The social media platform agreed to a number of conditions in order to resume operations in Nigeria following a seven-month ban
Nigeria has lifted a nationwide ban on Twitter, allowing its 200 million residents to continue using the site after it was shut down for months, with tech officials saying the firm accepted certain conditions to start back up.
President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the ban lifted on Wednesday, the director-general of Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said, noting the move will take effect on Thursday.
“Our action is a deliberate attempt to recalibrate our relationship with Twitter to achieve the maximum mutual benefits for our nation without jeopardizing the justified interests of the company. Our engagement has been very respectful, cordial, and successful,” the agency head continued.
In exchange for ending the prohibition of the site, Twitter agreed to register itself in Nigeria sometime in the first quarter of this year, as well as to appoint a company representative for the country, follow its tax obligations and conduct itself with a “with a respectful acknowledgement of Nigerian laws and the national culture and history on which such legislation has been built,” Abdullahi said.
Twitter, which earlier called the ban “deeply concerning,” has yet to comment on the purported deal, though an unnamed company spokesperson cited by TechCrunch said it is eager to see service “restored very soon” in Africa’s most populous nation.
The Nigerian government first suspended Twitter’s operations “indefinitely” last June, after the platform removed a post by President Buhari for alleged “abusive” rhetoric toward armed separatist forces active in the country’s southeast. The administration said the site was “undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence” and insisted on the president’s right to express himself on security matters.
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The city of Tianjin ordered a second round of COVID-19 testing on Wednesday in the city about an hour from Beijing, which is set to host the Winter Olympics from February 4th.
The national research facility simulates the low-gravity environment on the Moon
China has built an artificial moon on Earth that simulates low-gravity conditions – the first of its kind. The facility is expected to play a key role in China’s future lunar missions.
Speaking on Tuesday, scientist Li Ruilin, from the China University of Mining and Technology, said that the artificial moon project in eastern city of Xuzhou is expected to be officially launched in the coming months.
Li described the program as “first of its kind in the world” and said it takes lunar simulation to a completely new level, as it can make gravity “disappear” and can “last as long as you want.”
The facility is made up of a vacuum chamber which houses a mini “moon” measuring 60cm (about two feet) in diameter. The moon-like landscape is made up of rocks and dust that are as light as those found on our Moon.
The landscape is supported by a magnetic field, like the Moon – where gravity is approximately one-sixth as strong as the gravity on Earth. Where the field is strong enough, certain light objects, such as a frog or chestnut, can levitate.
Li said the project is likely to play an important role in preparing for Chinese lunar operations, allowing scientists to test equipment and even prevent miscalculations that could prove costly on the Moon itself.
“Some experiments such as an impact test need just a few seconds [in the simulator],” said Li, adding that “others such as creep testing can take several days.”
The scientist noted that it could also be used to test whether 3D printing works on the Moon or whether lunar settlements would be able to survive.
“Some experiments conducted in the simulated environment can also give us some important clues, such as where to look for water trapped under the surface,” he said.
Li said that a number of technical innovations were needed to make the facility, noting that the magnetic forces needed to create the atmosphere are so strong that they can tear apart components like superconducting wires and render many metallic components useless.
He added that the facility, which was inspired by Andre Geim’s experiments to levitate a frog with a magnet, would be open to researchers from around the world.
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