News Archives - Page 53 of 81

Paris and Moscow Criticize Turkish Role in Nagorno-Karabakh

1Oct

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

News, France, Russia

Paris and Moscow Criticize Turkish Role in Nagorno-Karabakh

Turkey is sending Syrian mercenaries to Nagorno-Karabakh, both the French and Russian presidents say. Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin have expressed their concerns about this in a telephone conversation, the Élysée reports. Both leaders stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire in the enclave contested by Armenia and Azerbaijan. Russia's Foreign Ministry had already said on Wednesday that Syrian and Libyan "terrorist" fighters will be sent to Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia has been accusing Turkey of this for some time. The Turkish and Azerbaijani governments contradict it. Turkish President Erdogan has offered support to the Islamic ally in Baku. He demands that Armenia end the "occupation" of Nagorno-Karabakh and that Armenia leave the area that is internationally recognized...

First US Election Debate Unprecedented Chaotic and Harsh

30Sep

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Politics, News, US

First US Election Debate Unprecedented Chaotic and Harsh

The first debate between US President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden has been unprecedented chaotic. The two, who discussed Trump's leadership, the corona pandemic, racism, the economy and the integrity of the upcoming presidential election, among other things, exchanged insults on several occasions. Trump ran into hard not only with Biden but also with debate leader Chris Wallace because of his many interruptions. Wallace could not control the debate. The verbal brawl between the two candidates made it difficult for both to make a coherent argument. Biden adhered to the pre-arranged agreements considerably better than Trump and became visibly irritated by his repeated interruptions. "Can you shut up, man?" He snapped at the president. "This is so non-pr...

Merkel Wants Immediate Armistice in Nagorno-Karabakh

29Sep

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Germany, News

Merkel Wants Immediate Armistice in Nagorno-Karabakh

In phone calls with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pushed for an immediate end to the fighting. Her spokesman reported this on Tuesday. She called in response to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "The Chancellor has pushed for an immediate ceasefire and a return to the negotiating table," said the spokesman. Merkel spoke with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday and with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday. Merkel has also raised the possibility of help from the Minsk group for dialogue. The Minsk Group is a group of mediators led by France, Russia and the US. On Tuesday, the UN Security Council will also hold an emergency meeting due to the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. Fighting has broken out again since Sunday...

Microsoft Had A Secret Theme for Windows XP With Apple Look

28Sep

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Technology, News

Microsoft Had A Secret Theme for Windows XP With Apple Look

With the introduction of Mac OS X 10.0 in 2001, the operating system immediately stood out for its innovative Aqua interface with transparent, water-like elements. Leaked code now reveals that Microsoft had a similar theme in store for Windows XP to make PCs look more like an Apple computer with Aqua. The theme in question from Microsoft, which ultimately never appeared in the final version of Windows XP, was called Candy, tech site The Verge reports. It looks like two drops - yes - water on Aqua and dates back to 2000 when XP was still in an early development phase. Like Mac OS X 10.0, XP came out in 2001, but Apple had already previewed Aqua a year earlier, during one of Steve Jobs' keynotes. There is a good chance that Microsoft shamelessly started the copier after that perf...

The Mayor of Moscow Announces New Coronavirus Measures

25Sep

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Russia, News

The Mayor of Moscow Announces New Coronavirus Measures

The mayor of Moscow is calling on companies to allow their employees to work from home as much as possible from Monday. The number of corona infections in Russia has recently broken new records. Mayor Sergei Sobjanin of the capital also advises anyone with chronic health problems and people over 65 to stay at home as much as possible. With more than 1.1 million infections, Russia is one of the countries with the highest number of corona infections worldwide. In the past 24 hours, 7,212 new infections were added, the highest number since June 23. In the last 24 hours, 108 people have died from the effects of the virus, according to national figures. The largest concentration of new infections is in and around Moscow. On Friday, Poland and Slovakia also reported record numbers ...

Trump Refuses to Guarantee Peaceful Transfer of Power: WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS

24Sep

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

US, News

Trump Refuses to Guarantee Peaceful Transfer of Power: WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS

US President Trump will refuse to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election to rival Joe Biden on Nov. 3. He said this throughout a press conference at the White House. His statements provoked strong reactions. "He says the most irrational things," said Biden. "I don't know what to state about this." Trump has long hinted that he has no intention of just leaving the White House, even if he loses the election. "We will see what happens," he said last night, after being asked if he would guarantee a peaceful transfer of power in that case. "The ballots are a disaster. We have to get rid of the ballots, and then it will be peaceful because then there will be no handover. Then we just continue. But the ballots are out of control. You know that."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Announces Tighter Corona Measures

22Sep

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

UK, News

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Announces Tighter Corona Measures

The British government is taking more stringent measures to stem the new advance of the coronavirus. "We are at a dangerous tipping point, and we need to act now," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in parliament. There is no new lockdown, but the British have to work from home as much as possible, and the pubs close at 10 pm. Johnson warns that the new measures may be in effect for six months. If they are not enough to limit the degree of contamination, they can be further tightened. "A dangerous tipping point": this is where the British find themselves, now that the number of coronavirus infections continues to increase significantly on the other side of the Channel. Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with the Cobra crisis committee this morning. There, stricter measures were agr...

21Sep

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Technology, News

Twitter Apologizes for Racist Algorithm

An algorithm that has to choose where photos are cut out in a tweet appears to focus mainly on white faces. Twitter users have found a significant problem with the automatic cropping of photos on the social network: it appears that white faces are much more likely to be the focal point than the faces of people with dark skin. The problem seems to be with an algorithm that automatically determines where the focus of a photo is. When you publish a photo in a tweet, it is automatically cropped to the correct size. You can then click through to see the full photo. Twitter trained a neural network to choose how to do that cutting, with a focus on faces, among other things. But that neural network has failed, as demonstrated by various Twitter users. With several photos featuring bot...

Floods and Power Cuts in Greece From Hurricane

18Sep

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

Greece, News

Floods and Power Cuts in Greece From Hurricane

Hurricane Ianos has made landfall in Greece. The combination of heavy rains and strong winds have hit multiple islands in the Ionian Sea by flooding and power outages, Deputy Civil Defense Minister Nikos Hardalias said. Wind speeds of up to 117 kilometres per hour were measured during the storm. Several flights to the island of Kefalonia had to divert due to the strong winds. Many trees have also been blown down. Hardalias said authorities have not yet received reports of casualties. The Coast Guard reported that off the coast of the western part of the Peloponnese peninsula, a ship carrying 55 migrants might have gotten into trouble due to bad weather. People close to the storm have been advised to stay where they are. In 2017, more than 20 people died from a severe storm in G...

British Deputy Minister: Too Little Lab Capacity for Corona Tests

17Sep

By Alan LorenzNo Comments

UK, News

British Deputy Minister: Too Little Lab Capacity for Corona Tests

British Deputy Health Minister Edward Argar says there is too little capacity in British laboratories to complete all corona tests on time. In addition, the demand for the tests is increasing, which, according to him, requires rationing. "We have to significantly increase the capacity of the laboratories so that more tests can be processed," said the deputy minister. For the time being, especially risk groups are tested first, says Argar. In a conversation with Sky News, Argar is firm about the rumours that a new national lockdown will be introduced. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is clear about this. He does not want this; he wants people to obey the rules in force. According to Argar, a new lockdown has also not yet been discussed within the government. "I don't know about tha...