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<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new law proposed by Germany will limit which solar producers are reimbursed when energy prices fall.</li><li>A renewable supply glut has caused prices to often fall into negative territory.</li></ul>An overload of solar power in Germany has piled up costs on the government, prompting a new draft law that would limit subsidies for the country's industry players, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-28/germany-to-cut-some-solar-farms-off-subsidies-amid-oversupply">Bloomberg</a> reported.The outlet cited fresh plans to restrict which producers will receive subsidies when energy falls below a fixed price. Given how often wholesale power prices have dropped into negative territory, this has been an issue for the state.The government has previously estimated that German renewable subsidies would <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-29/germany-s-climate-transition-costs-to-spiral-as-subsidies-double">reach $21.6 billion this year</a>.That's as the country's solar buildout has brought so much renewable energy online that wholesale power prices have frequently fallen below zero. This trend is especially evident during the <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/solar-panel-supply-german-electricity-prices-negative-renewable-demand-green-2024-5">sunny summer months</a> and has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-29/germany-s-climate-transition-costs-to-spiral-as-subsidies-double">ongoing throughout Europe</a>.However, since German producers are guaranteed to receive a minimum strike price, the government is responsible for covering the difference in prices. This so-called "feed-in tariff" reimburses renewable companies for contributing to the public grid.The new draft law seeks to limit which solar producers are required to sell their output to electric exchanges and, by extent, who is eligible for feed-in tariffs. Currently, plants with 100 kilowatts of capacity are required to participate. By the start of 2027, this will drop to 75 kilowatts.Also implemented is an earlier law that allows the government to withhold payments for mid-sized and large solar projects, anytime wholesale market prices turn negative, Bloomberg said.This could trigger uncertainty in a market that has ballooned since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, an event that caused Europe to search for alternatives to Moscow's energy supply.Meanwhile, analysts have noted this year that supplementary investments in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/solar-panel-supply-german-electricity-prices-negative-renewable-demand-green-2024-5">battery technology and the electric grid</a> are needed if renewable energy is to escape negative pricing.

Germany's government is making life more difficult for solar farms that it often has to subsidize

New Delhi [India], July 29 (ANI): <keyword id="19951944" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Bharti Airtel" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Bharti Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword> ("<keyword id="19896909" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Airtel" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Airtel">Airtel</keyword>") announced on Monday that it has begun re-farming its existing <keyword id="10952298" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mid-band-spectrum" source="Orion">mid-band spectrum</keyword> to accommodate the rapidly increasing traffic demand on its 5G network. According to an exchange filing, with a growing number of customers transitioning to 5G, Airtel is reallocating its mid-band spectrum to expand 5G services across the 1800, 2100, and 2300 MHz bands nationwide. The re-farming of the mid-band spectrum aims to provide customers with enhanced <keyword id="726530" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="browsing-speeds" source="Orion">browsing speeds</keyword> and improved <keyword id="2551158" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indoor-coverage" source="Orion">indoor coverage</keyword>. As data demand escalates, Airtel is accelerating its spectrum re-farming efforts to deliver an exceptional 5G experience to its users. Randeep Sekhon, CTO of Bharti Airtel, remarked, "As more customers pivot to our 5G services, we have re-farmed our mid-band spectrum which was being used for 4G services. With this, we are also ready to launch Stand-alone technology. This will mean that the <keyword id="2365216" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel-network" source="Orion">Airtel network</keyword> will be the first network in India to run on both stand-alone and non-standalone modes allowing us to deliver the best experience in the market." Airtel has successfully piloted the switch between standalone mode (SA) and non-standalone mode (NSA) modes on its 5G network in select circles, including Rewari, Chennai, and Bhubaneswar, with encouraging results. This capability will enable Airtel to introduce new innovative applications, services, and solutions through open APIs, differentiated connectivity, and service-based architecture. In collaboration with smartphone Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Airtel will push NSA and SA combined binaries with carrier aggregation functionality, further enhancing the 5G experience. Over the past year, Airtel has showcased the power of 5G with numerous use cases that have transformed the way customers live and conduct business. Airtel's 5G rollout has been one of the fastest in the country, now covering all 28 states and 8 union territories. (ANI)

