All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
Get WIRED's daily briefing in your inbox. Sign up here
US Secretary of State publicly scolds British government over Huawei
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has chided the British government for considering the use of any Huawei equipment in national telecoms infrastructure in a speech at an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of Margaret Thatcher’s first election victory (BBC News).
Pompeo continues to assert that Huawei is a Chinese espionage operation, despite there being no evidence of this. The US has also this morning said that it will increase prices on Chinese goods over changes made to a proposed US trade deal by Chinese negotiators, who say they cannot make major alterations China's laws to comply with US demands.
Singapore passes controversial "fake news" law
Singapore has passed a law against "fake news" that will require online media to remove or carry corrections to any content that the Singaporean government considers false, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to a million Singapore dollars (£563,000) for failing to do so (The Guardian). The law has been criticised by journalists, tech firms and human rights groups for giving the country's famously authoritarian government inordinate control over what is and is not deemed to be "truth".
Aeroflot crash: lightning an unlikely cause
On Sunday, an Aeroflot flight burst into flames following an emergency landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport, killing 41 of the 78 people on board (WIRED). Survivors say the plane was struck by lightning moments before the crash. If a lightning strike was to blame, it is a bizarre anomaly. Lightning bolts should pose no threat to an aircraft – they shouldn’t even affect its flight, let alone bring it down.
Over 100 online shopping sites infected with card-skimming malware
Over 100 online shopping sites, including a number in the UK and Europe, are home to malware that captures and sends customers' full payment card data back to a domain controlled by its creators (Ars Technica). The malware was identified by security researchers at Netlab 360 and infected sites include UK retailers of luggage, wine, and gay and lesbian wedding rings.
Tiny dino-bat was an experimental aviator
A tiny, fluffy dinosaur with batlike wings has provided conclusive evidence that small scansoriopterygid dinosaurs flew on bat-like skin flap wings (Science). Although birds ultimately won the dinosaur flight arms race, the starling-sized creature shows that multiple evolutionary approaches once competed to rule the skies of the Jurassic era.
The controversial Caster Semenya verdict
Listen now, subscribe via RSS or add to iTunes.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
