Associated Press

News Agency

Spyware find highlights depth of hacker-for-hire industry

Security researchers said Thursday they found two kinds of commercial spyware on the phone of a leading exiled Egyptian dissident, providing new evidence of the depth and diversity of the abusive hacker-for-hire industry. One piece of malware recently found on an iPhone belonging to Ayman Nour, a dissident and 2005 Egyptian presidential candidate who subsequently […]

India unveils $10.2B plan to attract semiconductor makers

India on Wednesday announced a $10.2 billion plan to try to attract global chipmakers to set up shop in the country and transform it into a production hub of semiconductors. The plan unveiled by Information Technology and Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw comes amid a severe shortage of semiconductors caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has […]

China's #MeToo victims face abuse, payback for going public

Human resources and upper management wouldn’t deal with her accusation of sexual assault, a former employee of Alibaba said. So she went into the busy cafeteria at the Chinese e-commerce giant’s headquarters and screamed out her plight. Now she’s facing online harassment, accusations of lying from the wives of the two men she accused and […]

Freight rails trying other locomotive fuels to cut emissions

The major freight railroads across North America continue to experiment with alternative locomotive fuels as a way to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. BNSF railroad said Wednesday that it plans to test out a hydrogen-powered locomotive along its lines, joining Canadian Pacific in experimenting with that technology. Canadian National railroad recently announced plans to test […]

NYC moves to stop new buildings from using natural gas

New York City is poised to bar most new buildings from using natural gas within a few years, after lawmakers voted Wednesday to make the United States’ most populous city a showcase for a climate-change-fighting policy that has been both embraced and blocked elsewhere. If Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio signs the measure, as expected, […]

EU plan for sweeping update of Big Tech rules gains momentum

The European Union’s ambitious plan to update its pioneering internet rules gained momentum Tuesday after a key committee passed measures requiring technology companies to better police content and lawmakers prepared to vote on regulations to rein in Big Tech. The 27-nation bloc has for the past year been drafting a sweeping overhaul of regulations for […]

Norway fines dating app Grindr $7.16M over privacy breach

Norway’s data privacy watchdog on Wednesday fined gay dating app Grindr 65 million kroner ($7.16 million) for sending sensitive personal data to hundreds of potential advertising partners without users’ consent — a breach of strict European Union privacy rules. The Norwegian Data Protection Authority said it imposed its highest fine to date because the California-based […]

Proposed Nebraska mine might produce more rare elements

The company working to build a mine in southeast Nebraska to extract a rare element used to make steel lighter and stronger said Tuesday that it may also be able to produce some of the key ingredients needed to make the powerful magnets used in electric vehicles and other high-tech products. NioCorp Developments released a […]

NYC weighs cutting off natural gas hookups for new buildings

New York City lawmakers are poised to decide Wednesday whether to prohibit most new buildings from using natural gas, a move that would make the nation’s most populous city a showcase for a climate-change-fighting policy that has been both embraced and blocked around the country. The measure is expected to pass the City Council and […]

EXPLAINER: The security flaw that's freaked out the internet

Security pros say it’s one of the worst computer vulnerabilities they’ve ever seen. They say state-backed Chinese and Iranian hackers and rogue cryptocurrency miners have already seized on it. The Department of Homeland Security is sounding a dire alarm, ordering federal agencies to urgently eliminate the bug because it’s so easily exploitable — and telling […]