Modern “smart” farm machinery is vulnerable to malicious hackers, leaving global supply chains exposed to risk, experts are warning.
It is feared hackers could exploit flaws in agricultural hardware used to plant and harvest crops.
Agricultural manufacturing giant John Deere says it is now working to fix any weak spots in its software.
A recent University of Cambridge report said automatic crop sprayers, drones and robotic harvesters could be hacked.
The UK government and the FBI have warned that the threat of cyber-attacks is growing.
John Deere said protecting customers, their machines and their data was a “top priority”.
Smart technology is increasingly being used to make farms more efficient and productive – for example, until now the labour-intensive harvesting of delicate food crops such as asparagus has been beyond the reach of machines.
The latest generation of agricultural robots use artificial intelligence, minimising human involvement. They may help to plug a labour shortage or increase yield, but fear of the inherent security risk is growing, adding to concern over food-supply chains already threatened by the war in Ukraine and Covid.
Chris Chavasse, the co-founder of Muddy Machines, which is trialling an autonomous asparagus-harvesting robot called Sprout, said: “There is a real risk that people anywhere in the world could try and take control of these machines,” he said. “to get them to do whatever those people want, or just prevent them from operating.”
He said potentially someone could drive Sprout into a hedge or a ditch, or prevent it from working at all, so they are working with security researchers to address any vulnerabilities.
Asparagus farming is unlikely to be a prime target, but Chavasse believes malicious hackers could threaten “mission critical” agricultural infrastructure.
Even the largest companies aren’t safe from cyber gangs. Some use ransomware: malicious code that can encrypt data and lock systems.
Last year, one of the world’s biggest meat processing company, JBS, paid $11m in ransom to resolve a cyber-attack. This month, top US agriculture firm, AGCO, was hit by a ransomware attack that affected production.
New York State’s top prosecutor has launched an investigation into the role social media companies played in Saturday’s mass shooting in Buffalo.
The inquiry will look at the extent that social platforms were “used to stream, promote, or plan the event”, the attorney general’s office said.
The state’s governor has argued tech firms share some blame for the attack.
Critics say the companies were too slow to remove the alleged gunman’s violent posts.
Announcing the investigation on Wednesday, Attorney General Letitia James said: “The terror attack in Buffalo has once again revealed the depths and danger of the online forums that spread and promote hate.”
The suspect, who is white, allegedly posted a manifesto on Google and livestreamed the fatal shooting of 10 people at a supermarket in a predominantly black neighbourhood on Twitch, a company owned by Amazon.
“The fact that an individual can post detailed plans to commit such an act of hate without consequence, and then stream it for the world to see is bone-chilling and unfathomable,” Ms James said.
The stream was taken down less than two minutes after the violence began, Twitch said, but was duplicated on other streaming sites despite the removal.
Facebook did not remove a link to the copied video for more than 10 hours, by which time it had been shared more than 46,000 times on the platform. A copy uploaded elsewhere was viewed more than three million times before being taken down.
Ms James said the investigation would also target online forums 4chan, 8chan, and Discord where the gunman reportedly posted about his plans.
The inquiry was ordered by Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, who also directed the New York State Police to create a unit dedicated to monitoring social media for extremist threats.
She is also asking the state legislature to pass tougher gun control measures. Her Republican critics in the state assembly have condemned her for not doing more to prevent mass shootings ahead of the attack.
The US Department of Justice is investigating the attack as a hate crime.
Eight new cities have been named for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, with at least one in every UK nation – and on the Falkland Islands and Isle of Man.
Milton Keynes in England, Dunfermline in Scotland, Bangor in Northern Ireland and Wrexham in Wales all get the title.
It is a first for places in an Overseas Territory – Stanley, in the Falklands – and a crown dependency – Douglas, in the Isle of Man – to win city status.
Colchester and Doncaster complete the list getting the royal honour.
The Platinum Jubilee civic honours competition required applicants to show their cultural heritage and royal links as well as how their local identity and communities meant they deserved to be granted city status.
The new cities can expect a boost to local communities and the opening up of new opportunities for people who live there, the Cabinet Office said.