Airtel accelerates 5G revolution by re-farming mid-band spectrum to meet surging demand, enhance browsing speed

With hundreds of finger-licking preparations, India loves chicken in a way that may be indescribable to a non-resident. However, with the way things are progressing in the avian world, we could soon see a surge in disdain for the delectable meat, and in perhaps the same way the masses denounced bats during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a surprising and alarming twist, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07849-4">new research</a> has found that <keyword id="20633083" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="avian-influenza" source="keywords">avian influenza</keyword>, or <keyword id="20396857" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bird-flu" source="keywords">bird flu</keyword>, has jumped from birds to dairy cattle across many parts of the United States. Initially detected in wild birds, the <keyword id="21348322" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="H5N1" source="keywords">H5N1</keyword> had led to symptoms like reduced appetite, respiratory distress, and a significant drop in milk production. "This is one of the first times that we are seeing evidence of efficient and sustained mammalian-to-mammalian transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1," said Diego Diel, a virology expert who has written extensively about the topic. As per the new report, significant amounts of the virus has now been identified in the mammary glands of infected cows, meaning their milk itself has the ability to infect others. Researchers have even documented cases where cats and a raccoon became infected, likely from consuming the raw milk from infected cows. Although pasteurisation has shown the ability to kill the virus, the newfound ability to jump from cows to other mammals remains particularly troubling, especially considering how reliant we are on cow products such as beef and milk. <h2>Human cases and <keyword id="22448349" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pandemic-potential" source="keywords">pandemic potential</keyword></h2>If you’re feeling comfortable in the thought that the virus has some ways to go before humans need to be concerned, you might want to think again. So far, 11 human cases have already been reported in the US, primarily linked to cattle and <keyword id="20524711" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="poultry-farms" source="keywords">poultry farms</keyword>. While these cases have resulted in mild symptoms, experts worry that the virus could mutate, enhancing its transmissibility among humans. This possibility is a significant concern for scientists and health authorities. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="109054967" title="Scientists warn of bird flu pandemic that could be &amp;#39;100 times worse&amp;#39; than COVID after rare human case found in US" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Further, as viruses do, H5N1 is already evolving at a rapid pace. A <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2024.07.14.603367">separate study </a>led by researchers at UNC Charlotte found that the latest variants of H5N1 are getting better at evading antibodies, including those in humans. According to the researchers, these mutations could potentially lead the virus towards pandemic status if it continues to adapt and spread among mammals. <h2>Will developing nations be able to cope?</h2>Given these developments, continuous monitoring of the virus in both animals and humans is critical. The US Department of Agriculture has funded H5N1 testing programs to detect and manage outbreaks early. Enhanced biosecurity measures and quarantine protocols will undoubtedly be critical to prevent the virus from spreading to pandemic levels. However, this is a task much easier said than done for developing countries, who often lack the infrastructure and resources needed for such robust surveillance and response. Many of these countries have limited access to advanced diagnostic tools, vaccines, and antiviral treatments. This disparity leaves large portions of the global population vulnerable to the spread of H5N1. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="110941217" title="WHO confirms human case of bird flu in India! H9N2 virus detected in a four-year child in West Bengal" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The World Health Organization has repeatedly stressed the need for global cooperation and support to strengthen health systems in underprepared regions. Without adequate resources, these countries may struggle to detect and contain the virus, potentially allowing it to spread unchecked. This not only endangers local populations but also increases the risk of a global pandemic. The implications of these studies are clear: the H5N1 virus is moving closer to pandemic potential. As it spreads among mammals, the risk of it adapting to humans increases. The world needs to prepare now to avoid being caught off guard, as was the case with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cows are now spreading bird flu to each other — here's why that's problematic for humans

Stepping inside TapOut Sports Zone Bar and Grill in Boquete, Panama, is like stepping inside suburban America.The menu features American staples like cheeseburgers, barbecue chicken sandwiches, and Philly cheesesteaks. Flat-screen TVs sit above the bar, airing the latest game. On Friday nights, you might catch a band performing hits like "Take It Easy" by the Eagles. On Mondays, locals stop by for karaoke and $1 beers.I visited TapOut in April — not for the bacon-wrapped shrimp but to see the Boquete Community Players, a theater group that hosts shows in the back room of the restaurant. On a Saturday afternoon, the small room was bustling with a dozen Americans preparing for an upcoming performance.As they debated curtain colors and stage lighting, a waiter dropped off a round of piña coladas. Another passed by with two bottles of Panama Light beer. Since arriving at TapOut, it was the first reminder that I was far from the heart of America.<div type="image" title="TapOut Sports Zone in Boquete, Panama." height="1365" width="2048" msid="112650986" hostid="261" sizebytes="494876"></div>Seeing Americans — especially those around retirement age — is standard in Boquete. The town's year-round cool temperatures and the affordable cost of living have earned it recognition for being one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-ten-countries-for-a-comfortable-retirement-2023-9">best places to retire</a>.While some people moved because <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/americans-moving-abroad-cost-of-living-too-expensive-debt-retirement-2024-4">retiring in the US was too expensive</a> — if not impossible — others told me they came to avoid America's divisive political climate. Regardless of why they ended up in Boquete, the town has changed drastically in the past two decades because of retirees, and the influx doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.<h2>Boquete wasn't always a retiree's paradise</h2>Founded in 1911, Boquete remained a quiet town for decades. The region was known for its coffee plantations and an annual flower festival. Beyond beans and blooms, Panamanians were lured to Boquete for its comfortable weather.Situated about 4,000 feet above sea level, Boquete's temperatures hover around 70 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. The town has long been a weekend escape for Panamanians living in nearby cities like David, where temperatures can reach the 90s.Thalia Velasquez, who grew up in David, remembers begging her mom to take her to Boquete every weekend."Boquete, at the time, was a very, very simple, little town," Velasquez told me about her childhood visits there. "The stores would close by 4 p.m. The bakery would close by 5 or 6 p.m., maybe even earlier. There were very few cars in town. A lot of people still rode their horses."Landreth Laws, who owns <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/iwannaboquete/">Iwanna Boquete Tours</a>, has similar memories from growing up in Boquete.<div type="image" title="A view of Boquete, Panama." height="1536" width="2048" msid="112650990" hostid="261" sizebytes="253526"></div>The 42-year-old said the town's busiest time was during an annual flower festival. He remembers his family home teeming with people. There weren't enough hotels in town to accommodate visitors in the '80s and '90s. Back then, there were few tourists and even fewer foreign retirees.In the 1990s, Velasquez took her partner at the time, Samuel Walker Taliaferro, on a tour of Panama. They stopped in Boquete, and Taliaferro, an American inventor, engineer, and investor, fell in love with the town.They moved to Boquete, along with Velasquez's two children, and the couple opened a real-estate business, bought land, and spent their days riding horses.During one ride, Taliaferro took her Velasquez to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.valleescondidoboquete.com/">Valle Escondido</a>, a former coffee plantation and "the most beautiful place in the valley," Velasquez said. The couple bought the land, and Taliaferro eventually transformed it into a $100 million residential resort community. The property opened in 2003, with a chapel, café, restaurant, hotel, and 150 condominiums. Taliaferro set out to promote both his property and Boquete as a retirement haven. He worked with International Living magazine to advertise the destination, and retirees arrived with suitcases in tow.It helped when AARP named Boquete the No. 1 foreign retirement destination in the Western Hemisphere. In 2005, <a target="_blank" href="https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2005/07/11/8265242/index.htm">Fortune Magazine</a> featured the town as an idyllic place to retire."Taliaferro sold Boquete like a new destination, like it was one of the most beautiful places to retire," Laws, who worked for Taliaferro as a bartender in 2003, said. "He pushed Boquete to be the best."Velasquez said she initially feared backlash from locals and admitted some people were upset by the town's quick change. Others saw it as an opportunity to create their own businesses with the influx of new residents and visitors.In 2000, Boquete was home to 17,000 people, according to<a target="_blank" href="https://www.citypopulation.de/en/panama/admin/chiriqu%C3%AD/0404__boquete/"> City Population</a>. By 2023, the town ballooned to 23,500 residents. <a target="_blank" href="https://internationalliving.com/building-a-better-life-on-2500-a-month-in-boquete/">International Living</a> said 5,000, or about a fifth of the population, are expats.<div type="image" title="A billboard advertising one of dozens of new projects being developed in the highlands of Panama in 2008." height="702" width="1024" msid="112650994" hostid="261" sizebytes="163818"></div><h2>Thousands of expats now call Boquete home</h2>As I hopscotched between Boquete's roads and uneven sidewalks, I saw the beauty and change Laws and Velasquez described.The small town sits at the bottom of a valley where the outline of mountains can be spotted in every direction. It's one of the greenest places I've visited: tropical flowers fill gardens outside family-owned restaurants, and massive palm fronds reach toward the sky.Between green landscapes, I also saw foreign retirees' influence on Boquete. I doubted the sandwich shop Holy Cow Boquete or Panama Barcade existed when Laws grew up. Traffic sometimes clogged the main street. Signs hung in the library advertising an upcoming talk on cybersecurity and another discussion on wills — topics seemingly fit for an older generation.Boquete is still a small Panamanian town. Walmarts and McDonalds have yet to reach the serene valley and Spanish was the language I heard most. But walk down any street, and older Americans are impossible to miss. They're also eager to share how they ended up in Boquete.Jackie Lange, 70, moved to the town in 2010 to escape the Texas heat.Kelle Sparta, 54, and her husband, Jeff Brandon, arrived in Boquete in 2022, citing tension and high stress levels from America's political climate.Mike Hill was ready to retire, but early retirement in California was out of reach. Faced with working until his full Social Security hit at 67, Hill and his wife decided to relocate somewhere cheaper in 2018.<div type="image" title="TapOut Sports Zone in Boquete, Panama." height="1536" width="2048" msid="112650984" hostid="261" sizebytes="583986"></div>Each expat I spoke with had a different reason for the initial push to move to Boquete, but they all mentioned similar motives for staying. Mild temperatures, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-cost-of-living-what-is-middle-class-housing-market-2024-4">cost of living is cheaper</a>, healthcare is affordable, the economy uses the US dollar, no one talks about politics, and you can get by only speaking English.Boquete is also home to tour companies showing off the technicolor landscape, grocery stores, and nearby hospitals.Lange owns one of those companies, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://panamarelocationtours.com/">Panama Relocation Tours</a>, which takes groups to meet with immigration lawyers to discuss visa options. For many retirees, getting residency in Panama is easy with the pensionado visa, which requires proof of income or a pension of $1,000 a month and an additional $250 for each dependant.While $1,000 is required, realistically, retirees can comfortably live in Boquete for $1,400 a month as an individual or $2,000 as a couple, Lange said.That's drastically less than the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-states-to-retire-in-cost-of-living-comfortably-2023-10"> cheapest US state for retirement</a>. A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gobankingrates.com/retirement/planning/how-much-a-comfortable-retirement-will-cost-you-in-each-state/">June analysis by GOBankingRates</a> found that Mississippi had the lowest cost for a comfortable retirement at $62,154 annually, or $5,180 a month. Meanwhile, Americans living in places like California and New York need closer to $100,000 a year for retirement.<div type="image" title="A group of ex-pats meeting up through Panama Relocation Tours." height="1536" width="2048" msid="112650997" hostid="261" sizebytes="272700"></div>Lange estimates that her team helps about 100 people move to Panama monthly. And it's not just Boquete, Panama City and the San Carlos area are also popular retiree destinations in the country.<h2>Cheap living is not so cheap anymore</h2>Dagmar Rios grew up taking family trips to Boquete. "At that time, it was more simple," she told me.After studying and working in Panama City, Rios, 34, moved to Boquete in 2018. She bought a house and eventually opened her own dentist's office.Boquete is drastically different from Rios' childhood memories, but she said she's also seen many changes in the town in the six years she's lived there."Now, there are more supermarkets. Now, there are more restaurants and hotels," she said.With these changes, Rios said costs have increased. A few years ago, a person could afford a house with a monthly salary of $600. Rios said her employees tell her that's no longer possible.Instead, houses are more expensive, targeting foreign buyers with larger budgets.