Review7

Petrol stations in many parts of China have begun rationing diesel amid rising costs and falling supplies. Some truck drivers are having to wait entire days to refuel, according to posts on social media site Weibo. China is currently in the midst of a massive power crunch, as coal and natural gas shortages have closed factories and left homes without power. And this latest issue is only likely to contribute to an ongoing global supply chain crisis, say analysts. "The current diesel shortages seem to be affecting long distance transportation businesses which could include goods meant for markets outside of China," said Mattie Bekink, China Director at the Economist Intelligence Unit. "Depending on the duration and intensity of this crunch, we could well see this contribute to the global supply chain challenges." The global supply chain crisis has been largely driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, with demand surging as economies re-open. In China, trucks are only being al...

A Japanese start-up is hoping to convince motorists to swap their cars for a $680,000 (£495,000) hoverbike. ALI Technologies' XTurismo Limited Edition went on sale in Japan, earlier on Wednesday. Electronics giant Mitsubishi and footballer Keisuke Honda are two backers of the Tokyo-based company. ALI Technologies says the hoverbike can fly for 40 minutes at up to 100km/h (62mph) on a single charge. The company aims to have manufactured 200 single-rider 300kg (47-stone) hoverbikes by mid-2022. Each is equipped with a conventional engine and four battery-powered motors.

A former Facebook employee has told US authorities the company's efforts to remove child abuse material from the platform were "inadequate" and "under-resourced". The allegations are contained in documents seen by BBC News and submitted  to  the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) two weeks ago. The anonymous whistleblower says moderators are "not sufficiently trained and are ill prepared". Facebook said in a statement: "We have no tolerance for this abhorrent abuse of children and use sophisticated technologies to combat it. "We've funded and helped build the tools used by industry to investigate this terrible crime, rescue children and bring justice to victims." It added that it has shared its anti-abuse technologies with other companies. The revelations come after former insider Frances Haugen told the US congress earlier this month that Facebook's platforms "harm children, stoke division and harm our democracy...

Apple released  iOS 15.1  for the iPhone Monday and the software update brings several new features to the iPhone including the ability to add a digital vaccination card to Apple Wallet for fast access. The feature is slightly better than previous solutions since it doesn’t require a third-party app. Also, the vaccine card you add is digitally signed, which means other apps can verify its authenticity. This could come in handy, for instance, if an airline you’re flying wants to verify your vaccination status instantly. There are many states and providers that support this process, including Walgreens and Walmart.   First, make sure your iPhone is updated to iOS 15.1. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and complete the steps to update your phone. Next, go to California’s Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record portal. Fill out the form and you’ll get a text within seconds with a link to your digital QR code and vaccine record. During this process, you’ll ha...

More than 1 million Californians who qualify for a Golden State Stimulus check but haven’t received one yet could see a payment as soon as this week. That’s because the state is preparing to distribute another round starting this Friday. A total of 1.15 million payments valued at $857 million will be sent out in this latest batch, according to the California Franchise Tax Board. The disbursement includes 400,000 payments that will be directly deposited into bank accounts this Friday, as well 750,000 paper checks that will be mailed out starting next Monday. For those anticipating a payment, officials note that it can take several days for direct deposits to show up in bank accounts, and up to three weeks to receive a check by mail after it’s sent. Under the GSS II program, California has been sending out checks of up to $1,100 — $600 for an individual plus an extra $500 for a qualifying dependent — to eligible residents who earned $75,000 or less last year. The funds were approved by l...

The application window for a new  $1,000-a-month cash assistance program  in Los Angeles run by City Hall kicks off Friday, making L.A. the biggest city in the nation to launch such an initiative. The city’s guaranteed basic income program will give 3,200 Los Angeles households the monthly stipend for a year. The 10-day application period opens Friday, when officials say they will release details about how to apply. Recipients will be announced in early January. Recipients will be randomly selected by the city’s research partner, the Center for Guaranteed Income Research, city officials said. To qualify, applicants must live within the city of L.A., have an income at or below the federal poverty level, have at least one dependent child or be pregnant, be at least 18 years of age or older and have experienced financial and/or medical hardships related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As trial approaches, judge may allow the men Kyle Rittenhouse shot to be called 'rioters' or 'looters' -- but 'victim' isn't allowed The men shot by Kyle Rittenhouse in August 2020 can potentially be referred to at his trial as "rioters" or "looters," a Wisconsin judge said Monday while reiterating his long-held view that attorneys should not use the word "victim." Defense lawyers maintain the young man acted in self defense when he fatally shot two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The protesters were shot during a demonstration against the police shooting of a Black man. Rittenhouse was among armed civilians who said they were there to protect businesses after nights of arson and looting. "Let the evidence show what the evidence shows, that any or one of these people were engaged in arson, rioting or looting, then I'm not going to tell the defense they can't call them that," Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce...