Non-IT News Thread
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Australia fires: 'Catastrophic' alerts in South Australia and Victoria
Heat and winds are threatening to widen Australia's bushfire crisis, with three states warned to expect their worst conditions of the season so far.
Soaring temperatures in South Australia prompted "catastrophic" alerts - the highest danger rating - on Wednesday. Parts of Victoria have been issued the same warning for Thursday, while the threat in Tasmania is also increasing. Six people have died since last month in massive bushfires which are burning elsewhere in the country. Those blazes - in New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland - have destroyed more than 500 houses and prompted debates on the impacts of drought and climate change. -
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Man dead in apartment for 3 years before anyone notices:
https://www.thelocal.se/20191119/man-found-dead-in-stockholm-apartment-after-three-years
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@Obsolesce said in Non-IT News Thread:
Man dead in apartment for 3 years before anyone notices:
https://www.thelocal.se/20191119/man-found-dead-in-stockholm-apartment-after-three-years
Was the mans rent paid automatically out of a pension or something?
Seems insane that for 3 years the tenant never spoke with the landlord about anything. . .
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@DustinB3403 said in Non-IT News Thread:
Seems insane that for 3 years the tenant never spoke with the landlord about anything. . .
Well he was dead, would be more insane if he did speak to him!
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@DustinB3403 said in Non-IT News Thread:
Was the mans rent paid automatically out of a pension or something?
Elderly. Very likely pulling a pension or retirement into a bank account. And an auto-payment for the rent and power wouldn't be uncommon. Easy to automate that stuff, especially if retired. Since no system knew he was dead, he'd keep getting paid, and keep paying his bills.
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@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@DustinB3403 said in Non-IT News Thread:
Was the mans rent paid automatically out of a pension or something?
Elderly. Very likely pulling a pension or retirement into a bank account. And an auto-payment for the rent and power wouldn't be uncommon. Easy to automate that stuff, especially if retired. Since no system knew he was dead, he'd keep getting paid, and keep paying his bills.
What about renewing the lease?
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@black3dynamite said in Non-IT News Thread:
@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
@DustinB3403 said in Non-IT News Thread:
Was the mans rent paid automatically out of a pension or something?
Elderly. Very likely pulling a pension or retirement into a bank account. And an auto-payment for the rent and power wouldn't be uncommon. Easy to automate that stuff, especially if retired. Since no system knew he was dead, he'd keep getting paid, and keep paying his bills.
What about renewing the lease?
Lots of places here are automatic. Almost every apartment building does an automatic renewal unless you tell them otherwise. I assume the same there.
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@scottalanmiller said in Non-IT News Thread:
Lots of places here are automatic. Almost every apartment building does an automatic renewal unless you tell them otherwise. I assume the same there.
Yeah we only speak to ours when we need something sorting or they need to send someone in like electrician to do safety check or servicing. Otherwise just keep paying the rent and we can stay there
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BBC News - Ryanair baggage fee policy ruled as 'abusive' in Spain
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50497629 -
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More than 140 ancient geoglyphs were found carved in the sands of Peru
Scientists discovered more than 140 designs that were carved in the earth by an ancient people, and they're hoping they might hold clues to the ways they lived, thousands of years in the past
Researchers from Yamagata University in Yamagata, Japan, discovered the ancient pictures, which are known as geoglyphs. They were carved out of the sand on a Peruvian coastal plain and resemble living things and other objects. The new geoglyphs join an existing collection of mysterious drawings in Peru known as the Nazca Lines. The area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. At the time, just 30 geoglyphs had been identified. "These lines, which were scratched on the surface of the ground between 500 B.C. and A.D. 500, are among archaeology's greatest enigmas because of their quantity, nature, size and continuity," according to UNESCO's listing. -
BBC News - DR Congo: Many dead as plane crashes into homes
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-50536220 -
Hong Kong elections: Carrie Lam promises 'open mind' after election rout
Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam has said the government will "seriously reflect" after local elections saw massive gains by pro-democracy candidates.
Seventeen of the 18 district councils are now controlled by pro-democracy councillors, according to local media. The election, the first since the wave of anti-Beijing protests began, saw an unprecedented turnout of more than 71%. It is being seen as a stinging rebuke of Ms Lam's leadership and a show of support for the protest movement. Hong Kong has seen months of increasingly violent protests since Ms Lam tried to introduce a controversial bill enabling extradition to China. -
Climate change: 'Bleak' outlook as carbon emissions gap grows
Countries will have to increase their carbon-cutting ambitions five fold if the world is to avoid warming by more than 1.5C, the UN says.
The annual emissions gap report shows that even if all current promises are met, the world will warm by more than double that amount by 2100. Richer countries have failed to cut emissions quickly enough, the authors say. Fifteen of the 20 wealthiest nations have no timeline for a net zero target. Hot on the heels of the World Meteorological Organization's report on greenhouse gas concentrations, the UN Environment Programme (Unep) has published its regular snapshot of how the world is doing in cutting levels of these pollutants. The emissions gap report looks at the difference between how much carbon needs to be cut to avoid dangerous warming - and where we are likely to end up with the promises that countries have currently committed to, in the Paris climate agreement. -
Black Friday and Cyber Monday: Tips to get the best deals
Black Friday is almost upon us and this year many retailers have extended their deals for the whole week.
And hot on its heels will be Cyber Monday, a phrase coined back in 2005 when online shopping needed promotion, but is increasingly becoming less relevant. There will be bargains to be had but shoppers need to keep their wits about them. Here are some top tips. You're unlikely to get 50% off the latest iPhone. Newer products are still going to sell well at their original price so there is less incentive for firms to put them on offer - especially tech devices.Consumer website Which? also suggests being cautious about apparently amazing offers on unknown brands. It found that one in five Black Friday shoppers did not read any reviews of the products they bought and advised people to do their research and be wary of unusual brands. -
Climate change: COP25 talks open as 'point of no return' in sight
Political leaders and climate diplomats are meeting in Madrid for two weeks of talks amid a growing sense of crisis.
According to UN Secretary General António Guterres, "the point of no return is no longer over the horizon". Meanwhile, Save the Children says that climate shocks have left millions in Africa facing hunger. The charity says 33 million people are at emergency levels of food insecurity due to cyclones and droughts. The world's average surface temperature is rising rapidly because human activities release greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2). These gases trap heat in the atmosphere, much like the glass roof of a greenhouse. -
US mulls retaliation to French tech tax
The US is preparing tariffs on $2.4bn (£1.85bn) worth of French exports as retaliation against the country's new digital services tax.
The top US trade official said the new tax, which France approved in July, unfairly targets American tech giants. He said the potential tariffs were intended to deter other countries from taking similar steps. The items that could face tariffs at rates up to 100% include cheese, sparkling wine, make-up and handbags. The decision "sends a clear signal that the United States will take action against digital tax regimes that discriminate or otherwise impose undue burdens on US companies", said US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer. -
FaceApp may pose 'counterintelligence threat' says FBI
The FBI said FaceApp and other mobile applications developed in Russia pose a "potential counterintelligence threat".
The comments were made in a letter to US Senator Chuck Schumer after he called for an investigation into the app. The face-editing tool went viral earlier this year but prompted privacy concerns. The FBI comments come amid rising US concern that products made by foreign tech firms could pose security risks. In a letter addressed to Mr Schumer, the agency said "it considers any mobile application or similar product developed in Russia, such as FaceApp, to be a potential counterintelligence threat".
