Thousands of protesters rallied worldwide over the weekend, calling for regime change in Iran, while in the business world, the head of global ports operator DP World resigned amid scrutiny over his links to Jeffrey Epstein. In other news, Amazon's Ring ended a deal with a surveillance firm after facing backlash, and an AI safety researcher quit Anthropic with a warning that the "world is in peril."
Protests demanding regime change in Iran took place in cities across the globe, including Melbourne, Athens, Tokyo, and London, according to the New York Times. These demonstrations coincided with the Munich Security Conference, where opposition figures like Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deposed shah, have been vocal in their calls for change. The protests were spurred by calls from Pahlavi earlier in February, and took place as nuclear talks between the United States and Iran were expected to resume in Geneva on Tuesday, according to the NY Times.
Meanwhile, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the head of Dubai-based ports giant DP World, stepped down from his position as chairman and chief executive "effective immediately" on Friday, according to the BBC. His departure followed the release of files that revealed hundreds of emails exchanged with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein over a decade. While being mentioned in the files does not indicate wrongdoing, the BBC reported that the company announced the resignation, naming Essa Kazim as chairman and Yuvraj Narayan as chief executive.
In the technology sector, an AI safety researcher quit US firm Anthropic with a stark warning. Mrinank Sharma, in his resignation letter shared on X, cited concerns about AI, bioweapons, and the state of the wider world as his reasons for leaving, according to the BBC. He stated he would pursue writing and poetry, and move back to the UK to "become invisible." This resignation came in the same week that an OpenAI researcher also resigned, citing concerns over the company's decision to deploy adverts in its chatbot, according to the BBC.
Amazon's Ring also made headlines by ending a partnership with surveillance firm Flock Safety, according to the BBC. The deal, announced in October, would have allowed law enforcement agencies working with Flock to retrieve video captured on Ring devices. The decision to cancel the agreement followed backlash over privacy practices, particularly after a Ring advertisement aired during the Super Bowl, according to the BBC.
In other business news, Heathrow Airport's boss addressed concerns about overcrowding in Terminal 5. Thomas Woldbye told an industry event that the terminal felt crowded because people were walking in the "wrong place," with British people keeping to the left and Europeans to the right, according to the BBC.
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