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The Star
3 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Nokia, blackned to develop next-gen tactical networks for German army
People walk next to the Nokia stand as they attend the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain February 27, 2024. REUTERS/Bruna Casas/File Photo (Reuters) - Finland's Nokia and defence technology firm blackned, majority-owned by Rheinmetall, will jointly develop next-generation tactical networks for the German armed forces, the companies said on Wednesday. The new mobile communication systems will be specifically "tailored" for Germany's defence requirements, Nokia said, with potential for adaptation to other countries' defense needs. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Nokia and blackned will bring together their 5G technology and software expertise to create tactical networks for battlefield operations, integrated with Rheinmetall's Battlesuite digital platform. Tactical networks allow military personnel to share information, coordinate operations, and maintain situational awareness in the field, even in challenging environments where regular communication infrastructure is not available. The deal comes as the Finnish maker of telecoms gear, which also provides secure defense communications networks, seeks to benefit from growing military spending across Europe. (Reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
The Star
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Microsoft wants AI 'agents' to work together and remember things
FILE PHOTO: A man looks at his phone as he passes by the Microsoft stand at the Mobile World Congress trade show, in Barcelona, Spain, March 3, 2025. REUTERS/Bruna Casas/File Photo REDMOND, Washington (Reuters) -Microsoft envisions a future where any company's artificial intelligence agents can work together with agents from other firms and have better memories of their interactions, its chief technologist said on Sunday ahead of the company's annual software developer conference. Microsoft is holding its Build conference in Seattle on May 19, where analysts expect the company to unveil its latest tools for developers building AI systems. Speaking at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, ahead of the conference, Chief Technology Officer Kevin Scott told reporters and analysts the company is focused on helping spur the adoption of standards across the technology industry that will let agents from different makers collaborate. Agents are AI systems that can accomplish specific tasks, such as fixing a software bug, on their own. Scott said that Microsoft is backing a technology called Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open-source protocol introduced by Google-backed Anthropic. Scott said MCP has the potential to create an "agentic web" similar to the way hypertext protocols that helped spread the internet in the 1990s. "It means that your imagination gets to drive what the agentic web becomes, not just a handful of companies that happen to see some of these problems first," Scott said. Scott also said that Microsoft is trying to help AI agents have better memories of things that users have asked them to do, noting that, so far, "most of what we're building feels very transactional." But making an AI agent's memory better costs a lot of money because it requires more computing power. Microsoft is focusing on a new approach called structured retrieval augmentation, where an agent extracts short bits of each turn in a conversation with a user, creating a roadmap to what was discussed. "This is a core part of how you train a biological brain - you don't brute force everything in your head every time you need to solve a particular problem," Scott said. (Reporting by Stephen Nellis; Editing by Paul Simao)
The Irish Sun
09-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
‘Are we still welcome?' – Tourists' fears laid bare as Spain locals plan 15 more summer protests after ‘go home' chant
HOLIDAYMAKERS are worried that Spain is "not safe" and they are no longer welcome following a number of protests highlighting the impact of over-tourism. Demonstrators have Advertisement 6 Thousands demonstrate against tourism policies on the island of Tenerife in April 2024 Credit: Getty Images 6 Protesters shoot water from water guns at tourists during a protest against mass tourism in Barcelona last summer Credit: REUTERS 6 Spain is one of the most popular locations for Irish holidaymakers Credit: REUTERS/Bruna Casas The new protests, which will take place in the Spanish destinations It is understood that some The And, after some Spaniards took to the streets to block visitors from popular beaches and even Advertisement READ MORE IRISH NEWS Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy said he has noticed a growing "perception" that some Spanish residents resent the influx of tourists. Speaking at an event at the Spanish embassy in "It is becoming a big issue