Twitter users urged to update over Android security flaw

Millions of Twitter users will be asked to update their Android app after the company found a security flaw.
Twitter said the vulnerability could let other malicious apps access private information such as direct messages. It said most users were already protected by an Android security update, but 4% were still vulnerable. Twitter said anyone still affected by this flaw would get an in-app notification "to let them know if they need to do anything". "We don't have evidence that this vulnerability was exploited by attackers," it added. But it acknowledged "we can't be completely sure" and was taking the highly unusual steps "to keep the small group of potentially vulnerable people safe".

Beirut explosion: Port officials under house arrest as rescue efforts continue

A number of Beirut port officials are being placed under house arrest pending an investigation into Tuesday's huge explosion, Lebanon's government says.
The blast killed at least 135 people and injured more than 4,000 others. A two-week state of emergency has begun. President Michel Aoun said the blast was caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely in a warehouse. Customs chief Badri Daher said his agency called for the chemical to be removed, but "this did not happen". "We leave it to the experts to determine the reasons," he said. Ammonium nitrate is used as a fertiliser in agriculture and as an explosive. Opening an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday, President Aoun said: "No words can describe the horror that has hit Beirut last night, turning it into a disaster-stricken city".

Call for TikTok security check before HQ decision

An influential backbench MP has called on the government to carry out a security review of TikTok before its Chinese owner decides whether to base the app in the UK.
Neil O'Brien - co-founder of the China Research Group of Tory MPs - said the intelligence services should publish a report into the matter. President Trump is threatening to ban TikTok in the US. This has forced the app to ditch plans to establish its headquarters there. TikTok had been expected to pick California or New York - where it already has offices - after appointing an American ex-Disney executive as its chief executive in May. However, the US president has since given it an ultimatum to sell its local business to an American firm.

Sweden: Death of girl, 12, ignites debate over gang violence

The death of a 12-year-old girl by a stray bullet in Sweden has sparked outrage and reignited debates over its handling of gang-related violence.
The unnamed girl was killed in a drive-by shooting next to a petrol station on Sunday, according to local media. Police have launched an investigation but are yet to make any arrests. Officials have vowed to further crack down on violent crime. Incidents involving gangs have risen in recent years. Police were called to the scene of the shooting, south of Stockholm, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Coronavirus: Scotland developing its own contact-tracing app

Scotland is developing its own coronavirus contact-tracing app, which it hopes to have ready for use in the autumn.
It follows the failure of an NHS-branded app in England, which was trialled on the Isle of Wight. On Thursday, Northern Ireland became the first part of the UK to deploy a contact-tracing app. Both Scotland and Northern Ireland decided to adapt software already being used in the Republic of Ireland. Contact-tracing apps are designed to help prevent a second wave of the coronavirus. They work by logging when two people have been in close proximity to each other for a substantial period of time. If one of the users is later diagnosed as having the disease, an alert can be sent to others they have recently been close to, telling them that they should also get tested and/or self-isolate.

Hong Kong postpones elections for a year 'over virus concerns'

The Hong Kong government has postponed September's parliamentary elections by a year, saying it is necessary amid a rise in coronavirus infections.
Hong Kong is currently experiencing a spike in Covid-19 infections, and reported 121 new cases on Friday. However, the opposition has accused the government of using the pandemic as a pretext to stop people from voting. On Thursday, the government banned 12 pro-democracy candidates from running in the elections. Opposition activists had hoped to obtain a majority in the Legislative Council (LegCo) in September's poll, capitalising on anger at Beijing's imposition of a controversial national security law in Hong Kong, and fears that the territory's freedoms are being eroded.

Wiley: Rapper deleted from Facebook after abuse of Jewish critics

Facebook has deleted the personal account of rapper Wiley after he shared abusive posts aimed at his Jewish critics.
His comments came after an anti-Semitic tirade on Twitter on Friday. The BBC found posts on Facebook under his real name Richard Kylea Cowie. He specifically named Jewish celebrities - including Lord Alan Sugar, comedian David Baddiel and BBC presenter Emma Barnett. A Facebook spokesperson said Wiley's account was removed for "repeated violations" of its policies. It initially suspended, then deleted the grime artist's Facebook and Instagram profiles. The BBC has contacted the musician for comment. The posts aimed abuse at Jewish celebrities who had expressed their dismay about Wiley's tweets. Several of his posts mentioned "Golders Green" - a London neighbourhood with a large Jewish community.

Donald Trump Jr suspended from tweeting after Covid post

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. Twitter said the post had violated its Covid-19 misinformation rules. Donald Trump Jr will still be able to browse Twitter and send direct messages in the interim.

Facebook takes the EU to court over privacy spat

Facebook has pushed back against a European Union investigation into its practices, taking it to court over privacy concerns.
Two investigations are being carried out into Facebook to find out if it breaches competition laws. To gather information, the European Commission has demanded internal documents from Facebook that include 2,500 specific key phrases. Facebook says that means handing over unrelated but highly sensitive data. The European Commission says it will defend the case in court, and its investigation into Facebook's potential anticompetitive conduct is ongoing. The social media giant has filed an appeal to the EU courts, arguing against the breadth of the document requests.

Coronavirus 'most severe health emergency' WHO has faced

Covid-19 is easily the most severe global health emergency ever declared by the World Health Organization (WHO), its leader has said.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he would reconvene the WHO's emergency committee this week for a review. There have been five other global health emergencies: Ebola (two outbreaks), Zika, polio and swine flu. More than 16m cases of Covid-19 have been reported since January, and more than 650,000 deaths. "When I declared a public health emergency of international concern on 30 January... there were less than 100 cases outside of China, and no deaths," Dr Tedros said. "Covid-19 has changed our world. It has brought people, communities and nations together, and driven them apart."