All posts tagged: sweeping

‘An equal and habitable world is possible’: academics set out sweeping vision for planetary survival | Environment

‘An equal and habitable world is possible’: academics set out sweeping vision for planetary survival | Environment

Published by Sam Flores

Humanity can raise living standards, reduce inequality and keep global heating within a 2C rise, according to a sweeping vision for planetary survival. The report by the World Inequality Lab (WIL) aims to be the most comprehensive attempt yet to navigate the polycrisis that is pushing the world toward climate breakdown, political extremism and ever greater economic and social tension. A drone view shows the stark inequality between neighbourhoods in Santa Fe, Mexico City Photograph: Raquel Cunha/Reuters It offers a set of bold policy proposals, including hefty wealth taxes on billionaires, sharp reductions in working hours, a change in diets and a shift of investment from materially intense sectors, such as industry and mining, to education and health. If these and other measures are taken, the report says, the incomes of 89% of the world’s population would double by 2100 and global heating would be kept below 2C above the preindustrial average. The authors say their vision provides a positive alternative to the grim projections from far-right techno extractivists, nationalists and billionaires who claim the …

Pope Leo takes aim at big tech in sweeping encyclical on AI : NPR

Pope Leo takes aim at big tech in sweeping encyclical on AI : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Pope Leo XIV attends the presentation of his first encyclical, “Magnifica humanitas,” at the the Vatican on May 25, 2026. Alessandra Tarantino/AP hide caption toggle caption Alessandra Tarantino/AP VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Leo XIV took direct aim at the power of Big Tech in his first encyclical on Monday (May 25), warning that artificial intelligence risks widening inequality, weakening democracy and undermining what it means to be human. The document, titled “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), frames AI as the new industrial revolution and makes an appeal to “disarm AI” by removing it from military and economic interests, subjecting AI companies to stricter state and international regulations and inviting the broad participation of individuals and communities in shaping the future of this rapidly developing technology. “Disarming AI means freeing it from the mentality of ‘armed’ competition, which today is not limited simply to the military context, but is also an economic and cognitive phenomenon,” Leo wrote. “Disarming does not mean renouncing technology, but preventing it from dominating humanity,” Pope Leo wrote. “For this reason, merely …

‘A calamity’: Why is a record heatwave sweeping South Asia? | Weather News

‘A calamity’: Why is a record heatwave sweeping South Asia? | Weather News

Published by Sam Flores

A record-breaking, deadly heatwave sweeping South Asia has pushed temperatures to dangerous highs, disrupting daily life for hundreds of millions and raising new concerns about the vulnerability of one of the world’s most densely populated regions. Countries including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have seen temperatures soar well above seasonal averages, with some areas approaching or exceeding 45-50 degrees Celsius (113-122 degrees Fahrenheit). Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list In Pakistan, at least 10 people were reported to have died from heat-related complications on Tuesday, according to local emergency services, while multiple deaths related to the heat have also been reported in neighbouring India. Such conditions are not entirely new in the region, as heatwaves have become a regular feature of South Asia’s pre-monsoon summer. However, scientists and meteorological agencies say the intensity, duration and geographic spread of recent heat events are unprecedented. Increasingly, experts are linking these extremes to human-driven climate change, which is causing extremes in natural weather patterns. As governments scramble to respond, the crisis is exposing deep inequalities across the …

A new long-distance walking trail in Wales takes in gorges, ruined abbeys and sweeping sands | Wales holidays

A new long-distance walking trail in Wales takes in gorges, ruined abbeys and sweeping sands | Wales holidays

Published by Sam Flores

Up here, the river was a mere gurgle; a babbling babe finding its way into the world. A few sheep roamed, a kite wheeled and a spring-clean wind ruffled the tussocks on the barren hills and rippled the pools. It was a stark yet striking beginning. As we followed a brand new fingerpost, skirted Llyn Teifi – the river’s official source – and picked up the fledgling flow, there was a sense great things lay ahead, for us both. The Teifi rises in Ceredigion’s Cambrian Mountains – the untramped “green desert of Wales” – and pours into Cardigan Bay 75 miles (120km) south-west. It’s one of the longest rivers wholly within Wales and, historically, one of its most significant: the beating heart of the country’s fishing and wool-weaving industries, 12th-century abbeys at either end, Wales’s oldest university en route. However, those abbeys lie in ruin now, salmon and sewin (brown trout) stocks have plummeted, and the mills are shuttered – though the factory in the village of Dre-fach Felindre now operates as the National Wool …

