Elon Musk’s Starlink Sparks Feud with Ryanair over In-Flight WiFi Costs A public spat between Elon Musk and Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has reignited debate across the aviation industry about the real value of in-flight WiFi. The disagreement centres on whether high-speed satellite internet, such as Musk’s Starlink service, is an essential feature for airlines or an unnecessary expense. A Clash of Business Models Musk branded O’Leary an “utter idiot” on X after the Irish executive dismissed Starlink’s installation on Ryanair’s 600-plus aircraft as too costly and unnecessary. O’Leary, known for his frugal management style, argued that passengers on…
Author: Aishwarya Parikh
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Microsoft Restores Access to 365 Services After Major Outage Microsoft announced on Friday that it has restored access to its suite of productivity tools following a widespread outage that disrupted several key Microsoft 365 services. The company confirmed that systems were now “in a healthy state,” and user access had been fully restored. Outage Impact and Recovery According to data from the outage tracking platform Downdetector.com, reports of service disruptions fell sharply to around 113 early on Friday morning, down from more than 15,800 at the peak a day earlier. The issue had affected a range of services including Outlook,…
Lemonade Offers 50% Insurance Discount for Tesla Drivers Using Full Self-Driving U.S. insurer Lemonade announced on Wednesday that it will offer a 50% rate reduction for Tesla drivers when the automaker’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software is in operation. The decision follows data showing that the use of Tesla’s driver assistance system significantly reduces the risk of accidents. Endorsement of Tesla’s Safety Claims The move represents a notable endorsement of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s long-standing assertion that the company’s autonomous driving technology is safer than human drivers. This comes despite ongoing concerns raised by regulators and safety experts about the system’s…
Britain Mulls Tougher Social Media Rules for Children, Says Starmer Britain may soon tighten rules on children’s use of social media, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer warning that no option is “off the table.” He said the Labour government is ready to take firm action to protect young users from the harms of excessive online engagement. The announcement follows the government’s pledge to review whether features like infinite scrolling should be limited and whether age restrictions on access to social media platforms should be raised. Officials said they would study global evidence to assess whether a social media ban for…
As India advances toward its Viksit Bharat 2047 goals, 2026 is emerging as a pivotal year for the country’s artificial intelligence strategy. With the AI Impact Summit 2026 set to be hosted in less than a month, policymakers and technologists are mapping a transition from the broad promise of “AI for All” to a more focused push toward “AI for Science.” That shift was on display last week in New Delhi, where the policy paper India AI Gambit: Navigating the Global Race was released by the Strategic Foresight Group, in collaboration with NatStrat and Founding Fuel. The paper argues that India’s AI agenda in 2026 should concentrate on…
Viettel Begins Construction of Vietnam’s First Semiconductor Fabrication Plant Vietnam’s military-owned telecom giant Viettel has broken ground on the country’s first semiconductor fabrication plant, marking a significant step in its ambition to build a self-sufficient chip manufacturing ecosystem. Trial production at the facility is expected to begin by late 2027, according to a company statement issued on Friday. Building Vietnam’s Chipmaking Capability The 27-hectare plant is being built in the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park, on the outskirts of Hanoi. Viettel said the site will complete construction and technology transfer by the end of next year, followed by a trial operation…
Trump Faces Backlash over Decision Allowing Nvidia to Sell Advanced AI Chips to China U.S. lawmakers and former officials voiced strong opposition on Wednesday to President Donald Trump’s decision permitting Nvidia to sell its advanced H200 artificial intelligence chips to China. Critics argue that the move undermines America’s technological advantage and risks bolstering Beijing’s military capabilities. The Trump administration formally authorised the exports on Tuesday, allowing shipments of the H200 — Nvidia’s second most powerful AI processor — under a new rule designed to regulate such sales. The decision has alarmed national security experts who say it runs counter to…
Trump Imposes 25% Tariff on Advanced AI Chips to Boost U.S. Semiconductor Production U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed a 25% tariff on specific high-performance AI chips, including Nvidia’s H200 processor and AMD’s MI325X semiconductor. The move, announced on Wednesday under a new national security order, forms part of a wider strategy to strengthen domestic semiconductor production and reduce dependence on overseas suppliers, particularly in Taiwan. The decision follows a nine-month investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. It targets a defined group of advanced semiconductors that meet strict performance standards, as well as devices containing…
Scientists Unlock New Insights into Healthy Ageing Through Stem Cell Research A new study from the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, offers fresh insight into how tissues age and lose their regenerative ability. The findings suggest that ageing may begin not within the stem cells themselves, but in the surrounding “neighbourhood” of support cells that nurture and maintain them. This discovery opens up new possibilities for understanding and promoting healthy ageing. Support Cells: The Hidden Key to Regeneration Researchers from ARI, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), investigated the ovaries of the fruit fly Drosophila…
U.S. Drops Plan to Restrict Chinese Drones Imports Amid Security Debate The U.S. Commerce Department has withdrawn a proposal that would have imposed new restrictions on Chinese-made drones, citing national security concerns. The decision marks a pause in Washington’s broader campaign to tighten controls on technology imports from China. Commerce Pulls Back After White House Review The Commerce Department initially announced in September that it intended to issue rules limiting or potentially banning Chinese drone imports due to risks linked to information and communication technology supply chains. The proposal was sent to the White House for review on 8 October…