News

Right-wing friendly Parler announces re-launch

The right-wing friendly social network Parler, which was forced offline following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, says it is re-launching. The Twitter alternative has been struggling to return online since Amazon stripped it of web-hosting service on Jan. 11 over its unwillingness to remove posts inciting […]

Luxury car brand Jaguar to go all-electric by 2025

Struggling luxury car brand Jaguar will be fully electric by 2025, the British company said Monday as it outlined a plan to phase out internal combustion engines. Jaguar Land Rover, which is owned by Indian conglomerate Tata Motors, hopes the move will help turn around the fortunes of the 86-year-old Jaguar brand, which for many […]

COVID-19 shots might be tweaked if variants get worse

The makers of COVID-19 vaccines are figuring out how to tweak their recipes against worrisome virus mutations — and regulators are looking to flu as a blueprint if and when the shots need an update. “It’s not really something you can sort of flip a switch, do overnight,” cautioned Richard Webby, who directs a World […]

Major Australian media company strikes Google news pay deal

Seven West Media has become the largest Australian news media business to strike a deal with Google to pay for journalism in a partnership announced Monday before the nation’s Parliament considers draft laws to force digital giants to pay for news. Google and the publicly listed broadcast television, print and online publishing company jointly announced […]

In Nevada desert, a technology firm aims to be a government

In the Nevada desert, a cryptocurrency magnate hopes to turn dreams of a futuristic “smart city” into reality. To do that, he’s asking the state to let companies like his form local governments on land they own, which would grant them power over everything from schools to law enforcement. Jeffrey Berns, CEO of Nevada-based Blockchains […]

US distances itself from Trump attempts to ban WeChat

A day after it put a hold on a proposed ban of TikTok, the Biden administration is distancing itself from attempts by former President Donald Trump to ban the Chinese messaging app WeChat. The Commerce Department is reviewing recent actions, such as the rules undermining TikTok and WeChat, to ensure that efforts by the Trump […]

Autoworkers face uncertain future in an era of electric cars

When General Motors boldly announced its goal last month to make only battery-powered vehicles by 2035, it didn’t just break from more than a century of internal combustion engines. It also clouded the future for 50,000 GM workers whose jobs could become obsolete far sooner than they knew. The message was clear: As a greener […]

Australia report says make Google and Facebook pay for news

Australia’s Parliament will debate making Google and Facebook pay for news after a Senate committee on Friday recommended no changes to the world-first draft laws. The Senate Economics Legislation Committee has been scrutinizing the bill since it was introduced in Parliament in December. The senators rejected Facebook and Google’s arguments that the so-called media bargaining […]

Asian shares mostly gain after Biden speaks with China's Xi

Major Asian stock indexes were mostly higher on Thursday after President Joe Biden held his first conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping since taking office. Many markets in Asia were closed for the Lunar New Year and other holidays. Benchmarks in Hong Kong, India and Sydney advanced while Singapore and Thailand declined. With much of […]

China blocks Clubhouse, app used for political discussion

Zeng Jiajun, a former tech worker, fell in love with social media app Clubhouse, a window through the ruling Communist Party’s pervasive censorship, after listening to a freewheeling discussion between members of China’s Uighur minority and Han majority that wound up lasting 12 hours. Thousands of Chinese flocked to the app, which allowed unfettered discussion […]