Here are some of today’s biggest headlines.
Even countries that got coronavirus under control are now struggling, that’s deeply concerning for the rest of the world
The coronavirus is “easily the most severe” public health emergency the World Health Organization (WHO) has ever faced, its director-general said Monday, as countries that previously appeared to have the pandemic under control recorded an uptick in cases.
Twitter temporarily restricts Donald Trump Jr.’s account after he posts video claiming masks are unnecessary
Twitter restricted Donald Trump Jr.’s ability to tweet after he posted a video featuring a doctor making false claims about coronavirus cures and stating that people “don’t need masks” to prevent the virus from spreading, a Twitter spokesperson said Tuesday.
Trump makes false claims about his swing state polling
Less than 100 days out from the election, President Donald Trump pushed back against criticism that his handling of the coronavirus pandemic is negatively impacting his bid for a second term. At a briefing in North Carolina on Monday, Trump claimed his poll numbers were “very good,” referring especially to a few battleground states.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak found guilty on seven charges related to 1MDB scandal
Disgraced former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been found guilty on seven charges related to the 1MDB scandal, which saw billions of dollars of taxpayers money funneled and embezzled out of Malaysia.
‘No more war’ thanks to North Korea’s nuclear weapons, Kim says
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he believes his country will no longer need to fight wars because its nuclear arsenal guarantees its safety, according to North Korean state media.
Chinese students in Australia targeted in fake kidnapping scam
Chinese students in Australia are being coerced by criminal gangs to fake their own kidnappings as part of an elaborate global extortion racket targeting vulnerable overseas communities, authorities said Monday.
India is blocking more apps in the wake of the TikTok ban
India is banning dozens more apps and reportedly reviewing hundreds of others from well-known Chinese companies, as tensions between the world’s most populous countries continue to rise.
Activists are urging big brands to eradicate traces of human rights abuse in Xinjiang from their supply chains
Global businesses are facing mounting pressure from activist groups and the US government to reexamine and cut any ties they might have to China’s Xinjiang region, where allegations of human rights violations have run rampant for years.
100 million-year-old sea microbes are alive and thriving, study finds
Microbial communities below the seafloor have survived and retained their metabolic potential for up to 101.5 million years, a new study finds.
Lewis Hamilton clarifies anti-vaccine Instagram post after backlash
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has clarified his views on a potential coronavirus vaccine after sharing an anti-vaccination post on social media.
Coronavirus updates: Avoid some Spanish regions, Germany warns – BBC News
Germany’s foreign ministry has warned against unnecessary visits to three regions of Spain. In a statement, it flagged Aragon, Catalonia and Navarra due to their “high infection numbers and local lockdowns.” The regions have seen a huge rise in cases during recent days, but Spanish authorities insist that infections in most regions are under control.
Donald Trump Jr suspended from tweeting
Twitter has banned the US president’s eldest son from tweeting for 12 hours. The punishment followed a post by Donald Trump Jr containing a video discussing the benefits of hydroxychloroquine. Some, including President Trump, have suggested the drug works as a preventative measure against coronavirus, despite medical studies that indicate the contrary.
Republicans introduce $1tn pandemic recovery plan
Republicans have proposed spending an additional $1tn (£776bn) to address the economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The plan includes $100bn for schools and issuing stimulus payments of up to $1,200 to most Americans. Under the plan, the payment would replace a $600 boost to unemployment benefits during the pandemic.
Emirates covers Covid-19 medical and funeral costs
Emirates has become the first airline to offer free Covid-19 insurance as it tries to get people flying again. Passengers will be covered for medical treatment, hotel quarantine, and even their funeral if they catch the coronavirus while travelling. The announcement comes as carriers around the world have been hit hard by measures to tackle the pandemic.
It’s official: CES 2021 will be online only
For the first time in decades, the tech world is leaving Las Vegas alone in January. The Consumer Technology Association announced Tuesday that CES 2021 will be an “all-digital event” running from Jan. 6 to Jan. 9, 2021, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Nice guy Ryan Reynolds puts up a $5,000 reward to help find a lost teddy bear
Beneath the snark and sass that made him such a perfect Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds seems like a lovely, well-meaning dude. Take this latest example, when Reynolds shared a Saturday tweet from Deborah Goble, a Canadian Broadcasting Company reporter based in Vancouver.
Google’s internal data collection on competing apps raises new antitrust questions
Google chief Sundar Pichai has a couple of extra days to prepare for Big Tech’s antitrust hearing in Washington, D.C., and he’d be wise to put that extra time toward preparing for questions about Android Lockbox. That’s the name of a recently unearthed internal program that leverages the so-called “sensitive” data collected by Android to monitor how people are using non-Google apps.
Google tells employees to get used to working from home for another year
The coronavirus isn’t going anywhere. That appears to be the thinking of Google, as CEO Sundar Pichai told employees Monday morning that many of them would be working from home until July 2021 at the earliest. That’s right, the Big Data company thinks we’re all in this for the long haul – at least in the U.S., anyway.
How to save Instagram photos
Instagram is a fantastic social platform that we all love for sharing visual content, and discovering exciting visual content from others. Like all social platforms, Instagram content can be fleeting and fast-moving, so knowing how to download or save photos and posts is a really useful skill to learn.
