Here are some of today’s top headlines from select sources.
US-Iran crisis: Dozens killed in stampede at Qasem Soleimani’s funeral – live updates – CNN
By Jack Guy, CNN Updated 7:10 a.m. ET, January 7, 2020 Stampede at Soleimani’s funeral: Huge crowds gathered in Kerman, the hometown of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, ahead of his burial. Dozens of people died in a stampede, state media reported, and his burial has been delayed.
Trump’s strike against Iran could present an opportunity to China
Located thousands of feet up in the Central Asian mountains, Bishkek is not usually considered a place where international policy is made.
Iranian foreign minister accuses US of ‘state terrorism’
Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif called US President Donald Trump’s decision to order the drone strike that killed the country’s top military commander an act of “state terrorism” in an interview with CNN Tuesday.
First potentially habitable Earth-size planet discovered by TESS mission, and it’s nearby
NASA’s planet-hunting mission TESS has found its first potentially habitable exoplanet the size of Earth orbiting a star about 100 light-years from Earth, according to the agency.
Japan issues arrest warrant for Carole Ghosn
Japanese prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for Carole Ghosn, the latest twist in the dramatic saga involving her husband, the former auto executive and now international fugitive Carlos Ghosn.
British teen sentenced over gang rape claim in Cyprus resort
A British teenager has been handed a four-month suspended jail sentence after being found guilty of lying about being gang-raped in a Cyprus resort town last summer.
Facebook tries to curb deepfake videos as 2020 election heats up
Facebook has launched a new policy aimed at curbing highly-convincing videos known as deepfakes that have been manipulated using artificial intelligence.
Ikea to pay $46 million to family of toddler crushed by dresser
Swedish furniture maker Ikea will pay $46 million to the family of a California toddler who died after being crushed by one of its dressers.
Chris Hemsworth pledges $1 million to fight the bushfires devastating Australia
Actor Chris Hemsworth is calling for donations to help with Australian fire relief and has kicked it off with a $1 million donation of his own.
Carabao Cup: Manchester United will eject Manchester City fans in Old Trafford home areas
Manchester United have warned anyone “visibly or audibly” supporting Manchester City in a home area of Old Trafford on Tuesday will be ejected. The clubs jointly decided to cut away allocations for the two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final on security grounds.
Africa Live: Lesotho police chief links PM ‘to wife’s murder’ – BBC News
The case against detained Tanzanian rights activist Tito Magoti has been postponed until 21 January. Mr Magoti, a public affairs officer at the Legal and Human Rights Centre in Dar es Salaam, was abducted by unknown men in December last year at a busy market in the city.
SpaceX sends more Starlink satellites into orbit
California’s SpaceX company has launched another 60 satellites in its Starlink network. It brings to 182 the number of spacecraft the firm has now put in the sky as part of its plan to provide a global broadband internet service. The latest platforms went up on a Falcon-9 rocket, which left from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
Surprise electric car concept shown by Sony at CES
Electronics giant Sony has surprised attendees of the CES tech show by unveiling an electric car dubbed the Vision S. The vehicle is a prototype designed to show off the firm’s sensors and in-car entertainment technologies. The dashboard is flanked by an ultra-wide panoramic screen “for driving information and entertainment”.
Facebook announces ban on deepfakes, but it won’t stop misinformation
Facebook has announced a new policy designed to deal with misinformation spread by deepfakes. However, the website’s fairly weak rules still fall short of dealing with misinformation itself. In a blog post published on Monday evening, Facebook’s vice president for global policy management Monika Bickert stated that the company is “strengthening [its] policy toward misleading manipulated videos,” including deepfakes as well as “all types of manipulated media.”
First look at Fisker Ocean, the electric SUV taking on Tesla for under $40,000
We finally got a close look at the Fisker Ocean, the electric SUV that could give Tesla some competition. The company let reporters see a prototype Monday at CES in Las Vegas. It features something called California mode, recycled materials, a solar roof, and up to 300 miles of range on a single battery charge.
Sony randomly announced a concept car at CES just because they could
At this year’s CES, Sony didn’t announce the PlayStation 5. But instead, went with something much bigger. Like, literally bigger. The company went ahead and shocked everyone with a concept car instead. Yep. A literal car. And it’s called the Vision-S. But don’t get too excited, because this thing won’t actually be available to drive.
Samsung just launched an ‘artificial human’ called Neon, and wait, what?
After months of teasers, Samsung-backed company Star Labs (yes, just like the research facility in Superman comics) launched an intriguing new type of product: a virtual human being called Neon. Unveiled at CES on Monday, Neon is “visually real” and has the ability to “show emotions and intelligence,” claims the company.
Digital magazines will no longer be hosted on Google News
Surprise, surprise – Google News is done hosting digital recreations of print magazines. The announcement was made via email to people who subscribe to any of the PDF magazines available through Google’s service, Android Police reported on Friday. Subscribers who’ve paid for content beyond 2019 will get refunds.
The 10 most anticipated TV shows of 2020
2020 might mark the start of a new decade, but for TV fans it’s just a continuation of being buried beneath a mountain of content through which we’ll never see the light of day again. That said, we’re not complaining; the streaming wars might get a little messy, but there’s more amazing TV than ever and we have the luxury of choice.
