All posts tagged: globally

How Lisbon’s LUMIRing is emerging as a globally recognised testbed for multicore fibre technology

How Lisbon’s LUMIRing is emerging as a globally recognised testbed for multicore fibre technology

Published by skeptic

The LUMIRing project aims to advance multicore fibre technology by embedding a testbed into the subway system, addressing challenges of real-world deployment while positioning Portugal at the forefront of optical communications innovation The global telecommunications sector is facing unprecedented demand for data transmission, driven by cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), high-definition video streaming, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Conventional optical networks based on single-core fibres (SCFs) are approaching their capacity limits, motivating the adoption of Space-Division Multiplexing (SDM) as a key technology for future optical infrastructures. Among SDM solutions, Multicore Fibre (MCF) enables multiple spatial channels within a single optical fibre, significantly increasing transmission capacity. However, widespread deployment requires overcoming challenges such as operation in harsh urban environments, precise fibre splicing, and minimising inter-core crosstalk. The LUMIRing (Lisbon Underground Multicore Fibre Ring) project, coordinated by Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, addresses these challenges through a pioneering real-world deployment of MCF technology. By integrating a state-of-the-art multicore fibre testbed into Lisbon’s underground metro infrastructure, LUMIRing bridges the gap between laboratory research and operational networks. …

Disney Showcases Toy Story 5 to Children in Hospitals Globally

Disney Showcases Toy Story 5 to Children in Hospitals Globally

Published by Daniella Wilson

With $957.3 million at the global box office, Toy Story 5 is on track to become the highest-grossing film in the franchise. But the Pixar sequel’s impact isn’t just being measured in ticket sales.  Through Disney’s longtime partnership with Starlight Children’s Foundation, the film’s release is also bringing the magic of Woody, Buzz Lightyear and their friends to hospitalized children around the world. Since 2001, Disney and Starlight Children’s Foundation have collaborated to provide hospitalized children with exclusive screenings, care packages and character-inspired experiences. Through its flagship “Disney Movie Moments” program, the company converted hospital spaces into immersive screening events for patients and their families. As part of the Toy Story 5 rollout, the film became available to patients in more than 400 children’s hospitals globally, including more than 300 across the United States. Disney says it distributed more than 18,000 Toy Story 5-themed toys and 34,000 character-inspired hospital gowns to children and families across participating hospitals. Woody and Jessie with a patient in a Toy Story-themed hospital gown. Courtesy of Disney Disney also introduced …

Vehicle tire wear pollution linked to Alzheimer’s risk – impacting over 30 million people globally

Vehicle tire wear pollution linked to Alzheimer’s risk – impacting over 30 million people globally

Published by Jenni Sidey

Traffic leaves more behind than exhaust. Every mile also grinds away tiny bits of tire rubber, and when one common tire chemical meets ozone, it transforms into a pollutant called 6PPD-quinone. A new study suggests that substance may have troubling ties to Alzheimer’s disease. The research, published in Open Medicine, is the first to systematically test that connection using a broad computational approach. By combining network pharmacology, transcriptomics, machine learning, Mendelian randomization, and molecular docking, the authors traced how 6PPD-quinone might interact with genes and proteins involved in the disease. That matters because exposure does not appear to be rare. The compound has already been detected in water, soil, road dust, and human biological samples, suggesting that ordinary traffic pollution may be one route by which people come into contact with it. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disorder in the world. The World Health Organization estimates that about 55 million people live with dementia globally, with Alzheimer’s accounting for 60 to 70 percent of cases. That total is projected to reach 139 million …

Anthropic is bringing back Claude Fable 5 globally after US lifts export control order — where can enterprises access it?

Anthropic is bringing back Claude Fable 5 globally after US lifts export control order — where can enterprises access it?

Published by skeptic

Anthropic is restoring global access to its most powerful generally released AI model yet, Claude Fable 5, today, after the U.S. Department of Commerce last night withdrew the emergency export controls it had issued previously around the model. The U.S. export control order issued on June 12, 2026, led Anthropic to suspend all global access to both Fable 5 and its less restricted cybersecurity counterpart model Claude Mythos 5, just days after both models were initially introduced. Now, Fable 5 is once again being made available for users globally across the primary Anthropic ecosystem, including the Claude Platform, Claude.ai, Claude Code, and Claude Cowork. Unfortuantely, when VentureBeat tried to access it in Claude Code on Terminal prior to this article’s publication, it still showed as disabled. For organizations leveraging cloud hyperscalers, Anthropic says it is moving to re-enable access on Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Foundry “as quickly as possible.” So far, VentureBeat’s research has been unable to confirm if the models have been restored on these external cloud hyperscaler platforms yet. Mythos …

Meta’s AI agent for WhatsApp Business is now available globally

Meta’s AI agent for WhatsApp Business is now available globally

Published by skeptic

For years, WhatsApp has been a communication layer for businesses of all sizes around the world. Meta is now infusing AI into that layer in a bid to turn WhatsApp into a viable piece of workflow software for small and medium businesses. The company on Wednesday said it is making its customer support AI bot, now known as Meta Business Agent, available globally within WhatsApp. The launch comes as Meta has spent nearly two years testing AI agents in WhatsApp Business for customer support in countries like India and Mexico. Image Credits: MetaImage Credits:Meta Meta said the AI agent can answer customer questions, recommend products, book appointments, qualify sales leads, and reroute queries to a person if needed. The company is also making the bot available within Instagram DMs. Meta said it is testing a way for the Business Agent to provide daily briefings of chats that occurred overnight, and provide insights. The company is testing this feature with select accounts on WhatsApp Business, Instagram Pro, Messenger and Meta Business Suite. The company said it’s …

