Robert Mugabe resigns: World reaction | News

The resignation of Robert Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe has resonated across the region and the wider international community. The veteran leader, 93, led his country from independence in 1980 until November 21, 2017. He was the world’s oldest head of state. His departure came days after a surprise military takeover, amid a power struggle within the ruling ZANU-PF’s party, and unprecedented

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp just hit iOS and Android a day early

No doubt hoping to get a jump on that holiday traffic, Nintendo’s latest mobile opus, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp has hit iOS and Android a day ahead of schedule. The latest installment of one of the game company’s most adorable franchises was first announced this time last month. In spite of some skepticism, early looks at the title were complimentary, noting that the title does appear to be

Post-Mugabe Zimbabwe will be someone else’s fiefdom | Robert Mugabe

For long in Zimbabwe’s politics, the military has been the decisive force keeping President Robert Mugabe in power. In early November, it proved yet again that it is the kingmaker of Zimbabwean politics, thwarting first lady Grace Mugabe’s plans to take over from her husband. The influence that the army has exerted over the past decades has shaped Zimbabwe’s regime into a neopatrimonial,

FCC Expected to Repeal Net Neutrality Rules in Vote Next Month

FCC chairman Ajit Pai today announced that his controversial Restoring Internet Freedom order is headed to vote on December 14. The order, proposed in May, would roll back the Barack Obama administration’s classification of internet service providers as “common carriers” under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. As common carriers, internet providers are required to act as neutral

Shadow upgrades its cloud computer for gamers and opens signups to everyone

French startup Blade, the company behind Shadow, announced at a press conference that it is launching new offers, updating specifications and the ability to become a client and buy a subscription without any waiting list. Shadow is a gaming PC in the cloud for a monthly fee. The company has been running thousands of computers with an Intel Xeon processor and an Nvidia GTX 1070 in a data center

Israel pushes to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda | Israel News

Israel plans to deport tens of thousands of asylum seekers to a third country in Africa under threat of indefinite detention, a move that local human rights activists say violates international and Israeli laws. The Israeli cabinet approved a proposal on Sunday to close the Holot detention centre, a facility in the southern Negev (Naqab) desert that currently houses just over 1,000 African

You can now control the DJI Spark with Gamevice’s controller accessory

Gamevice is a bit like way to turn your iPhone or iPad into a Switch, at least in terms of adding physical controls to your gaming experience. But now the add-on can go beyond gaming, offering a way to easily control the DJI Spark with added precision and improved ergonomics when compared to just using a touchscreen device on its own. This is actually great news for Spark owners, since the

Robert Mugabe resigns as Zimbabwe’s president | Zimbabwe News

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has submitted his resignation after nearly four decades as the country’s leader. Mugabe defied demands to step down for almost a week after a military takeover and expulsion from his own ruling ZANU-PF party but stepped down on Tuesday, hours after parliament started an impeachment process. Cheers broke out in the parliament after speaker Jacob Mudenda read out

Android devices seen covertly sending location data to Google

An investigation by Quartz has revealed that Android devices send cell tower location data to Google even if the user has disabled location services for apps in their device settings. Quartz also said it observed location data being sent even if devices had been reset to factory default settings. Android devices with a cellular data or a wi-fi connection were seen to send the data to Google each

Amnesty: Rohingya in Rakhine State live under apartheid | News

A new ground-breaking report by Amnesty International has described the situation of the Rohingya living in Rakhine State as one of “apartheid”. The report, titled “Caged without a roof: Apartheid in Myanmar’s Rakhine State“, capped two years of extensive and investigative research into the legal status and conditions of the Rohingya minority. “They live under a system of repression that is

Apple Has Removed Skype From App Store in China to Comply With Local Law

Microsoft has confirmed that Skype has been “temporarily removed” from the App Store on iPhone and iPad, according to a statement given to The New York Times. Apple told The New York Times that it was forced to remove a number of voice and video calling apps from the App Store in China to comply with laws in the country. We have been notified by the Ministry of Public Security that a number of

Deadly car bombing strikes Iraq’s Tuz Khurmatu | News

A suicide car bombing has killed at least 20 people in Tuz Khurmatu, a town in northern Iraq, according to local security and medical sources. Dozens more were wounded in Tuesday’s attack near a marketplace in the town, located south of Kirkuk city and home to a mixed Arab, Kurdish and Turkmen population. Iraqi government forces gained control over the oil-rich Kirkuk province from the Kurdish

You can virtually inhabit Toyota’s new humanoid robot

Toyota has a new, third-generation humanoid robot bears the charming name “T-HR3” and is designed to be a helpful and safe assistant to humans. It also features a so-called “master maneuvering systems,” which is essentially a VR-powered remote operating platform that a human can use to have the T-HR3 mirror its movements. Yes, kind of like a jaeger from kaiju movie Pacific Rim. The T-HR3 is

