Musk says granting 'amnesty' to suspended Twitter accounts
San Francisco (AP): New Twitter owner Elon Musk has said he is granting "amnesty" for suspended accounts, which online safety experts predict will spur a rise in harassment, hate speech and misinformation.
The billionaire's announcement came on Thursday after he asked in a poll posted to his timeline to vote on reinstatements for accounts that have not "broken the law or engaged in egregious spam". The yes vote was 72 per cent.
"The people have spoken. Amnesty begins next week. Vox Populi, Vox Dei," Musk tweeted using a Latin phrase meaning "the voice of the people, the voice of God".
Musk used the same Latin phrase after posting a similar poll last last weekend before reinstating the account of former President Donald Trump, which Twitter had banned for encouraging the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Trump has said he won't return to Twitter but has not deleted his account.
Such online polls are anything but scientific and can easily be influenced by bots.
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Gruha Jyothi, drought in state contribute to 11.35 pc increase in power consumption in 2023-24
Bengaluru: The overall power consumption on domestic basis across Karnataka has increased by 11.35 per cent between August 2023 and July 2024, with all electricity supply companies (escoms), except the Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), recording a rise of 10 to 19.75 per cent this year.
The power use has increased by 3.76 per cent within BESCOM limits, which includes not only Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts but also other districts like Ramanagar, Tumakuru, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Davanagere and Chitradurga in 2023-24, reports Deccan Herald.
The increase is being attributed to the extension in drought and high-temperature days in the state as well as to the implementation of the Gruha Jyothi scheme by the state government, as the number of beneficiaries has increased during said period by 7.13 per cent.
In contrast to the hike witnessed in the state this year, Karnataka had recorded a 4.64 per cent increase in power consumption in 2022-2023, as households had used 16,089 million units (MUs) in 2023-24, which was 1,263 MUs higher than the number of units consumed in 2022-23.
While the six escoms in Karnataka provides electricity to around 1.98 crore households in total, more than 1.69 crore users have enrolled for Gruha Jyothi. Of these, 1.6 crore users have availed of the benefits of the scheme.
The government had given a 10 per cent buffer on the average power consumption of 2022-23, for the households to receive zero-electricity bill, with Energy Department sources informing that the state government had predicted the power consumption in Karnataka to rise by 10 per cent at most, as compared to 2022-23.
The state government had, however, not allocated additional funds in the budget for the scheme, although it has been clearing escom dues regularly, a senior officer has said.
Another senior officer confirmed that drought and high temperatures have contributed to the increased household power consumption across the state. However with good rainfall this year, the power consumption could be expected to return to its average level, the officer added.
Low rainfall in the summer of 2023 had reduced the power supply in the state, forcing escoms to also reduce supply to irrigation pumpsets. Several areas in the state also used to report scheduled load shedding. There have been instances where the government has purchased power from private players and national grid at Rs 7.42 to Rs 10 per unit during peak season, said the officer.
The state currently depends on renewable energy sources, including hydro, wind and solar powers, to meet 63 per cent of its requirements.
