Amazon is sending a clear signal that its driver-less ambitions are no longer an R&D side hustle. The company has opened a 220,000-square-foot factory in Hayward, California, to build Zoox robotaxis at scale, laying the groundwork for a nationwide ride-hailing network and a head-to-head fight with Alphabet’s Waymo. An Ambitious Bet On Purpose-Built Cabs Amazon bought Bay-Area startup Zoox for $1.2 billion in 2020, inheriting a radical, gondola-like shuttle with no steering wheel, pedals or driver’s seat. Five years later, that vision is taking shape on the assembly line: management says the plant will ramp from dozens of vehicles this…
Author: Emily Harper
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Local Youth Vow to Block Canals as Opposition Gains Momentum Venice is facing a wave of unrest ahead of the highly anticipated wedding of billionaire Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sánchez, scheduled for June 28. What was meant to be a glamorous celebration in one of the world’s most iconic cities is now becoming a flashpoint for a broader protest movement. Hundreds of young Venetians, identifying as underemployed or “precarious,” gathered near the Rialto Bridge to voice their outrage, accusing the event of symbolizing inequality, gentrification, and the erosion of the city’s soul. At the heart of the protest is…
Hallucinations, Blisters and a Record-Breaking Journey in 35 Days British ultrarunner Will Goodge crossed Australia on foot in just 35 days, completing one of the most punishing endurance feats ever recorded. Beginning in Perth and ending at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on May 19, the influencer and former rugby player ran 2,387 miles—an average of 68.2 miles per day—through heat, pain and mental exhaustion. If confirmed, his effort would beat the previous trans-Australia record by four days, setting a new benchmark in extreme endurance sports. The early days were brutal. Goodge described the first nine days as a “revolving nightmare” filled…
North Korea will dispatch 1,000 military deminers and 5,000 construction troops to Russia’s war-damaged Kursk region, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said during a visit to Pyongyang on Tuesday. He framed the deployment as “brotherly aid” aimed at clearing unexploded ordnance, restoring rail links and repairing housing battered by Ukrainian strikes. Sending workers abroad is not new for Pyongyang. Until U.N. bans took effect in 2020, tens of thousands of North Korean welders and carpenters earned foreign currency in Russia and the Gulf. Rights groups say up to 90 percent of wages went to the state, yet a guaranteed…
As the gangway lowers at the Port of Hong Kong, the crew swiftly secures the massive ONE Modern vessel. Dwarfed by the towering pink container ship, workers in orange jumpsuits begin the intricate process of unloading and reloading more than 700 containers in under 10 hours. This scene plays out daily as companies worldwide race to navigate the latest chapter in the ongoing US-China trade war. With the expiration of the US tariff pause looming, businesses are pushing to get goods out of China and into the United States. The heightened activity reflects growing anxiety across supply chains, where unpredictability…
Innovative Drug Delivery Solution Showcased on Global Stage At one of the pharmaceutical industry’s most influential gatherings, BIO USA, Huonslab—an R&D subsidiary of Huons Group—presented its breakthrough in drug formulation technology. The South Korea-based company introduced its proprietary HyDIFFUZE™ platform, a cutting-edge method that enables the transformation of intravenous (IV) antibody therapeutics into subcutaneous (SC) injections. This platform is built around human hyaluronidase, an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid under the skin to help drugs spread more efficiently. This approach not only makes administration less invasive for patients but also offers pharmaceutical companies a pathway to simplify treatment protocols.…
The European Commission has handed Greece its largest agriculture-related sanction to date, ordering Athens to pay €392.2 million (about US$451.9 million) after auditors uncovered years of systemic mismanagement in the country’s farm-subsidy programme. The decision follows an in-depth probe of the Greek payment agency OPEKEPE, which distributes EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funds. Investigators concluded that supervisory controls between 2016 and 2022 were so weak that false claims could proliferate virtually unchecked. Alongside the lump-sum penalty, Brussels will also withhold 5 % of Greece’s future farm subsidies, citing the need to safeguard EU coffers while Athens rebuilds its oversight framework.…
Trump Cuts G7 Visit Short Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions U.S. President Donald Trump departed early from the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada to monitor the fast-evolving crisis between Israel and Iran. His sudden exit raised global concerns as the situation in the Middle East continues to escalate rapidly. While leaders gathered to discuss pressing global issues, Trump’s attention quickly shifted away from diplomatic talks with Western allies to the intensifying conflict overseas. He altered his original schedule, which planned for a longer stay at the summit, in order to return to Washington sooner than expected. The White…
Iran Launches Major Missile Attack on Israeli Cities The ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel reached a new level of intensity as Iranian forces launched over 100 missiles targeting major Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Haifa. The strikes resulted in widespread destruction, with significant damage reported in residential areas and critical infrastructure. Emergency services in central Israel confirmed the deaths of four people, all in their seventies, and 87 others injured. The city of Petah Tikva near Tel Aviv was among the hardest hit, where a residential building suffered extensive structural damage. Fires erupted near the port in Haifa,…
Kananaskis, Alberta, has traded hikers for heads of state as the Group of Seven rolls into the Canadian Rockies. Roadblocks, drones and Mounties ring the mountain resort while host Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump, Britain’s Keir Starmer, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, Japan’s Fumio Kishida, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni. What would normally be a photo-op getaway is overshadowed by Israel’s sudden strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliation—an escalation many leaders learned about in mid-flight. Carney, determined to keep attention on “shared prosperity,” must first navigate a world bristling with missiles and tariffs. Trump’s Presence Keeps…
