Apple and Google have agreed to make changes to their app stores in the UK following intervention from the UK markets regulator, while the scientific community celebrated the cancellation of a $10 billion project in Chile that threatened clear skies. In other news, the UK government awarded contracts to a record supply of renewables projects, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading to Washington for talks with Donald Trump. Spain and Portugal were also hit by a third deadly storm in two weeks.
According to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Apple and Google committed to not giving preferential treatment to their own apps and will be transparent about how others are approved for sale. This agreement comes seven months after the regulator said the tech giants had an "effective duopoly" in the UK over their dominance in the sector, as reported by BBC Business. The CMA's head, Sarah Cardell, said the proposed commitments "will boost the UK's app economy" and were the first of many measures.
In Chile, astronomers celebrated the cancellation of a $10 billion green hydrogen and ammonia production facility, known as INNA, which would have threatened the clearest skies in the world in the Atacama Desert. The project included a port, transport links to the coast and three solar power plants, and had been under evaluation by Chile's environmental authorities, The Guardian reported. Astronomers had warned that the proximity of the INNA facility to telescopes would have irreparably damaged observation.
The UK government awarded contracts to a record supply of renewables projects, including 157 solar developments across England, Scotland, and Wales, according to BBC Business. This move is expected to boost the country's clean power goals, though it could spark anger from local opponents. Climate and clean energy groups welcomed the results, seeing solar as a relatively cheap way to reduce the UK's reliance on fossil fuels during the summer months.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading to Washington to meet US President Donald Trump, with Iran negotiations being the first and foremost topic of discussion, Al Jazeera reported.
Meanwhile, Spain and Portugal endured another storm over the weekend, just days after the deadly flooding and major damage caused by Storm Kristin and Storm Leonardo last week, The Guardian reported.
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