When Pakistan’s government unveiled some of the world’s most sweeping rules on internet censorship this month, global internet companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter were expected to comply or face severe penalties — including the potential shutdown of their services. Instead, the tech giants banded together and threatened to leave the country and its 70 million internet users in digital darkness….
Tag: prime minister
Disney Blocks John Oliver’s New Episode Critical of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Disney-owned Hotstar, India’s largest on-demand video streaming service with more than 300 million users, has blocked the newest episode of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” that was critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. From a report: The move has angered many of its customers ahead of Disney+’s launch in one of the world’s largest entertainment markets next month. In…
More Bosses Give 4-Day Workweek A Try
Companies around the world are embracing what might seem like a radical idea: a four-day workweek. From a report: The concept is gaining ground in places as varied as New Zealand and Russia, and it’s making inroads among some American companies. Employers are seeing surprising benefits, including higher sales and profits. The idea of a four-day workweek might sound crazy, especially…
UK To Spend $1.6 Billion on World’s Best Climate Supercomputer
The U.K. said it will spend 1.2 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) on developing the most powerful weather and climate supercomputer in the world. From a report: The program aims to improve weather and climate modeling by the government forecaster, the Met Office, Business Secretary Alok Sharma said in a statement Monday. The machine will replace the U.K.’s existing supercomputer, which is…
Personal Data of All 6.5 Million Israeli Voters Is Exposed
A software flaw exposed the personal data of every eligible voter in Israel — including full names, addresses and identity card numbers for 6.5 million people — raising concerns about identity theft and electoral manipulation, three weeks before the country’s national election. The New York Times reports: The security lapse was tied to a mobile app used by Prime Minister Benjamin…
Brexit Happens
“The UK has officially left the European Union after 47 years of membership,” reports the BBC. The historic moment, which happened at 23:00 GMT, was marked by both celebrations and anti-Brexit protests. Candlelit vigils were held in Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU, while Brexiteers partied in London’s Parliament Square… Brexit parties were held in pubs and social clubs…
UK government approves Huawei 5G deal despite security fears
Chinese telecomms firm Huawei will be allowed to provide technology for key parts of the UK’s super-fast 5G infrastructure, prime minister Boris Johnson has said, despite opposition from the US Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2231678-uk-government-approves-huawei-5g-deal-despite-security-fears/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Finland To Introduce Four-Day Working Week and Six-Hour Days [Update]
Finland’s new Prime Minister has called for the introduction of a flexible working schedule that would involve a four-day week and six-hour days. From a report: Sanna Marin, the youngest female head of government in the world , has announced the intention to trial the initiative, which she claims could be “the next step” in working life. The 34-year-old leads a…
Dominic Cummings wants ‘weirdos’ to help run the UK. Will it work?
A senior adviser to the UK’s prime minister suggests policy-making can be improved by training AI on government data, but the researchers he cites say they aren’t so sure Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2229002-dominic-cummings-wants-weirdos-to-help-run-the-uk-will-it-work/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Good News For Climate Change: India Gets Out of Coal and Into Renewable Energy
“India has been aggressively pivoting away from coal-fired power plants and towards electricity generated by solar, wind, and hydroelectric power,” writes the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Lasrick shared their report: The reasons for this change are complex and interlocking, but one aspect in particular seems to stand out: The price for solar electricity has been in freefall, to levels so…