Author: Silke Mayr

COVID-19 vaccine safety: A new study shows that COVID-19 vaccination or infection during pregnancy does not harm a child’s development. This study is the largest of its kind and gives the most reliable evidence so far. The study was done in Scotland. It looked at nearly 25,000 babies born in 2020 and 2021. Health professionals visited the babies at home when they were 13 to 15 months old. They checked the babies’ speech, thinking, movement, and emotions. They wanted to see if COVID-19 vaccination or infection during pregnancy affected these areas of the babies’ development. The results were clear. There…

Europe’s shifting alliances: Europe is grappling with a dramatic shift in its alliances as the United States, its closest ally, now appears to align with its greatest adversary, Russia. What happens next remains uncertain, and European leaders are left scrambling for answers. A Rapid Collapse of Support – Europe’s shifting alliances The sudden collapse of U.S. support for Ukraine has stunned European officials. For years, the U.S. has been a key backer of Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression, but that support seems to be wavering. President Donald Trump’s sudden shift, now echoing Kremlin propaganda and turning against Ukrainian President Volodymyr…

Germany’s Economic Struggles: As Germany heads to the polls on Sunday, the country’s struggling economy is at the forefront of voter concerns. Economic recovery is now a pressing issue, but challenges are mounting, especially with the possibility of Donald Trump’s return to the White House and his proposed tariffs on imported goods. These factors make it even harder for the next government to address Germany’s economic woes. Economic Stagnation and the Threat of Far-Right Rise Germany, the world’s third-largest economy, has faced a slowdown in growth since the pandemic. After contracting in 2023 and 2022, it marked the first back-to-back…

WhatsApp hits DSA: WhatsApp has surpassed a significant user threshold under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), making it subject to more stringent regulations. The popular messaging app now falls under the category of a “Very Large Online Platform” (VLOP), meaning it will need to take stronger actions against illegal and harmful content, or face hefty fines. According to a filing from WhatsApp on February 14, the platform recorded approximately 46.8 million average monthly users in the European Union, measured over the six months leading up to December 2024. This user count surpasses the 45 million-user threshold defined by…

Since Donald Trump’s inauguration, the global financial markets have shown clear trends. A review of major asset class movements over the past month reveals how Trump’s policies have influenced investor sentiment and market behavior. From his economic decisions to international talks, markets have responded with shifts in the value of the US dollar, stock prices, and commodities. US Dollar Weakens After Initial Surge Upon Trump’s election win on November 5, the US dollar initially strengthened. However, after his inauguration on January 20, the dollar’s value began to slip. The dollar index (DXY) fell by 2.2%, from above 109 to 107…

India AI development: Two years after ChatGPT revolutionized the world, China introduced DeepSeek, significantly lowering AI development costs. Meanwhile, India is still struggling to develop its own large language model (LLM), which is essential for powering many AI applications. As the world races to dominate AI, India seems to be falling behind, especially in the race to create a homegrown AI model like China’s DeepSeek. However, the Indian government is optimistic and claims that a local equivalent is on the way. It is offering high-end chips to startups, universities, and researchers, with the aim to develop such a model in…

South Korea Bans DeepSeek: South Korea has banned the AI app DeepSeek from its app stores due to concerns over data privacy. The app, which became popular after disrupting the global market, is accused of sending user data to ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok. The country’s data protection regulator, the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), confirmed that DeepSeek communicated with ByteDance. This has led to growing concerns about how DeepSeek handles its user data. South Korea Takes Action DeepSeek was removed from both Apple and Google’s app stores over the weekend. South Korea’s PIPC took action after an…

Meta is making a bold move beyond social media by investing in global internet infrastructure. The company has announced Project Waterworth, a new undersea cable spanning 50,000 kilometers (31,000 miles). This massive system will link the United States, India, South Africa, Brazil, and several other regions. Once completed, it will become the longest undersea cable ever built. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is heavily investing in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital infrastructure. The firm states that Project Waterworth will provide “industry-leading connectivity” across five continents. It aims to improve AI research, enhance economic partnerships, and promote…

Elon Musk appears to be taking steps to limit the expansion of Sam Altman’s artificial intelligence company, OpenAI. Experts suggest that his recent bid for OpenAI might not have been a serious attempt to purchase the company but rather a strategic move to slow its transformation. OpenAI’s board of directors has officially rejected Musk’s offer, which was nearly $100 billion, for the company behind ChatGPT—the world’s most well-known AI tool. Musk’s Strategy to Influence OpenAI’s Future Although OpenAI refused the offer, some analysts believe Musk’s move still serves his interests. By making this bid, he may have increased the financial…

President Donald Trump’s plan to impose large tariffs on imports could raise inflation in the United States. A new study shows that if these tariffs are fully imposed, inflation could nearly double. This would add strain to the already struggling U.S. economy. Gary Hufbauer, an economist at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said that the impact would be a “serious shock.” He warned that tariffs could cause major inflation, increasing the cost of living for Americans. This is a worst-case scenario. The actual impact could be less severe. The Trump administration has said that tariffs are also a tool…