A team from the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) on Thursday visited the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja, on facility inspection and preparation toward conversion of the hospital to Federal University Lokoja Teaching Hospital.
In her remarks, the leader of the team, Dr Adebimpe Adebiyi, Director Hospital Services, FMoH, Abuja, said that the team was in Lokoja on behalf of the Minister of state for Health, Sen. Olorunibe Mamora, to inspect the hospital facilities.
According to her, the objective of our visit is to come and see what you have on ground that will match the proposal for the transition from the Federal Medical Centre to a teaching hospital.
She explained that there were criteria for approval and final recommendations to President Muhammadu Buhari would come from the office of the Minister of state for Health, who is the supervising minister.
She noted that in the team “are the technical officers, the foot soldiers in the ministry, who would ensure that due diligence is carried out.
She congratulated the FMC management for being able to overcome the challenges encountered when the hospital was locked down for more than six months.
Earlier, the Medical Director, FMC Lokoja, Dr Olatunde Alabi, made a presentation on the history, structure, outlook and the current state of the hospital in terms of infrastructure, management, staff strength, successes and challenges.
In his presentation, he said that the FMC Lokoja was established in 1999 and it had been serving as the major tertiary federal health institution in Kogi and its neighbouring states.
He disclosed that inadequate manpower remained one of the main challenges facing the hospital due to brain drain and retirement, among others.
The medical director conducted the team round the hospital facilities, assuring them that the board of management and the entire staff of the hospital were fully prepared.
He explained that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had also come for inspection, stressing that the board of management and the entire staff of the hospital were fully ready.
President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law, the National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2022, repealing thereby, the National Health Insurance Scheme Act, Cap N42, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, confirmed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
Speaking at the signing of the new law, Buhari pledged that a Fund would be set up “to ensure coverage of 83 million poor Nigerians who cannot afford to pay premiums as recommended by the Lancet Nigeria Commission.”
The president further elaborated on how the fund would be sourced, saying that:
“For the large number of vulnerable individuals who are not able to pay health insurance premiums, a Vulnerable Group Fund will be set up.
”This will include a component of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund due to the Authority, Health Insurance Levy, Special Intervention Fund, and any investment proceeds, donations and gifts to the Authority.”
According to him, the authority will collaborate with state government Health Insurance Schemes to accredit primary and secondary health facilities and enroll Nigerians into the scheme in order to ensure the delivery of quality health care.
”The new Act also enables the Authority and state governments to develop information management systems and digital records for better data collection, monitoring and quality assurance.”
The president, therefore, tasked the Health Reform Committee to work with state governments, the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Health Insurance Authority to ensure the implementation of the articles in the new Act.
Travel to Europe is finally starting to look like something close to normal again.
The number of countries that have removed all Covid-related entry restrictions is growing and many are also ditching domestic rules on masks and social distancing.
Here are all the destinations that are now offering hassle-free travel. The only question is, where next?
Austria
Austria is among the latest countries to abolish its entry rules. As of 16 May, no proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test is required to visit the historic green capital of Vienna. The pre-travel clearance form is also now redundant. It follows the removal of domestic rules, including the need to wear a face mask in public places.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria began welcoming all travellers back at the start of May. No Covid documents are needed, a statement from the Republic’s foreign ministry confirmed, so everyone is free to enjoy Bulgaria’s varied topography – from its mountains to beautiful Black Coast beaches. Mandatory mask wearing is also long gone.
Croatia
Around 500 different airline routes are heading to Croatia this summer, and with all Covid entry rules abolished on 3 May, there’ll be a mix of immunity levels on board. First-time travellers are weighing up the pros and cons of Dubrovnik or Split, but there’s plenty of amazing destinations on ‘the land of a thousand islands’.
Czech Republic
After tightening testing requirements again for foreign arrivals back in December at the height of omicron, the Czech Republic removed all Covid-related entry requirements for international arrivals on 9 April, 2022. It’s no longer necessary to wear a face mask in most public places – the main exceptions are public transport and taxis.
Denmark
Thanks to the country’s high vaccination rate, Denmark became the first EU country to lift all domestic Covid restrictions at the beginning of February. All entry requirements for international arrivals were then abolished on 29 March, 2022 (before that, testing rules only applied for arrivals from outside the EU and Schengen).
Greece
After much to-ing and fro-ing, Greece officially removed all Covid-related entry measures on 1 May, 2022. Mask-wearing is still compulsory indoors, but for many tourists to the Greek islands this will be virtually unnoticeable as so much dining, drinking and socialising takes place outdoors.
Hungary
City breaks to Budapest are back on thanks to the removal of all Covid-related entry requirements for travel to Hungary. There are also no social distancing measures in place anymore, and it’s no longer compulsory to wear a face mask on public transport or in indoor public places.
Iceland
All of Iceland’s Covid-related restrictions were lifted on 25 February, 2022, both for international arrivals and within the country itself. The wearing of masks is no longer mandatory anywhere and there are no social distancing measures in place. However the country still encourages testing and self-isolation to control the spread of Covid.
Ireland
Guinness-lovers rejoiced when Ireland dropped all Covid-related entry requirements on 6 March, 2022. This includes proof of vaccination, pre-arrival testing and the passenger locator form. Mask-wearing became optional a couple of weeks before that, on 28 February, 2022.
Lithuania
Vilnius became one of Europe’s most hassle-free city breaks in mid-February when Lithuania announced that it was dropping all entry requirements for travellers from EU/EEA countries, as well as a number of others including the UK, US and New Zealand. However, you’re still required to wear a face mask on public transport.
Madeira
Although part of Portugal (which still requires testing or proof of vaccination), the popular holiday island of Madeira has removed all Covid-related entry requirements for tourists. However, it’s not quite back to total normality.
The territory does still recommend that international visitors register on the Madeira Safe digital platform. And once you’re there, it’s still compulsory to wear a face mask at indoor public venues and carry proof of vaccination to enter restaurants, bars and other venues.
Montenegro
This Balkan gem dropped all entry restrictions in mid-March, 2022. It’s also no longer necessary to carry a vaccine passport to enter social settings here, though Montenegro has kept its mask mandate for indoor public settings. This includes restaurants, bars and hotels.
Norway
“No testing, no quarantining, no registration!” – that’s been Norway’s entry policy since 12 February, 2022, when the Nordic country dropped all Covid entry requirements for international arrivals. There’s also no testing requirements if you fall ill, which may raise some eyebrows among cautious travellers. All social distancing and face mask rules have been dropped in Norway, too.
Poland
In one fell swoop, Poland dropped on-arrival quarantining, proof of vaccination and pre-arrival testing requirements on 28 March, 2022. The new business-as-usual status applies to all arrivals from non-Schengen countries, as well as those from the EU. Poland has also removed all rules about wearing face masks in public.
Romania
This eastern European country dropped all quarantining, testing and passenger tracking requirements for international visitors on 9 March, 2022. At the same time, Romania declared that it was ditching the digital pass that had previously been required to enter certain institutions and made face masks non-compulsory in both indoor and outdoor settings.
Serbia
Serbia dropped all entry rules on 3 May, in step with a number of other European countries. Its great outdoors is open to all travellers, who will be rewarded by some magnificent, and underrated sights in the southeast of the continent.
Slovenia
Travel to this Balkan nation became much easier from 19 February, 2022, when it removed all Covid-related entry requirements for visitors, regardless of vaccination status. Most Covid restrictions within Slovenia ended on 13 April, 2022, though you’ll still need to wear a face mask on public transport and in enclosed public spaces.
Sweden
On 1 April, 2022, Sweden dropped all Covid-related entry requirements for visitors from the UK or outside the EU/EEA. This followed a temporary ban on third-country arrivals in March due to the omicron variant. Regardless of where you’re arriving from, it means you’ll no longer need to present proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test.
Switzerland
Just in time for the summer hiking season, Switzerland announced that it would drop all Covid-related entry requirements for international visitors from 2 May, 2022. Before then, travellers needed to show proof of vaccination. The Alpine country also got rid of face masks on 1 April, 2022, and at the same time mandated that people who have tested positive for Covid no longer need to isolate.
Israel will drop all Covid-19 Entry rules from Saturday (May 21).
Travellers will be able visit the Middle Eastern country without showing proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test result.
Previously, visitors had to show a negative test taken within 24 hours before departure.
They also had to take a PCR test on arrival at Israeli airports, and isolate until receiving a negative result – a process which usually takes around 12 hours.
“This is the news we have been waiting for, for more than two years,” said Sharon Ehrlich Bershadsky, director of the Israel Government Tourist Office in London.
“With Israel joining many other countries in dropping all Covid restrictions, I am hopeful the travel industry has now reached a crucial milestone in this post-pandemic world.”
Pre-departure Covid tests were scrapped for Israelis back in March – but tourists were still subject to strict rules.
In welcome news for those planning a trip to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, these tests – and on-arrival PCR tests – will be ditched for all visitors from Saturday May 21.
Under current rules, all arrivals, citizens and foreign nationals alike, must test (again) after stepping off their flight.
At Ben Gurion, passengers are directed to makeshift PCR testing stations in a corner of the main terminal normally reserved for airline check-in counters.
Currently, you must self-isolate for at least 24 hours, or until a negative PCR result is received, which usually takes around 12 hours. If the test is positive, 14 days of home isolation await – though can be halved with another PCR test on day 7.
From Saturday 21 May, this costly and time-consuming rule will be ditched.
Announcing the new rules, Israel’s Ministry of Health declared said Covid infection numbers have “dropped to a number low enough where it is safe enough to relax restrictions further”.
The Capilano Suspension Bridge is a long suspension bridge offering amazing vistas of the Capilano River, in the District of North Vancouver, which is part of the westernmost province of Canada, British Columbia.
Originally built in 1889 by the Scottish civil engineer and park commissioner for Vancouver, George Grant Mackay, it was constructed from hemp ropes with a deck of cedar planks, which due to the poor material it was replaced in 1903 with a wire cable bridge.
Considered to be one of the most iconic sites of Vancouver, this 140 meters (460 feet) long bridge, has a height of 70 meters (230 feet) above the river that flows under it.
The bridge that we are able to see today, was completely rebuilt in 1956, and since then the influx of people visiting the area has increased drastically with almost 1 million of visitors per year.
In addition to this simple-looking attraction of Canada’s west, the bridge is part of the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park which offers a unique historic, cultural and natural experience via the rain forest ecotours, award-winning gardens, nature trails, North America’s largest private collection of First Nations totem poles, period decor and costumes and one of the most impressive ones, the Cliff Walk.
The Cliff Walk too acts like a suspension bridge, and it encompasses a narrow rock face on which is mounted track, just like the bridge.
With the stupendous panoramic vistas and the granite cliff side, Capilano Suspension Bridge definitely should be named as the most striking activity in the entire Vancouver area, if not British Columbia.
Africa’s main Oil Producers and Exporters are meeting in Luanda, the Angolan capital. They are seeking solutions to increase investment in the oil sector and the energy transition. The lack of investment in Africa’s oil and gas sector over the past few years has led to a sharp decline in production.
With the sanctions on Russian energy, OPEC and its allies have set a target to meet a larger share of the global market. In March, Angola and Nigeria, according to OPEC data, accounted for almost half of the deficit in oil supply to the global market.
Nigeria’s Managing director of Nigeria’s National Petroleum Company, Mele Kyari, said “No doubt that the politician tension between Russia and Ukraine has caused supply disruptions in the market and therefore there is a shortage of supply in the market, but it doesn’t affect Nigeria because we have a high grade of crude oil, that is always required by the market for blending to other crude oil productions in the world,”
Ugandan Parliament’s Committee on Trade has directed government to terminate an agreement it signed recently with Uganda Vinci Coffee Company Limited. Parliament has described the agreement as illegal and demanded that “officials who committed Government to such illegalities should be penalized as a deterrent mechanism to stop similar occurrences in future.” Mbarara City South MP Mwine Mpaka, chairman of Parliament’s committee on trade, read the full report.
“The government is directed to terminate this agreement and report to Parliament, within 6 months from the date of adoption of this report,” Mpaka said, adding that “the agreement infringes and reverses the National Coffee Policy specifically the principle that coffee production, processing, marketing shall be undertaken by the private sector as individual farmers, farmer organizations.”
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