CEO Today Magazine April 2018 Edition

11 www.ceotodaymagazine.com monthly round-up Theoretical Physicist and Cosmologist Stephen Hawking Dies Known worldwide for his work as a physicist, Stephen Hawking passed away on March 14th at the age of 76. Hawking had a rare form of mo- tor neurone disease (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) and was given an estimation of just two years to live at the age of 22. He went on to live another 54 years, revolutionising the world with his research and work in cosmology and theoretical phys- ics over the years. His children, Lucy, Robert and Tim said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened that our be- loved father passed away today. He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years.” “He once said, ‘It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love.’ We will miss him forever.” Tributes from around the globe poured in at the news of his passing, celebrating his life and achievements, including Ap- ple’s Co-founder Steve Wozniak who said: “Stephen Hawking’s integrity and scientific dedica- tion placed him above pure bril- liance.” NASA tweeted: “Remembering Stephen Hawking, a renowned physicist and ambassador of sci- ence. His theories unlocked a universe of possibilities that we & the world are exploring. May you keep flying like super- man in microgravity, as you said to astronauts on @Space_Station in 2014.” Qualcomm Takeover by Broadcom Blocked Donald Trump has blocked the takeover of Qualcomm, a US-based chipmaker, by its Singapore-based rival Broad- com on the grounds of national security. According to the BBC, his or- der cited “credible evidence” that the proposed $140bn deal “threatens to impair the na- tional security of the US”. Concerns arose over whether the takeover would lead to China souring ahead in devel- opment of 5G wireless technol- ogy, and the two companies together would have made the third largest microchip manu- facturer in the world. Mario Morales, vice president of enabling technologies and semiconductors at global re- search firm IDC told the BBC: “Given the current political climate in the US and other regions around the world, everyone is taking a more con- servative view on mergers and acquisitions and protecting their own domains.” “We are all at the start of a race, and you have 5G as a crown jewel that everyone wants to participate in - and every region is racing towards that.” Weighing in, Broadcom ex- plained that it “strongly disa- grees that its proposed acqui- sition of Qualcomm raises any national security concerns.” Ex Russian Spy Poisoned in UK Ex Russian Spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, are in critical condition in hospital af- ter being poisoned in Salisbury, London. The two were found unconscious on March 4th in the centre of Salisbury. President Putin has denied state involvement, calling it “unimaginable”. In response to this, Prime Minister Theresa May said: “I’m clear that what we have seen shows that there is no other conclusion but that the Russian state is culpable for what happened on the streets of Salisbury.” It is believed that the two were poisoned by a deadly nerve gas called “Novichok” through the ventilation system in their car. The BBC reported that the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council said: “The use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances is completely unacceptable and constitutes a security threat to us all. “The European Union expresses its unqualified solidarity with the UK and its support, includ- ing for the UK’s efforts to bring those responsible for this crime to justice.” Conversely, the Russian Consu- late said: “It is absolutely unac- ceptable and unworthy of the British Government to seek to seriously aggravate relations fur- ther in pursuit of its unseemly political ends, having announced a whole series of hostile meas- ures, including the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats from the country.”