Latest news with #Fourcast
Channel 4
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Channel 4
Sarah Vine: How Brexit ruined my marriage to Michael Gove
Does Westminster make good people awful or does it attract awful people? As far as Sarah Vine is concerned, it's the former – corrupting those with the best of intentions, turning them 'mad and toxic.' For twenty years, Sarah Vine was on the frontline of UK politics – married to former Secretary of State Michael Gove, friend (and later, foe) of the Camerons and a tabloid columnist. She witnessed Brexit up close – so close in fact, that it cost her her marriage. In this episode of the Fourcast, journalist and author Sarah Vine talks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy about her new book, 'How Not to Be a Political Wife'. She talks about her 'crush' on Samantha Cameron and their devastating fallout, her view that MPs aren't paid enough, the pressures of public scrutiny and the emotional toll of being married to power.
The Star
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
The most eye-catching products at Paris's Vivatech trade fair
Visitors walk between stands during the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, on June 12, 2025. — Reuters PARIS: Products ranging from footwear to AI counterfeit detectors fill the halls of Paris's Vivatech trade fair, which runs until June 14. Here are some of the highlights of this year's show gathered by AFP on the scene: Anti-counterfeiting AI For humans, spotting the difference between a Lacoste polo shirt and a fake sporting the brand's crocodile logo can be tricky. But French startup Vrai AI believes its artificial intelligence model can tell the two apart based on a simple photo. "AI can detect micro-mistakes" made by counterfeit manufacturers of products like off-the-rack clothes, banknotes or even anti-malarial medications, co-founder Hugo Garcia-Cotte tells AFP. "It's more reliable than humans," he adds. Lacoste has been testing the AI model since November, with customs services in countries like Cameroon and Senegal also taking an interest. Robotic telemedicine Scooting around on castor wheels, column-shaped robots from Hong Kong firm Robocore can serve as mobile advertising billboards – but for now are mostly deployed for medical purposes in hospitals and retirement homes. Visitors stand next to a Robocore mobile advertising robot 'Fourcast' at the 9th edition of the VivaTech technology startups and innovation fair in Paris on June 11, 2025. — AFP "We are in about 200 elderly homes in the United States, 1,000 elderly homes in Hong Kong, and we are in a lot of hospitals as well," boss Long Hei Roy Lim tells AFP. The robots, each a few feet high, use AI to navigate environments autonomously, including taking the lift. They can also analyse patients' medical data and have conversations powered by chatbots from American developer OpenAI or Chinese competitor DeepSeek. Robocore says its robots can save time for health workers, whose workload is cut to simply checking up on what the robots have distributed to patients – hopefully limiting the impact of doctor shortages. With 50,000 units deployed across 33 countries, Robocore was hoping to expand into new markets thanks to its attendance at Vivatech. Nimble electric vehicles At just 79 centimetres (two and half feet) wide and 2.4 metres (seven and a half feet) long, French startup Aemotion's four-wheeled electric vehicle is designed to weave through traffic, saving commuters time spent in jams. A car designed by Aemotion is seen at the 9th edition of the VivaTech technology startups and innovation fair in Paris on June 11, 2025. — AFP Built in central France, the black transport that's not quite a motor scooter nor really a car is fully enclosed and can carry two people at up to 115 kilometres per hour (70 mph). "We aim to sell 5,000 of these a year within five years," company chief Alexandre Lagrange told AFP at the company's stand, where he is showing off the third version of Aeomotion's prototype. Pre-orders are already open for the vehicle, with the company aiming to get road licensing early next year, with a price tag of €20,000 (R M97,868 ). The first drivers will get their hands on one in late 2026 or early 2027, co-founder Alain Dublin said. Smart shoes Imagine being guided on a walk around busy city streets not by brightly-coloured signs and traffic lights, but by vibrations in your feet. That's the promise of Japanese start-up Ashirase, which has developed a vibrating tool that slips into shoes aimed at making life easier for visually impaired people. This photograph shows Ashirase's navigation system installed in the shoes at the 9th edition of the VivaTech fair. — AFP "We use AI for accurate positioning, by mixing the sensor data from the Ashirase device and location data from (a) smartphone," development chief Ryohei Tokuda said. Users simply have to select a destination in the accompanying app and the buzzing inserts will let them know when to turn. Backed by carmaker Honda, Ashirase's smart shoe upgrades are already on sale in Japan. It hopes to bring them to Europe starting with a launch in Germany in September. – AFP
Channel 4
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Channel 4
How Israeli embassy staff shooting could impact Gaza war
The shooting of a couple who worked for the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC has sent shockwaves around the world, while in Gaza the UN says thousands of men, women and children are in danger of severe starvation after an 11-week aid blockade. For this episode of the Fourcast, Krishnan Guru-Murthy speaks to The Economist's Israel Correspondent Anshel Pfeffer and Palestinian journalist Nour Odeh. They discuss the shooting of Israeli embassy staff in DC, growing condemnation of Netanyahu by Western leaders and mounting international calls to recognise a Palestinian state.
Channel 4
15-05-2025
- Health
- Channel 4
US health advisor's vaccine views ‘wrong and dangerous'
For our most recent episode of the Fourcast we've been speaking to controversial British cardiologist Aseem Malhotra, who was recently appointed as a senior advisor to the US Health Secretary. That makes him one of Robert F Kennedy Junior's most influential medical advisers, and that's alarming doctors and academics around the world. Dr Malhotra has made various disputed claims about heart disease, but most contentiously he has called for the MRNA Covid vaccine to be suspended, saying it does more harm than good. We've scrutinised those claims and have spoken to Stephen Griffon, a professor of virology, who believes Dr Malhotra's views are not just wrong but dangerous. Professor Griffon spoke to Krishnan Guru Murphy about whether the Covid vaccine COULD be linked to heart inflammation.
Leaders
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Leaders
UN Expert Defends Palestinian Right to Resist
In a recent Fourcast podcast, Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, spoke with Krishnan Guru-Murthy. The discussion explored the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, focusing on the events of October 7th and international law. Albanese affirmed Palestinians' legal right to resist occupation under international law, emphasizing that oppressed peoples retain self-determination rights, akin to states' self-defense. Gaza Within Occupied Territories Albanese clarified that Israel's occupation of Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem remains unlawful. She cited a July 2023 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling demanding Israel's full withdrawal. 'States must not recognize Israel's occupation as legal,' she stated, urging global compliance. When asked if Hamas's October 7 attacks constituted resistance, Albanese avoided direct endorsement. She stressed that Palestinian resistance must align with international law's limitations. 'Israel must withdraw first before invoking self-defense rights,' she argued, challenging Israel's narrative of terrorism. Global Obligations to Halt Occupation Support Albanese highlighted third-party duties, including the UK, to cease aiding Israel's occupation. 'Assisting Israel's control violates international law,' she asserted, linking accountability to funding and political backing. The UN rapporteur emphasizes ending Israel's occupation as the path to lawful self-defense for both Israelis and Palestinians. She urges global actors to prioritize accountability over political rhetoric. Albanese's remarks underscore legal complexities in Gaza's conflict, urging a rights-based framework over militarized narratives. The ICJ's binding orders remain pivotal for resolving decades of displacement and strife. Short link : Post Views: 14