The Hack That Exposed Syria’s Sweeping Security Failures

The Hack That Exposed Syria’s Sweeping Security Failures

Published by skeptic

When a wave of unusual activity swept through Syrian government accounts on X in March, it first looked like pure chaos—trolling, parody names, and even explicit content. But beneath the noise lay something far more telling: a state still struggling with the most basic layer of its cybersecurity. In early March, several official Syrian government accounts on X—including those linked to the presidency’s General Secretariat, the Central Bank, and multiple ministries—were hacked. The compromised profiles posted “Glory to Israel,” retweeted explicit material, and briefly renamed themselves after Israeli leaders. Authorities moved to restore control within days, with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology announcing “urgent steps” to recover the accounts and prevent further breaches. Yet what remained unsettled was the deeper question: How secure is the state’s digital front door? In a government now dependent on commercial platforms for communication, losing a verified account doesn’t just disrupt messaging—it silences the state’s voice. When the State Stops Speaking for Itself At first glance, the breach appeared politically charged. Pro‑Israel messages circulating on verified government accounts …

It’s Always Surreal in Philadelphia, Where Art Meets AI in a Sweeping Space

It’s Always Surreal in Philadelphia, Where Art Meets AI in a Sweeping Space

Published by skeptic

Climbing up flights of stairs in a bank building full of rooms draped in surrealist art, tunnels with lurking beasts called “skin horses” and exhibits of keepsakes imaginary and real, I find myself looking at an art mural across a domed ceiling that I can explore with instruments next to me. Speaking into a microphone, I see my words scroll across the edges. My hands, thrust into a small chamber, are projected across the ceiling, highlighting parts of the mural. Suddenly, AI-generated descriptions emerge where I’d put my hands. This is the Ministry of Awe, a new installation experience in Philadelphia that I was lucky enough to visit ahead of its opening, and it’s a welcome East Coast dose of strangeness. Created by Meg Saligman and over 100 other artists, it’s a six-story space that makes me think of Meow Wolf or long-time LA oddity the Museum of Jurassic Technology — or even London’s very real Sir John Soane’s Museum. This “skin horse” lurks in the basement, if you look hard enough. Scott Stein/CNET The former bank …

Australia, EU agree sweeping new trade pact eight years in the works

Australia, EU agree sweeping new trade pact eight years in the works

Published by Sam Flores

A “FAIR DEAL” Von der Leyen told Australian lawmakers that Tuesday’s agreement on trade was a “fair deal, and one that delivers for your businesses and one that delivers for our businesses”. Under the deal, the EU said it expected exports to Australia to grow by a third over a decade. The quota of Australian beef allowed into the bloc will increase more than 10 times the current level over the next decade, although that falls short of what Australian farmers had been seeking. Australia’s National Farmers’ Federation said it was “extremely disappointed” by the outcome of the deal. “What the Australian government has accepted today appears to offer no material change for key agricultural commodities as what the government rightly rejected in October 2023,” president Hamish McIntyre said. EU firms exported €37 billion (US$42.9 billion) of goods to Australia last year, and €31 billion of services in 2024. And Australia said the deal could add A$7.8 billion (US$5.4 billion) to its gross domestic product by 2030. Australia’s largest export market is China, and the …

Kentucky lawmakers advance sweeping gaming bill, raising betting age limits

Kentucky lawmakers advance sweeping gaming bill, raising betting age limits

Published by skeptic

Kentucky lawmakers are moving forward with a wide-ranging bill that would overhaul how the state regulates fantasy contests, sports betting, and charitable gaming, with the proposal now sitting in the Senate for further consideration. The measure, known as House Bill 904, passed the House on March 19 with a 79–15 vote. It reached the Senate the next day and was sent to the Committee on Committees. Sponsored by Rep. Michael Meredith and Rep. Matthew Koch, the legislation would increase the authority of the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation while laying out detailed rules across several gaming sectors. We interrupt your regularly scheduled March Madness tweets with an update from Frankfort: the House just passed a bill to raise the legal betting age from 18 to 21 and ban prop bets on Kentucky college athletes, among other measures. Senate next. The bill: https://t.co/n0VGlbK0dX — Lucas Aulbach (@LucasAulbach) March 19, 2026 The bill hopes to introduce a new system to regulate fantasy contest operators. It gives the state corporation power to license and supervise these businesses, …

Microsoft announces sweeping Windows changes – but no apologies

Microsoft announces sweeping Windows changes – but no apologies

Published by skeptic

Lazaros Papandreou/ iStock Editorial / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Microsoft finally acknowledged complaints about Windows 11. The company is promising sweeping changes to a slew of features. Windows Insiders will have a greater voice in upcoming releases. Microsoft’s customers have been grumbling about Windows 11 since the day it shipped, and lately, those complaints have gotten louder and angrier. They’ve complained about the “glitchy mess” of Windows Update, the push to cram Copilot-branded AI features into every nook and cranny of Windows, upsells and ads, and inconsistent system performance. Also: Windows 11 has 1 billion users – and they’re furious And finally — finally! — someone in Redmond noticed. In a long post titled “Our commitment to Windows quality,” published on Microsoft’s website and sent via email to millions of members of the Windows Insider Program, Windows boss Pavan Davuluri laid out a laundry list of changes Microsoft plans to make in Windows 11, starting this month. What’s most remarkable about this post is what it …