In the Global Technology Summit, a panel of dignitaries speak on the topic of localization as democratization and answer the question why are countries and regions exercising their sovereign power to impose data localisation requirements.

Global Technology Summit | Data Democratization: Removal barriers to data accessibility

Let us take a look at stories generating interest across WION's social media channels. In today's video we cover 'Zombie Virus' sparking memefest on Twitter, bats having 'unparalleled' vocal range, animal relishing Christmas treats in a zoo in London and many more in news.

Trending on WION: 'Zombie Virus' sparks hilarious memefest on Twitter, what is it all about?

Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, who is considered the mastermind behind the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, has been detained in California, US. Watch this video to know all about it.

Sidhu Moose Wala murder mastermind Goldy Brar nabbed in California

Study: Over 50% drop in sperm count globally. What has triggered this sharp decline? What does this mean for our society. Watch this to know more.

50% drop in sperm count globally

The Global Technology Summit brings together industry experts, policymakers, scientists, and other stakeholders from all over the world to deliberate on the changing nature of technology and geopolitics.

Global Technology Summit: Experts share opinion on importance of establishing soft power

"We have just taken over the G20 presidency, I think there will also be a lot of consultations with other countries because we are very determined that India should really articulate the concerns and the interests of the global South as it is under a lot of pressure due to a combination of circumstances like debt, Covid, Russia-Ukraine conflict and in some parts of the world terrorism as well,' India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.

Global Technology Summit: India has advocated dialogue, diplomacy: S Jaishankar to WION

Israeli forces have killed five Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Both the Israeli and Palestinian officials claim that the latest casualties in violence has spiralled for months.

Five Palestinians killed in West Bank incidents

HSBC will close 114 more branches in the UK from April 2023. This move comes after their customers have fallen significantly since the pandemic. Bank claims that they would try to redeploy affected staff but about 100 will lose their jobs.

World Business Watch | HSBC to close 114 UK bank branches from April 2023

Emergency calls may get affected in parts of France. This has happened due to the prolonged power cuts this winter. Orange CEO claims that the prospect of energy rationing looms amid the war in Ukraine.

World Business Watch | Blackouts could hit mobile networks in France: Orange CEO

policymakers, scientists, and other stakeholders from all over the world to deliberate on the changing nature of technology and geopolitics. During the summit, Deepak Bagla of Invest India speaks on India's recent FDI growth. Watch here.

Global Technology Summit: Deepak Bagla of Invest India speaks on India's recent FDI growth

India's economic growth has fallen sharply to 6.3 per cent in July to September quarter from double-digit growth of the April to June quarter. Watch this report.

India's GDP growth shrinks to 6.3%; The Agriculture sector grows 4.6%

Research is shown that bringing back endangered species can revive the ecosystem. Watch further to know more.

WION Climate Tracker: Study: Bringing back endangered species can improve ecosystem

Two men were caught harassing a South Korean YouTuber in Mumbai. The video of the incident went viral as fire on social media platforms. The video created an uproar as netizens are demanding strict action.

WION Dispatch: Caught on camera: South Korean girl harassed on Mumbai streets, two arrested

The Chinese government has decided soften their COVID-19 restrictions as part of the Zero-Covid initiative as Beijing will allow some infected people to isolate at home.

WION Dispatch: China eases Covid restrictions in Beijing, hints at possible change in stance

UK has witnessed a decrease in the native mussels population. Mussels population has declined by 95%. Watch further to know more.

WION Climate Tracker: Alarming decline in UK's native mussels population

Canada will be hosting UN Biodiversity Summit this year. The Summit will be held to agree on a deal to safeguard nature. Watch further to know more.

WION Climate Tracker: Canada to host UN Biodiversity Summit to safeguard nature

Ukraine is facing heavy Russian bombardment in it's eastern and southern region. Earlier, Russia's Ministry of Defence released videos allegedly showing Sukhoi Su-25 Grach aircraft firing missiles at the Ukrainian army positions from low altitudes.

