These are the links to the biggest stories today.
Cambridge Analytica hits back after Channel 4 undercover report
The Channel 4 report is “edited and scripted to grossly misrepresent the nature of those conversations and how the company conducts its business,” Cambridge Analytica said in a statement to CNN on Monday. Cambridge Analytica is the controversial data firm that worked for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
Former Cambridge Analytica contractor: ‘I’m not out to get Facebook’
The former Cambridge Analytica contractor told CNN’s Hala Gorani on Monday that he wants to “work together” with the company, and was frustrated when his Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended. “They committed to me in writing that they wanted to have an open and collaborative approach,” he told Gorani.
With option to rule for life, China’s Xi sets sights on Taiwan
“All acts and tricks to split the motherland are doomed to failure and will be condemned by the people and punished by history,” Xi said Tuesday at the close of the National People’s Congress, Beijing’s rubber-stamp legislature.
World’s last male northern white rhino dies
The 45-year-old rhino named Sudan had been in poor health in recent days and was being treated for age-related issues and multiple infections. A veterinary team made the decision to euthanize Sudan after his condition deteriorated significantly, the conservation group WildAid announced Tuesday.
US and South Korea announce start date for annual military exercises
While the two nations said the exercises would be similar in scale to those of previous years, the drills, as stipulated in a joint statement, appear to be occurring within a shorter timeframe. The “Foal Eagle and Key Resolve” drills would begin on April 1 for four weeks, both countries said in a statement.
Uber pulls self-driving cars after first fatal crash of autonomous vehicle
A self-driving Uber SUV struck and killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona, Sunday night, according to the Tempe police. The department is investigating the crash. A driver was behind the wheel at the time, the police said. “The vehicle involved is one of Uber’s self-driving vehicles,” the Tempe police said in a statement.
A 9-year-old boy shot his older sister to death over a video game controller, sheriff says
The incident occurred over the weekend in rural Monroe County, Mississippi, as the children’s mother was preparing lunch in the kitchen, the county sheriff said. “He wanted the controller, and I guess he knew where to find the gun,” Sheriff Cecil Cantrell told CNN.
Last male northern white rhino dies
The world’s last surviving male northern white rhino has died after months of ill health, his carers said. Sudan, who lived at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, was put to sleep on Monday after age-related complications worsened. His death at the age of 45 leaves only two females of the subspecies alive in the world.
Cambridge Analytica: The story so far
It’s a sensational story containing allegations of sleaze, psychological manipulation and data misuse that has provoked an internationally furious response. Tech giant Facebook and data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica are at the centre of a dispute over the harvesting and use of personal data – and whether it was used to influence the outcome of the US 2016 presidential election or the UK Brexit referendum.
Warrant sought for Cambridge Analytica
The UK’s Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham says she will seek a warrant to look at the databases and servers used by British data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica. The firm is accused of using the personal data of 50 million Facebook members, amassed via a personality quiz app created by an academic.
French police hold ex-president Sarkozy
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been taken into police custody for questioning over allegations that he received campaign funding from the late Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi. Police are investigating alleged irregularities over the financing of his 2007 presidential campaign. Police have questioned him previously.
Xi Jinping warns against China complacency
Chinese President Xi Jinping has told the National People’s Congress (NPC) that China must not become complacent about its development. Speaking at the closing session of the annual parliament, Mr Xi said China was a critical stage in its history and only socialism could save it.
After 4th Bombing This Month, Some Austin Residents Take New Precautions
AUSTIN, Texas ― When Kim Klein moved here from Chicago with her husband and their dog six months ago, she settled in the well-to-do area of Travis Country in southwest Austin. It was a nice neighborhood, she thought, near the tree-lined hiking trails of the Barton Creek Greenbelt.
Weinstein Company Files For Bankruptcy
NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. film and TV studio The Weinstein Company, whose ex-Chairman Harvey Weinstein has been accused of sexual harassment and assault, said on Monday it filed for bankruptcy and was ending all non-disclosure agreements that may have silenced some women.
‘Sex And The City’ Star To Face Uphill Battle In Bid For New York Governor
Former “Sex and the City” star and activist Cynthia Nixon has announced she’s running for governor of New York.
What You Need To Know About Deleting Your Facebook Account
Breaking up with Facebook is hard to do. The ubiquitous social media giant apparently doesn’t take user rejection lightly, and despite its string of bad behavior, it isn’t about to let you ― or your personal data ― go without a struggle. The latest accusation that Facebook misbehaved came over the weekend, when U.S.
Americans Say 2-to-1 That We Never Should Have Invaded Iraq
Fifteen years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Americans now say, by a margin of about 2 to 1, that the decision was a mistake, a new HuffPost/YouGov poll finds. Knowing what they do now, half of the public says they don’t believe the U.S.
Facebook’s security head to leave after dispute over handling of interference
As Facebook’s never ending string of crises continues, internal disagreements have prompted its chief security officer to leave. Alex Stamos is due to depart the company in August after disputes over how much Facebook should reveal about governments misusing the platform and changes within the organisation, according to the New York Times .
‘Justice League’ is officially, well and truly DC’s lowest grossing movie
It’s over, guys. Justice League has finally ended its domestic box office run and it’s now officially the lowest grossing film in the DC Extended Universe. Director Zack Snyder’s multi-hero blockbuster starring Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and Flash, the antithesis to Marvel’s Avengers, made $229 million at the U.S.
Citizen scientists discovered a strange glow in the sky, and then named it Steve
NASA agrees – it definitely looks like a Steve.
You’re more likely to get the flu from a sick flight attendant than a sick passenger: study
Air travel is often depicted as a spreader of diseases around the world, given that it squeezes lots of people into a small space. However, a new study shows that you’re not likely to get the flu from a passenger seated more than 1 meter, or 3.3 feet, away from you.
