Facebook said it is speeding up plans to go international with a news tab feature that involves paying publishers for stories delivered through the leading social network. A Facebook News section that debuted late last year in the US will be expanded in the next six months or so to more countries, with top contenders said to be Brazil, Britain, France, Germany and India. "In each country, we'll pay news publishers to ensure their content is available in the new product," Facebook global news partnerships vice president Campbell Brown said in a blog post. "We will keep building new products and making global investments to help the news industry build long-lasting business models." Facebook News is off to a "strong start" in the US, driving a significant amount of online traffic to publishers, according to Brown. Based on this progress, we are accelerating our plans to expand internationally," Brown said. News agencies have struggled to make money as ad revenue and people's attention have shifted online, where stories are available free of charge in a dynamic criticized by publishers.
Over 100 killed in Afghanistan flooding
Heavy flooding in northern and eastern Afghanistan has killed more than 100 people, as the deluge ravaged large parts of Charikar city, the capital of Parwan province, officials have said. Wahida Shahkar, spokeswoman for Parwan province, said the number of casualties may rise as rescue teams work to locate people buried under destroyed houses. Containing the incident and helping the affected families was beyond the capacity of the local government, and the central government should step in quickly, Shahkar said. Many children were among the dead in Charikar, which was hit by heavy rains overnight, the Ministry of Disaster Management said in a statement. Ahmad Jan, a resident of Shahrak-Malimin village in Parwan province, said most people are still stuck under the rubble of their houses. "More than 50 houses in his area are completely damaged. Don't know how many have died but most people are under their roofs. It was early morning, so most people were sleeping. Rescue team is helping take out dead bodies and injured," Jan said.
Council for peace deal with Taliban
Afghanistan’s president has appointed a council for national reconciliation, which will have final say on whether the government will sign a peace deal with the Taliban after what are expected to be protracted and uncertain negotiations with the insurgents. The negotiations were envisaged under a US-Taliban peace agreement signed in February as intra-Afghan talks to decide the war-torn country's future. However, their start has been hampered by a series of delays that have frustrated Washington. Some had expected the negotiations to begin earlier this month. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani issued a decree establishing the 46-member council, led by his former rival in last years presidential election, Abdullah Abdullah, who is now in the government. The council is separate from a 21-member negotiating team, which Ghani appointed in March and which is expected to travel to the Gulf state of Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office, for intra-Afghan talks.
Qatar lifts restrictions on changing jobs
New labour rules in Qatar “effectively dismantles” the country’s long-criticised “kafala” employment system, a UN labour body said. The International Labor Organization said that now migrant workers can change jobs before the end of their contracts without obtaining permission of their current employers. Qatar also adopted a minimum monthly wage of 1,000 Qatari riyals (about Rs 20,084) for workers, which will take affect some six months after the law is published in the country’s official gazette. The present system ties workers to their employers, who had say over whether they could leave their jobs or even the country. It has been criticised by rights activists for abuse of foreign workers.
China fires missiles into SCS, sending US a message
China has fired a barrage of medium-range missiles across considerable distances into the South China Sea (SCS), Beijing’s latest move to demonstrate its strategic dominance and sovereignty over the disputed waters, an American defence official said. The missile launches punctuated a series of military exercises that China has conducted this month at a time of rising tensions with the US over its territorial claims in the SCS. Senior Col Wu Qian, a spokesman for the Chinese ministry of national defence, did not mention the missiles but confirmed that China had carried out long-planned drills in the region. “The above exercises are not directed at any country,” Wu said in Beijing. The missiles included the DF-21D and DF-26B, South China Morning Post reported. The weapons can attack moving targets at sea.
US targets 24 Chinese firms over role in SCS
The Trump administration added 24 Chinese companies to a government list that bans them from purchasing certain sensitive US products, citing their role in helping the Chinese military construct artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea. The US state department also announced that it would begin imposing visa restrictions on Chinese citizens “responsible for, or complicit in, reclamation, construction, or militarisation of disputed outposts” The move is the latest in a series of actions that have soured relations between China and the US. Beijing, on the other hand, is protesting the alleged incursion of a US Air Force U-2 spy plane into a no-fly zone imposed during live-fire military exercises in the country’s north. Meanwhile, Vietnam accused China of violating its sovereignty by conducting drills in a disputed part of the SCS.
Statue of Canada's first PM toppled
A statue of Canada's first Prime Minister Sir John Macdonald was toppled in downtown Montreal by protesters marching in support of defunding police, government officials said. The incident occurred at the end of a peaceful march when a group of people climbed the monument and pulled down the statue, causing the head to fly off. Calls to defund the police have been growing across the US and Canada, after a spate of violent incidents involving police. The death of George Floyd, a Black man, while in the custody of Minneapolis police in May sparked global protests about racial inequality and police brutality, and renewed pledges from some to fight racism. In June, a video showing a forceful arrest of a Canadian indigenous leader by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police raised questions about the use of force by the police. The statue of Macdonald has been the site of repeated acts of graffiti in recent years, and it has often been covered in red paint. The toppling drew quick condemnation from political leaders.
Canada extends online study eligibility
Canada has announced more relaxations in the wake of international students facing difficulties to fly to the country due to Covid-related travel bans. According to a note issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), international students can study online from abroad until April 30, 2021, without it affecting their eligibility for the length of a future postgraduate work permit (PGWP), provided they are able to complete at least 50% of their course in Canada. No indication is available as yet on when Canada will open its borders to international students. Earlier, IRCC had provided a leeway of up to December 31, 2020. The IRCC also said students who have enrolled in programmes of a duration of 8-12 months that commenced during the spring, summer or fall terms (from May to September, 2020) will be able to apply for a PGWP even if they complete their entire programme outside Canada.
TikTok CEO quits under US pressure
TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer has left the company amid ongoing disputes with the Trump administration and sale talks. “We appreciate that the political dynamics of the last few months have significantly changed what the scope of Kevin’s role would be going forward, and fully respect his decision,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement. “We thank him for his time at the company and wish him well.” Mayer announced his departure in an internal email. TikTok’s general manager Vanessa Pappas will take over the position in the interim, according to reports. “In recent weeks, as the political environment has sharply changed, I have done significant reflection on what the corporate structural changes will require, and what it means for the global role I signed up for,” Mayer said in his letter. “Against this backdrop, and as we expect to reach a resolution very soon, it is with a heavy heart that I wanted to let you all know that I have decided to leave the company.”
Life imprisonment for New Zealand mosque shooter
The New Zealand gunman Brenton Tarrant behind last year's Christchurch massacre that killed 51 Muslim worshippers was sentenced to life imprisonment. The families of victims had demanded that he remain behind bars "until his last gasp." He is the first person in the country to get a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Judge Cameron Mander of the Christchurch High Court said that a finite term would not be sufficient. "Your crimes ... are so wicked that even if you are detained until you die it will not exhaust the requirements of punishment and denunciation," said Mander as he handed down a sentence unprecedented in New Zealand legal history. "Your actions were inhuman,'' the judge said. "You deliberately killed a 3-year-old infant as he clung to the leg of his father…As far as I can discern, you are empty of any empathy for your victims." The sentencing comes after three days of emotionally charged statements from survivors and the families of the victims in court. The shooter was largely emotionless throughout the proceedings, as the victims gave harrowing testimonies of what was New Zealand's worst terror attack and its impact on their lives.