<div type="image" title="A view of Boquete, Panama." height="1536" width="2048" msid="112651003" hostid="261" sizebytes="362590"></div>Jason Cohen, the CEO and owner of the Boquete realty company <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.casasolution.com/">Casa Solution</a>, said a decade ago, homes in Boquete were priced between $150,000 and $500,000. Today, properties range from $200,000 to $2,000,000."As Boquete gained international recognition, and with baby boomers approaching retirement, the allure of living in a foreign country grew," Cohen added. "This, coupled with Panama's economic expansion, led to a dramatic surge in prices from 2002 to 2006."Panamanians feel these rising costs the most, but some of Boquete's long-term expats also mentioned that the town has become more expensive.Gabrielle Reynolds, who has lived in Boquete for nine years, told me drinks cost $3 at a popular restaurant two summers ago. Last year, prices went up to $7.It's still cheaper than a cocktail back home in Los Angeles, she added."In LA, people are telling me it's $20 a drink," she said. "I'd have to give up martinis, and don't ask me to do that."As the owner of three restaurants in Boquete, Chris Young said he's had to balance increasing costs, pleasing customers, and avoiding pricing out Panamanians.<div type="image" title="A view of Boquete, Panama." height="1365" width="1820" msid="112650988" hostid="261" sizebytes="356148"></div>Young moved from the US about 15 years ago and arrived in Boquete with a restaurant background."When I got here, there were maybe five restaurants,'" he said. "Now, there's a hundred."After bouncing around regions and jobs, Young and a friend opened <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/bigdaddysgrillboquete/">Big Daddy's Grill</a> in Boquete eight years ago. Since then, Young has opened two more restaurants in the town: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/139559905897345/christophers-american-bistro/">Christopher's American Bistro</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/tapoutboquete/">TapOut Sports Zone</a>.For years, Young said he was able to sell meals for cheap. Recently, that has become increasingly difficult.While inflation plays a role, he said the country's pensionado discount — a discount on goods and services for retirement-age residents — has impacted profitability in an industry that's hard to stay afloat. At restaurants, older diners get 25% off their bill.Young said his menus focus on local, typically inexpensive ingredients to keep food costs low. He's also created a tacaño or "cheap" menu at Big Daddy's Grill to appeal to Panamanians and foreigners.<div type="image" title="Jackie Lange with tour guides, Jay and Jolynn." height="1349" width="2024" msid="112650992" hostid="261" sizebytes="168594"></div>Young and others said the arrival of the expat community has also positively impacted Boquete. The surge of hotels, restaurants, and businesses means more job opportunities for Panamanians.Rios said she's grateful for the tourism and retirement community in Boquete. About 80% of Rios' patients are foreigners, and those patients are partly why her <a target="_blank" href="https://www.odontosmileclinic.com/osc/osc.html">Odonto Smile Clinic</a> has grown from two employees to an office with two doctors, four assistants, and three specialists.Before the retirees came, Laws worked in coffee fields, making $5 daily. "I came from the bottom of the bottom," he said.Now, Laws runs a successful tour company where he spends his days showing off his beautiful home."I love to live around the retirees. I love business. I love to talk to the tourists," he said. "I want to live the rest of my life in Boquete."<h2>Ditching the American rat race</h2>The Americans I spoke to also plan to live the rest of their lives in Boquete, and they said it's their job to integrate into the town's community and culture — not the other way around.<div type="image" title="A group of expats in Boquete, Panama." height="3024" width="4032" msid="112651004" hostid="261" sizebytes="710648"></div>Hill, for example, enrolled in Spanish classes after arriving in Boquete to better communicate with locals. Reynolds, who helps run Boquete Community Players, said she's always searching for ways to include the Panamanian community in the theater group.One of the biggest challenges Lange has seen with retirees is shifting from America's intense work culture to Boquete's quiet and relaxed pace."Panama is not right for everybody," Lange said. "Some people, it's too different from what they're used to. There's no Walmart down the street."While some struggle with the change of pace, others love it. Christopher Minori, 58, remembers moving to Boquete with his wife, Brandy Minori, in 2021 and being shocked by how friendly and stress-free everyone seemed. It was a complete 180 from his life back in Georgia."It doesn't matter what side of the aisle you're on in the States; half of the country hates the other half," he told me over the phone. "It was, to me, stressful."That wasn't the case for Panama. "It's a very, very mellow country, which is actually hard to get used to when you first move," he said.Once he accepted small changes — like needing to ask a waiter for more water or understanding that a driver might stop in the middle of the road to chat with a neighbor — he fell in love with the town.I heard about Panamians' friendly and carefree attitude from every expat, and I witnessed it during my first afternoon in Boquete. After touring a coffee farm, the owners didn't call me a taxi to my hotel — they drove me there themselves.<div type="image" title="The view from Gabrielle Reynolds' front porch." height="924" width="1232" msid="112651001" hostid="261" sizebytes="306260"></div>While the expats <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-keep-busy-after-early-retirement-big-tech-employee-2024-3">ditched America's rat race</a>, they said it hasn't led to boredom. Retirees no longer fill their days with work they're unhappy with or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/my-husband-worries-well-run-out-of-money-in-retirement-2024-4">stress over finances</a>. Instead, they've found community and joy in Boquete.Sparta, who continues to run a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://kellesparta.com/">business as a spiritual coach</a>, pulled up her calendar to show me events every evening in Boquete. Theater practice, karaoke, bingo, and volunteering pack her schedule.Hill, who spends his days fishing, working with the Boquete Community Players, writing novels, learning the saxophone, and volunteering with local schools, agreed. "I'm retired, but I'm busier than ever," he said.Reynolds said between their busy days, she and her husband spend each morning sipping coffee and soaking in mountain views from their home. In the evening, she swaps coffee for cocktails and enjoys the sunset."We say this to each other almost every night, "Could it get better?'" she said. "I don't think it could be better than this."

Boquete, Panama, was once a quiet town home to rainforests and coffee farms. Then came the retirees. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>After months of fighting with the country's courts, Elon Musk abandoned his free speech battle in Brazil.</li><li>But the billionaire hasn't picked the same fight in other countries where the legal risks are higher.</li></ul>After months of refusing to comply with court orders and being slapped with hefty fines, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a> folded in his <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-x-brazil-free-speech-battle-over-2024-9">free speech battle in Brazil</a> — and a corporate law expert says he'll have to be choosy about where he picks his fights in the future.Access to Musk's social media platform, X, should be restored in Brazil within the next week once the company appoints a legal representative to respond to government requests to restrict or remove content on the site following local laws, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/21/world/americas/elon-musk-x-brazil.html">The New York Times</a> reported. X had been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brazil-judge-orders-elon-musk-x-stop-operations-2024-8">blocked across the country</a> since late August, and over the last several weeks, Brazil's Supreme Court imposed substantial fines on X and Starlink — a subsidiary of Musk's SpaceX — for refusing to obey the court's demands.Musk framed the months of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-brazil-x-ban-feud-content-moderation-free-speech-2024-9">legal back-and-forth</a> as a principled battle for free speech, painting Brazilian Supreme Court judge <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/x-closes-brazil-office-elon-musk-alexandre-de-moraes-2024-8">Alexandre de Moraes</a> as an overstepping tyrant bent on censoring his political opponents.The Brazilian high court last week <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-brazil-free-speech-content-moderation-fines-seizure-2024-9">seized over $3 million</a> from X and SpaceX to settle the fines levied against X, and earlier this month telecom regulators in the country threatened to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brazil-starlink-sanctions-amid-feud-elon-musk-x-2024-9">revoke Starlink's license</a> to operate in Brazil. The Times reported that a loss of revenue in one of X's largest markets could have contributed to the company's decision to comply with court orders now.But an expert on corporate law told Business Insider that there's a reason the billionaire isn't taking his <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-free-speech-argument-brazil-x-twitter-2024-9">battle of free speech principles</a> to, say, France.<h2 id="b512bc7f-5eb3-4cec-a150-50dd314c0f99">Pavel Durov's arrest was a warning</h2>"All you have to see is what happened to Telegram, with Pavel," Anat Alon-Beck, a researcher focused on corporate law and governance at Case Western Reserve University's School of Law, told BI.In August, Telegram CEO <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-arrested-french-airport-2024-8">Pavel Durov was arrested</a> in France and charged with six crimes related to illegal content being hosted on his messaging platform, including "complicity" in the distribution of child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking on <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pavel-durov-arrest-france-what-is-telegram-explained-2024-8">Telegram,</a> as well as refusing to cooperate with an official investigation into the platform.