How a missing ‘the’ enabled Israeli occupation | Israel

When the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 2334 in December 2016, Israeli leaders seethed. Their fury was duly understood to stem from what they perceived as an unprecedented betrayal by the United States. But that was not it at all, since Resolution 2334 – which asserted that Israeli settlements have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of human rights – was

Dish customers can no longer access CBS TV channels

The two sides have locked horns over the fees CBS wants from Dish for retransmission of its content. In a statement, CBS said it had been trying for months to reach an agreement with Dish, and added that “Dish is infamous within the media industry for its long history of disputes with content providers”. Dish responded by claiming CBS is attempting to “tax” customers on programming that’s losing

Storms lash Vancouver | News

British Colombia has been lashed by an active winter storm. Heavy downpours, strong winds and snow have battered the region over the past few days. More than 70 millimetres of rain fell in Vancouver between Saturday evening and Monday morning, and elsewhere the rain was even heavier. Port Alberni reported 115mm in just 24 hours. At higher levels, the rain turned to snow, with Fort St John

Critical Flaws in Intel Processors Leave Millions of PCs Vulnerable

In past few months, several research groups have uncovered vulnerabilities in the Intel remote administration feature known as the Management Engine (ME) which could allow remote attackers to gain full control of a targeted computer. Now, Intel has admitted that these security vulnerabilities could “potentially place impacted platforms at risk.” The popular chipmaker released a security

Suicide bomber kills worshippers at mosque in Mubi | News

A blast at a mosque in Mubi, northeastern Nigeria, has killed at least 20 people, local media reports have said.  Police said a teenage bomber targeted the mosque as people arrived for morning prayers. No group has yet claimed responsibility, but Boko Haram carries out regular attacks in the region. The death toll reported varied from at least 20 to 50.  “It was a devastating attack on the

Impeachment process to begin as Mugabe remains defiant | Zimbabwe News

Harare, Zimbabwe – Defiant President Robert Mugabe could lose his 37-year grip on Zimbabwe within days, with a motion to impeach him on Tuesday’s parliament agenda introduced by the ruling ZANU-PF party. The motion – which will be heard in a joint sitting of the lower and upper house – accuses Mugabe of being “the source of instability” within government and allowing his wife, First Lady Grace,

Qatar warns of ‘dark ages’ in the Middle East | News

Warning of “dark ages” in the Middle East, Qatar’s foreign minister on Monday accused its neighbours of perpetuating “drama and discord” as part of a “dangerous game of power”. “Regional players are acting irresponsibly, taking a political gamble with the lives of other nations’ citizens with no exit strategy,” Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said in a speech at

Pokémon GO players catch 500 million Pokémon in under two days

That was fast, Trainers! You’ve caught over 500 million Pokémon & unlocked new rewards during the Global Catch Challenge. #PokemonGOtravel http://pic.twitter.com/GuOTPxh6ts — Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) November 21, 2017 The more Pokémon everyone nabs, the more prizes get dished out, including region-locked pocket monsters, like Farfetch’d (which will be available worldwide for 48 hours when

Bosnia war victims on why Mladic’s verdict means little | Bosnia

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Ratko Mladic, known as the “Butcher of Bosnia”, is accused of heading one of the worst massacres in recent history. Between 100,000 and 200,000 people were killed in the Bosnian War between 1992 and 1995, and as many as 50,000 women were raped. On Wednesday, a UN judge will hand down Mladic’s verdict for genocide and crimes against humanity at the International

Assad to Putin: Thank you for ‘saving our country’ | Syria News

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad thanked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for “saving” his country and for Russia’s support in Syria. The two heads of state met for talks in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday, the Kremlin said in a statement on Tuesday. They discussed the fight against “terrorism” and the possibilities for a political settlement in Syria, which has entered

Amazon’s all-new Echo goes (RED) for a limited time

The new Echo is a better looking device than its predecessor, thanks in large part to its various fabric coverings. Now, there’s a new option for the outer shell: A PRODUCT(RED) special limited edition. The fabric outer comes in red, appropriately enough, and $10 of the purchase price (of $99.99, same as any other Echo) will go toward (RED)’s work fighting AIDS through the Global Fund. Amazon

Best Deals on iPhones, iPads, and Macs

Popular store chains that are offering Black Friday deals both at brick and mortar locations or online are listed below, with each of the Apple-related deals organized by product type. Amazon Amazon has already kicked off its Black Friday deals week, and from now until Black Friday, Amazon will be offering a range of rotating deals that will change on a regular basis. Starting on November 19 and

DOJ slaps AT&T with antitrust lawsuit over Time Warner purchase

AT&T statement on DOJ suing to block its acquisition of Time Warner: http://pic.twitter.com/b5Mo7nexiv — Jan Wolfe (@JanNWolfe) November 20, 2017 The deal was made public just over a year ago, and ever since there’s been plenty of chatter about how the deal could be bad for both consumers and rival service providers. Time Warner owns hugely important entertainment properties like HBO, Warner