Philippines official caught having sex with secretary
A government official in the Philippines was caught having sex with his secretary during a regular virtual session, the media reported. According to a report, the incident came to light as the official, Captain Jesus Estil of the Fatima Dos village council in the province of Cavite, appeared to be unaware that his camera was on. Footage shows that the person had sex in a far corner of the room while the meeting was on. Before engaging in the actual act, Estil approached the device in what appeared to be an attempt to turn off the camera. Unaware that the camera was on, Estil and the woman continued to engage in sexual intercourse, while other participants continued with the council meeting. Estil rejoined the call after the act. After the video became public, the pair sought forgiveness, but the country's department of interior and local government appears to have made up its mind to relieve Estil from his duty.
FDA chief admits he overstated benefits of plasma therapy
The head of the US Food and Drug Administration retracted his claim that plasma therapy had provided a dramatic benefit to Covid-19 patients, a rare reversal for the agency. At a press conference, FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn said blood plasma from Covid survivors given to new patients could save huge numbers of lives. “What that means is - and if the data continue to pan out - 100 people who are sick with Covid-19, 35 would have been saved because of the administration of plasma,” Hahn said. But scientists were taken aback by the way the administration framed this data, which appeared to have been calculated based on a small subgroup of hospitalised Covid-19 patients in a Mayo Clinic study: those who were under 80 years old, not on ventilators and received plasma known to contain high levels of anti-bodies within three days of diagnosis. What’s more, many experts were bewildered about where the statistic came from. The number was not mentioned in the official authorization letter issued by the agency, nor was it in a 17-page memo written by FDA scientists. It was not in an analysis conducted by the Mayo Clinic that has been frequently cited by the administration.
SA conservationist killed by lions kept at his safari lodge
A well known South African conservationist was mauled to death by two mature white lions kept at his safari lodge. The attack came after West Mathewson, 68, unlocked the gate into the enclosure where the two lionesses lived, in order to take them for a morning walk. His wife Gill, 65, attempted to distract the lions but Mathewson had already suffered a fatal injury. The two 400-lb lionesses, Tanner and Demi, had already killed a man working on a neighbouring property after they broke out of their paddock in 2017. Security around the enclosure was reinforced following that attack. The lions had been kept at the lodge since they were rescued from a canned hunting farm as cubs. Many wildlife experts in South Africa say that it is not appropriate to try to domesticate or keep lions away from the wild as they are predators. At least 10 South Africans were killed by lions they were looking after in recent years. Mathewson's daughter-in-law Tehri Fergusson said it was unclear why the lions had killed him and suggested his death might have been the result of "rough play". “We will only know why he died when we have the results of the autopsy," she said.
Dead dolphins found on Mauritius beach
Seven dead dolphins have been found on a Mauritius beach, a day after 17 carcasses washed up near an oil spill caused by a tanker that struck a coral reef. The stranded dolphins were discovered less than 10 miles from the site of the oil spill caused by the Japanese-owned MV Wakashio, which ran aground on July 25 and began to spill oil about a week later. An estimated 1,000 tonnes of fuel spilled into the area. Jasvin Sok Appadu from the fisheries ministry said: "We found seven more dolphins this morning in a state of decomposition.” Greenpeace called on the government of Mauritius to launch an "urgent investigation to determine the cause of the deaths and any ties to the Wakashio oil spill". Sol Appadu said the 17 dead dolphins “had several wounds and blood around their jaws, no trace of oil however. “The ones that survived, around ten, seemed very fatigued and could barely swim.” The dead dolphins have been taken for an autopsy. A spokeswoman for local Mauritian environmental group Eco-Sud called for the autopsy results to be released publicly and said the group wanted to be present during the autopsy. The full impact of the spill is still unfolding, but scientists have warned of a major ecological disaster.
Netanyahu hints at ‘secret talks’ with other Arab leaders
Israel is in secret talks with several Arab states on establishing ties, in addition to its US-backed deal struck with the UAE, PM Netanyahu said. “There are many more unpublicised meetings with Arab and Muslim leaders to normalise relations,” he said on the eve of Israel’s first flight to UAE. This follows the announcement of a deal to normalise ties, making the UAE the first Gulf country and only the third Arab state to establish ties with Israel after Egypt and Jordan.