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-charges-questions-free-speech-censorship-2024-8">Durov's arrest</a> raised international questions about tech executives' responsibility for the content hosted on their sites. Telegram, in a statement released shortly after his arrest, said Durov has "nothing to hide" and called the CEO's detainment "absurd."Outside the US, Alon-Beck noted, there's more privacy protection for consumers, more enforcement of content moderation laws, as well as different types of regulation, which forces tech executives to reconsider their approach to content moderation on their platforms to mitigate the risk of overstepping local laws and facing legal consequences — as Musk did in Brazil, and Durov did in France."In those markets, you have to comply. Nobody is above the law — not even Elon Musk," Alon-Beck said, adding that it doesn't matter what Musk feels about international laws, or how they compare to American regulations: "The point is, when you have global businesses and you're operating outside the US, you do have to listen to those laws or pay the price. If Elon wants to be able to travel freely, he'll have to comply, just like others will have to."Musk has previously complied with content moderation requests from other governments, including the increasingly authoritarian nations of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/free-speech-censorship-elon-musk-throttled-tweets-turkey-presidential-election-2023-5">Turkey</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/musk-twitter-no-actual-choice-censorship-governmental-request-free-speech-2023-5">India</a>. In 2023, he indicated he would abide by the European Union's rulebook on content moderation, known as the Digital Services Act, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/musk-twitter-will-respect-eu-content-moderation-rulebook/">Politico</a> reported.Alon-Beck said Durov's arrest served as a warning by French authorities to all tech executives who try to skirt local regulations, especially those related to content moderation on social media."I think that point was very well taken — or should be taken — by others," Alon-Beck said.After the Telegram CEO was arrested, Musk quickly chimed in on the situation with a series of posts on X, including adding a "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-arrest-france-free-speech-2024-8">FreePavel</a>" hashtag to a clip of Durov being interviewed by Tucker Carlson.Alon-Beck told BI that, in countries like France with strict laws around content moderation, Musk is no different than Durov, and she would expect he could be arrested if he continues to push the boundaries of local content moderation laws."It doesn't matter whether it's Instagram, or X, or Telegram — they're all platforms in those countries that are doing things differently than what we do here in the US," Alon-Beck said. "It doesn't matter if I agree or disagree. The point is, they have those enforcement systems — and as you can see, they're strict about them."Representatives for X, Telegram, and the Brazilian Supreme Court did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Elon Musk has to be picky about where he fights for free speech, corporate law  expert says     

An internal committee of the <keyword id="19903456" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Income-Tax-Department" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Income Tax Department" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Income Tax Department">Income Tax Department</keyword> will review the 1961 <keyword id="22868046" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="direct-tax-law" source="keywords">direct tax law</keyword> to eliminate redundant clauses, and adopt best global practices to simplify it for taxpayers for better compliance, <keyword id="19980145" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CBDT" source="keywords">CBDT</keyword> chief Ravi Agrawal has said. The panel, comprising income tax (IT) officials from across the country, has started working on identifying areas of improvement in the Income Tax Act, 1961, he said, and added that the exercise is being conducted under a central government-mandated comprehensive review of the law, which was mentioned by FM Nirmala Sitharaman in the recent <keyword id="19936553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget" source="keywords">budget</keyword> presented on July 23rd, 2024. <keyword id="19942037" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Board-of-Direct-Taxes" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Central Board of Direct Taxes" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Central Board of Direct Taxes">Central Board of Direct Taxes</keyword> (CBDT) chairman Agrawal said the committee is looking at the best global practices that can be adopted, as well as cutting redundancies in the existing law and finding those clauses that have reached their sunset, and hence, can be eliminated. "An internal committee of competent officers of the department from all across the country has been formed. They