Nov 11, 2019
Hong Kong protester's shooting by policeman livestreamed on Facebook
A Hong Kong news outlet livestreamed the moment a policeman shot a protester during a demonstration.
Nov 11, 2019
Uber CEO calls Jamal Khashoggi murder 'serious mistake'
The chief executive of ride-hailing app Uber has called the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi "a mistake", comparing it to his firm's failings with self-driving cars. Pressed on Saudi links with Uber in a TV interview, Dara Khosrowshahi said: "People make mistakes, it doesn't mean they can never be forgiven." Khashoggi - a US resident and prominent Saudi critic - was killed in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate last year. Mr Khosrowshahi made the remarks during a discussion about Saudi...
Nov 10, 2019
Apple's 'sexist' credit card investigated by US regulator
A US financial regulator has opened an investigation into claims Apple's credit card offered different credit limits for men and women. The Bloomberg news agency reported on Saturday that tech entrepreneur David Heinemeier Hansson had complained that the Apple Card gave him 20 times the credit limit that his wife got. Mr Hansson said in a tweet: "Apple Card is a sexist program. It does not matter what the intent of individual Apple reps are, it matters what THE ALGORITHM they've placed their...
Nov 10, 2019
Woody Allen settles $68m lawsuit with Amazon over movie deal
AFP Woody Allen has reached a legal settlement with Amazon Studios after it abandoned a four-film deal. Under the movie deal, signed in 2016, Allen received a $10m advance payment. Shortly before Amazon withdraw from the agreement, Allen reportedly expressed sympathy for movie producer Harvey Weinstein, who was accused of sexually assaulting dozens of women. Amazon Studios said its decision to terminate the deal was justified because Allen's comments undermined its financial security. In...
Nov 9, 2019
French student sets himself on fire over financial problems
A 22-year-old French student is in a critical condition after setting himself on fire. The man posted on Facebook about his financial difficulties just hours before self-immolating in front of a university restaurant in Lyon. He blamed President Emmanuel Macron, two of his predecessors, far-right leader Marine Le Pen as well as the European Union for having "Killed him". The man, who was studying at Lyon 2 University, wrote on Facebook that he no longer had the strength to face the financial...
Nov 8, 2019
Twitter goes wild for South African KFC marriage proposal
South Africans have been offering to help a couple have the wedding of their dreams after a video of the proposal at a KFC restaurant went viral on social media. KFC South Africa shared the video and asked for help in finding the couple. "These honeymoon destinations look far. Someone needs to drive them there. We got you," tweeted South Africa's official Audi account. Kateka Malobola, a passer-by who filmed the proposal and uploaded it to social media, spoke of his glee following the huge...
Nov 7, 2019
Bill Gates criticises Elizabeth Warren's plan for tax on super-rich
Bill Gates has become the latest billionaire to express concern for presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren's plan for a new tax on the super-rich. This would rise to 3% for any households with a net worth of over $1bn. But last week, Ms Warren suggested doubling the latter rate - from 3% to 6%. She said the money raised from this new tax would be used to fund her healthcare plan, which is expected to cost the federal government $20.5tn over 10 years. Mr Gates is the second-richest person in...
Nov 6, 2019
Uber in fatal crash had safety flaws say US investigators
An Uber self-driving test vehicle that hit and killed a woman in 2018 had software problems, according to US safety investigators. The US National Transportation Safety Board found the car failed to properly identify her as a pedestrian. The fatal crash occurred in March 2018, and involved a Volvo XC90 that Uber had been using to test its self-driving technology. In a statement, Uber said: "We deeply value the thoroughness of the NTSB's investigation into the crash and look forward to...
Nov 5, 2019
Facebook changes product branding to FACEBOOK
Facebook is introducing new branding for its products and services in an attempt to distinguish the company from its familiar app and website. The main Facebook app and website will retain its familiar blue branding. "We wanted the brand to connect thoughtfully with the world and the people in it," Facebook said. We started being clearer about the products and services that are part of Facebook years ago. The parent brand remains strong, despite recent troubles, and reminding consumers that...
Nov 4, 2019
California fires: Trump threatens to pull federal aid
AFP US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut federal funding for the wildfires sweeping California, in a Twitter spat with the state's governor. The president made a similar threat last year, when fires killed 86 people. "Every year, as the fire's rage & California burns, it is the same thing-and then he comes to the Federal Government for $$$ help. No more. Get your act together Governor," Mr Trump wrote on Twitter. Firefighters have contained about half of the Maria Fire, the major...
