UNDP calls for long-term investment to support recovery in Syria

Fourteen years of conflict have unravelled nearly four decades of economic, social and development progress. Today, nine out of 10 Syrians are living in poverty, and one in four is jobless. The report warns that at current growth rates, the economy will not regain its pre-conflict GDP level before 2080, or 55 years from now. […]

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Germany: a triple crisis looms large at the heart of the economy

Ahead of the election on February 23, many German voters are deeply concerned about the economy – and for good reason. The German economy is in a recession and has been shrinking for two consecutive years. In fact, it is now about the same size as it was in 2019, even as some of its […]

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Copyright and AI: the Cases and the Consequences

The launch of ChatGPT and other deep learning quickly led to a flurry of lawsuits against model developers. Legal theories vary, but most are rooted in copyright: plaintiffs argue that use of their works to train the models was infringement; developers counter that their training is fair use. Meanwhile developers are making as many licensing […]

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EU Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas Champions Rail Sector Growth and Sustainability

Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, has reaffirmed his strong commitment to advancing the European rail sector, emphasizing its central role in achieving the EU’s ambitious sustainability and growth targets. Speaking at a recent event, Tzitzikostas highlighted that the European Union’s support for rail development is unwavering, with his own agenda […]

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Will Trump’s tariffs boost the US economy? Don’t count on it

It’s hard to keep up with all the tariff announcements coming out of Washington. On February 1, the US president, Donald Trump, announced the introduction of 25% tariffs on most imported goods from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% levy on goods from China. The tariffs against Canada and Mexico were soon postponed by […]

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EFF Sues DOGE and the Office of Personnel Management to Halt Ransacking of Federal Data

EFF and a coalition of privacy defenders have filed a lawsuit today asking a federal court to block Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing the private information of millions of Americans that is stored by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and to delete any data that has been collected or removed […]

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Intel Shares Surge on Breakup Speculation, Triggering Market Buzz

Intel’s stock price soared by 16.1% to US$27.39, marking its best trading day since March 2020, as speculation about a potential breakup of the tech giant gained traction. Media reports suggest that two major industry players, Broadcom (AVGO) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), are eyeing separate portions of Intel’s business. According to The Wall […]

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Shein could be a shot in the arm for the London Stock Exchange – but the fashion giant might not like the added scrutiny

Fast fashion giant Shein’s mooted flotation on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) could be larger than any stock exchange listing seen in Europe in the last year. Coming at a time when the LSE is struggling to attract new listings, with some firms migrating to other exchanges, this could be a welcome boost. So it […]

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The TAKE IT DOWN Act: A Flawed Attempt to Protect Victims That Will Lead to Censorship

Congress has begun debating the TAKE IT DOWN Act (S. 146), a bill that seeks to speed up the removal of a troubling type of online content: non-consensual intimate imagery, or NCII. In recent years, concerns have also grown about the use of digital tools to alter or create such images, sometimes called deepfakes. While […]

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Xi Jinping Assures Business Leaders of Policy Stability in Private Sector, Amid Economic Revival Efforts

In a significant meeting with key business leaders on Monday, China’s President Xi Jinping reassured private sector figures, including Alibaba founder Jack Ma, that the government’s policies toward private businesses will remain stable. This assurance comes as Beijing seeks to revitalize an economy severely impacted by the pandemic, regulatory crackdowns, and a real estate crisis. […]

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