Nearly 1.2 Billion People Live With Mental Disorders Globally: Study

Nearly 1.2 Billion People Live With Mental Disorders Globally: Study

Published by Jenni Sidey

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times, There were an estimated 1.17 billion people suffering from mental disorders worldwide in 2023, up by 95.5 percent from 1990, according to a May 23 peer-reviewed study published in The Lancet journal. The study assessed the prevalence of 12 types of mental disorders across 204 nations and territories between 1990 and 2023. Types of disorders assessed in the study included bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorders. All mental disorders saw case numbers rise during the study period. Researchers estimated there were 171 million disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to mental disorders in 2023. DALY is used to calculate how medical conditions and diseases affect the length and quality of life of a population. One DALY equals one year of healthy life lost due to sickness, disabilities, and death. As such, the study estimates that 171 million years of healthy life were lost in 2023 alone due to mental disorders. Mental disorders made up 6.1 percent of all-cause DALYs in 2023 globally due …

1 In 4 Cars Sold Globally Is An Electric Vehicle

1 In 4 Cars Sold Globally Is An Electric Vehicle

Published by Jenni Sidey

Electric vehicle adoption continues to accelerate worldwide, reaching new milestones in 2025. As Statista’s Tristan Gaudiaut details below, according to the IEA Global EV Outlook 2026, published on May 20, global sales of electric cars, including plug-in hybrids, surpassed 21 million units last year, more than doubling since 2022, when annual sales first exceeded 10 million. As the chart shows, EVs now account for roughly one in four passenger car sales globally, meaning their market share climbed to 25 percent in 2025, up from just 2 percent in 2018. You will find more infographics at Statista This rapid growth has been driven largely by China, which remains by far the largest market. With more than 13 million electric vehicles sold in 2025, the country alone accounted for around 60 percent of global sales. While adoption has also increased steadily in the rest of the world, with nearly 8 million units sold – largely in Europe and the United States – the data highlight China’s dominant role in shaping the global EV market. Source link

In a first, wind and solar generated more power than gas globally in April 2026

In a first, wind and solar generated more power than gas globally in April 2026

Published by skeptic

Photo: Vestas Wind and solar just hit a major global milestone: For the first time ever, they generated more electricity than gas for the full month of April. According to new analysis from independent energy think tank Ember, wind and solar produced 22% of the world’s electricity in April 2026, compared to 20% from gas. Together, the two renewable sources generated a record 531 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity during the month, 54 TWh more than gas plants generated globally, at 477 TWh. The timing is notable. April marked the first full month of the latest global energy crisis tied to the conflict in the Middle East, and the data shows how quickly renewables are changing the power mix even as fossil fuel markets remain volatile. Five years ago, in April 2021, gas generation was almost identical to today’s level at 476 TWh. But back then, wind and solar combined generated just 245 TWh – less than half of what they produced this April. Advertisement – scroll for more content Wind and solar continue to grow …

Brits among 23 hantavirus cruise passengers ‘wandering around’ globally | World | News

Brits among 23 hantavirus cruise passengers ‘wandering around’ globally | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

Britons are amongst 23 Hantavirus cruise passengers ‘wandering around’ after being exposed to a deadly ‘rat disease’ following the cruise company’s decision to allow some travellers to disembark the vessel. At least 23 passengers have already departed the boat and returned home, with reports suggesting one has already fallen ill. Amongst those who have returned are two Britons. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed that two individuals who had been aboard the cruise have returned to Britain and are self-isolating after not displaying any symptoms. One passenger said: “There are 23 people wandering around there, and until three days ago, no one had contacted them,” The passenger told Spanish newspaper El Pais: “The Australian went back to Australia, the one from Taiwan to Taiwan, the Americans to all corners of North America. The Englishman to England, the Dutch to their homes… I don’t remember the rest.” Authorities said that one of those passengers, a Swiss man who returned home with his wife, tested positive for hantavirus on Wednesday. He was initially admitted to …

US Prepares To Board Iran-Linked Ships Globally Following Iranian Gunboat Attack On Tanker In Hormuz

US Prepares To Board Iran-Linked Ships Globally Following Iranian Gunboat Attack On Tanker In Hormuz

Published by Jenni Sidey

Summary:  US officials: War may resume if no peace talks breakthrough: Axios Two Iranian gunboats Open Fire on a tanker near Oman; 2nd tanker hit by ‘unknown projectile’. India summons Iranian ambassador to condemn incident Pentagon prepared to expand anti-vessel action, signals prepared to board Iran-linked ships globally Friday: Hormuz Open; Saturday: Hormuz Closed  Trump: Iran wanted to close up Strait again, can’t blackmail us Strait of Hormuz traffic returns to normal by end of April?Yes 28% · No 72%View full market & trade on Polymarket *  *  * WAR will Resume? Not good, amid reports Pakistan peace talks could also resume, Monday perhaps: US OFFICIAL TELLS AXIOS WAR MAY RESUME IF NO BREAKTHROUGH 🚨🇺🇸🇮🇷President Trump convened a White House Situation Room meeting on Saturday morning to discuss the renewed crisis around the Strait of Hormuz and negotiations with Iran, according to two U.S. officials. My story on @axioshttps://t.co/jElAytN5LF — Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) April 18, 2026 Reaction by India New Delhi has summoned the Iranian ambassador to condemn the IRGC Navy’s attack on one of …