Intel apologises to China over supplier advice
US microchip maker Intel has apologised following a backlash over its letter urging suppliers not to source products or labour from China's Xinjiang region.
The company's letter sparked criticism in China, with calls for a boycott.
The letter said Intel had been "required to ensure" its supply chain did not use labour or source goods from Xinjiang, following restrictions imposed by "multiple governments".
China has been accused of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
The region is home to many of country's Muslim Uyghur population and there have been allegations of forced labour and possibly genocide.
US microchip maker Intel has apologised following a backlash over its letter urging suppliers not to source products or labour from China's Xinjiang region.
The company's letter sparked criticism in China, with calls for a boycott.
The letter said Intel had been "required to ensure" its supply chain did not use labour or source goods from Xinjiang, following restrictions imposed by "multiple governments".
China has been accused of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
The region is home to many of country's Muslim Uyghur population and there have been allegations of forced labour and possibly genocide.
Hong Kong universities remove more monuments marking Tiananmen
Two more Hong Kong universities have taken down monuments commemorating the Tiananmen massacre.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) tore down a Goddess of Democracy statue, while Lingnan University removed a relief sculpture.
It comes a day after Hong Kong University removed a famous statue marking the same event.
The monuments' removal comes as Beijing has increasingly been cracking down on political dissent in Hong Kong.
The Goddess of Democracy statue was modelled after the original statue erected by Chinese students in 1989 and paraded in Tiananmen Square just before the crackdown.
In 1989, Beijing's Tiananmen Square became the focus for demonstrations calling for greater political freedoms. Thousands of people camped for weeks in the square, but in June the military moved in and troops opened fire.
Two more Hong Kong universities have taken down monuments commemorating the Tiananmen massacre.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) tore down a Goddess of Democracy statue, while Lingnan University removed a relief sculpture.
It comes a day after Hong Kong University removed a famous statue marking the same event.
The monuments' removal comes as Beijing has increasingly been cracking down on political dissent in Hong Kong.
The Goddess of Democracy statue was modelled after the original statue erected by Chinese students in 1989 and paraded in Tiananmen Square just before the crackdown.
In 1989, Beijing's Tiananmen Square became the focus for demonstrations calling for greater political freedoms. Thousands of people camped for weeks in the square, but in June the military moved in and troops opened fire.
Covid: Christmas flights cancelled and new curbs amid Omicron spread
Millions of people are facing travel disruption and increased Covid restrictions over Christmas, as the surging Omicron variant sees safety curbs tightened and flights cancelled.
Italy, Spain and Greece have made face masks compulsory outdoors again.
Catalonia, in northern Spain, has imposed an overnight curfew, and the Netherlands is in a strict lockdown.
Despite early findings that Omicron is milder than other variants, scientists are concerned by the number of cases.
Millions of people are facing travel disruption and increased Covid restrictions over Christmas, as the surging Omicron variant sees safety curbs tightened and flights cancelled.
Italy, Spain and Greece have made face masks compulsory outdoors again.
Catalonia, in northern Spain, has imposed an overnight curfew, and the Netherlands is in a strict lockdown.
Despite early findings that Omicron is milder than other variants, scientists are concerned by the number of cases.
'Let's go, Brandon': Caller pranks Biden at White House event
A caller has pranked US President Joe Biden by dropping an anti-Biden taunt into their chat during a White House Christmas event.
Mr Biden and First Lady Jill Biden were hosting the festive call for families when a father told the president: "Let's go, Brandon."
Apparently unaware of the gibe, Mr Biden said he agreed.
The term, which has become a rallying cry for many conservatives, is code for a profane insult directed at Mr Biden.
The first couple were speaking virtually with children for a White House custom, tracking the journey of Santa's sleigh via the North American Aerospace Defence Command.
A caller has pranked US President Joe Biden by dropping an anti-Biden taunt into their chat during a White House Christmas event.
Mr Biden and First Lady Jill Biden were hosting the festive call for families when a father told the president: "Let's go, Brandon."
Apparently unaware of the gibe, Mr Biden said he agreed.
The term, which has become a rallying cry for many conservatives, is code for a profane insult directed at Mr Biden.
The first couple were speaking virtually with children for a White House custom, tracking the journey of Santa's sleigh via the North American Aerospace Defence Command.
James Webb Space Telescope lifts off on historic mission
The $10bn James Webb telescope has left Earth on its mission to show the first stars to light up the Universe.
The observatory was lifted skyward by an Ariane rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana.
Its flight to orbit lasted just under half an hour, with a signal confirming a successful outcome picked up by a ground antenna at Malindi in Kenya.
