms Mohammadi says in her letter that some of the women arrested during the recent demonstrations were transferred to the women's ward in Evin prison. That gave her a chance to hear shocking details of the abuse they suffered. She says that one well-known activist had her hands and legs tied to a hook above her head in the vehicle taking her to prison - and was then sexually assaulted by security officers. Ms Mohammadi says she saw bruises and scars on her body. She says another woman who was arrested in the street was taken on a motorbike by two security officers - one in front and one behind - and was repeatedly assaulted. Iran's state broadcaster has denied reports of security forces using rape and sexual abuse against female protesters. A report on 19 December said female prisoners were kept in facilities run by all-female staff, adding that claims of rape in the Western media were "rumours" and "baseless". But Iran also continues to heavily repress domestic reporting of the protests, with one recent report suggesting it was now the third largest jailer of journalists in the world. Ms Mohammadi says that even though reporting abuse may lead to intimidation of the families of women in detention, she believes it's necessary to expose what's happening - in order to try to put a stop to it. "Not revealing these crimes would contribute to the continuation of application of this repressive methods against women," she says. "Therefore, it seems that the assault on women activists, fighters, and protesters in Iran should be widely and powerfully reported at the global level." She added that this was especially important given the pressure on civil society in Iran. "In the absence of powerful independent civil organisations, the attention and support of the media and international human rights organisations and global public opinion is essential," she said. Ms Mohammadi ended the letter by expressing the belief that Iran's "brave, resilient, lively and hopeful women" would attain victory. "Victory means establishing democracy, peace and human rights and ending tyranny," she added. "We will not back down." https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-64084709

Live Performance Title: Mc Artisan - H-Symphony (Prod. by Mc Artisan) Signer Name:- Live Performance Location: - Official YouTube Link: Your Opinion About the Track (Music Video):