Author: Resham

Vietnamese authorities have awarded the first phase of a major Vietnam wind power project to a newly established subsidiary of real estate conglomerate Vingroup, excluding German renewable energy firm PNE, a decision the foreign investor said came as a surprise. The People’s Committee of Gia Lai province approved a bid from VinEnergo, a unit set up by Vingroup in March, to develop the initial 750-megawatt phase of a 2,000-MW wind project. The investment for this phase was set at 48.3 trillion dong ($1.87 billion), according to a provincial statement that did not name unsuccessful bidders. Vietnam Wind Power Project and…

Elon Musk said on Sunday that SpaceX has shifted its strategic focus towards building a “self-growing city” on the Moon, marking a significant change in the company’s long-term space ambitions. According to Musk, such a lunar settlement could be achieved in less than a decade and is now viewed as a faster and more practical step towards safeguarding the future of human civilisation. Writing on his X social media platform, Musk said SpaceX still intends to pursue its long-standing goal of establishing a city on Mars within five to seven years. However, he described lunar development as the overriding priority,…

An electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle developed by the Ninth Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation has successfully completed its maiden flight in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, its developer said on Friday. The successful test marks an important step in China’s efforts to expand its low-altitude aviation ecosystem and develop next-generation transport technologies. According to the developer, the aircraft completed all scheduled performance verification tasks during the flight, confirming the stability and reliability of its design. The China eVTOL aircraft features a novel configuration that blends aviation engineering with automobile design principles, allowing it to operate…

Germany is weighing a sweeping expansion of its military space capabilities under a proposed €35 billion spending plan aimed at countering rising threats from Russia and China in orbit, the country’s space commander said. The plan includes potential investments in intelligence-gathering satellites, space planes and non-kinetic offensive systems such as lasers, as Berlin seeks to adapt to what officials describe as an increasingly contested and militarised space environment. Encrypted Satellite Network Planned As part of the programme, Germany plans to build an encrypted military satellite constellation of more than 100 spacecraft, known as SATCOM Stage 4, over the coming years.…

Slovenia is preparing draft legislation that would prohibit children under the age of 15 from accessing social media platforms, Deputy Prime Minister Matej Arcon said on Thursday, as European governments take a tougher stance on technology they say may be harmful to young users. The country, which has a population of about two million, is following moves by Spain and Greece, both of which this week proposed restrictions on social media use by teenagers. The proposals reflect growing concern across Europe that some online platforms are designed to be addictive and may negatively affect children’s mental health and development. Slovenia…

China, Hong Kong Stocks Slide as Precious Metals and Tech Selloff Deepens China and Hong Kong equities fell sharply on Thursday as losses in precious metals and technology stocks spilled over into broader sectors, weighed down by tightening liquidity and pre-holiday caution. By the midday break, China’s Shanghai Composite Index slipped 1% to 4,059.91 points, while the blue-chip CSI300 index also declined 1%. Precious Metals Shares Hit Hard Renewed selling pressure in gold and silver triggered steep losses across precious metals stocks. The CSI SSH Gold Equity Index plunged 5.4%, while the CSI SWS Non-ferrous Metal Index dropped 5.6%. The…

Waymo is set to defend its robotaxi safety record before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday, following multiple federal investigations into incidents involving its self-driving vehicles. The hearing comes after regulators began probing a case in which a Waymo vehicle struck a child near an elementary school, as well as separate incidents where robotaxis were reported to have driven past school buses while children were boarding or disembarking. Waymo, owned by Alphabet, has argued that its autonomous technology performs significantly better than human drivers and should be supported by clearer national legislation to maintain U.S. leadership in the sector.…

Indonesia Lifts Ban On Musk’s Grok Chatbot Under Conditions Indonesia has allowed Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot to resume operations after imposing a temporary ban over concerns about sexualised images generated by the artificial intelligence tool. The government said the decision followed commitments by X Corp to strengthen compliance with Indonesian laws. The Southeast Asian nation suspended Grok three weeks ago, becoming the first country to block access to the chatbot. Officials cited the risk of AI-generated pornographic content as the primary reason for the move. The suspension placed Indonesia at the centre of a growing global debate over how governments…

China Plans to Launch Space-Based AI Data Centres to Challenge SpaceX China is set to launch space-based artificial intelligence (AI) data centres over the next five years, a move that will challenge Elon Musk’s SpaceX initiative to deploy data centres in space. According to state media, China’s primary space contractor, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), has committed to constructing “gigawatt-class space digital-intelligence infrastructure.” The five-year development plan, reported by state broadcaster CCTV, outlines plans for space data centres that will integrate cloud, edge, and terminal capabilities. The aim is to achieve “deep integration of computing power, storage capacity,…

Beijing Hosts Major Commercial Space Gathering The 2026 Beijing International Commercial Space Exhibition took place from Friday to Sunday in Beijing, the capital of China. The event brought together key players from the rapidly developing commercial space sector and presented a concentrated view of the industry’s latest progress. Throughout the three days, the exhibition highlighted innovation, collaboration and growing confidence across the commercial aerospace landscape. Organisers staged the exhibition in a large indoor venue covering 20,000 square metres. As a result, exhibitors had ample space to present hardware, services and technical solutions. Visitors moved through clearly organised sections that reflected…