NSO Group Fined $168 Million for Hacking WhatsApp on Behalf of Spy Agencies A US federal jury in California has imposed a $168 million penalty on Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group. The verdict marks the end of a six-year legal battle between NSO and WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta. The case exposed the inner mechanics of the global spyware industry, including how high-level tools are developed, sold, and used. Spyware Tools Come at a High Cost Testimony during the trial revealed that NSO charged European governments a standard fee of $7 million to hack up to 15 devices simultaneously. According to…
Author: Aishwarya Parikh
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IBM Commits to Manufacturing, AI, and Quantum Computing IBM has announced a bold investment plan to inject $150 billion into the United States economy over the next five years. This strategic initiative aims to boost innovation, manufacturing, and economic growth. Of the total, more than $30 billion will go directly into research and development, supporting advancements in mainframe and quantum computing. Arvind Krishna, IBM’s chairman and CEO, highlighted the company’s vision, stating: “Technology doesn’t just build the future — it defines it. We’ve prioritised American jobs and manufacturing for over a century, and this investment ensures IBM remains at the…
Novaspace and Colombian Space Agency Unite for Leading Regional Space Event LATSAT Novaspace and the Colombian Space Agency have joined forces to host the seventh edition of LATSAT, Latin America’s top space conference. The event will take place in Bogotá, Colombia, from 19–20 November 2025, gathering key leaders and innovators from across the global and regional space industries. Bogotá, a growing hub for innovation and technology, sets the perfect stage for this event. LATSAT 2025 will focus on advancing satellite communications, connectivity, and Earth observation in Latin America. Organisers expect more than 300 senior figures from government, industry, and academia…
Trump Signals Possible Extension on TikTok Divestiture Deadline US President Donald Trump has suggested he may extend the 19 June deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest TikTok’s US assets. This decision could delay a congressionally mandated ban on the short video app, which is currently used by 170 million Americans. Trump: TikTok Has a Role in His Political Success In an interview recorded on Friday at his Mar-a-Lago estate and aired on NBC’s “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker,” Trump indicated his openness to allowing more time for a deal to be reached. “I would… I’d like to see it…
A Marriage of Robotics and Culinary Art Researchers in Switzerland and Italy have unveiled a world-first: an edible robotic wedding cake named RoboCake. Complete with dancing gummy teddy bears and chocolate-powered LED candles, the project merges robotics, food science, and sustainability in a groundbreaking way. RoboCake is the result of a collaboration between the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), and pastry experts from the EHL hospitality school in Lausanne. It’s designed not only to wow at celebrations but also to highlight future possibilities for reducing electronic and food waste. Dancing Gummy…
US Transfers AI Program to Help Industry Forecast Critical Mineral Prices A US AI tool to forecast the supply and pricing of critical minerals is now in the hands of a non-profit group. This move aims to increase market transparency and help manufacturers secure metal supplies without depending on China. The AI-powered initiative, called Open Price Exploration for National Security (OPENS), was launched in late 2023 by the U.S. Department of Defense. It has now been transferred to the Critical Minerals Forum (CMF), a newly formed non-profit trade group. A Tool to Strengthen Supply Chains More than 30 companies, including…
New Satellite to Measure Forest Carbon from Space The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launched its Biomass satellite on Tuesday, 29 April, from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The satellite was carried into orbit aboard a Vega-C rocket, marking a key step in ESA’s mission to monitor Earth’s forests and carbon storage. In the coming days, engineers will perform checks to ensure all systems are functioning correctly. Once verified, the satellite will begin collecting data using advanced interferometry technology. The mission aims to enhance our understanding of the carbon cycle and track the impacts of deforestation and climate change…
China’s Shenzhou-20 Mission: Pioneering Space Medicine Research At the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China, final preparations for the Shenzhou-20 mission were in full swing. Researchers carefully packed cell samples, ensuring their safe delivery for an extraordinary mission into space. Swift Preparations to Protect Vital Samples To preserve the cells’ integrity, scientists rehearsed the entire loading process beforehand. During the real event, the cells were loaded just six and a half hours before launch. This tight schedule aimed to maintain the best possible conditions for the samples. Li Yinghui, a key researcher, explained, “We loaded the cells at the…
Former U.S. Cyber Chief Warns Trump’s Cyber Purges Endanger Digital Security U.S. President Donald Trump’s cyber policies involve actions against top cybersecurity officials have put America’s digital defences at risk, according to a former head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Trump recently fired the two top leaders at the National Security Agency (NSA) and ordered an investigation into Christopher Krebs, a former CISA head. These actions are part of a wider trend that “risks hollowing out – and worse, politicising – the U.S. federal cyber ecosystem when we can least afford it,” said Jen Easterly. Easterly, who…
Shenzhou-20 Crew Enters China’s Space Station China’s Shenzhou-20 astronauts entered the Tiangong space station early Friday and began a new crew handover with the Shenzhou-19 team already on board. This marks the start of a new phase in China’s space mission operations. Mission commander Chen Dong, along with astronauts Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, joined the orbiting lab after a fast automated docking with the station’s Tianhe core module. The docking occurred at 23:49 on Thursday, Beijing Time. Crews Meet and Begin Work At 01:17 on Friday, the Shenzhou-19 crew opened the hatch to welcome the new arrivals. The moment…