Author: News Desk

Australians woke to empty Facebook news feeds on Thursday, after the social media giant blocked all media content in a surprise escalation of a dispute with the government, which could be a test for the future of online publishing worldwide. The move was swiftly criticised by news producers, politicians and human rights advocates, particularly as it became clear that official health pages, emergency safety warnings and welfare networks had all been scrubbed from the site along with news. “Facebook’s actions to unfriend Australia today, cutting off essential information services on health and emergency services, were as arrogant as they were…

Japan’s Seiko Hashimoto, a woman who has competed in seven Olympics, said on Thursday she had been chosen as president of the Tokyo 2020 Organising committee. Hashimoto announced her selection shortly after submitting her resignation as cabinet minister to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who encouraged her to make the Olympics successful. “I, Seiko Hashimoto, was selected as head of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee,” Hashimoto told a meeting in which she was chosen as the new chief. “As I’m taking on such a grave responsibility… I feel I need to brace myself.” Hashimoto faces a raft of tough…

The White House has gotten back in step with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after some confusion regarding vaccinating teachers, saying Wednesday that it is not mandatory though teachers should be prioritized like frontline workers. “Teachers should be vaccinated… like other frontline workers,” White House Covid response coordinator Jeff Zients said at Wednesday’s virtual Covid press briefing, but added. “But the President, vice president agree with the CDC guidelines that it’s not a requirement to reopen.” President Biden said Tuesday in a CNN town hall that he wanted teachers to be vaccinated, comments Vice President Kamala Harris…

The General Directorate of Reformation and Rehabilitation completed, in cooperation with the Health Affairs Directorate, the vaccination of all inmates who wanted to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The service was part of the directorate’s continuation to enforce precautionary measures against the virus to protect the safety of inmates. The vaccination was carried out according to a specific schedule to meet human rights values and standards as part of the work system of the Reformation and Rehabilitation Centre. The service is also part of implementing the Reformation and Rehabilitation’s by-law and its rules, in addition to the measures to tackle the…

The US justice department has accused three North Korean military intelligence officials of a campaign of cyber-attacks to steal $1.3bn in crypto and traditional currencies from banks and other victims. “North Korea’s operatives, using keyboards rather than guns, stealing digital wallets of cryptocurrency instead of sacks of cash, are the world’s leading bank robbers,” said the assistant attorney general John Demers in a statement. The three created malicious cryptocurrency applications, opening backdoors into victims’ computers; hacked into companies marketing and trading digital currencies like bitcoin; and developed a blockchain platform to evade sanctions and secretly raise funds, the department said.…

Six mobile advertising companies said Wednesday they have formed a partnership to help marketers and app developers adjust to upcoming Apple Inc changes that will affect how advertising works on iPhones. Apple will soon begin to prompt iPhone users to allow apps to use their data for personalized advertising, a move that has drawn backlash from tech rival Facebook Inc, which argues the changes will hurt the social media company’s ad business. The Post-IDFA Alliance will provide tips and best practices to help advertisers and developers ensure ads are placed in front of relevant consumers and the effectiveness of those…

Bahrain has launched a digital COVID-19 vaccine passport, one of the first countries to do so, the Gulf state’s media office said on Wednesday. Governments and developers around the world are exploring how certificates and passports could help to reopen economies by identifying those protected against COVID-19. Bahrain’s ‘BeAware’ app displays a green shield alongside an official certificate detailing the person’s name, date of birth, nationality and which vaccine was received. Users must have received two doses of a vaccine, separated by 21 days, and then wait for two weeks for antibodies to develop, the statement said. “Authorities can verify…

A winter storm that left millions without power in record-breaking cold weather claimed more lives Tuesday, including three people found dead after a tornado hit a seaside town in North Carolina and four family members who perished in a Houston-area house fire while using a fireplace to stay warm. The storm that overwhelmed power grids and immobilized the Southern Plains carried heavy snow and freezing rain into New England and the Deep South and left behind painfully low temperatures. Wind-chill warnings extended from Canada into Mexico, The Associated Press reported. In all, at least 20 deaths were reported. Other causes…

The Deputy King, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, today received the Governor of the Southern Governorate, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali Al Khalifa, at Riffa Palace. At the start of the meeting, His Royal Highness was presented a copy of the book ‘Riffa’s Glory: Past and Present’, authored as a tribute to Riffa’s development. His Royal Highness recognised the importance of books as bearers of cultural significance and appreciated the Southern Governorate’s efforts in capturing Riffa. His Royal Highness affirmed that promoting cultural heritage is central to Bahrain’s development path, which aims to integrate the…

Billionaire Elon Musk said on Monday bitcoin was “on the verge” of being more widely accepted among investors as he expressed his support for the cryptocurrency in a chat on social media app Clubhouse that drew thousands of listeners. The comments followed his use of the “#bitcoin” tag on his Twitter profile on Friday, which pushed the crytocurrency up 14%. Musk, CEO of Tesla Inc, is known for making comments on Twitter that move markets and he acknowledged this during his debut on the invitation-only app Clubhouse. “I am a supporter of bitcoin,” he said. “I was a little slow…