Новости за 26.04.2024

Tokyo (AFP) April 26, 2024
A normal if windy work day went south for one Japanese bureaucrat when documents containing residents' personal information were blown away in a real-life slapstick mishap. The official in central Japan's Aichi region was using a trolley to transport a cardboard box filled with documents from one building to another when, to their horror, it toppled over. Despite frantic efforts by the o

Washington (AFP) April 25, 2024
The US Federal Communications Commission voted on Thursday to reinstate tougher rules to guarantee open access to the internet, reversing a decision made during the Trump administration. The battle over net neutrality has raged for over a decade in the FCC and the US courts, with both sides contending they represent "internet freedom." The 2015 net neutrality rules were backed by then-pr

Tokyo (AFP) April 26, 2024
Japan's cabinet approved Friday legislation that would slap major fines on tech giants like Google or Apple if they block access to third-party smartphone apps and payment systems. Similar to the European Union's new Digital Markets Act, behaviour deemed anti-competitive could see operators fined up to 20 percent of their revenues in Japan. Under the legislation set to be debated by lawm

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 24, 2024
At a new lab in Rockford, Illinois, a vital experiment with a rectifier, small enough to be carried in a backpack, begins. This rectifier, part of a dynamometer setup, is key in converting alternating current to direct current-a critical step for powering hybrid electric unmanned aerial vehicles. This lab, known as The Grid and operated by Collins Aerospace, a business unit of RTX, aims to

Zurich (AFP) April 25, 2024
The Basel Committee on Thursday approved an update of its banking supervision guidelines that includes risks from climate changes and the digitalisation of finance. The changes to its "core principles for effective banking supervision" were approved at a meeting of some 220 central bankers and financial regulators on April 24 and 25 in Basel, Switzerland, it said in a communique. The B

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 25, 2024
The crew of the Shenzhou XVII, stationed on China's space station, successfully repaired damage to the core module's solar wings caused by space debris. This repair was accomplished during the country's inaugural mission involving extravehicular maintenance, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The astronauts are set to return to Earth on April 30, following the completion of their

Berlin (AFP) April 25, 2024
The world must agree this year on how to raise billions of dollars to help poorer countries adapt to global warming, the president of the UN climate talks said Thursday. Mukhtar Babayev of Azerbaijan offered little detail about how to broker this deal but said climate finance would be a "pillar" of the COP29 summit in the petro-state in November. "We know that the world needs to increase

Beijing (AFP) April 25, 2024
Chinese car giants locked in a cut-throat price war descended on the capital for the start of the Auto China show Thursday, vying to draw consumers and headlines in the world's biggest electric vehicle market and abroad. China's EV sector has exploded in recent years, and firms are now engaged in a no-holds-barred battle to offer customers the coolest accessories at the lowest prices. Be

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 24, 2024
ASTERRA has introduced a new application programming interface (API), which expands the capabilities of SAR analytics by enabling collaboration with partners. This marks ASTERRA as the sole commercial provider of L-band SAR analytics technology with an open API for integration with Earth observation and GIS partners, thereby enhancing the overall solution. "ASTERRA insights are now accessi

Ottawa (AFP) April 25, 2024
Environmental activists denounced Thursday the increased presence of oil industry lobbyists at talks in Ottawa on a global treaty to reduce plastic pollution. The 196 fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists outnumber any single delegation in Ottawa for the fourth round of negotiations. These talks have nearly 40 percent more industry lobbyists than the last round in Kenya in November, ac

London (AFP) April 25, 2024
From electric vehicles, to solar panels, wind turbines and energy storage - the diverse uses of copper in the green energy sector have created a surge in demand for the metal. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the copper market grew by around 50 percent between 2017 and 2022, reaching nearly $200 billion. The amount of copper consumed worldwide has doubled in 20 years

Manila (AFP) April 24, 2024
Extreme heat scorched parts of South and Southeast Asia Wednesday, prompting schools across the Philippines to suspend classes, heat warnings in the Thai capital and worshippers in Bangladesh to pray for rain. The high temperatures were recorded just a day after the United Nations said Asia was the region that suffered the most disasters from climate and weather hazards in 2023, with floods

Paris (AFP) April 25, 2024
European aviation giant Airbus posted a 28 percent increase in first-quarter profit Thursday through rising deliveries and production, a day after arch-rival Boeing reported a loss. Airbus' net income in the first three months rose to 595 million euros ($637 million) while revenue grew nine percent to 12.8 billion euros, as the group delivered 142 commercial planes compared with 127 over the