have started working on identifying areas of improvement. This is a work in progress," he told PTI on Wednesday during an event to mark 165 years of income tax in India. He said the committee is looking at the "problem statement" given to it in the recent Budget. It is trying to find the "best way forward" in giving the country a new direct tax law, Agrawal said. During the event, the CBDT chief assured Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman that the work of reviewing the Act will be done within the stipulated time-frame of six months, as announced by her in the Budget presented last month. The minister, during the Wednesday event, asked the I-T department to use simple language in its notices and communications with taxpayers, so that they are able to understand these quickly without getting intimidated. Agrawal said this factor is also a part of the I-T law review. The committee is trying to make tax communication simple and easy to understand to encourage compliance of rules by taxpayers, he said. The Income Tax Act, 1961, started its journey in 1922. It contains 298 sections and 23 chapters and other provisions in its current form of 1961. Sitharaman, while presenting the 2024-25 Union Budget, had announced a "comprehensive" review of the Income Tax Act. The purpose is to make the Act concise, lucid, easy to read and understand. This will reduce disputes and litigation, thereby providing tax certainty to the taxpayers. It will also bring down the demand embroiled in litigation. It is proposed to be completed in six months, she had said. Agrawal also said the CBDT will "put more officers" within the next 10-15 days to "expeditiously" clear the "substantial" number of appeals pending at the Income Tax Department level.

CBDT forms committee for IT Act review; 'sunset' clauses to be eliminated

Bengaluru: Last week, <keyword id="19902762" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Google" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Google" meta.hostid="265" meta.entityid="Google">Google</keyword> unveiled a series of new AI-powered partnerships aimed at advancing healthcare, <keyword id="19895783" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sustainability" source="keywords">sustainability</keyword>, and agriculture in India The tech giant is collaborating with both local and international organisations to implement AI-driven solutions in <keyword id="21690244" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="diabetic-retinopathy" source="keywords">diabetic retinopathy</keyword> screening, urban waste management, and agricultural development. According to Google, these announcements were made during a roundtable in Bengaluru, marking the fifth anniversary of Google's Research Lab in the city. This follows the 10th edition of the Google for India event, which showcased the potential of AI to benefit individuals, businesses, and society at large. Dr Manish Gupta, Research Director of Google DeepMind, stated, "Collaborating with key Indian organisations, our focused research in India across language understanding, healthcare, agriculture, and sustainability is helping tackle many of the country's unique challenges and creating AI-led solutions that will improve billions of lives." Google is working with <keyword id="23588208" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Forus-Health" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Forus Health" meta.hostid="265" meta.entityid="Forus Health">Forus Health</keyword> and AuroLab in India and Perceptra in Thailand to provide 6 million AI-assisted screenings for diabetic retinopathy over the next decade. These screenings aim to detect and prevent blindness in diabetic patients, particularly in resource-limited communities. The AI model has already supported over 600,000 screenings worldwide, with initial research and deployment carried out in India. Sunny Virmani, Group Product Manager, Health AI Research at Google, remarked, "From our initial research to the first patient screening in Madurai, India, we've been committed to translating AI's potential into meaningful change for people globally. And now the partnerships with Forus Health, AuroLab, and Perceptra are helping us expand on this commitment, as a global network of innovators comes together to eradicate preventable blindness due to diabetic retinopathy." Google's CircularNet, an AI-driven computer vision model for waste management, is being deployed in partnership with Bengaluru-based Saahas Zero Waste. CircularNet helps identify and sort plastic waste, facilitating recycling and reducing the strain on landfills. Powered by Google's TensorFlow, the model has shown approximately 85% accuracy in detecting plastic waste during a pilot programme, potentially boosting revenue for material recovery facilities by 10-12%. To support data-driven decision-making in agriculture, Google is also opening its Agricultural Landscape Understanding (ALU) Research API to developers. The API leverages satellite imagery and machine learning to provide farm-level insights, such as field boundaries, water bodies, and vegetation. The technology aims to optimise resource allocation and guide sustainable farming practices in India. (ANI)

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