EU Probes Child Safety Measures on Major Online Platforms The European Commission has launched a review into how major digital platforms safeguard minors, focusing on Snapchat, YouTube, the Apple App Store and Google Play. The move, announced on Friday, is part of the enforcement of the EU’s landmark Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to make online environments safer and more accountable. Focus on Age Verification and Harmful Content Under the DSA, companies must demonstrate they are taking sufficient steps to protect young users from illegal and harmful content. The Commission has requested detailed information on how the platforms verify…
Author: Aishwarya Parikh
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Italy and France Launch Major Satellite Factory to Boost Europe’s Space Industry Italy’s space agency and Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Italy’s Leonardo and France’s Thales, will begin operations at one of Europe’s largest satellite manufacturing centres by the end of this year. The new site, located on the outskirts of Rome, marks a key step in Europe’s bid to compete more effectively with the space industries of the United States and China. Europe’s New “Space Smart Factory” The 21,000-square-metre (226,000-square-foot) facility, known as the Space Smart Factory, represents an investment of about €100 million ($117 million). It…
Samsung and SK Hynix Partner with OpenAI on Chip Supply and Data Centres Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have signed agreements to supply memory chips for OpenAI’s data centres. The move strengthens South Korea’s role in the global artificial intelligence race, as both chipmakers join forces with the ChatGPT creator to meet rising demand from the Stargate project. OpenAI to Build Data Centres in South Korea OpenAI also plans to work with the two South Korean companies to construct two data centres. These facilities, described as a “Korean-style Stargate,” will build on Seoul’s ambitions to become a leading AI hub…
UK Watchdog Proposes New Rules for Technology Licensing Post-Brexit Britain’s competition regulator has advised replacing an EU-era framework for technology licensing with a new UK-specific system. The move is designed to modernise rules and provide clarity for businesses in the post-Brexit environment. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Tuesday it had recommended scrapping the Assimilated Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation (TTBER), which expires in April 2026. In its place, the CMA has proposed a 12-year UK exemption order tailored to the country’s economic goals. Updating Technology Transfer Rules The TTBER was originally designed to let companies share or…
RWE Backs Out of Namibia’s Green Ammonia Project German utility company RWE announced on Monday that it has withdrawn from Namibia’s $10 billion Hyphen green ammonia project. The decision marks a setback for Namibia’s plans to position itself as a key hydrogen hub in southern Africa. Slow Hydrogen Demand Impacts Project RWE initially signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Hyphen in 2022. The deal outlined plans for RWE to buy around 300,000 tonnes of green ammonia annually from 2027. Ammonia is widely used in fertiliser production and is traditionally made with natural gas. To cut emissions, natural gas must…
Trump Approves TikTok Sale Plan Under $14 Billion U.S. Deal President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday approving plans for a new U.S.-based company to acquire TikTok’s American operations, in line with a 2024 law requiring the app’s Chinese owners to divest. The move delays enforcement of the ban on TikTok until January 20, giving time to finalise the restructuring. The new company will be valued at around $14 billion, Vice President JD Vance said, though analysts had expected far higher figures. Trump said the deal would ensure TikTok continues operating in the U.S. while safeguarding American users’…
Chinese Experts Reportedly Assist Russia in Drone Development Chinese drone specialists have travelled to Russia to help with the development of military drones at IEMZ Kupol, a state-owned weapons manufacturer under Western sanctions, according to documents and European security officials. Repeated Visits to Russian Weapons Plant The experts have visited Kupol more than six times since mid-2023. During this period, the company also received deliveries of Chinese-made attack and surveillance drones through a Russian intermediary. In September 2023, Reuters reported that Kupol had worked with Chinese specialists in China to develop the Garpiya-3 drone. Now, new details suggest deeper Chinese…
Attaining Digital Sovereignity: India’s Struggle Against Big Tech Dominance India’s technology sector is undergoing turbulence – despite producing a gigantic pool of highly skilled workers and engineers, we continue to face heavy reliance on foreign tech giants, resulting in significant loss of value and innovation. At an event titled ‘Digital Sovereignty, FTAs and National Security’ hosted in New Delhi, Abhishek Bhatt, CEO of Bharath Digital Infra Association, highlighted that in India, 98% of the cloud ecosystem is dominated by big techs. He further underscored the outsized influence of foreign technology companies in critical infrastructure. “There are at least 20-25 Indian…
Drone Disruptions and Cyberattacks Expose Weaknesses in European Aviation Security A wave of cyber and drone incidents is testing the resilience of Europe’s aviation infrastructure, raising fears of coordinated hybrid attacks. The latest disruptions began on Monday, when drones forced flights to be grounded for several hours at Copenhagen Airport, Denmark’s busiest hub. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen linked the event to suspected Russian incursions and similar disturbances elsewhere in Europe. At the same time, drone activity was reported in Oslo, while major airports including London Heathrow, Berlin and Brussels suffered outages after a ransomware attack crippled check-in systems. Investigators are…
World Food India 2025 to Showcase India’s Rise as a Global Food Processing Hub The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) will host the fourth edition of World Food India (WFI) from 25 to 28 September 2025 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event on 25 September at 6:00 PM. This global platform will bring together over 100 nations, aiming to spotlight India’s growing leadership in food innovation, investment, and sustainability. Union Minister Chirag Paswan emphasised that World Food India is more than a trade show—it’s a transformative platform that places India at…