unfortunately, and perception becomes truth." Some activists Advertisement Most read in News Travel During past protests, demonstrators have chanted "tourists go home" and "tourism kills cities". Inside Tenerife's ongoing war between tourists and locals But Manuel Butler, director of the Spanish Tourist Office in London, insisted that holidaymakers must be able to distinguish between "specific local tensions and the broader national picture". He said: "The vast majority of Spain remains enthusiastic in welcoming tourists. "Where protests have occurred – in cities such as Advertisement "Spain is taking concrete steps to address these issues – through legislation on short-term rentals, tourism taxes in certain regions, and more comprehensive destination management." Protests will across both SHOULD I STILL GO ON MY HOLIDAY? THE backlash against mass tourism in Spain is not new - but it has intensified in recent years. Locals in cities like Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, and San Sebastián have voiced concerns about overcrowding, rising living costs, and the loss of local culture. But Spain doesn't really hate tourists - they just want the government to introduce a more sustainable practice. Idealista, a Spanish rental property website, said: "Visitors are still very much welcome in Spain in 2025, but the country is calling for more respectful, sustainable travel practices. "In the end, it's about finding a balance that benefits both locals and tourists alike." The cities plan to mobilise under a common slogan, but each city and region will decide how to organise their actions. Advertisement And protests heading to the Canary Islands this month have been warned of another set of protests taking place in just a few days. Similar events will take place across the with protestors once again taking to the streets in demonstrative marches from 11am on May 18. ISLANDS 'COLLAPSING' Locals will start the demonstration - which And a total of 15 separate groups have said they will take to the streets across the Canary Islands under an umbrella protest platform, fuming "The Canary Islands Have a Limit." Advertisement The platform said: 'We've still lacking a true change of model that guarantees a decent future for the people who live in these islands. 'That's why we're announcing that in the month of May we will A spokesman claimed the eight islands that make up the Atlantic Ocean archipelago were 'collapsing' under tourist pressure and the future for locals being priced out of somewhere to live by 'foreign speculators' encouraged by regional government inaction looked bleaker than ever. 6 Acitivists stop a tourist bus in front of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona last month Credit: REUTERS Advertisement 6 Graffiti reading 'tourists go home' on a wall in Barcelona city centre Credit: Alamy Live News 6 Acitivists stop a tourist bus with water pistols in Barcelona last month Credit: REUTERS/Bruna Casas
The Irish Sun
01-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Grim ‘we want tourists to have some level of fear' warning to Irish days before protests take over 16 Spain hotspots
THERE is a major alert for Irish holidaymakers ahead of new protests in a Spanish holiday hotspot. Severe disruptions are expected on June 15 with protests scheduled for Lanzarote, Tenerife, Barcelona and Majorca. 5 Disruption seen last summer is expected again over coming months Credit: DESIREE MARTIN/AFP via Getty Images 5 Mid-June demonstrations will see groups block major tourist attractions Credit: REUTERS/Bruna Casas 5 The Canary Islands will see action in just a matter of weeks Credit: DESIREE MARTIN/AFP via Getty Images The It comes as figures reveal the average cost of rents in The availability of residential lets in many of these areas has also fallen, adding fuel to the fire. Protests over the past year have already seen thousands of Spaniards READ MORE IN TRAVEL And This group is comprised of During the June demonstrations it is understood protestors will block access to famous attractions such as the Sagrada Familia. Similar events will take place across the Most read in News Travel They too will block access to popular tourist hotspots. It is understood demonstrations at airports are also planned and protesters will blockade buses carrying tourists. 'Empty hotels, no rental cars and no cyclists' chant anti-tourist zealots as thousands storm 'historic' Majorca protest Speaking after the meeting, Margalida Ramis from environmentalists GOB said there is an "urgent need to limit tourism growth and promote a true socioeconomic transformation". 