Nov 4, 2019
Microsoft four-day work week 'boosts productivity'
Microsoft Japan said sales had been boosted by nearly 40% during an experiment in which staff worked a four-day week on full pay. Microsoft's Work Life Choice Challenge 2019 Summer experiment was popular with 92% of the staff it surveyed after the event. A report commissioned by the Labour Party in the UK suggested a four-day working week would be "Unrealistic". "Even though some people are compelled to work shorter hours than they want to, most people are compelled to work longer hours than...
Nov 3, 2019
Brazil: Amazon land defender killed by illegal loggers
A young indigenous land defender has been shot dead and another wounded by illegal loggers in Brazil's Amazon. Brazil's populist President Jair Bolsonaro has drawn intense domestic and international criticism for failing to protect the Guardians' territory in the eastern Amazon region. Brazilian police said one of the loggers was also killed in a subsequent shootout. The APIB, which represents many of Brazil's 900,000 indigenous people, said Mr Bolsonaro's government had serious questions to...
Nov 3, 2019
Delta Air Lines restores same-sex love scenes to in-flight films
Delta Air Lines is to show new versions of the films Booksmart and Rocketman after the carrier was criticised for screening versions with same-sex love scenes edited out. Delta said the films were edited by a third party and they did not ask for edits to be made. In the biopic Rocketman, a sex scene and a kissing scene between two men were both taken out. The film has been banned in Samoa and in Russia gay sex scenes were edited out. The editor Olivia Wilde watched the film on a Delta flight...
Nov 2, 2019
Ethiopia violence: Facebook to blame, says runner Gebrselassie
Ethiopian running legend Haile Gebrselassie has told the BBC that fake news shared on Facebook was behind violence in which 78 people died. Gebrselassie said he could sue Facebook if they fail to remove certain posts. Days of violence in Ethiopia's Oromia region, which saw some people sheltering in churches, followed the accusations made on Facebook by Mr Jawar. The authorities have arrested more than 400 people in connection with October's violence and the trouble has subsided. Facebook has...
Nov 2, 2019
Airbnb bans 'party houses' after five die in Halloween shooting
EPA Airbnb has said it will ban "Party houses" after five people died in a mass shooting at a Halloween party in a rented California home. CEO Brian Chesky said in a tweet the company would take steps to "Combat unauthorized parties and get rid of abusive host and guest conduct". Mr Chesky said Airbnb would create a dedicated "Party house" rapid response team and expand manual screening of high-risk reservations. It was not immediately clear whether the changes proposed by Mr Chesky would...
Nov 1, 2019
Fitbit snapped up by Google in $2.1bn deal
Fitness device marker Fitbit is being bought by Google for $2.1bn. The move allows Google to expand into the market for fitness trackers and smart watches. "Google is an ideal partner to advance our mission," said James Park, co-founder and chief executive of Fitbit. "With Google's resources and global platform, Fitbit will be able to accelerate innovation in the wearables category, scale faster and make health even more accessible to everyone," said Mr Park, who founded Fitbit 12 years ago....
Oct 30, 2019
Netflix founder: 'Learn when to get out of the way'
You need to learn "when to get out of the way" as a start-up CEO, says Netflix founder Marc Randolph.
Oct 30, 2019
Twitter to ban all political advertising
Twitter has banned all political advertising worldwide, saying that the reach of such messages "Should be earned, not bought". "While internet advertising is incredibly powerful and very effective for commercial advertisers, that power brings significant risks to politics," company CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted. Social media rival Facebook recently ruled out a ban on political ads. Social media firms are under particular scrutiny ahead of US elections in 2020.
Oct 27, 2019
Catholic bishops back limited relaxation of celibacy rule
AFP Roman Catholic bishops have voted to allow married men to become priests in the Amazon region, exempting them from the centuries-old rule on celibacy. The Catholic Church is the oldest institution in the Western world, tracing its history back almost 2,000 years, and counts more than a billion members. "Legitimate diversity does not harm the communion and unity of the Church, but expresses and serves it," the synod's final document says, as quoted by the Catholic News Agency. The bishops...
Oct 27, 2019
Southwest Airlines pilots ‘livestreamed plane toilet on hidden camera’
A Southwest Airlines flight attendant has filed a lawsuit accusing two pilots of livestreaming a plane's toilet on hidden camera. The pilots and Southwest Airlines have denied there was a camera filming passengers and crew members in the toilet. The pilots were not sanctioned by Southwest Airlines and continue to pilot commercial flights for the airline, according to the suit. In a statement, Southwest Airlines told the BBC that the airline "Does not place cameras in the lavatories of our...
Oct 26, 2019
Microsoft pips Amazon for $10bn AI 'Jedi' contract
The Pentagon has awarded a $10bn cloud-computing contract to Microsoft, following a heavily-scrutinised bidding process in which Amazon had been seen as the favourite. Amazon had been considered the front-runner - until President Trump began questioning whether the process was fair. In July he told reporters that he was getting "Tremendous complaints about the contract with the Pentagon and Amazon". Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos - who also owns the...
