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  • Balancing land use for conservation, agriculture, and renewable energy

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  • New Nissan LEAF crowned Supreme Winner for 2026 by Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year

    New Nissan LEAF crowned Supreme Winner for 2026 by Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year

    • Accolade celebrates LEAF’s excellence in design, electric powertrain technology and everyday usability

    • Awarded by an international jury and recognizes LEAF’s legacy as a global EV pioneer

    YOKOHAMA, Japan — The all-new Nissan LEAF has been named the overall winner for 2026 by Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year (WWCOTY) – the highest honor bestowed by the international jury comprised exclusively of women automotive journalists.

    First launched in 2010 as the world’s first mass market electric vehicle, the LEAF has helped drive the shift to electric mobility for over 15 years. Now in its third generation, new LEAF builds on that legacy with a sleeker design, enhanced range and intuitive technology – qualities identified by this year’s WWCOTY jury. The LEAF rose to the top of a competitive field of 55 vehicles, underscoring its standout appeal among a wide range of global contenders.

    WWCOTY evaluates vehicles based on what matters most to everyday drivers including safety, design, value, ease of use and environmental impact. Comprised of 86 leading women journalists across more than 50 countries, the jury praised the LEAF for its realistic approach to electric mobility, and balance of advanced electric performance and simple, enjoyable day to day driving.

    “In our voting, we have focused on vehicles that stand out not only for their figures or technology, but for how effectively they respond to people’s real, everyday needs,” said Marta García, Executive President of WWCOTY. “The Nissan LEAF represents a mature and intelligent vision of electrification — one that makes electric mobility truly usable and accessible.”

    “New LEAF being named overall winner by the Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year is a proud moment for everyone at Nissan,” said Ivan Espinosa, President & CEO, Nissan. “LEAF helped bring electric driving into the mainstream, and this new generation carries that mission forward. It’s designed to make going electric easier and more enjoyable for more people around the world.”

    Earlier this year, the all-new LEAF was also named Best Compact Car by WWCOTY for its practical and accessible approach to electric mobility.

    # # #

    About Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year

    Founded in 2009 by New Zealand journalist Sandy Myhre, WWCOTY aims to amplify women’s voices in the automotive industry and highlight mobility for women as a key enabler of personal and professional opportunities worldwide. It is the only automotive award judged exclusively by women motoring journalists who represent voices across five continents.

    About Nissan

    For more information about Nissan’s products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit nissan-global.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.To learn more about the all-new Nissan LEAF, visit https://www.nissan-global.com/EN/COMPANY/EVENTS/NISSAN_LEAF_2025/

     

    Contacts:

    nissan_japan_communications@mail.nissan.co.jp

    Vanessa Levy
    International Brand & Storytelling Strategy Director
    E: vlevy@nissan-europe.com

    Kayleigh Edwards
    International Storytelling & Campaigns Strategy Manager
    E: kayleigh.edwards@ntc-europe.co.uk

     


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  • How tech giants with data centers to power AI can reduce consumers’ electricity bills – NPR

    How tech giants with data centers to power AI can reduce consumers’ electricity bills – NPR

    1. How tech giants with data centers to power AI can reduce consumers’ electricity bills  NPR
    2. Demand for AI Data Centers Sends Prospectors Hunting for Land and Power  The New York Times
    3. Crusoe Showcases Cloud Platform and Data Center Expertise at Tech Show London  TipRanks
    4. The Energy Infrastructure Behind the AI Economy  Mexico Business News
    5. Experts: AI data centers leading surge in electricity demand  The Lewiston Tribune

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  • Key Issues for Companies and Activist Investors Heading into the 2026 Proxy Season – The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance

    1. Key Issues for Companies and Activist Investors Heading into the 2026 Proxy Season  The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance
    2. Reporting Season Alert: Five Key Considerations for Proxy Season  Wilson Sonsini
    3. AllianceBernstein | Proxy Voting Outlook: Spotlight Turns to Governance in Transition Year  ACCESS Newswire
    4. 2026 Proxy Season Preview: Fewer Proposals, Less SEC Mediation, and Greater Uncertainty  PR Newswire

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  • CBP Used Online Ad Data to Track Phone Locations

    CBP Used Online Ad Data to Track Phone Locations

    The United States and Israel launched a war in Iran last week that has already killed more than 1,200 Iranians and spilled out across the Middle East. There are many unknowns about US president Donald Trump’s goals as the conflict enters its second week and the situation seems poised to trigger an energy crisis with reverberations around the world.

