Paris, France | AFP | France’s data protection agency said Thursday that it had fined the US ride-hailing group Uber 400,000 euros ($460,000) over a 2016 data breach that exposed the personal data of some 57 million clients and drivers worldwide. Uber drew the wrath of users and regulators after …
Read More »Facebook defends data sharing after new report on partner deals
Washington, United States | AFP | Facebook defended its data sharing practices Wednesday after a report revealing that certain partners of the social network had access to a range of personal information about users and their friends. The New York Times late Tuesday reported that some 150 companies — including …
Read More »Daimler, BMW win green light for car-sharing merger
Frankfurt am Main, Germany | AFP | German carmakers Daimler and BMW said Wednesday they had won final approval to merge their car-sharing services Car2Go and DriveNow, paving the way for the creation of a European giant to challenge the likes of Uber. In a joint statement, the companies said …
Read More »Pennsylvania lets Uber self-driving cars back on roads
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Authorities in the US state of Pennsylvania have given Uber the green light to resume testing self-driving cars, the ride-sharing giant said Tuesday, after a fatal crash in Arizona prompted a pause. Uber said it had received authorization to put autonomous cars back …
Read More »Facebook kicks Myanmar military-linked pages off platform
Yangon, Myanmar | AFP | Facebook has removed hundreds of pages and accounts in Myanmar with hidden links to the military, the platform said Wednesday, as the company scrambles to respond to criticism over failures to control hate speech and misinformation. The social media giant — Myanmar’s most popular and …
Read More »Candidates’ private TV stations battle it out in Madagascar vote
Antananarivo, Madagascar | AFP | For months, they have bombarded voters with campaign slogans and speeches by “their” candidate, but on Tuesday, two fiercely-partisan media groups in Madagascar fell silent a day before the presidential run-off election. The “ceasefire” — in line with electoral law — is in stark contrast …
Read More »‘Caption this’: Pogba deletes cryptic post after Mourinho axed
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba quickly deleted a controversial social media post of him smiling after manager Jose Mourinho was sacked by the club on Tuesday. Mourinho was dismissed on Tuesday after United’s worst start in 28 years left them trailing Premier League …
Read More »Electricity is creating new hope in medicine
A radical new approach to treating disease Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | When your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. This saying is particularly apt in medicine where doctors treat nearly every condition–from depression to hypertension–with a pill. If your doctor prescribed you anything other …
Read More »Canada proposes hefty redress for airline delays
Ottawa, Canada | AFP | Airline passengers in Canada could soon be eligible for significant compensation for delayed flights or lost baggage, under proposed regulations unveiled by the government on Monday. The draft rules follow a rising number of complaints, including from one flight stuck on the tarmac in Ottawa …
Read More »France to push ahead with digital tax starting January 1
Paris, France | AFP | France will push ahead with its own tax on large internet and technology companies from January 1, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Monday, as the European Union struggles to finalise a new EU-wide levy. France has been driving hard for a new so-called “GAFA …
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