Pennsylvania Residents Unite to Resist Data Centre Development In rural Montour County, Pennsylvania, more than 300 residents gathered at a local planning commission meeting to oppose a proposed data centre by Talen Energy. Dressed in camouflage hats and red shirts, the crowd filled the hall to voice fears that the project would carve up farmland and disrupt the peaceful rhythm of their valley. Most attendees were loyal supporters of former President Donald Trump, who won the county by a wide margin in the 2024 election. Yet, their opposition showed frustration with Washington’s push to fast-track artificial intelligence infrastructure across rural…
Author: Arushi Pandey
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South Korea Probes Massive Coupang Data Breach Affecting 33 Million Customers South Korean police have launched an investigation into a major data breach at e-commerce giant Coupang, which exposed the personal information of more than 33 million users. Authorities say the incident is the country’s largest data leak in over a decade, prompting fresh concerns over cybersecurity and data protection standards. Breach Linked to Authentication Flaws According to South Korea’s Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, hackers exploited authentication vulnerabilities in Coupang’s servers. The breach reportedly began on 24 June, but the company did not detect it until 18 November. Investigators are…
Novo Nordisk Alzheimer’s Trials Disappoint but Spark Calls for Preventive Research Novo Nordisk’s highly anticipated Alzheimer’s trials have failed to show benefits in slowing cognitive decline, yet scientists say the results should not end exploration of GLP-1 drugs as a possible preventive treatment for the disease. Limited Success in Alzheimer’s Trials The Danish pharmaceutical giant tested Rybelsus, an oral version of semaglutide — the same active ingredient used in its blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy — in two studies involving people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. The trials did not meet their primary goal of delaying cognitive decline. However, Novo said…
IQM Quantum Computers to Invest €40 Million in Finnish Expansion IQM Quantum Computers, a leading European quantum technology company, announced plans to invest more than €40 million ($46 million) to expand its production site in Finland. The move is part of Europe’s broader effort to strengthen its global competitiveness in the rapidly advancing quantum computing industry. Doubling Production Capacity According to the company, the investment will allow IQM to double its assembly line capacity and significantly increase the number of quantum computers it produces each year. The expansion marks a major step in scaling up manufacturing to meet growing international…
Tesla to Double Robotaxi Fleet in Austin Next Month Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on Tuesday that the company will double the number of its robotaxis in Austin, Texas, in December. The move follows the rollout of Tesla’s self-driving service in the city earlier this year in June. Expansion of Tesla’s Robotaxi Operations “The Tesla Robotaxi fleet in Austin should roughly double next month,” Musk posted on X, the social media platform he also owns. However, the company has not disclosed how many robotaxis currently operate in Austin. At present, Tesla runs its robotaxi service in two US cities —…
Cuba Fights to Save Ancient Fish from Extinction in Mosquito-Ridden Swamp In the heart of Cuba’s vast Zapata Swamp, the buzz of mosquitoes fills the air as scientists fight to save one of the island’s most ancient creatures — the manjuari, or Cuban gar. This prehistoric fish, which has survived for over 140 million years, is now teetering on the brink of extinction. A Living Fossil in Peril “The manjuari is a jewel among Cuban fishes,” said park biologist Andrés Hurtado as he waded through mangroves under a cloud of mosquitoes. The species, long and slender with a snout full…
German Minister Urges Civilian Scientists to Back Military Research for Europe’s Security Germany’s Research and Technology Minister, Dorothee Baer, has called on civilian scientists to embrace the potential military applications of their work, arguing that Europe’s security and independence depend on greater collaboration between academic and defence research. Rethinking Germany’s ‘Civilian Clauses’ Speaking to Reuters, Baer said she supported revisiting long-standing “civilian clauses” at German universities — policies that prohibit research with possible military uses. These clauses, introduced after World War Two, were designed to ensure that public institutions remained dedicated solely to peaceful purposes. However, the minister believes the…
Australia Adds Twitch to Teen Social Media Ban, Excludes Pinterest Australia’s online safety regulator announced on Friday that Amazon-owned live streaming platform Twitch will be included in the country’s upcoming ban on social media use for people aged 16 and under. However, image-sharing site Pinterest will not be added to the list. First Country to Enforce Nationwide Teen Social Media Ban Starting on 10 December, Australia will become the first country in the world to prohibit children aged 16 and below from using social media platforms. Companies that fail to take “reasonable steps” to comply with the ban could face…
Germany to Boost ESA Funding to €5 Billion as Space Strategy Expands Germany is preparing to raise its contribution to the European Space Agency (ESA) to as much as €5 billion ($5.76 billion), according to Research Minister Dorothee Baer. The announcement will be made at the ESA conference in Bremen next week, marking a major step in Europe’s space ambitions. Major Increase from Previous Funding Baer confirmed that Germany’s latest commitment will exceed its previous contribution of €3.5 billion made three years ago. “If we now reach the 5-billion mark, that would be extremely positive,” she told Reuters on Thursday.…
Cambodia Releases Captive-Bred Greater Adjutant Storks into the Wild In a landmark step for wildlife preservation, conservationists in Cambodia have released two captive-bred Greater Adjutant Stork chicks into the wild for the first time. The nine-month-old birds, a male and a female, were fitted with GPS trackers before being released into the Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary, managed by the Rising Phoenix conservation group, offers a safe and natural environment for the young storks. Jack Willis, head of research at the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB), explained, “This place is perfect because there are still wild Greater…