    Iran is in a nationwide internet shutdown with only the country’s regime-built intranet available, plunging Iranians into digital darkness and making it difficult for humanitarian aid workers, journalists, and others to disseminate information both inside and outside the country. As strikes on Tehran began last weekend, an apparently hacked prayer app sent messages saying “surrender” and “help is on the way” to Iranians around the country.

    Meanwhile, GPS attacks like jamming—not to mention physical threats—are on the rise in the Strait of Hormuz, threatening shipping vessels. Security camera hacking has emerged as part of the playbook of war. And missile-intercept systems across the Middle East are under strain—and in some cases being destroyed in strikes.

    Trump ousted Department of Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem this week. Her tenure was marked by aggressive anti-immigration tactics and ICE and CBP’s killing of two US protesters. A highly sophisticated iPhone hacking tool kit that was likely originally built for the US government is in the hands of multiple other nations as well as scammers who have likely used the tools to infect tens of thousands of phones or more. Some US lawmakers are calling for an investigation into the threat of the decades-old side-channel hacking technique. And WIRED went inside how music streaming CEO Elie Habib built the open-source global threat map World Monitor in his spare time.

    And there’s more. Each week, we round up the security and privacy news we didn’t cover in depth ourselves. Click the headlines to read the full stories. And stay safe out there.

    United States Customs and Border Protection has, for the first time, admitted it purchased phone location data from the sprawling, surveillance-heavy online advertising industry. The agency’s acknowledgement was included in a document, called a Privacy Threshold Analysis, obtained by 404 Media through a Freedom of Information Act request. The document relates to a trial that CBP ran between 2019 and 2021.

    The publication reports that CBP purchased data linked to real-time bidding processes. When you see ads online or in apps, they have often been shown to you after automated, instantaneous, auctions take place where advertisers bid to show you that specific ad. The murkiest parts of the advertising industry can collect data from your device, including your phone’s identifying details and location data; this is then repackaged and sold to companies and entities. The data has been called a “gold mine” for tracking people’s daily activities.

    CBP did not respond to 404 Media’s request for comment on whether it is still buying the data; however, ICE has reportedly planned to purchase access to another system, called Webloc, that allows whole neighborhoods to be monitored for mobile phone movements.

    The FBI was able to identify a protester in Atlanta after ultimately obtaining information from Swiss encrypted email service Proton Mail, court documents have revealed this week. A court document reviewed by 404 Media shows that payment information linked to a Proton email address was provided to US law enforcement by Swiss authorities after a request was made under an Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), which allows agencies to share data internationally.

    Swiss officials made a request for the data under Swiss laws to Proton for payment information linked to the email address defendtheatlantaforest@protonmail.com, which was associated with protests in Atlanta. This information was then provided to US law enforcement officials under the international agreements, and they were able to identify an individual linked to the account.

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  • Hearthstone Esports Kicks Off in 2026 with the Winter Playoffs

    Hearthstone Esports Kicks Off in 2026 with the Winter Playoffs

    After two months of fierce competition, the Hearthstone Esports season kicks off in 2026 with the Winter Playoffs! On Sunday, March 15, nearly 200 of the best players from Asia-Pacific, EMEA, and the Americas will battle for their spot in the Winter Championship. You can watch all the action live, so read on for everything you need to know about this jam-packed day of competitive Hearthstone.

    What you need to know

    All times Pacific.

    • Date: Sunday, March 15

      • Broadcast begins at 12:00 a.m.

    • Format: 4-deck, Best-of-5 Conquest with one ban

      • Friday & Saturday (Not Broadcast): Swiss for all three regions

      • Sunday (Broadcast): Top 8 for all three regions

    • Qualification: Top 4 players from each region will qualify for the Winter Championship in April.

