SYDNEY — Australia said Thursday a $1.35 billion deal with U.S. technology giant Amazon to build three secure data centers for top-secret information will increase its military’s “war-fighting capacity.” The data centers are to be built in secret locations in Australia and be run by an Australian subsidiary of the U.S. …
your ad hereSilicon Valley steps up screening on Chinese employees to counter espionage
Washington — Leading U.S. technology companies reportedly have increased security screening of employees and job applicants, which experts say is necessary to counter the cyber espionage threat from China. While the enhanced screening is being applied to employees and applicants of all races, those with family or other ties to China …
your ad hereNASA: ‘Once-in-a-lifetime’ nova eruption could happen any day
Sri Lanka to save $5bn from bilateral debt deal
Colombo, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka will save $5 billion following the restructure of its bilateral debt, much of which is owed to China, through slashed interest rates and longer repayment schedules, the president said Tuesday. The island nation defaulted on its foreign borrowings in 2022 during an unprecedented economic crisis …
your ad hereAlliance sets sights on minerals needed for global shift to green energy
The U.S. government’s representative to the Minerals Security Partnership, an alliance of mostly Western countries that aims to speed the development of energy mineral supply chains, said last month that a Chinese company was using “predatory” tactics to hold down the price of cobalt mined in the Democratic Republic of …
your ad hereUS manufacturing contraction deepens in June
Washington — U.S. manufacturing activity edged lower in June, deepening a recent slump on continued weak demand, according to industry survey data published Monday. The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing index came in at 48.5% last month, down 0.2 percentage points from May. The June data came in below market …
your ad hereEconomic turmoil in Bolivia fuels distrust in government and its claim of a ‘failed coup’
LA PAZ — Signs reading “I’m buying dollars” line the doors of Víctor Vargas’ shoe shop in the heart of Bolivia’s biggest city, a desperate attempt to keep his family business alive. Just a few years ago, the 45-year-old Vargas would unlock the doors at 8 a.m. to a crush of …
your ad hereMeta risks fines over ‘pay for privacy’ model breaking EU rules
Brussels, Belgium — The EU accused Facebook owner Meta on Monday of breaching the bloc’s digital rules, paving the way for potential fines worth billions of euros. The charges against the US tech titan follow a finding last week against Apple that marked the first time Brussels had levelled formal accusations …
your ad hereRussian satellite breaks up, forces space station astronauts to shelter
WASHINGTON — A defunct Russian satellite has broken up into more than 100 pieces of debris in orbit, forcing astronauts on the International Space Station to take shelter for about an hour and adding to the mass of space junk already in orbit, U.S. space agencies said. There were no immediate …
your ad hereAfghan farmers grow poppies despite Taliban’s ban
Washington — Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan was down sharply last year, according to the United Nations and private sources, but the plants are being grown in most provinces despite a ban imposed by the Taliban. Some areas grow more than others. According to sources inside Afghanistan and on Taliban-run social …
your ad hereDrivers in cities around globe facing more traffic jams, study finds
Indonesia aims to build cutting-edge spaceport but faces obstacles
Jakarta, Indonesia — Indonesia aims to launch 19 satellites into low-Earth orbit next year, part of an ambitious plan to move the country into the forefront of the world’s growing space industry and reduce its reliance on other countries for its satellite data. The broader program, known as the 2045 space …
your ad hereA source of nutrients and anxiety: Egypt cuts back on longtime bread subsidies
After more than three decades, Egypt has increased the fixed price of subsidized bread from 0.05 Egyptian pounds ($0.0010) a loaf to 0.20 Egyptian pounds ($0.0042). With record levels of inflation already straining the Egyptian people — the majority of whom rely upon the discounted dietary staple — Cairo-based photojournalist Hamada Elrasam turns his lens on …
your ad hereZimbabwe fights higher drug abuse cases, especially among youth
HARARE, ZIMBABWE — Officials in Zimbabwe, which is facing a growing problem of substance abuse — especially among unemployed youth, say arrests have surged in 2024, with close to 2,400 people taken into custody so far. Officials say economic difficulties are hampering efforts to curb the problem. Zimbabwean Information Minister Jenfan …
your ad hereMicrosoft faces antitrust violation for bundling Teams with Office software
China’s premier pushes back on EV, green industry concerns
Historic Chinese lunar probe returns to Earth
Chinese hackers have stepped up attacks on Taiwanese organizations, cybersecurity firm says
Hong Kong — A suspected Chinese state-sponsored hacking group has stepped up its targeting of Taiwanese organizations, particularly those in sectors such as government, education, technology and diplomacy, according to cybersecurity intelligence company Recorded Future. In recent years, relations between China and Taiwan, a self-governed island across the Taiwan Strait that …
your ad hereChina wants EU to remove tariffs on EVs by July 4 as talks resume
BEIJING — Beijing wants the EU to scrap its preliminary tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles by July 4, China’s state-controlled Global Times reported, after both sides agreed to hold new trade talks. Provisional European Union duties of up to 38.1% on imported Chinese-made EVs are set to kick in by July …
your ad hereWhy Vietnam drought may spike global espresso prices
Gia Lai Province — Vietnam’s coffee growers have been hit hard by the worst drought in nearly a decade this year, and that could mean a morning espresso is about to get more costly. The country is the world’s second biggest coffee producer and the top producer of robusta beans, …
your ad hereCostly election pledges in France stoke fears of splurges that risk pushing country deeper into debt
Paris — The promises are appealing — and expensive. Vying to oust the centrist government of President Emmanuel Macron in an upcoming two-round parliamentary election June 30 and July 7, French political parties of both the far right and far left are vowing to cut gasoline taxes, let workers retire earlier and …
your ad hereApple’s App Store rules breach EU tech rules, EU regulators say
AMSTERDAM — Apple’s App Store rules breach EU tech rules because they prevent app developers from steering consumers to alternative offers, EU antitrust regulators said on Monday, a charge that could result in a hefty fine for the iPhone maker. The European Commission, which also acts as the European Union’s antitrust …
your ad hereStudy: Luxury sales flatten amid creativity crisis, price hikes
MILAN — The post-pandemic surge in global sales of luxury handbags, shoes and apparel is set to stall this year amid a creativity crisis and price hikes as brands shift focus to the biggest spending customers, a new study by the Bain consultancy said Tuesday. Bain is forecasting flat worldwide luxury …
your ad hereGermany assures China that doors still open to discuss EU surcharges
Shanghai, China — The German vice-chancellor assured China on Saturday that the “doors” remained “open” to discuss EU surcharges on Chinese electric vehicles, without reassuring Beijing which promised to “firmly defend” its manufacturers. Also, the Minister of Economy and Climate, Robert Habeck is making a visit that seems like a last …
your ad here2 dead in Kenya youth protests
Nairobi, Kenya — A 21-year-old man died after being hit by a tear gas canister during protests in Kenya this week, a human rights official and the victim’s relative said Saturday, in the second fatality in connection with the youth-led demonstrations. Led largely by Gen-Z Kenyans who have livestreamed the demonstrations …
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