Webb, named after one of the architects of the Apollo Moon landings, is the successor to the Hubble telescope.
Engineers working with the US, European and Canadian space agencies have built the new observatory to be 100 times more powerful, however.
"Lift off from a tropical rainforest to the edge of time itself, James Webb begins a voyage back to the birth of the universe," said Nasa spokesman Rob Navias at the moment the rocket left the Earth.
The $10bn James Webb telescope has left Earth on its mission to show the first stars to light up the Universe.
The observatory was lifted skyward by an Ariane rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana.
Its flight to orbit lasted just under half an hour, with a signal confirming a successful outcome picked up by a ground antenna at Malindi in Kenya.
Webb, named after one of the architects of the Apollo Moon landings, is the successor to the Hubble telescope.
Engineers working with the US, European and Canadian space agencies have built the new observatory to be 100 times more powerful, however.
"Lift off from a tropical rainforest to the edge of time itself, James Webb begins a voyage back to the birth of the universe," said Nasa spokesman Rob Navias at the moment the rocket left the Earth.
TikTok ousts Google to become favourite online destination
Move over Google, TikTok is the world's new most popular online destination.
The viral video app gets more hits than the American search engine, according to Cloudflare, an IT security company.
The rankings show that TikTok knocked Google off the top spot in February, March and June this year, and has held the number one position since August.
Last year Google was first, and a number of sites including TikTok, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Netflix were all in the top 10.
Cloudfare said it tracks data using its tool Cloudflare Radar, which monitors web traffic.
Move over Google, TikTok is the world's new most popular online destination.
The viral video app gets more hits than the American search engine, according to Cloudflare, an IT security company.
The rankings show that TikTok knocked Google off the top spot in February, March and June this year, and has held the number one position since August.
Last year Google was first, and a number of sites including TikTok, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Netflix were all in the top 10.
Cloudfare said it tracks data using its tool Cloudflare Radar, which monitors web traffic.
Climate change: Huge toll of extreme weather disasters in 2021
Weather events, linked to a changing climate, brought misery to millions around the world in 2021 according to a new report.
The study, from the charity Christian Aid, identified 10 extreme events that each caused more than $1.5bn of damage.
The biggest financial impacts were from Hurricane Ida which hit the US in August and flooding in Europe in July.
In many poorer regions, floods and storms caused mass displacements of people and severe suffering.
Not every extreme weather event is caused by or linked to climate change, although scientists have become bolder in exploring the connections.
One leading researcher, Dr Friederike Otto, tweeted earlier this year that every heatwave happening in the world now is "made more likely and more intense" by human induced climate change.
Weather events, linked to a changing climate, brought misery to millions around the world in 2021 according to a new report.
The study, from the charity Christian Aid, identified 10 extreme events that each caused more than $1.5bn of damage.
The biggest financial impacts were from Hurricane Ida which hit the US in August and flooding in Europe in July.
In many poorer regions, floods and storms caused mass displacements of people and severe suffering.
Not every extreme weather event is caused by or linked to climate change, although scientists have become bolder in exploring the connections.
One leading researcher, Dr Friederike Otto, tweeted earlier this year that every heatwave happening in the world now is "made more likely and more intense" by human induced climate change.
Afghanistan's Taliban ban long-distance road trips for solo women
The Taliban have said Afghan women seeking to travel long distances by road should be offered transport only if accompanied by a male relative.
The directive, issued on Sunday, is the latest curb on women's rights since the Islamist group seized power in August.
The majority of secondary schools remain shut for girls, while most women have been banned from working.
Campaign group Human Rights Watch said the new restriction moved further towards making women prisoners.
The Taliban have said Afghan women seeking to travel long distances by road should be offered transport only if accompanied by a male relative.
The directive, issued on Sunday, is the latest curb on women's rights since the Islamist group seized power in August.
The majority of secondary schools remain shut for girls, while most women have been banned from working.
Campaign group Human Rights Watch said the new restriction moved further towards making women prisoners.
Elon Musk criticised after China space complaint to UN
Elon Musk is facing a social media backlash after China complained that its space station was forced to avoid collisions with satellites launched by his Starlink Internet Services project.
The country's space station had two "close encounters" with Starlink satellites this year, Beijing claimed.
The incidents behind the complaints, lodged with the UN's space agency, have not yet been independently verified.
Starlink is a satellite internet network operated by Mr Musk's SpaceX.
Elon Musk is facing a social media backlash after China complained that its space station was forced to avoid collisions with satellites launched by his Starlink Internet Services project.
The country's space station had two "close encounters" with Starlink satellites this year, Beijing claimed.
