By using this website you agree that we use cookies. You can find out more in the privacy policy.

The National Times - Polish editor and former dissident wins top Spanish prize

Polish editor and former dissident wins top Spanish prize

TECHNOLOGY 11.05.2022
Polish editor and former dissident wins top Spanish prize
Polish editor and former dissident wins top Spanish prize / Photo: © AFP/File

Polish editor Adam Michnik, a leading communist-era dissident, was Wednesday awarded Spain's prestigious Princess of Asturias communications and humanities prize.

Change text size:

The jury honoured the 75-year-old editor-in-chief of Warsaw-based daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza "for his commitment to quality journalism and for his influence in restoring and defending democracy in Poland".

A member of the Solidarity trade union that led the Polish struggle against communist rule since it was founded in 1980, he spent six years in jail for his efforts to end his country's repressive regime.

After Poland's communist leaders were toppled in a 1989 election, Michnik took a seat in parliament and co-founded Gazeta Wyborcza, which is now one of Eastern Europe's most popular newspapers.

The jury noted that he is an authority on Russian politics who has "closely followed" Russia's invasion of Ukraine, "being highly critical of (Russian President) Vladimir Putin's decisions and acts".

Previous winners of the award include US feminist icon Gloria Steinem and Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of "Super Mario Bros".

The 50,000-euro ($53,000) award is one of eight Asturias prizes handed out yearly by a foundation named for Crown Princess Leonor.

Other categories include social sciences, sport and scientific research.

The awards are presented each autumn in the northern city of Oviedo in a ceremony broadcast live on Spanish television.

F.Lim--TNT

Featured

Mysterious world beyond Pluto may have an atmosphere: astronomers

A tiny, little-known world beyond Pluto appears to have an atmosphere, Japanese astronomers said Monday, defying what had been thought possible for icy objects in our cosmic backyard.

Datavault AI and CyberCatch Announce Signing of Binding Letter of Intent for Datavault AI to Acquire CyberCatch to Accelerate AI-Driven, Quantum-Resistant Cyber Risk Mitigation Solutions

Strategic acquisition is anticipated to position Datavault AI to bring CyberCatch's AI-enabled cyber risk mitigation solution into Datavault AI's SanQtum-secured edge Graphics Processing Unit ecosystem, addressing a global information security market projected to reach $240 billion in 2026 (Gartner)CyberCatch's post-quantum cryptography conversion plan is also expected to position the combined company ahead of the AI-enabled "Q-Day" quantum-attack horizon, now compressed to as early as 2029 (Google)AI-enabled adversary attacks in 2025 rose 89% year-over-year while average eCrime breakout time fell to 29 minutes, a 65% increase in adversary speed compared to 2024, per CrowdStrike's 2026 Global Threat Report, and Google Quantum AI research has now compressed the timeline for cryptographically relevant quantum computing to as early as 2029.

Apple earnings beat forecasts on iPhone 17 demand

Apple on Thursday said it had its best start to the year ever when it came to earnings, with iPhone demand and digital service sales helping it beat expectations.

Musk grilled on AI profits at OpenAI trial

Elon Musk sparred with lawyers for a third day Thursday at his California trial against OpenAI, struggling to explain why his own for-profit AI empire differs from the one he is trying to take down.

Change text size: