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Mysterious monolith found in Romania - days after a similar one vanished in Utah

People have speculated whether the monoliths are linked as they bear a close resemblance to each other.
The 4m (13ft) monolith has been spotted on Batca Doamnei Hill in the city of Piatra Neamt, according to reports from local media. The appearance of the hollow structure, which has a triangular shape and is covered in a looping scrawl, has sparked speculation about its origin. It bears a resemblance to the Utah monolith which was spotted in a remote cove two weeks ago, leading people to wonder if the monuments are linked.

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Facebook News will pay UK outlets for content in 2021

Facebook will begin paying UK news publishers for some articles with the launch of Facebook News in January.
The feature adds a dedicated news tab to the Facebook app, and has already launched in the United States. Facebook said it will "pay publishers for content that is not already on the platform" and prioritise original reporting. It comes after years of tension between Facebook and news publishers, who have often accused it of "stealing" content. But hundreds of UK news outlets are already signed up to deals for the new feature, Facebook said. They include publishers such as Hearst (Cosmopolitan, Elle, Esquire); the Guardian Media group; regional newspaper giant JPI Media; and the Midland News Association. Facebook said it expects more publishers to join after the launch.

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Utah monolith: Has the mysterious metal object disappeared?

A mysterious metal monolith discovered last week in the desert in the US state of Utah has disappeared, officials say.
Utah's Bureau of Land Management said it had seen credible reports the object had been removed "by an unknown party". Social media images apparently from the site show a pile of rocks and a small piece of metal left behind. The discovery of the 12ft (3.7m) high object sparked a national guessing game as to how it got there, and saw dozens of people pay a visit in recent days. The strange metal object was first spotted on 18 November by a helicopter crew counting big horn sheep from the air, in a remote south-eastern area of Utah. News of its discovery and speculation over its origins quickly went viral on social media, with many observers presuming it was an art installation left by a sculptor.

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Linus Torvalds doubts Linux will get ported to Apple M1 hardware

"I'd absolutely love to have [an M1 laptop] if it just ran Linux," Torvalds said.
In a recent post on the Real World Technologies forum—one of the few public internet venues Linux founder Linus Torvalds is known to regularly visit—a user named Paul asked Torvalds, "What do you think of the new Apple laptop?" "I'd absolutely love to have one, if it just ran Linux," Torvalds replied. "I've been waiting for an ARM laptop that can run Linux for a long time. The new [Macbook] Air would be almost perfect, except for the OS." Torvalds, of course, can already have an ARM based Linux laptop if he wants one—for example, the Pinebook Pro. The unspoken part here is that he'd like a high-performance ARM based laptop, rather than a budget-friendly but extremely performance constrained design such as one finds in the Pinebook Pro, the Raspberry Pi, or a legion of other inexpensive gadgets.

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Maradona: Funeral worker apologises over coffin photos

A funeral worker who took a photo next to the open coffin of Argentine football icon Diego Maradona has asked fans for forgiveness.
Claudio Fernández was pictured standing next to Maradona's body, alongside his son, who made a thumbs-up gesture. A third man appeared in his own photo. Maradona died at his home in Tigre, near Buenos Aires, on Wednesday. The images surfaced online as Maradona's body lay in repose at the presidential palace, provoking outrage. The footballer's lawyer, Matías Morla, has vowed to take action against "the scoundrel" responsible for the photos. Mr Fernandez told Radio 10 on Friday that the decision to take the photo was "something instantaneous".

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Iran's top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh assassinated near Tehran

Iran's most senior nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh has been assassinated near the capital Tehran, the country's defence ministry has confirmed.
Fakhrizadeh died in hospital after an attack in Absard, in Damavand county. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, has condemned the killing "as an act of state terror". Western intelligence agencies view Fakhrizadeh as being behind Iran's secret nuclear weapons programme. He was reportedly described as the "father of the Iranian bomb" by diplomats. News of the killing comes amid fresh concern about the increased amount of enriched uranium that Iran is producing. Enriched uranium is a vital component for both civil nuclear power generation and military nuclear weapons.

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Your data and how it is used to gain your vote

How much do political parties know about you - and how is it used to try to sway your vote?
The Cambridge Analytica scandal threw light on how the Facebook data of millions was harvested and turned into a messaging tool. The revelations were criticised far and wide by politicians of all stripes. But now, a report from the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) puts the spotlight on the relationship between data brokers and the politicians here. Even limited information can be used in surprising ways, the ICO report found. For example, buying someone's name can lead to making guesses about their income, number of children and ethnicity - which is then used to tailor a political message for them. The report suggests that the Conservative Party is doing just that, using so-called "onomastic data": information derived from the study of people's names which could identify their ethnic origin or religion.

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Coronavirus and gender: More chores for women set back gains in equality

The coronavirus pandemic could wipe out 25 years of increasing gender equality, new global data from UN Women suggests.
Women are doing significantly more domestic chores and family care, because of the impact of the pandemic. "Everything we worked for, that has taken 25 years, could be lost in a year," says UN Women Deputy Executive Director Anita Bhatia. Employment and education opportunities could be lost, and women may suffer from poorer mental and physical health. The care burden poses a "real risk of reverting to 1950s gender stereotypes", Ms Bhatia says. Even before the pandemic, it was estimated women were doing about three quarters of the 16 billion hours of unpaid work that are done each day around the world.

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Why don't Facebook and Apple like each other?

Big corporate rivalries, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Boeing and Airbus, McDonald's and Burger King, tend to have one thing in common - competition for the same business. That's why Facebook and Apple's feud is so intriguing.
They're both big technology companies, and that's where the similarities end. Almost all of Facebook's revenue is from advertising - but it provides only a small fraction of Apple's, which comes mostly from devices and its App Store. The two companies don't really compete with each other - they just don't like each other. For years, Apple's Tim Cook has said Facebook treats its users as a product - to make money from advertising - and plays fast and loose with their privacy. Mark Zuckerberg, meanwhile, says Apple's products are expensive and it has ulterior motives for criticising Facebook.

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Metal monolith found by helicopter crew in Utah desert

A strange metal monolith has been discovered in the Utah desert by a helicopter crew, leaving local authorities baffled.
Wildlife officials spotted the "unusual" object while counting sheep during a flyover in a remote south-eastern area of the US state. They said the structure had been planted in the ground between red rock. There was no indication who installed the monolith, which was about 10 to 12ft (3.6m) tall. In an interview with local news channel KSLTV, the helicopter pilot, Bret Hutchings, said: "That's been about the strangest thing that I've come across out there in all my years of flying."

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Director Tristram Shapeero apologises to Lukas Gage after unmuted comments

Director Tristram Shapeero has apologised after unwittingly commenting on an actor's "tiny apartment" without realising he could be heard.
Euphoria actor Lukas Gage was auditioning for a role via Zoom earlier this year when an unmuted Shapeero began making comments about his home. Gage uploaded the video of the encounter to Twitter this week. Shapeero apologised to Gage at the time and has now written an open letter to him about his "unacceptable" remarks. In the video, which includes bad language and was posted on Twitter by Gage on Saturday, the actor can be seen in his apartment about to audition on Zoom for a screen role.

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Trump accepts US presidency transition to Biden must begin

Donald Trump has accepted a formal US transition should begin for President-elect Joe Biden to take office.
The president said the federal agency overseeing the handover must "do what needs to be done", even as he vowed to keep contesting his election defeat. The General Services Administration (GSA) said it was acknowledging Mr Biden as the "apparent winner". It came as Mr Biden's victory in the state of Michigan was officially certified, a major blow to Mr Trump. The GSA announcement means the president-elect now has access to top security briefings, office space and government officials as he prepares to take office on 20 January.

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Smart doorbells 'easy target for hackers' study finds

Major security flaws in popular smart doorbells are putting consumers at risk of being targeted by hackers inside their homes, according to Which.
The consumer group says devices being sold on marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay, could easily be hacked or switched off by criminals. It is asking the government for new legislation to safeguard consumers. Amazon has removed at least seven product listings in response to the findings. The watchdog tested 11 devices which were purchased from popular online marketplaces in the UK. Brands included Qihoo, Ctronics and Victure. It found that among the most common flaws were weak password policies, and a lack of data encryption. Two of the devices in the test could be manipulated to steal network passwords and then hack other smart devices within the home.

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Covid-19: Oxford University vaccine is highly effective

The coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford is highly effective at stopping people developing Covid-19 symptoms, a large trial shows.
Interim data suggests 70% protection, but the researchers say the figure may be as high as 90% by tweaking the dose. The results will be seen as a triumph, but come after Pfizer and Moderna vaccines showed 95% protection. However, the Oxford jab is far cheaper, and is easier to store and get to every corner of the world than the other two. So the vaccine will play a significant role in tackling the pandemic, if it is approved for use by regulators. "The announcement today takes us another step closer to the time when we can use vaccines to bring an end to the devastation caused by [the virus]," said the vaccine's architect, Prof Sarah Gilbert. The UK government has pre-ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine, and AstraZeneca says it will make three billion doses for the world next year.

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US election 2020: Biden says Trump denial 'sending horrible message'

US President-elect Joe Biden has condemned Donald Trump's refusal to accept defeat in the presidential election, saying it sent "a horrible message about who we are as a country".
Mr Biden said he was confident Mr Trump knew he was not going to win and had shown "incredible irresponsibility". Mr Trump has launched lawsuits alleging unsubstantiated election fraud. He has now also invited state lawmakers to the White House, hinting at a possible change in tactics. Michigan's Republican lawmakers have been asked to meet him there on Friday. All but one of Mr Trump's challenges has failed to make any real headway. Mr Biden's victory margin in the public vote overall stands at more than 5.9 million. The victory in the US Electoral College system, which decides who becomes president, is projected to be 306 to 232.

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Sony PlayStation 5 delivery delays spark row over who is to blame

Many customers hoping to get hold of a PlayStation 5 on its launch day have been left disappointed after online retailers sold out of the console.
In an email to customers, Game blamed courier firm Yodel, which has strenuously denied it is at fault, for some pre-ordered consoles not being delivered on launch day. Currys PC World and John Lewis had sold out of the PS5 by lunchtime. That led some gamers to pay nearly double the retail price on eBay. The PS5 was released in the UK on 19 November but lockdown has meant that people cannot purchase one in physical stores. The US launch took place last week.

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US election: Trump campaign seeks partial recount in Wisconsin

President Donald Trump is to seek a partial recount of votes in the state of Wisconsin which his rival Joe Biden is projected to win by 20,000 votes.
Hours before a Wednesday deadline, the Trump campaign said it wanted a recount in the counties of Milwaukee and Dane, alleging irregularities. Mr Trump has been making unsubstantiated claims of fraud and refused to authorise a handover. Mr Biden says delaying the transition will damage the US pandemic response. The Trump campaign has filed a flurry of lawsuits contesting the results in key states, although election officials say there is no evidence of widespread irregularities. President-elect Joe Biden, a Democrat, is projected to have won the popular vote by more than 5.6 million ballots - 3.6 percentage points. In the US electoral college system that decides the presidency, he has 306 votes to Mr Trump's 232.

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Backlash to Twitter's disappearing tweets feature

A new feature on Twitter designed to allow people to share "their fleeting thoughts" has faced a backlash, with many saying it encouraged harassment.
So-called "fleets" vanish in 24 hours, and Twitter said they are meant to "help people feel more comfortable joining the conversation". But many users spotted issues which they fear could also be abused. Twitter said it was listening to user feedback about the new feature. Fleets are similar to Instagram Stories and Snapchat Stories, and allow users to post text, photos or video which appear in bubbles at the top of the app for 24 hours. The feature was tested in several countries, including Brazil, Italy and India, before the global rollout this week.

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Facebook and Twitter grilled over US election actions

Facebook and Twitter's chief executives have been challenged over their handling of the US election in their latest appearance before the US Senate.
Democrats questioned whether steps taken to flag that President Trump's claims of election fraud were "disputed" had gone far enough. Republican members of the Judiciary Committee asked whether the tech firms should be taking such action at all. This was the second time the CEOs had been cross-examined in three weeks.They were previously questioned by the Senate Commerce Committee last month in what was a more rowdy event. Once again, the issue of a law known as Section 230 loomed large. It says the platforms are generally not responsible for illegal or offensive things users post on them.

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US troops in Afghanistan: Republicans alarmed by withdrawal plans

Senior Republicans have voiced their alarm at US plans to withdraw some of its forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The US is to cut its number of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq by 2,500, the US Department of Defense confirmed. President Donald Trump has long called for troops to come home and has criticised US interventions abroad. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell - usually a staunch defender of Mr Trump - called the plan "a mistake". He also warned the president against taking "any earthshaking changes in regards to defence and foreign policy" before leaving office. Mr Trump is yet to concede to Democrat Joe Biden, and the cuts are scheduled to take place five days before Mr Biden takes office on 20 January 2021.