The incidents behind the complaints, lodged with the UN's space agency, have not yet been independently verified.
Starlink is a satellite internet network operated by Mr Musk's SpaceX.
Covid: US halves isolation time for asymptomatic infection
US health officials have halved the recommended isolation time for people with asymptomatic Covid-19 from 10 to five days, amid a surge in cases.
The measure is expected to alleviate disruption caused by staff shortages in many areas because of infections.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says most transmissions happen in the two days before and three days after symptoms develop.
But experts have criticised the lack of testing requirements to end isolation.
US health officials have halved the recommended isolation time for people with asymptomatic Covid-19 from 10 to five days, amid a surge in cases.
The measure is expected to alleviate disruption caused by staff shortages in many areas because of infections.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says most transmissions happen in the two days before and three days after symptoms develop.
But experts have criticised the lack of testing requirements to end isolation.
Robert E. Lee: Virginia workers open Civil War era time capsule
A conservation team in the US state of Virginia has opened a box containing Confederate war memorabilia believed to be more than 130 years old.
It contained newspapers, books and ammunition dated to the US Civil War.
Workers discovered the container in the state capital of Richmond while finishing the removal of a statue of the Confederate general Robert E Lee.
The memorial was removed after protests against it following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year.
Records held by the Library of Virginia say that the capsule was buried in 1877 and that dozens of local residents contributed around 60 objects to the container.
The lead conservator for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Kate Ridgway, said the contents and design of the box appeared to match the historical records.
A conservation team in the US state of Virginia has opened a box containing Confederate war memorabilia believed to be more than 130 years old.
It contained newspapers, books and ammunition dated to the US Civil War.
Workers discovered the container in the state capital of Richmond while finishing the removal of a statue of the Confederate general Robert E Lee.
The memorial was removed after protests against it following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year.
Records held by the Library of Virginia say that the capsule was buried in 1877 and that dozens of local residents contributed around 60 objects to the container.
The lead conservator for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Kate Ridgway, said the contents and design of the box appeared to match the historical records.
Elon Musk rejects claims that his satellites are hogging space
Elon Musk has rejected claims that his Starlink satellite internet project is taking up too much room in space.
"Tens of billions" of satellites can be accommodated in orbits close to Earth, he told the Financial Times.
His comments come after a claim by the head of the European Space Agency (ESA) that Mr Musk was "making the rules" for the emerging commercial space industry.
This week, China complained that its space station was forced to avoid collisions with Starlink satellites.
"Space is just extremely enormous, and satellites are very tiny," Mr Musk said in the interview.
Mr Musk pushed back at suggestions that his Starlink Internet Services project was effectively obstructing the entry of competitors to the satellite industry, saying that there is ample room in the Earth's orbit for satellites.
Elon Musk has rejected claims that his Starlink satellite internet project is taking up too much room in space.
"Tens of billions" of satellites can be accommodated in orbits close to Earth, he told the Financial Times.
His comments come after a claim by the head of the European Space Agency (ESA) that Mr Musk was "making the rules" for the emerging commercial space industry.
This week, China complained that its space station was forced to avoid collisions with Starlink satellites.
"Space is just extremely enormous, and satellites are very tiny," Mr Musk said in the interview.
Mr Musk pushed back at suggestions that his Starlink Internet Services project was effectively obstructing the entry of competitors to the satellite industry, saying that there is ample room in the Earth's orbit for satellites.
Ukraine tensions: Putin tells Biden new sanctions could rupture ties
Russia's Vladimir Putin has warned his US counterpart Joe Biden that imposing new sanctions over Ukraine could lead to a complete breakdown in relations.
In a phone call late on Thursday, the Russian president said such sanctions would be a "colossal mistake".
Mr Biden, meanwhile, told Mr Putin that the US and its allies would respond decisively to any invasion of Ukraine.
The call, requested by Russia, was the pair's second such conversation this month and lasted for almost an hour.
Russia's Vladimir Putin has warned his US counterpart Joe Biden that imposing new sanctions over Ukraine could lead to a complete breakdown in relations.
In a phone call late on Thursday, the Russian president said such sanctions would be a "colossal mistake".
Mr Biden, meanwhile, told Mr Putin that the US and its allies would respond decisively to any invasion of Ukraine.
The call, requested by Russia, was the pair's second such conversation this month and lasted for almost an hour.
New law allowing assisted suicide takes effect Austria
A law allowing assisted suicide has taken effect in Austria.
From Saturday, people aged over 18 who are terminally ill or suffer from a permanent, debilitating condition, can opt for assisted death.
Parliament approved the new law in December, following a constitutional court ruling on the issue.