How the Kindle was designed through 10 years and 15 generations

The Kindle has become one of the most ubiquitous pieces of specialty electronics in the world since it launched 10 years ago today, but the device has changed so much since its debut that one can hardly believe the oldest and newest models are meant to do the same thing. Amazon’s Chris Green, VP of Design at its Lab126 hardware arm, talked with me for a retrospective of the design choices that

Riyad Hijab quits as head of Syrian opposition’s HNC | Syria News

Riyad Hijab, the head of Syria’s main opposition bloc, has resigned ahead of a conference scheduled in Saudi Arabia aimed at “unifying” various groups opposing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. A former prime minister under Assad who defected following the 2011 uprising, Hijab has been the face of the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee (HNC) since December 2015.  He announced his decision

U.S. Justice Department Files Lawsuit to Block Merger Between AT&T and Time Warner

The United States Justice Department today filed a lawsuit to stop a planned merger between AT&T and Time Warner, reports Bloomberg. The DOJ believes such a merger would result in higher bills and fewer options for consumers. “This merger would greatly harm American consumers. It would mean higher monthly television bills and fewer of the new, emerging innovative options that consumers are

Army: Mnangagwa to return ‘shortly’, will meet Mugabe | News

Zimbabwe’s army chief has said ex-vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose dismissal on November 6 prompted a military takeover, is expected to return to the country “shortly”. General Constantino Chiwenga told reporters on Monday that, following consultations, President Robert Mugabe had started working towards “a definitive solution and roadmap for the country”. His comments came after Mugabe 

North American ‘League of Legends’ championship finalizes 10-team roster

Without further ado, the teams are: 100 Thieves, Cloud9, Clutch Gaming, Counter Logic Gaming, Echo Fox, FlyQuest, Golden Guardians, OpTic Gaming, Team Liquid, and Team SoloMid. While most of those return from this summer‘s 2017 NA LCS, but pointedly missing is that season’s second-place finisher, Immortals. Riot considered each prospective team’s strategy, brand and business plans, staffing

Dutch police officer ‘may wear headscarf with uniform’ | Netherlands 2017 News

Police in Netherlands are discriminating against a Muslim female officer by not allowing her to wear a headscarf with a uniform, since her contact with the public is limited, the country’s Commission for Human Rights has ruled. According to Dutch law, police officers are banned from wearing visible religious symbols while on duty on the grounds that they need to appear “neutral”. Sarah Izat, the

Merkel in favour of snap poll over minority government | News

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is ready to take her centre-right alliance into a snap election that lead a minority government, as political uncertainty in Europe’s top economy rises. The leader of the Christian Democratic (CDU) party made the comments on Monday after high-stakes negotiations to form a coalition government broke down. “I’m very sceptical,” about the prospect of

Nasrallah rejects Arab League statement on Hezbollah | Lebanon News

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has rejected claims made by Arab foreign ministers that the Lebanese group is arming rebels in Yemen. In a televised speech on Monday from Beirut, Nasrallah, whose Shia group is represented in the Lebanese parliament and has a strong military wing, called the claims made at the previous day’s Arab League meeting “ridiculous”. Referring to a paragraph in the

TIME Ranks iPhone X and Apple Watch Series 3 Among Top 10 Best Gadgets of 2017

After previously earning the designation of one of the overall best inventions of 2017, the iPhone X has today been placed at the #2 spot on TIME‘s “Top 10 Gadgets of 2017” list. According to the magazine, Apple’s new smartphone placed so highly because many of its features — including Face ID and edge-to-edge display — “will undoubtedly set a new standard for phones to come.” Yes, it’s

Lightroom on a new iPhone, Google’s Pixel 2 cases

For instance, a photo taken of the gaping hole in my parents’ garage roof blew out all the highlights and turned everything a sickly yellow, while the default camera app looked approximately like what I saw onscreen when I hit the shutter. Daylight HDR photos usually look overprocessed and unnatural, but every now and again the shadows and highlights aren’t blown out and I get better results

Nebraska approves contentious Keystone XL pipeline | News

A regulator in the US state of Nebraska has granted a final permit to build a contentious oil pipeline that has faced staunch opposition for years in both Canada and the US. The Nebraska Public Service Commission approved construction on an alternative route for the Keystone XL pipeline on Monday morning local time.  Three commissioners voted in favour of the “mainline alternative route”, and

BankBot Returns On Play Store – A Never Ending Android Malware Story

Even after so many efforts by Google for making its Play Store away from malware, shady apps somehow managed to fool its anti-malware protections and infect people with malicious software. A team of researchers from several security firms has uncovered two new malware campaigns targeting Google Play Store users, of which one spreads a new version of BankBot, a persistent family of banking

