International
Green tech fights for limelight at CES gadget fest
January 7th | By AFP | Glenn Chapman |
At the CES tech megashow in Las Vegas, it is unusual to see an entrepreneur hold up a plant and present it as the latest breakthrough in consumer technology.
But for NeoPlants co-founder Patrick Torbey, the gathering held annually just after the new year should not be thought of as “only about machine technology and electronics.”
“It’s also about natural technology that we can leverage using these really cool engineering techniques,” Torbey told AFP.
NeoPlants, a Paris-based startup, was showing off a bioengineered plant capable of purifying indoor air of toxic pollutants “by doing the work of 30 regular houseplants,” according to its website.
Technology geared towards helping the environment has steadily increased in number at CES since the Sin City expo began fifty years ago.
But observers often doubt the seriousness of the consumer tech industry’s commitment to protect the environment, with all the real excitement focused on smart TVs and robots instead of the more complicated and less profitable project of saving the planet.
“Until it really, really matters for consumers, it’s just going to kind of be this trend that’s over here on the side,” said Ben Arnold, research firm NPD’s consumer electronics analyst.
“As somebody who studies the market, I’m just not seeing yet where (environmental-minded tech) makes a difference in terms of units and dollars,” he added.
Ran Roth, the head of tech company Sensibo, agreed that successful devices were the ones that made financial sense and believed his products did just that.
Roth’s devices use artificial intelligence and sensors to better manage air conditioning, an important concern in the often blistering heat of Israel, where his company is based.
Sensibo’s sensors measure humidity and temperature, and use software that learns a user’s habits, thereby saving energy and money.
Roth said new technology should have a “path to profitability” if it is going to thrive, a recurrent shortcoming of so called green tech that so often fails to be bankable.
“What is good about smart thermostats is that they are readily available and they offer the highest return on investment,” said Roth, who called air conditioning a “human right.”
‘What matters’
But as the climate emergency worsens, industry observers said major tech companies were under more pressure to commit to sustainability goals.
“We have seen the public naming and shaming of organizations who indulged in greenwashing over the past year,” said Abhijit Sunil of Forrester Research.
“So a lot of organizations are kind of careful in what they mention as their sustainability initiatives and they are now as transparent as possible,” he said.
Sunil said that the real advances on the environment were to be seen in the industrial sector, agreeing that the consumer gadget business may be a step behind when it came to doubling down on going green.
Product design, manufacturing and packaging with an eye on a company’s waste and carbon footprint were the low hanging fruits when it came to environment technology, he said.
One such company, ACWA Robotics, won plaudits at CES for a robot dedicated to the detection and prevention of water leaks in underground pipes.
In France, where the startup is located, 20 percent of drinking water is estimated to be lost due to leaky pipes.
Fighting for the environment “is the challenge of a century,” ACWA Robotics engineer Elise Lengrand told AFP.
“I mean sure it’s really cool to make big TVs and stuff, but this is really what matters,” she said.
International
Trump Orders Construction of New ‘Golden Fleet’ to Revitalize U.S. Naval Superiority
President Donald Trump issued an executive order this Monday for the immediate construction of two new warships that will bear his name. These vessels will be the pioneers of what he described as the “Golden Fleet,” a future generation of “Trump-class” battleships that he claimed would be “100 times more powerful” than those currently in service.
The announcement took place at his private residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. The President indicated that following the initial two ships, the administration aims to commission up to 25 additional vessels. He is scheduled to meet with Florida-based contractors next week to expedite production, criticizing existing defense firms for failing to deliver results efficiently.
This naval expansion is a cornerstone of Trump’s goal to revitalized the American shipbuilding industry and address the strategic gap between the U.S. and competitors like China.
The move comes amid heightened geopolitical tension. Just last week, Trump ordered the seizure of all sanctioned tankers involved with Venezuela’s “ghost fleet” to cripple the country’s crude oil industry. Since December 10, the U.S. military—deployed in the Caribbean under the guise of counter-narcotics operations—has already detained two tankers linked to Venezuelan oil transport.
International
U.S. Judge Blocks ICE from Re-detaining Salvadoran Erroneously Deported Under Trump Administration
A U.S. federal judge ruled this Monday, December 22, that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is prohibited from re-detaining Salvadoran national Kilmar Ábrego García, who was erroneously deported to El Salvador earlier this year during the administration of President Donald Trump.
During a hearing in Maryland, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ruled that Ábrego García must remain free on bail through the Christmas holidays, concluding that his initial detention lacked a legal basis. The ruling follows a request from his legal team for a temporary restraining order to prevent ICE from carrying out a new arrest.
Earlier this month, on December 11, Judge Xinis ordered his release from a Pennsylvania migrant detention center after determining that the government had detained him without a formal deportation order. In 2019, an immigration judge had already ruled that Ábrego could not be returned to El Salvador because his life was in danger.
Despite that protection, Ábrego García was deported in March 2025 following a raid by the Trump administration. Officials argued at the time that he was a gang member, and he was sent directly to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) in El Salvador. In June, he was returned to the United States to face a new trial for alleged human smuggling—a charge he denies.
On Monday, Judge Xinis also temporarily invalidated a new deportation order issued by an immigration judge following Ábrego’s recent release, granting him legal protection through the coming weeks. His trial is scheduled to begin in Tennessee in January 2026.
International
Fire at substation triggers major blackout in San Francisco
The U.S. city of San Francisco was plunged into darkness Saturday night after a power outage left about 130,000 customers without electricity, although the utility company said service was restored to most users within hours.
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) said in a statement posted on X that nearly 90,000 homes had their power restored by 9:00 p.m. local time (05:00 GMT on Sunday), while the remaining 40,000 customers were expected to have service restored overnight.
Large areas of the city, a major technology hub with a population of around 800,000, were affected by the blackout, which disrupted public transportation and left traffic lights out of service during the busy weekend before Christmas, a crucial period for retail businesses.
“I know it’s been a difficult day,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a video posted on social media from the city’s emergency operations center. “There has been progress, but for those still without power, we want to make sure they are safe and checking in on their neighbors,” he added.
Lurie said police officers and firefighters advised residents to stay home as much as possible. He also noted that officers and traffic inspectors were deployed to manage intersections where traffic lights were not functioning.
The mayor confirmed that the outage was caused by a fire at an electrical substation. Parts of the city were also covered in fog, further complicating conditions during the incident.
As a result of the blackout, many businesses were forced to close despite it being the weekend before Christmas. The sudden drop in shopper traffic ahead of the holiday is “devastating” for retailers, the manager of home goods store Black & Gold told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Trump Orders Construction of New ‘Golden Fleet’ to Revitalize U.S. Naval Superiority
U.S. Judge Blocks ICE from Re-detaining Salvadoran Erroneously Deported Under Trump Administration
Fire at substation triggers major blackout in San Francisco
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