'LEVEL OF FEAR' And Protestor Elena Boschi in Barcelona told the Mirror: "We want tourists to have some level of fear about the situation, without fear, there is no change." She added: "Our cities and regions are not for sale and there is an urgent need to limit the growth of tourism, demand a change of course and decide on a path to tourism de-growth as a way out". Protests will take place across 16 cities and regions across Spain, its islands, Portugal and Italy. Barcelona, the Pyrenees, Mallorca, Venice, Valencia, Naples, Lisbon, Palermo, Bilbao, Donostia-San Sebastián, and Ibiza are all set to see protest action. Activists from Santander, Genoa, Pamplona, Marseille, Milan, Barcelona and Rimini, as well as popular Spanish hotspots like the Canary Islands are set to back the action. TENERIFE ACTION Protest action in Activist groups will get action underway from 11am on May 18. This protest will see locals demonstrate in the Plaza Weyler in the capital tourist hotspot of Santa Cruz. According to organisers 80,000 people had joined in While each location will protest under a common slogan, regions will separately decide how their actions are organised. 'PLEASE DON'T COME' Speaking late last month Ivan Cerdena Molina member of local environmental group ATAN, He said: "We had 16 million tourists [in the Canaries] in 2023 and 18 million in 2024. In 2025, the number is increasing again. HOSPITALITY FURY Anti-tourism protests come amid Hotel workers in the Canary Islands conducted a two-day industrial action that clashing with peak Easter travel times. These April 17 and 18 demonstrations saw thousands of hotel workers from stage action outside hotels in a dispute over pay. The strikes follow the rejection of the latest proposal from the employers' associations that included a six per cent pay increase, implementation of adjustable beds, and the establishment of a negotiation table before the end of the month to address other concerns. Despite mediation efforts by the Fernando Clavijo, President of the Canary Islands strikes involve approximately 80,000 hotel industry employees in Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro. "The government didn't do anything; it just spoke nice words with no real action. "The situation is really critical, no one who wants to enjoy holidays with peace would come to a collapsed and congested island, it's simple there are too many people everywhere. "Local people are really tired and angry, they are showing it. If we can ask something, it would be, please don't come, we cannot take it anymore." LATEST DEMONSTRATION Just last weekend During the protest a tour bus was blocked and water pistols were shot at it as activists chanted: "Tourists go home." The windows of the bus were also covered with a sign that said: "Turn off the tourist focus." One person told Reuters: "We are here because we are fed up that tourism is always on top of this economic model." Over 20 people were arrested amid the demonstrations. 5 Hotel workers staged a major strike over Easter Credit: EPA/Alberto Valdes 5 Barcelona saw unrest as recently as the weekend Credit: REUTERS/Bruna Casas
Reuters
25-03-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
MotoGP renews Valencia GP deal until 2031
Item 1 of 2 MotoGP - Valencia Grand Prix Cancelled - Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, Spain - November 4, 2024 A drone view shows damage to the entrance of the Circuit Ricardo Tormo after the Valencia Grand Prix was cancelled following heavy rains that caused floods REUTERS/Bruna Casas/File Photo [1/2] MotoGP - Valencia Grand Prix Cancelled - Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, Spain - November 4, 2024 A drone view shows damage to the entrance of the Circuit Ricardo Tormo after the Valencia Grand Prix was cancelled following heavy rains that caused floods REUTERS/Bruna Casas/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab March 25 (Reuters) - Valencia's Circuit Ricardo Tormo will host five more MotoGP Grand Prix between 2027 and 2031, the motorcycle racing organisation said on Tuesday. The Valencia GP, which started in 1999, has been the final Grand Prix of the MotoGP season in most years since 2002. It is known for its atmosphere and high turnout and has won the best Grand Prix award several times, MotoGP said in a statement. The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here. Circuit Ricardo Tormo, which was already under contract until 2026, has signed a new five-year deal, MotoGP added. "The track is unique with the view it offers to the spectators, and the fans make it unique for us with the incredible atmosphere they create," said Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP rights holder Dorna Sports. "It is always full of people, the promoter does a fantastic job." The Valencia GP was cancelled last year after a deadly flood killed over 200 people in the region. The circuit was also affected by the flood, with the approach roads to the venue suffering extensive damage. "After what happened in 2024, we hope our return for another five Grand Prix underlines our longer term commitment to Valencia too. We're looking forward to coming back this season, and to celebrating more fantastic Grands Prix until 2031," Ezpeleta added. The current MotoGP season is set to conclude with the Valencia GP on Nov. 16. Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
