Above: Saudi Arabia Gives Citizenship To A Robot Named Sophia.
Saudi Arabia just made a non-human woman a citizen, making it the first country to grant a robot the right to citizenship, at least as far as we know. Why Saudi Arabia did so isn’t immediately clear, but the irony of a nation known for denying basic human rights to its female citizens while giving human rights to a female robot is not lost on us. The robot, known as Sophia, appeared onstage without an abaya, a head covering and cloak normally required of women by the Saudi government.
“I am very honored and proud for this unique distinction,” the robot said onstage. “This is historical to be the first robot in the world to be recognized with a citizenship.”
We are not sure exactly what Sophia’s rights will afford her in Saudi Arabia (one of the most oppressive countries for women on the planet), but if she sticks around until June 2018 when women will finally be allowed to drive, she will at least be able to purchase her own car in order to get out of the country as fast as possible.
Catalan Parliament Declares Independence From Spain.
BARCELONA, Spain — Spain faced a territorial showdown Friday with dueling votes over the future of Catalonia. Lawmakers in the regional parliament voted to secede and establish an independent Catalan Republic — an extraordinary move met moments later by a Spanish Senate vote to authorize the government to take control of the prosperous northeastern region.
A majority of senators gave Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy the go-ahead to apply unprecedented constitutional measures, including firing Catalan regional President Carles Puigdemont and his Cabinet and curtailing Catalan parliamentary powers.
It will be the first time in four decades of democratic rule in Spain that the national government in Madrid will directly run the affairs of one of the country’s 17 semi-autonomous regions, a move that will likely fan the flames of the Catalan revolt.
A spokesman with the central government said Rajoy’s Cabinet would enact the measures immediately during an urgent meeting later Friday.
In Barcelona, the main city in Catalonia, the vote on the motion to secede was approved with 70 in favor of independence, 10 against and two blank ballots in Catalonia’s 135-member parliament.
Outside the parliament, thousands who had gathered to call for independence cheered at the news, with some dancing and raising glasses to toast the vote after seeing the vote-counting live on a giant screen.
No country has expressed support for independence for Catalonia, a region of 7.5 million people. Catalonia represents a fifth of Spain’s gross domestic product and polls show its people roughly evenly divided over independence. The regional government said a disputed October 1, 2017 referendum, which was banned by Spain’s Constitutional Court, had given it the mandate to declare independence.
Catalonia Just Declared Independence From Spain. What’s Going On?
Catalonia – one of the major regions in Spain – is battling to declare independence and become its own country. We traveled to the area to hear different perspectives on the independence movement and witness the massive demonstrations.
Above: Bitcoin Mining Can Land You In Jail In Venezuela.
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have long been seen as a risky investment but in Venezuela you can end up behind bars. Thousands of others across Venezuela are secretly mining Bitcoin just to make ends meet. In Venezuela being involved with Bitcoin is very dangerous, but also a vital lifeline for survival. Venezuela was once the richest country in South America, but now it is a country in crisis.
Venezuela has the highest inflation rate in the world, and its currency is in serious trouble. Food and basic necessities are scarce in Venezuela. In fact, the situation is so bad in Venezuela that people are starving, rationing toothpaste, and saving as much toilet paper as possible (soap and toilet paper can be used to trade or barter for other basic necessities such as food and water). Continue reading →
As we explored in “What is Ethereum?”, Ethereum aims to function both as a kind of decentralized Internet and a decentralized app store, supporting a new type of application (a “dapp”) in the process.
But while no one owns Ethereum, the system that supports this functionality isn’t free. Rather, the network needs “Ether”, a unique piece of code that can be used to pay for the computational resources needed to run an application or program.
Like Bitcoin, Ether is a digital bearer asset (similar to a security, like a stock or a bond, issued in physical form). Just like cash, Ether doesn’t require a third party to process or approve a transaction.
But instead of operating as a digital currency or payment, Ether seeks to provide “fuel” for the decentralized apps on the network.
ZARZAR MODELS is one of the top modeling agencies for women in the United States representing models in print fashion editorials, high fashion runway, film, television commercials, and promotions. The agency represents top models in all of the major fashion cities and counties including Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Orange County Southern California, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Miami, New York, London, Paris, Milan, Sao Paulo, and Tokyo and recruits and represents models throughout the world through its global fashion and modeling network.
Above: The Versace Tribute Collection – Spring Summer 2018.
“This collection is a Tribute to the life and works of Gianni. We pay homage to not only his artistic genius but to who he was as a man, and above all, as my brother. Gianni was an exceptional person for how he celebrated each day as though it were extraordinary and for how he always approached life with a smile on his lips. Each year Gianni lived, he lived to its fullest: throughout his career, he created collections that to this day are considered a cultural point of reference and inspiration to many. It would be impossible to commemorate Gianni’s entire world in a single collection, therefore, I have decided to honor his legacy with his beloved prints and dazzling metal mesh. This collection is for you, Gianni.” Donatella Versace
Gianni Versace (December 2, 1946 – July 15, 1997) was an Italian fashion designer and founder of Versace, an international fashion house, which produces accessories, fragrances, makeup, home furnishings, and most importantly, clothes for women. Gianni Versace also designed costumes for the theater and films. As a friend of Eric Clapton, Diana (Princess of Wales), fashion model Naomi Campbell, Duran Duran, Madonna, Elton John, Cher, Sting, and many other famous celebrities, Gianni Versace was one of the first designers to link fashion to the music world. Versace was murdered outside his Miami Beach home at the age of 50.
“Supermodels Candice Swanepoel, Caroline Trentini, Doutzen Kroes, Anja Rubik, Natasha Poly, and a few of the legendary supermodels from the 1990’s such as Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer made this an incredibly beautiful fashion show. In fact, these models ruled the fashion runway during this beautiful fashion show in memory of Gianni Versace.”
ZARZAR MODELS is one of the top modeling agencies for women in the United States representing models in print fashion editorials, high fashion runway, film, television commercials, and promotions. The agency represents top models in all of the major fashion cities and counties including Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Orange County Southern California, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Miami, New York, London, Paris, Milan, Sao Paulo, and Tokyo and recruits and represents models throughout the world through its global fashion and modeling network.