Google promises a software fix for the Pixel 2’s buzzing phone call problem in ‘the coming weeks’

Google’s hardware team can’t catch a break this year. In spite of solid reviews (us included), the company’s new Pixel 2 handsets have been plagued by glitches, including a buzzing sound heard in the ear piece during phone calls. A company rep issued a short response to a lengthy thread about the problem on Google’s Pixel User Community board, noting that the company will start rolling out an

Sebastian Pinera to face Alejandro Guiller in run-off | Chile News

Chile’s presidential election will go to a December run-off vote after conservative Sebastian Pinera won the first round but fell short of an outright victory. Pinera, a billionaire ranked by Forbes magazine as the third richest person in Chile, won 36.6 percent of the Sunday’s vote. Socialist Alejandro Guiller came second, with nearly 23 percent. A candidate needs to win at least 50 percent to

Spotify Launches Holiday Sale: New Users Can Get Three Months of Premium for $0.99

Spotify today launched its holiday discounts, giving new users three months of Spotify Premium for $0.99, after which they’ll need to pay the traditional $9.99/month subscription cost or cancel their account beforehand. The sale is similar to discounts launched in years past, with Spotify encouraging new users to sign up to the music streaming service over the holidays. This year, there’s an

Defakto’s ‘Stille Nacht’ watch is a limited edition of galactic proportions

Independent watchmaker Defakto creates some stunning timepieces via its regular collection, but it has a new limited series that is particularly eye-catching. The new Defakto Stille Nacht is a collaboration with artist Friederike Bellman, and it uses a hand-painted star field to brighten and distinguish each watface for the 50-piece limited edition run. The Stille Nacht (‘Silent Night,’ in

Venezuela media law: ‘Threat to freedom of expression’? | Venezuela News

Human rights groups have raised concerns over a media law passed earlier this month in Venezuela that they say could stifle freedom of expression and criminalise social-media users opposed to President Nicolas Maduro’s government. The Venezuelan government passed a law that prohibits anyone from sharing content that “promotes fascism, intolerance or hate … on social media or digital platforms”,

German coalition talks fail after FDP walks out | Germany News

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced that her efforts to form a three-way coalition failed after liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) withdrew from the talks. “Now we have to deal with the facts. And the fact is that we were unable to finish the coalition talks with success,” Merkel said in a press conference on Monday. “It is a day of deep reflection on how to go forward in Germany. As

The Morning After: Monday, November 20th 2017

Unfortunately, it’s currently sold out. Tesla made a phone battery pack that mimics Supercharger monuments Tesla dropped its electric Semi truck and a new Roadster at a recent event, but it apparently launched another product that didn’t get any stage time. The automaker has released, of all things, a $45 external battery pack (the Powerbank) with USB, microUSB and Apple Lightning connections

Thanksgiving: The annual genocide whitewash | US & Canada

When I was a schoolchild in the United States a couple of short decades ago, I spent my time acquiring important life skills – ranging from how to fake a wrist fracture in order to obtain a purple cast, to how to craft a teepee replica out of a paper bag. The latter art was perfected in accordance with the holiday of Thanksgiving, which arrived each November to great fanfare, and which, in

Supreme Court upholds Uhuru Kenyatta’s victory | News

Kenya’s Supreme Court has unanimously upheld President Uhuru Kenyatta’s election victory in a rerun vote that was held in October.  Opposition candidate Raila Odinga had said the results of the first election were invalid and challenged the processes of the second vote – eventually pulling out of the second race.  Following Monday’s ruling, opposition supporters are expected to hold rallies

Germany bans kids’ smartwatches that can be used for eavesdropping

A German regulator has banned domestic sales of children’s smartwatches that have a listening function — warning that parents have been using the devices to secretly eavesdrop on teachers at their kids’ school. In an announcement on Friday, the Federal Network Agency telecoms watchdog said it had already taken action against some online sellers. The target group for the smartwatches are children

Tropical Storm Kirogi hits Vietnam | Vietnam News

Tropical Storm Kirogi has hit Vietnam bringing torrential rain. The storm weakened before making landfall, meaning the sustained winds were only 55 kilometres per hour when it hit the coast. However, the rain was still very heavy, with 182 millimetres of rain reported in Quy Nhon, and 142mm in the historic city of Hue. This is a large amount of rain and it falls at what is always a wet time of

Hundreds of rights violations documented in Yemen | Saudi Arabia News

At least 716 cases of rights violations were committed against civilians in Yemen last month, a rights watchdog has said. The Geneva-based SAM organisation said in a statement on Sunday that among the violations were incidents of extrajudicial killing, physical assault, arbitrary detention, forced displacement, torture and violations of press freedom. More than 500 of the violations were