Digest

World and business news. The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique while others talk of a “plurality of worlds”

One Difference Between 2009 vs 2018 Iran Protests? 48 Million Smartphones

One Difference Between 2009 vs 2018 Iran Protests? 48 Million Smartphones

In 2009, the world watched as Iranians marching in the streets turned to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook...

African Conservationists Praise China’s Ivory Ban

African Conservationists Praise China’s Ivory Ban

The sale of ivory just became illegal in mainland China, a move heralded by conservationists, who say the legal trade...

What’s Next in the Robotics Industry?

What’s Next in the Robotics Industry?

The robotics industry has made impressive advancements in 2017, and that’s expected to continue as robots are becoming more sophisticated,...

Spotify Hit With New Copyright Lawsuit in US

Spotify Hit With New Copyright Lawsuit in US

A music publisher is seeking at least $1.6 billion from Spotify for alleged copyright violations, the latest lawsuit to hit...

Brazil Closes Out 2017 with Record Trade Surplus

Brazil Closes Out 2017 with Record Trade Surplus

Brazil’s road to economic recovery has passed another milestone with official data showing Tuesday that the country finished 2017 with...

US Coal Mining Deaths Surge in 2017 After Hitting Record Low

US Coal Mining Deaths Surge in 2017 After Hitting Record Low

Coal mining deaths surged in the U.S. in 2017, one year after they hit a record low. The nation’s coal...

China’s WeChat Denies Storing User Chats

China’s WeChat Denies Storing User Chats

Tencent Holdings’ WeChat, China’s most popular messenger app, on Tuesday denied storing users’ chat histories, after a top businessman was...

2017 Safest Year on Record for Commercial Passenger Air Travel

2017 Safest Year on Record for Commercial Passenger Air Travel

Airlines recorded zero accident deaths in commercial passenger jets last year, according to a Dutch consulting firm and an aviation...

Minister: UK May Use Taxes to Get Tech Giants to Do More to Fight Extremism

Minister: UK May Use Taxes to Get Tech Giants to Do More to Fight Extremism

Britain may impose new taxes on tech giants like Google and Facebook unless they do more to combat online extremism...

California Begins Recreational Marijuana Sales

California Begins Recreational Marijuana Sales

More than two decades after California became the first U.S. state to legalize medical marijuana use, on January first it...

China’s 2017 Movie Ticket Sales Rise 13.5 Percent

China’s 2017 Movie Ticket Sales Rise 13.5 Percent

China’s total domestic movie ticket sales rose 13.5 percent in 2017 to 55.9 billion yuan ($8.6 billion), a state news...

Using Simple Electric Currents to Clean Dirty Water

Using Simple Electric Currents to Clean Dirty Water

The World Health Organization estimates more than 800,000 people around the world die every year because of unsafe drinking water....

Disasters Pounded North America in 2017 but Were Down Globally

Disasters Pounded North America in 2017 but Were Down Globally

North America couldn’t catch a break in 2017. Parts of the United States were on fire, underwater or lashed by...

The Biggest Consumer Electronics Show Opens in Two Weeks

The Biggest Consumer Electronics Show Opens in Two Weeks

January is almost here, and the world is bracing for the unofficial opening of this year’s race for the hearts,...

Wall Street Ends Strong Year on Quiet Note

Wall Street Ends Strong Year on Quiet Note

There were no fireworks on Wall Street for the last trading day of the year, as U.S. stocks closed out...

Facebook, Twitter Threatened With Sanctions in Britain

Facebook, Twitter Threatened With Sanctions in Britain

Social media giants Facebook and Twitter could face sanctions in Britain if they fail to be more forthcoming in providing...

Brands Map ‘Invisible’ Shoemakers in South India

Brands Map ‘Invisible’ Shoemakers in South India

When the 55-year-old woman stood up to speak at a meeting of shoemakers in south India earlier this month, she...

Trump Targets Amazon in Call for Postal Service to Hike Prices

Trump Targets Amazon in Call for Postal Service to Hike Prices

President Donald Trump returned to a favorite target Friday, saying that the U.S. Postal Service should charge Amazon.com more money...

New Robot Teaches Autistic Adults to Navigate Office Politics

New Robot Teaches Autistic Adults to Navigate Office Politics

Autism is on the rise in many developed countries, and the reasons why are still unclear. But more autistic children...

Philippines Preps Economy for Bumper Year in 2018 

Philippines Preps Economy for Bumper Year in 2018 

Officials in the Philippines, one of Asia’s fastest growing economies, are planning a series of economic stimulus measures in 2018...

Trump Administration Rescinds Rules for Drilling on Public Land

Trump Administration Rescinds Rules for Drilling on Public Land

President Donald Trump’s administration is rescinding proposed rules for hydraulic fracturing and other oil- and gas-drilling practices on government lands,...

Apple Apologizes After Outcry Over Slowed iPhones

Apple Apologizes After Outcry Over Slowed iPhones

Facing lawsuits and consumer outrage  after it said it slowed older iPhones with flagging batteries, Apple Inc is slashing prices...