Ukraine faces heaviest fighting rage in east by Russia

The Global Technology Summit brings together industry experts, policymakers, scientists, and other stakeholders from all over the world to deliberate on the changing nature of technology and geopolitics. In this session, we discuss about the use of tech in war-fighting concepts.

Global Technology Summit: Expert opinion on rising demand for Indian content amongst global market

In what may become a global landmark and inspire people in other robust democracies to seek reversal of unjust impositions by governments during the coronavirus pandemic, the Australian state of New South Wales has revoked 33,000 Covid fines totaling more than AUS$ 30 million.&nbsp;

Those who have already paid the fines will be refunded the amount.

NSW was forced to cancel the Covid-era fines after an adverse court ruling in a test case by Redfern Legal Centre (RLC), which argued that police did not provide enough details about the offence, which is a breach of the Fines Act. &nbsp;

Yet, the government, instead of resisting the case for cancellation of Covid-19 fines, accepted the principle of the test case in two other cases pending before the court. And in what may even be commendable, extended the benefit of the principle to withdraw a total of 33,121 fines, out of the total 62,138 Covid-19 related fines issued. NSW was compelled to concede that the AUS$30m collected in fines for so-called “breaches” of Covid-era public health orders were “too vague”.&nbsp;

The case filed in public interest by RLC, the judiciary’s pathbreaking order and the executive’s response and prompt action are, in these times, exemplary institutional conduct. Neither the judiciary nor the executive saw it as a prestige issue. The government could have let the other two cases go on and waited for similar orders; and, worse, it could have resisted extending the benefit of the spirit and underlying principle of the court’s order to 33,000 others. That fact that it did not do so, for whatever reason, is worthy of emulation when people, especially those in financial distress, are involved.&nbsp;

It remains to be seen whether NSW scraps the fines on 29,000 others, too; or it chooses to force another legal contest over dubious fines for breach of vague “pandemic restrictions”, which may not hold up in court. &nbsp;

It would be interesting to see the aftermath: such as, whether the principle of undoing the injustice of dubious fines is taken up in other Australian states; or the federal government headed by&nbsp;Prime Minister Anthony Albanese steps in to ensure country-wide relief in this matter.&nbsp;

The court ruling and the NSW reversal of the fines come at a time when the Australian parliament made history with its censure of former Prime Minister Scott Morrison for taking advantage of Covid conditions to secretly grab several ministerial posts between March 2020 and May 2021.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

If the parliamentary censure was a first for a former PM, so was his conduct. As Prime Minister Albanese succinctly put it: “This is the sort of tin-pot activity we would ridicule if it was in a non-democratic country. Scott Morrison was running a shadow government”. &nbsp;

The censure was preceded by an enquiry into what Albanese had described as “extraordinary” and “unprecedented trashing of our democracy”. &nbsp;

Parliament is expected to follow up the censure by changing the law to ensure that ministerial appointments are made public.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)&nbsp;

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In what may become a global landmark and inspire people in other robust democracies to seek reversal of unjust impositions by governments during the coronavirus pandemic, the Australian state of New South Wales has revoked 33,000 Covid fines totaling more than AUS$ 30 million.

