Ban

Hungary and Slovakia, landlocked and dependent on crude from a Russian pipeline, are resisting the oil embargo and holding up the approval of the new package of sanctions. For the sanctions to go into effect, all 27 EU members must give their unanimous approval.…

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Thursday agreed to maintain its planned monthly oil output, as the European Union proposes a ban on Russian oil. OPEC disclosed this at its 28th OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial meeting, according to a statement released by the organisation on Thursday. It noted geopolitical factors and issues related to the ongoing pandemic as reasons for its decision. The development came a day after the European Union announced it is proposing to…

A judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit by former President Donald Trump seeking to lift his ban from Twitter.But San Francisco federal district court Judge James Donato left the door open for Trump and other plaintiffs to file an amended complaint against Twitter that is consistent with his written decision Friday to toss the lawsuit in its entirety.The social media giant had banned Trump on Jan. 8, 2021, citing the risk of the incitement of further violence on the heels of the Capitol riot by a mob of supporters of the…

A district judge in California has dismissed Donald Trump’s lawsuit against Twitter, saying the former president’s 2021 ban from the platform appears entirely legal. The order, handed down today, gives Trump and a group of other banned users until May 27th to file an amended complaint. But while it leaves the door open for an appeal, the order is highly critical of the lawsuit’s claims — suggesting any amended version will face an uphill battle. In particular, the order dismisses Trump’s claims that Twitter violated…

When Facebook briefly blocked all news from being posted on its platform in Australia last year, it used an overly broad definition of news publisher that it knew would cause collateral damage, company whistleblowers are alleging. Complaints filed with Australia’s Competition & Consumer Commission and the US Department of Justice allege that the company engaged in “a criminal conspiracy to obtain a thing of value, namely favorable regulatory treatment,” The Wall Street Journal reports. The news ban was put into…

California wants electric vehicle sales to triple in the next four years to 35% of all new car purchases, an aggressive target set as part of the goal to phase out the sale of gas-powered cars by the middle of the next decade. The California Air Resources Board’s proposal would slowly raise the sale of new cars that are electric, hydrogen-powered or plug-in hybrids to 100% by 2035. About 11% of all new passenger car sales nationally happen in California, giving the state significant influence over the auto market.…

On a stage reserved for the biggest players in the global telecoms industry, three Chinese firms took their place alongside three Western companies -- and pushed the message that they wanted to "work together". But the state-owned companies — China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom — have been barred from doing business in the United States, severely hampering their global ambitions. The US authorities cited security and risks of meddling by the Chinese state — similar reasons lay behind Huawei's exclusion from the…

The European Union on Monday extended for another 10 years its ban on mobile phone roaming surcharges for people using their European handsets while travelling in the 27-nation bloc.The "roam like at home" scheme is one of the more popular pieces of legislation for EU citizens and residents, allowing them to make calls and texts and use data in other EU countries at the same price as that charged in their domestic plans.The European Council representing the EU's member states said it gave final approval to extend the…

Garena Free Fire, the battle royale game that was amongst the mobile apps and games that the government banned on Monday, is still available for download in India through Samsung's Galaxy Store. In addition to Free Fire, AppLock developed by DoMobile is available from the Samsung store, without any restrictions. The ban imposed by the IT ministry resulted in the removal of Free Fire, AppLock, and other 52 apps from Google Play and Apple's App Store in the country on an immediate basis.As initially spotted by 91Mobiles,…

Singapore has raised concerns with India about its ban of popular gaming app Free Fire, owned by technology group Sea, in the first sign of diplomatic intervention after the move spooked investors, four sources told Reuters.After the ban, the market value of the New York-listed Southeast Asian firm dropped by $16 billion (roughly Rs. 1,21,210 crore) in a single day, and investors worry India could extend it to Sea's e-commerce app, Shopee, which recently launched in the country.The sources, who include two Indian…