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Efforts to cut car, plane and ship emissions get small boost

Several countries and companies announced plans Wednesday to stop selling cars that run on gasoline or diesel over the next two decades, as part of efforts to clamp down on a significant source of planet-warming emissions. But the impact of the measures will likely be limited since several major car markets — notably the United […]

Europe bolsters pioneering tech rules with help from Haugen

European lawmakers have pioneered efforts to rein in big technology companies and are working to strengthen those rules, putting them ahead of the United States and other parts of world that have been slower to regulate Facebook and other social media giants facing increasing blowback over misinformation and other harmful content that can proliferate on […]

Taiwan's TSMC to build first chip plant in Japan amid crunch

Japanese electronics maker Sony and TSMC of Taiwan said Tuesday they plan to jointly build a computer chip plant in Japan with an initial investment of $7 billion. The plant in the southwestern city of Kumamoto will be the first foundry in Japan for TSMC, one of the world’s leading chipmakers. Construction will start next […]

China's Singles' Day shopping fest muted amid tech crackdown

China’s biggest online shopping day, known as “Singles’ Day” on Nov. 11, is taking on a muted tone this year as regulators crack down on the technology industry and President Xi Jinping pushes for “common prosperity.” The Singles’ Day shopping festival — also known as Double 11 — is a massive event for China’s e-commerce […]

Brazil's awaited 5G tender yields billions in investment

Brazil held its much-anticipated auction for build-out of the nation’s fifth-generation wireless network on Thursday, with the open question of whether China’s Huawei telecommunications company will be involved. The technology promises faster speeds, less lag when connecting to the network and the ability to connect more devices to the internet. But the ambitious auction also […]

UK becomes first country to approve oral pill treating COVID-19

The UK’s medical regulator approved on Thursday the first oral pill treating COVID-19 developed by U.S.-based pharmaceutical companies Merck, Sharp and Dohme, and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, with the government ordering 480,000 courses due for delivery in November. The pill, called Molnupiravir, will be administered to those recently diagnosed with the virus twice a day. The pill […]

Former Google AI researcher to join FTC

In the growing battle between federal agencies and the Big Tech league, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will welcome former Google AI researcher Meredith Whittaker to its force as a senior advisor on artificial intelligence (AI). The researcher revealed on Wednesday on Twitter that it will redirect its career path towards the governmental entity. Whittaker […]

EXPLAINER: Why are foreign tech firms pulling out of China?

Yahoo Inc. is leaving the China market, suspending its services there as of Monday amid what it says is an “increasingly challenging” business and legal environment. Foreign technology firms have been pulling out or downsizing their operations in mainland China as a strict data privacy law specifying how companies collect and store data takes effect. […]

Yahoo pulls out of China, citing 'challenging' environment

Yahoo Inc. said Tuesday it has pulled out of China, citing an increasingly challenging operating environment. The withdrawal was largely symbolic, as many of the company’s services were already blocked by China’s digital censorship. But recent government moves to expand its control over tech companies generally, including its domestic giants, may have tipped the scales […]

Facebook to shut down face-recognition system, delete data

Facebook said it will shut down its face-recognition system and delete the faceprints of more than 1 billion people amid growing concerns about the technology and its misuse by governments, police and others. “This change will represent one of the largest shifts in facial recognition usage in the technology’s history,” Jerome Pesenti, vice president of […]