In what may become a global landmark and inspire people in other robust democracies to seek reversal of unjust impositions by governments during the coronavirus pandemic, the Australian state of New South Wales has revoked 33,000 Covid fines totaling more than AUS$ 30 million. Those who have already paid the fines will be refunded the amount. NSW was forced to cancel the Covid-era fines after an adverse court ruling in a test case by Redfern Legal Centre (RLC), which argued that police did not provide enough details about the offence, which is a breach of the Fines Act. Yet, the government, instead of resisting the case for cancellation of Covid-19 fines, accepted the principle of the test case in two other cases pending before the court. And in what may even be commendable, extended the benefit of the principle to withdraw a total of 33,121 fines, out of the total 62,138 Covid-19 related fines issued. NSW was compelled to concede that the AUS$30m collected in fines for so-called “breaches” of Covid-era public health orders were “too vague”. The case filed in public interest by RLC, the judiciary’s pathbreaking order and the executive’s response and prompt action are, in these times, exemplary institutional conduct. Neither the judiciary nor the executive saw it as a prestige issue. The government could have let the other two cases go on and waited for similar orders; and, worse, it could have resisted extending the benefit of the spirit and underlying principle of the court’s order to 33,000 others. That fact that it did not do so, for whatever reason, is worthy of emulation when people, especially those in financial distress, are involved. It remains to be seen whether NSW scraps the fines on 29,000 others, too; or it chooses to force another legal contest over dubious fines for breach of vague “pandemic restrictions”, which may not hold up in court. It would be interesting to see the aftermath: such as, whether the principle of undoing the injustice of dubious fines is taken up in other Australian states; or the federal government headed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese steps in to ensure country-wide relief in this matter. The court ruling and the NSW reversal of the fines come at a time when the Australian parliament made history with its censure of former Prime Minister Scott Morrison for taking advantage of Covid conditions to secretly grab several ministerial posts between March 2020 and May 2021. If the parliamentary censure was a first for a former PM, so was his conduct. As Prime Minister Albanese succinctly put it: “This is the sort of tin-pot activity we would ridicule if it was in a non-democratic country. Scott Morrison was running a shadow government”. The censure was preceded by an enquiry into what Albanese had described as “extraordinary” and “unprecedented trashing of our democracy”. Parliament is expected to follow up the censure by changing the law to ensure that ministerial appointments are made public. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

WION Spotlight | Courting justice: Australia scraps Covid-era fines

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is posed with trouble as he will possibly faces formal impeachment against him over the 'Farmgate scandal.'

South African Prez Ramaphosa, buffaloes & millions stashed into cushions, faces impeachment threat

Elon Musk said Neuralink is expected to begin human clinical trials in six months. This is a wireless device developed by his brain chip company. The aim is to enable disabled patients to move and communicate again.

Elon Musk expects Neuralink’s chip to begin human trials in six months

After one of the world's largest crypto exchanges, FTX collapsed earlier this month, Brazil's lower house of Congress approved a bill that aims to boost oversight of the country's cryptocurrency sector.

Brazil wants a law on crypto regulations after FTX collapsed earlier this month

Elon Musk said on Wednesday he expects a wireless brain chip developed by his company Neuralink to begin human clinical trials in six months after the company missed earlier timelines set by him.

Elon Musk expects Neuralink to begin human trials in six months

Fresh clash breaks out in West Bank

Five Palestinians killed in West Bank clash

‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ is finally here. Director Ryan Coogler had a Herculean task of making a worthwhile sequel without its biggest star, the late Chadwick Boseman. Did he succeed? Watch Critically Speaking to find out.

Critically speaking: Is 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' a worthy sequel?

NATO allies would help Ukraine repair energy infrastructure heavily damaged by Russian bombardments. NATO's chief said that Moscow using the descending winter cold as "a weapon of war".

NATO to boost its support to Ukraine amid Russian strikes

Talking about taking UPI abroad, NPCI International Payments Limited, CEO Ritesh Shukla said, " It took Swift 45-50 years to be where they are and it took international cards schemes about 65-70 years to be where they are today, so I think there's a lot of hard work which will go into it."

Global Technology Summit:'Taking UPI abroad will take lot of hard work,' says NPCI CEO Ritesh Shukla

"This is not a technical problem and we have seen from the last 3-4 years, connecting payments system - there are many technologies that can solve it, that's not an issue. There is business interoperability, semantic interoperability and technical interoperability - technical and semantic we can solve but business interoperability is an issue," said Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief Fintech Officer, Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Global Technology Summit: Bankers, experts talk about problem with cross-border payment systems

Global Technology Summit 2022: Expert opinion on the use of tech in war-fighting concepts

While speaking to WION at the sidelines of the Global Technology Summit 2022, MoS Meenakshi Lekhi shared her opinion on ongoing China protest. She said that no views, those for are world to see and *those are for the country to control within.

MoS Meenakshi Lekhi opens up on G20, counter-terrorism

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