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Auckland crowned world’s most liveable city
Asia-Pacific cities are the top performers in a major survey of the world’s most liveable cities.
The New Zealand city of Auckland has been named the world’s most liveable city by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
The Kiwi capital, Wellington, was ranked fourth in the 2021 Global Liveability Index, as cities with effective pandemic responses rose to the top of the rankings.
The EIU says New Zealand’s “tough lockdown” enabled many citizens to “enjoy a lifestyle that looked similar to pre-pandemic life.
Cities are ranked on more than 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.
Japan’s Osaka was ranked the second most liveable city, joined in the top five by the country’s capital Tokyo.
Australia has four cities in the top ten, with Adelaide the highest ranking at number three.
COVID-19’s “heavy toll on global liveability”
The EIU says there has been an “unprecedented level of change in the rankings”, with the pandemic causing liveability to decline.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on global liveability. Cities across the world are now much less liveable than they were before the pandemic began, and we’ve seen that regions such as Europe have been hit particularly hard,” Upasana Dutt from the Economist Intelligence Unit said.
“…the COVID-19 pandemic caused liveability to decline – as cities experienced lockdowns and significant strains on their healthcare systems.”
European and Canadian cities have fallen significantly in the rankings, due to the impact of lockdowns.
Austria’s capital was previously ranked the world’s most liveable city, but Vienna has dropped out of the top 10, falling to twelfth.
Hamburg had the biggest fall, falling 34 places to 47th.
Damascus, in Syria, continues to languish at the very bottom of the rankings, remaining the world’s least liveable city.
News
Russia bans WhatsApp and promotes state-backed messaging app
Kremlin blocks WhatsApp, urging citizens to use state-backed MAX; critics warn of surveillance, prompting protests in Moscow.
Kremlin blocks WhatsApp, urging citizens to use state-backed MAX; critics warn of surveillance, prompting protests in Moscow.
The Kremlin has officially blocked WhatsApp, urging Russians to switch to MAX, a state-backed messaging app. This move comes after Meta refused to comply with local regulations, sparking debates over digital freedom in the country.
Critics warn that MAX could be used for government surveillance, though authorities deny these claims. The ban highlights Russia’s growing control over foreign tech platforms and its push for locally regulated alternatives.
Activists in Moscow have staged protests calling for an open and unregulated internet, while the public reacts with a mix of concern and resignation.
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News
U.S. secretly sent 6,000 Starlink terminals to Iran after protests
US covertly sent 6,000 Starlink terminals to Iran amid protests, aiding internet access despite government shutdowns and crackdown violence.
US covertly sent 6,000 Starlink terminals to Iran amid protests, aiding internet access despite government shutdowns and crackdown violence.
U.S. officials report that the Trump administration covertly sent around 6,000 Starlink satellite internet terminals into Iran following widespread protests. The move was designed to bypass strict internet blackouts imposed by authorities in Tehran.
The terminals reportedly enabled activists and dissidents to reconnect with the outside world during periods of severe digital restriction, raising fresh questions about foreign involvement and cyber strategy.
As geopolitical tensions simmer, the revelation underscores how connectivity has become a powerful tool in modern conflict.
#Iran #Starlink #DonaldTrump #MiddleEast #GlobalPolitics #TechNews #InternetFreedom #BreakingNews
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Anthropic secures 30 billion in fresh funding as valuation surges
Anthropic raises $30B, doubling valuation to $380B, boosting global AI race with support from GIC, Coatue, Microsoft, and Nvidia.
Anthropic raises $30B, doubling valuation to $380B, boosting global AI race with support from GIC, Coatue, Microsoft, and Nvidia.
Anthropic has secured a staggering $30 billion in fresh funding, catapulting its valuation to $380 billion and cementing its place among the most valuable AI companies in the world. The raise marks the second-largest private technology funding round ever, trailing only OpenAI’s $40 billion deal.
Major backers in this latest round include Singapore’s GIC and Coatue Management, alongside existing heavyweight partners Microsoft and Nvidia. The scale of the investment underscores intensifying global competition in artificial intelligence as capital continues to flood into the sector.
Anthropic’s valuation has more than doubled in just five months, fuelled by rapid enterprise growth. The company now works with eight of the Fortune 10 and boasts more than 500 customers spending over $1 million annually, highlighting surging demand for advanced AI tools across corporate America.
#ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Anthropic #TechNews #VentureCapital #BigTech #Innovation #Startups
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