    • Players: Each region’s competitors consist of:

      • The top 50 Competitive Point earners from the Winter Competitive Season (January – February)

      • The top 4 players from each Open Qualifier during the Winter Competitive Season

      • The winner of each Winter Blitz Weekend tournament

    Want to compete yourself? The Spring Qualification Period (March – April) is happening right now. Climb the ladder or join our competitive Discord server for full details on upcoming Open Qualifier tournaments. Maybe we’ll see you in the next Playoffs!

    • Drops: Earn a CATACLYSM Pack by watching on Twitch for one hour.

    • Co-Streamers: Interested in co-streaming the Winter Playoffs with your audience? Apply here. Selected streamers will be able to co-stream the tournament on their channel.

    • Casters: Edelweiss, Lorinda, PocketTrain, Raven, and Sottle

    • Streams:

    Keep up with the latest Hearthstone Esports news on our social media, and join the competitive Discord server to connect with players, share strategies, and learn how you can become a competitor yourself.

    We’ll see you in the Tavern!

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  • Adaptive machine learning models for predictive maintenance in industrial internet of things (IIoT) systems

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  • El-kenawy, E.-S.M., Alhussan, A. A., Mattar, E. A. & Radwan, M. Feature selection and hyperparameter tuning in transformer-based deep learning models for photovoltaic power forecasting using the Swordfish Movement Optimization Algorithm (SMOA). Int. J. Electr. Power Energy Syst. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijepes.2025.111509 (2026).

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  • Amid European energy fears, coal creeps back into favour – Financial Times

    Amid European energy fears, coal creeps back into favour – Financial Times

    1. Amid European energy fears, coal creeps back into favour  Financial Times
    2. Coal prices jump as utilities seek alternative to gas  Financial Times
    3. Textile processors feel the heat of rising coal prices  The Times of India
    4. West Asia conflict hits Surat textile sector, shipping costs surge 400%  The Economic Times
    5. Coal prices hit two-year high amid Iran conflict and rising gas costs  UA.NEWS

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  • Global Semiconductor Sales Increase 3.7% Month-to-Month in January

    Global Semiconductor Sales Increase 3.7% Month-to-Month in January

    Friday, Mar 06, 2026, 5:00pm

    by Semiconductor Industry Association

    Worldwide chip sales increase 46.1% year-to-year

    WASHINGTON—March 6, 2025—The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced global semiconductor sales were $82.5 billion during the month of January 2026, an increase of 3.7% compared to the December 2025 total of $79.6 billion and 46.1% more than the January 2025 total of $56.5 billion. Monthly sales are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average. SIA represents 99% of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms.

    “Following the semiconductor industry’s highest-ever sales total in 2025, the global chip market continued to grow in January of this year, topping December’s results and far outpacing sales from January of last year,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. “Sales into the Asia Pacific region and China were major drivers of year-to-year growth, and global sales are projected to reach roughly $1 trillion in 2026.”

    Regionally, year-to-year sales in January were up in Asia Pacific/All Other (82.4%), China (47.0%), the Americas (34.9%), and Europe (26.1%), but declined in Japan (-6.2%). Month-to-month sales in January increased in China (5.8%), Asia Pacific/All Other (5.0%), Europe (5.3%), and the Americas (1.2%), but were down in Japan (1.7%).

    For comprehensive monthly semiconductor sales data and detailed WSTS forecasts, consider purchasing the WSTS Subscription Package. For detailed historical information about the global semiconductor industry and market, consider ordering the SIA Databook.

    [January 2026 chart and graph]

    ###

    Media Contact
    Dylan Peterson
    Semiconductor Industry Association
    812-679-8952
    [email protected] 
    About SIA
    The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) is the voice of the semiconductor industry, one of America’s top export industries and a key driver of America’s economic strength, national security, and global competitiveness. SIA represents 99% of the U.S. semiconductor industry by revenue and nearly two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms. Through this coalition, SIA seeks to strengthen leadership of semiconductor manufacturing, design, and research by working with Congress, the Administration, and key industry stakeholders around the world to encourage policies that fuel innovation, propel business, and drive international competition. Learn more at     www.semiconductors.org.
    About WSTS
    World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) is an independent non-profit organization representing the vast majority of the world semiconductor industry. The mission of WSTS is to be the respected source of semiconductor market data and forecasts. Founded in 1986, WSTS is the singular source for monthly industry shipment statistics.

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