The practice will be tightly regulated, with each case assessed by two doctors - one of whom would have to be a palliative medicine expert.
Officials say the government has also allocated funds to develop palliative care to ensure no one chooses to die when other options are available.
Assisted suicide, in which somebody is given the means to end their own life, is legal in neighbouring Switzerland.
It's also been decriminalised in several European countries, including Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands.
A law allowing assisted suicide has taken effect in Austria.
From Saturday, people aged over 18 who are terminally ill or suffer from a permanent, debilitating condition, can opt for assisted death.
Parliament approved the new law in December, following a constitutional court ruling on the issue.
The practice will be tightly regulated, with each case assessed by two doctors - one of whom would have to be a palliative medicine expert.
Officials say the government has also allocated funds to develop palliative care to ensure no one chooses to die when other options are available.
Assisted suicide, in which somebody is given the means to end their own life, is legal in neighbouring Switzerland.
It's also been decriminalised in several European countries, including Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands.
EU plans to label gas and nuclear energy 'green' prompt row
The European Commission has proposed plans to label some gas and nuclear power as green, prompting criticism from Germany.
The proposal argues that gas and nuclear are key to helping transition to cleaner power.
But Germany's environment minister called the plan "absolutely wrong".
The European Commission has proposed plans to label some gas and nuclear power as green, prompting criticism from Germany.
The proposal argues that gas and nuclear are key to helping transition to cleaner power.
But Germany's environment minister called the plan "absolutely wrong".
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Marjorie Taylor Greene: Twitter bans congresswoman over Covid misinformation
Twitter has permanently suspended the personal account of the US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene for repeated violations of its rules around coronavirus misinformation.
The action against the Republican lawmaker came under Twitter's strike system, which identifies posts about the virus that could cause harm.
The company had previously suspended the Georgia congresswoman four times.
Rep Greene said the ban proved that the company is "an enemy to America".
Twitter has permanently suspended the personal account of the US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene for repeated violations of its rules around coronavirus misinformation.
The action against the Republican lawmaker came under Twitter's strike system, which identifies posts about the virus that could cause harm.
The company had previously suspended the Georgia congresswoman four times.
Rep Greene said the ban proved that the company is "an enemy to America".
Top US phone firms reject call to delay 5G rollout
Two of the biggest US phone firms have rejected a government request to delay the rollout of 5G services this week.
The US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) made the request over concerns about aviation safety.
However, AT&T and Verizon did say they will implement temporary safeguards.
Plane makers have warned that C-Band spectrum 5G wireless signals may interfere with sensitive aircraft electronics and could disrupt flights.
Two of the biggest US phone firms have rejected a government request to delay the rollout of 5G services this week.
The US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) made the request over concerns about aviation safety.
However, AT&T and Verizon did say they will implement temporary safeguards.
Plane makers have warned that C-Band spectrum 5G wireless signals may interfere with sensitive aircraft electronics and could disrupt flights.
Bulli Bai: Indian man arrested for fake auction of Muslim women
Indian police have arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with an app that shared photos of more than 100 Muslim women saying they were on "sale".
He is an engineering student from the southern city of Bangalore whose identity has not been revealed.
The charges against him are unclear but he is a "close follower" of the app, Bulli Bai, police told BBC Marathi.
The app was hosted on web platform GitHub, which has since taken it down amid widespread anger and outrage.
Photographs of several prominent Muslim journalists and activists were used on the app without their permission and put on "sale" in a fake auction.
Indian police have arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with an app that shared photos of more than 100 Muslim women saying they were on "sale".
He is an engineering student from the southern city of Bangalore whose identity has not been revealed.
The charges against him are unclear but he is a "close follower" of the app, Bulli Bai, police told BBC Marathi.
The app was hosted on web platform GitHub, which has since taken it down amid widespread anger and outrage.
Photographs of several prominent Muslim journalists and activists were used on the app without their permission and put on "sale" in a fake auction.
Elizabeth Holmes: Theranos founder convicted of fraud
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has been convicted of defrauding investors after a months-long landmark trial in California.
Prosecutors said Holmes knowingly lied about technology she said could detect diseases with a few drops of blood.
Jurors found Holmes guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud against investors and three charges of wire fraud.
She denied the charges, which carry a maximum prison term of 20 years each.
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has been convicted of defrauding investors after a months-long landmark trial in California.
Prosecutors said Holmes knowingly lied about technology she said could detect diseases with a few drops of blood.
Jurors found Holmes guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud against investors and three charges of wire fraud.
She denied the charges, which carry a maximum prison term of 20 years each.