It appears Blizzard will indeed be dropping several major nerfs in Overwatch 2 shortly.

Elon Musk’s brain chip company Neuralink said on Thursday that it now has regulatory approval in the US to test its implants in human subjects. Neuralink has been building chips to be implanted into the skull for a brain-computer interface, claiming their development has the potential to help restore vision in the blind, and even help paralysed people walk again. While Mr Musk has said on several occasions since 2019 that the company is ready to go for experiments in humans to treat paralysis and blindness, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had however rejected proposals by the company to begin human clinical trials. For instance, in early 2022, when Neuralink applied for human testing, the FDA rejected the proposal saying there were “dozens of issues the company must address”. These issues flagged by the FDA included the use of lithium batteries in Neuralink’s device and the likelihood of the implant’s wires interfering with the brain. The federal agency also expressed concerns about whether the firm’s implants can be removed without causing brain damage. Neuralink has also come under the scanner of at least one US government probe after animal rights watchdogs accused the firm of “inadequate care” of its research monkeys. Reuters previously reported that the brain chip company killed about 1,500 animals, including over 280 sheep, pigs and monkeys since 2018. The US Department of Agriculture also began investigating Neuralink’s potential violations of the Animal Welfare Act. Responding to the animal abuse complaints, the company said in a blogpost that it was “absolutely committed to working with animals in the most humane and ethical way possible”. “The use of every animal was extensively planned and considered to balance scientific discovery with the ethical use of animals,” it said. In a tweet in November last year, Mr Musk said he was confident that Neuralink’s device was “ready for humans”, adding that the timing for beginning human trials was a “function of working through the FDA approval process”. “We want to be extremely careful and certain that it will work well before putting a device into a human but we’ve submitted I think most of our paperwork to the FDA and probably in about six months we should be able to upload Neuralink in a human,” the Tesla and SpaceX chief said. On Thursday, the company said it has finally received approval from the federal agency to begin trials in humans. “We are excited to share that we have received the FDA’s approval to launch our first-in-human clinical study!” the brain chip company said. The FDA approval “represents an important first step that will one day allow our technology to help many people”, Neuralink said, adding that it would soon announce more information on the recruitment of people for clinical trials. FDA hasn’t immediately responded to The Independent‘s queries on the Neuralink approval claim. Read More What is superintelligence? How AI could replace humans as the dominant lifeform on Earth Elon Musk’s Neuralink probed over shipment of ‘contaminated’ devices from ‘infected’ monkey brains When sci-fi becomes reality: could brain-machine interfaces be right around the corner?

The Wacken Open Air heavy metal festival in northern Germany is opening with a reduced audience after persistent rain turned the grounds to mud

Details about the Pokémon GO special research event Ultra Beast Protection Efforts.

BENTONVILLE, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 18, 2023--

MADRID The European Central Bank still needs to raise its interest rates further and then leave them in

Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is thought to be among 10 people killed in a plane crash in Russia. Footage shows the flaming wreckage after a private jet came down near Moscow last evening. The plane carrying three pilots and seven passengers was en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg, according to officials cited by Russia's state news agency Tass. Prigozhin was on the passenger list for the plane, but it wasn't immediately clear if he was on board. As the news about the crash was breaking, Russian president Vladimir Putin spoke at an event commemorating the Battle of Kursk, hailing the heroes of Russia’s “the special military operation” in Ukraine. The Wagner chief’s fate has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he mounted a short-lived mutiny against Russia's military leadership in late June. The Kremlin said the founder of the Wagner private military company, which fought alongside Russia's regular army in Ukraine, would be exiled to Belarus. But the mercenary chief has since reportedly popped up in Russia, leading to further questions about his future. Read More Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin ‘killed’ in plane crash with no survivors What was Vladimir Putin doing as Wagner chief rival ‘killed’ in plane crash? Wigs, gold bars and pictures of severed heads: Inside Wagner boss’s lavish Russian mansion

SAVE $100: As of September 14, the Insignia HEPA air purifier is on sale at

Founders behind defunct self-driving startup backed by Ford and Volkswagen launched a new autonomous trucking firm, Stack AV,

Liverpool have confirmed an “ongoing situation involving the family of Luis Diaz” amid reports the forward’s parents were kidnapped in Colombia. Colombia’s president has said Diaz’s mother “has been rescued” but his father remains missing. “Liverpool Football Club can confirm it is aware of an ongoing situation involving the family of Luis Diaz in Colombia,” read a club statement. “It is our fervent hope that the matter is resolved safely and at the earliest possible opportunity. In the meantime, the player’s welfare will continue to be our immediate priority.” Colombia president Gustavo Petro said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “In an operation in Barrancas, Luis Diaz’s mother has been rescued, we continue the search for the father.” The country’s football federation said in a statement that the kidnapping was regrettable and urged authorities to rescue Diaz’s father. “The Colombian Football Federation rejects the security situation that the parents of our player Luis Díaz are going through,” they said. “From the FCF we express our solidarity with him and his entire family and we call for the relevant authorities to act as quickly as possible to resolve the situation.” Liverpool signed Diaz from Porto in January 2022 in an initial £37.5million deal that included a potential extra £12.5million in add-ons. The 26-year-old winger has made 11 appearances this season and scored three goals. Diaz did not feature in Liverpool’s 5-1 Europa League victory over Toulouse on Thursday but had been expected to return for Nottingham Forest’s Premier League visit to Anfield on Sunday. Read More On This Day in 2012: UK Athletics appoints Peter Eriksson as Olympic head coach Joel Embiid leads Philadelphia 76ers to victory over Toronto Raptors Ketel Marte breaks record as Arizona Diamondbacks tie World Series

The charity declares its support for its boss and appeals to President Nicolas Maduro's government.

Countries' greenhouse gas-cutting pledges put Earth on track for warming far beyond key limits, potentially up to a catastrophic 2.9 degrees Celsius this century, the UN said Monday...