The European Union Times |
- Independent Scotland ‘feels inevitable’ says News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch
- Humanity must travel to space or die out: Stephen Hawking
- Texas Pushes for GMO Labeling with Introduction of New Bill
- Russia to tighten ban on European fruit imports
- UAE to introduce Police Robots ‘within 2 years’
|
Posted: 27 Apr 2015 03:26 PM PDT
 Media mogul Rupert Murdoch says Scottish independence “feels inevitable” and predicts a hung parliament following the UK general election next week. In a series of Tweets the chairman of News Corp, which owns The Times and The Sun, expressed a range of opinions on British politics, Scottish self-rule, and rising inequality in the UK and US. Murdoch, 84, suggested “dirty” deals would be made between the political parties after the general election if no party wins a clear majority. He also predicted Prime Minister David Cameron would be dropped by the Conservative Party if he failed to gain a majority against Labour leader Ed Miliband. He said this was “open talk” among Tories. The Australia-born press baron has been viewed as a kingmaker in British politics because of the influence he wields through his newspaper outlets. Murdoch’s tabloid the Sun had a weekly readership of 5.4 million in the UK last year. However his power took a blow in 2011 after revelations of illegal phone hacking by News Corp journalists became public. During the same year he testified before a Parliamentary Committee alongside his son, James Murdoch, who was previously a non-executive chair at British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) and who currently holds senior positions in his father’s business empire. The billionaire media tycoon shared his thoughts on the future of the UK and the upcoming general election through Twitter on Sunday. Murdoch has previously backed Alex Salmond, former leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), praising him as a cunning politician. Salmond’s close ties with Murdoch were first revealed in 2012, when private documents were released detailing the extent of their relationship. Letters published shortly after Murdoch shut down his popular tabloid News of the World exposed how Salmond had more than two dozen meeting with Murdoch or his executives. The media mogul also commented on the likelihood of no political party wining the general election, a situation known as a hung parliament. He suggested there would “many possible outcomes” of the election and that “in spite of denials, SNP still see Cameron as the perfect enemy.” Murdoch also indicated the SNP were “cleverly hurting Miliband” by hinting at their support of Labour in the election. Cameron’s future as leader of the Conservative Party is at stake in this election, Murdoch suggested. In a surprise comment for a man estimated to be worth over $14 billion (US), Murdoch also weighed in on the Sunday Times 2015 Rich List, published on the weekend. His claim that the economic turmoil gripping “advanced” economies has been caused by “regulations and power crazed lawyers” received a barrage of responses on Twitter. Murdoch is rarely one to shy away from making controversial comments on Twitter. He posted a series of provocative tweets following the Charlie Hebdo terror attacks in Paris, calling on all Muslims to “confront extremism.” Murdoch’s comments were lampooned by Los Angeles-based comedian Aziz Ansari, who wrote: “Are you responsible for the evil sh*t all Christians do or just the insane amount of evil you yourself contribute to?” Source           |
|
Posted: 27 Apr 2015 03:12 PM PDT
 Theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking warns that if the human race does not leave the planet and start to live in space, humanity will die out. The renowned British scientist made the comments while giving a holographic a speech at the Sydney Opera House in Australia, the Independent reported on Monday. “We must continue to go into space for the future of humanity,” Hawking said, “I don’t think we will survive another 1,000 years without escaping beyond our fragile planet.” The eminent scientist used holographic technology to give the speech from his office in Cambridge, England. “Although I would love to be there in person,” he said during his opening speech to the audience, “the idea of being the first person to appear as a hologram at the stage at the Opera House was too good an offer to refuse.” “Be curious, and however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up,” he added. Hawking has repeatedly warned the human race over the danger it is placing itself by progressing the rise of artificial intelligence and aggression. The only way to ensure the continuity of the human race is to colonize other planets, the scientist noted back in February. At the end of his holographic speech, Hawkins called on the audience to “look at up at the stars and not down at your feet”. Source      |
|
Posted: 27 Apr 2015 03:03 PM PDT