Oct 25, 2019
Inside America's Aladdin's cave of dead animals
The US Fish and Wildlife Service is a key player in the fight against global wildlife trafficking and this place - the National Wildlife Property Repository - is an important and unique hub for conservation specialists. The repository used to be part of the US Fish and Wildlife Service's national forensics laboratory, but in the 1990s it became clear that the collection needed its own space and so this site was found and cleared. Ms Metzer adds: "What you see here is only the small tip of the...
Oct 25, 2019
Pope Francis's apology over Amazon statues theft
Pope Francis has apologised after indigenous Amazonian statues were stolen from a church in Rome and dumped into the Tiber River. The gathering, known as the synod, is discussing the future of the Church in the Amazon - a vast region in South America. Francis also stressed that there "Was no idolatrous intention" in bringing the statues to the church in Rome. The Amazon Synod explained:A synod is a gathering of priests and bishops to discuss issues affecting the Church. The Amazon Synod is a...
Oct 24, 2019
Lawyers for ex-Nissan boss rail at 'conspiracy'
Carlos Ghosn's lawyers have asked a Tokyo court to dismiss all the charges made against the former Nissan boss. Mr Ghosn, who was arrested last year over claims of financial misconduct, faces several charges in Japan. His lawyers also accused the Japanese government of conspiring against him, along with prosecutors and Nissan executives. Mr Ghosn's lawyers said in a statement that the prosecutors' case was "Politically motivated" and laid out some of the "Illegal actions" they say were...
Oct 24, 2019
Jennifer Lopez and fiancé send a year's supply of food to US school
Jennifer Lopez and her fiancé Alex Rodriguez have donated a year's worth of food to a school in the southern US state of Tennessee. Teachers at the school then pooled their money to buy the pupil food for the following few weeks, she added. On Wednesday, Lopez posted a video on her Instagram showing her and Rodriguez in a video-call with Ms Goins and pupils from the school. "We heard teachers were helping students bring home food when they didn't have enough." About six million children in...
Oct 21, 2019
Katherine Ryan's boyfriend saves Netflix scripts during burglary
Comedian Katherine Ryan has described how her boyfriend fought off an intruder at her home to save a laptop containing the scripts to her new show. Ryan is known for stand-up and panel shows but has written a Netflix sitcom, The Duchess, about a single mother. Kootstra was the childhood sweetheart with whom Ryan was reportedly reunited after two decades during a chance meeting while filming for BBC series Who Do You Think You Are? in her hometown of Sarnia, west of Toronto. In another post...
Oct 21, 2019
Mitt Romney's secret Twitter account Pierre Delecto revealed
US Republican Senator Mitt Romney has revealed he uses a secret Twitter account under the name Pierre Delecto. It is unknown why he chose the account name, Pierre Delecto. News first broke of the secret Twitter account in a profile piece written by McKay Coppins in The Atlantic. Coppins asked the senator about President Trump's prolific tweeting - including attacks on Mr Romney himself - and prompted the revelation that he "Uses a secret Twitter account - 'What do they call me, a lurker?' -...
Oct 21, 2019
At least 55 elephants die in Zimbabwe drought
At least 55 elephants have starved to death in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park over the past two months amid a severe drought. The park can handle about 15,000 elephants but currently has more than 50,000. Their bodies have been spotted at empty watering holes - at least 55 dead elephants in the past two months alone, the victims of a devastating drought that is now threatening the lives of humans and wildlife alike. In Zimbabwe's giant Hwange National Park the problem is not just a lack of...
Oct 19, 2019
Exarchia: How Airbnb angered Greek anarchists
Exarchia holds an unusual place in Greek politics due to its history. "The real problem is the touristification, which Airbnb is part of," says Athina Arampatzi, a member of an Exarchia residents group. Not everyone in Exarchia - and not even every anarchist in Exarchia - agrees that Airbnb is a threat. An Airbnb spokesperson said: "While guests using Airbnb account for just 7% of visitors to Greece, they boosted the Greek economy by 1.2 billion euros last year alone, and more than half of...
Oct 19, 2019
Is the Trump campaign spending $1m a week on ads?
Claim: The Trump campaign is spending $1m a week on Facebook adverts, says Senator Elizabeth Warren. Over the past month, the Trump campaign has been spending about $1m a week on advertising, although over the past week this spending has reduced. The Trump campaign is currently spending $1 million a week on ads including ones containing known lies-ads that TV stations refuse to air because they're false. Over the past 30 days, the Trump Make America Great Again Committee paid $2.4m for ads on...