 State Representative Carol Alvarado from Houston has filed HB 3499, a GMO labeling bill that would require all food sold in Texas to be clearly marked to inform the consumer that they contain genetically modified ingredients. Texas is a big state, and if this bill were to successfully pass, it could have a profound influence in food manufacturers and biotech interests – putting a much needed damper in their efforts to monopolize our food with toxic crops that have been linked to gut disorders, compromised immunity, organ failure, cancer, and reproductive issues. In the very least, consumers deserve to know what is in their food – and then by all means if you want to eat a GMO Arctic apple or some genetically modified corn that is full of Bt toxins – have at it – but we want the option to know and say “no thanks!” This bill would also seriously cramp Monsanto’s style since they like to sell seed to farmers that can’t be replanted each season, and must be repurchased, along with the toxic chemicals they sell to go hand-in-hand with their aptly named Round Up Ready corn, soy, etc. Farmers would save a bundle and be able to plant in ways that are more sustainable for Texas and more nutritious for Texans. With states like Vermont recently successfully passing mandatory GMO labeling bills, despite the threat of lawsuits from Monsanto and other biotech bullies, Texas could easily pass its own labeling law with support from grassroots initiatives. Be sure to pass the word that Texas wants GMO labeling (and eventually to be GMO-FREE)! Please also be sure to contact Alvarado and tell her you support her introduction of the bill to label GMOs in Texas! Source      |
|
Posted: 27 Apr 2015 02:56 PM PDT
 The Kremlin says it will tighten an existing ban on the import of fruits and vegetables from Europe through Bulgaria over concerns that Sofia may be attempting to send European products into Russia using false documents. On Monday, the deputy head of Russia’s agricultural regulator, Yulia Shvabauskene, said Moscow had stopped re-exports, or the export of goods which have been imported, through Bulgaria. Shvabauskene said Russia suspects companies in Bulgaria of using false documents to bypass the ban by labeling products from Europe as coming from countries not affected by the ban, such as China, Brazil and Morocco. The official added that the restriction on re-exports through Bulgaria is “just the start” and that Moscow was “examining the option of not accepting any European re-export certificates at all.” Russia blocked most food imports from the United States and countries within the European Union in response to Western sanctions against the country. The Western powers imposed sanctions against Russia over accusations that Moscow instigated a deadly crisis in neighboring Ukraine, which broke out when Kiev launched military operations to crack down on pro-Russians in eastern Ukraine last year. Russia has denied the allegations. Prior to the food ban, Russia received a quarter of its produce from the EU nations. Source      |
|
Posted: 27 Apr 2015 02:38 PM PDT
 Police in the wealthy United Arab Emirates plan to introduce interactive patrolling bots by 2017, and says “fully intelligent robots” could be on the force by the end of the decade. “We are aiming to provide these kinds of services as the population is expanding. This way we can provide better services without hiring more people,” Colonel Khalid Nasser Alrazooqi, who heads the city’s ‘smart’ unit, said during a keynote speech at the Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference, Dubai’s Khaleej Times report. Admittedly, the first generation of robocops, which will be dispatched to crowded, but generally, safe, public spaces such as malls, sound like more sophisticated versions of public info terminals than crime-stopping heroes. “The robots will interact directly with people and tourists. They will include an interactive screen and microphone connected to the Dubai Police call centers. People will be able to ask questions and make complaints, but they will also have fun interacting with the robots,” said the official. But Alrazooqi has much more ambitious plans for the AI-equipped models, which he believes will appear in “four to five years.” “These will be fully intelligent robots that can interact with people, with no human intervention at all. This is still under research and development, but we are planning on it,” he said. With a small population, vast funds, and a desire to project itself as a world leader in technology, Dubai, which says that it will soon have the most advanced police force in the world, in which officers began using Google Glass last year, is a perfect platform for the first regular robo-blue force. Whether workable technology will catch up with Dubai’s intentions within the stated timeframes, is less clear. Drones and bomb-disabling bots are already in use by police forces around the world. As for the more humanoid and independent creations, multiple companies are working on a technology that is at a prototype stage. California startup Knightscope has already deployed what it says is an intelligent bot inside several private corporate properties. The droid, which is more reminiscent of R2-D2 or a Dalek than a metal policeman, is capable of scanning license plates and faces, as well as spotting suspicious behaviour. For the moment, it cannot intervene with gunfire, but lets out a piercing alarm, and warns the authorities. The company says it is now looking for contracts with the state security agency, and Dubai could be an early client. Source     |
