For all the company’s talk of weeding out toxic content and clamping down on information warfare, Facebook has generated more than 105 million views of fake news about France’s Yellow Vest movement, a new study says. According to an analysis of 100 fake news stories conducted by global nonprofit Avaaz, Facebook’s platform is playing a critical role in diffusing propaganda and misleading information about the Yellow Vests, or “gilets jaunes.” Avaaz leads various campaigns surrounding issues such as protecting democratic institutions, corruption, and climate change. In this case, Avaaz’s team identified 100 stories that various French or international media groups had fact-checked and determined were fake. The organization called on Facebook to take even more aggressive steps to clamp down on such viral fake news. “Over 100 million views of fake news,” said Christoph Schott, campaign director at Avaaz, in a statement. “This huge … [Read more...] about Avaaz: Facebook is a festering hive of fake news about France’s Yellow Vests
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Stocks climb on report US may pare back tariffs on China
Marley Jay, Ap Markets Writer Updated 4:23 pm PST, Thursday, January 17, 2019 nullFILE- In this Jan. 11, 2019, file photo, trader Joseph Lawler, left, and specialist Mark Otto work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The U.S. stock market opens at 9:30 a.m. EST on Thursday, Jan. 17. less nullFILE- In this Jan. 11, 2019, file photo, trader Joseph Lawler, left, and specialist Mark Otto work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The U.S. stock market opens at 9:30 a.m. EST on Thursday, Jan. ... more Photo: Richard Drew, AP Photo: Richard Drew, AP Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Image 1 of 1 nullFILE- In this Jan. 11, 2019, file photo, trader Joseph Lawler, left, and specialist Mark Otto work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The U.S. stock market opens at … [Read more...] about Stocks climb on report US may pare back tariffs on China
Guiana’s Space Center is Important to France but are the French Guiana People?
Tech & Science European Space Agency Just over a steep hill, near the coast of French Guiana, launch towers rise from the jungle floor. Rockets beam in the tropical sun, waiting for the next mission to propel satellites and spacecraft out into the universe. Jaguars, snakes and lizards dart among railroads, warehouses and vats of fuel.Sprawling across an area the size of Brussels, the Guiana Space Center is the second-busiest spaceport in the world, after Cape Canaveral in the U.S. The proximity to the equator makes it an ideal launching pad for weather and communications satellites. And last year, the center saw a string of landmark launches, including an international mission to Mercury. It is even slated to blast NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope—the successor to the Hubble—into orbit around the sun in 2021. To France, it’s the pride of Europe’s space program.But to residents of this impoverished South American territory, the spaceport has come to … [Read more...] about Guiana’s Space Center is Important to France but are the French Guiana People?
‘They tell nothing but lies’: France’s ‘yellow vests’ reveal their hatred of the media
Saturday's yellow vest protests across France were for the most part similar to previous weekends. Thousands marched in cities across France chanting for President Emmanuel Macron to resign, there were clashes with police, albeit less serious ones than in the run-up to Christmas, and there were more reports of French journalists being abused and physically attacked. The video below shows reporters from LCI television and their bodyguards, who are now employed to protect many journalists covering the marches, being kicked and punched in the northern city of Rouen. It is not clear what sparked the attack. The editor of the local newspaper in the south-west La Depeche du Midi reported that a female journalist was surrounded in her car by gilets jaunes. They threatened to pull her out of the car and rape her before other yellow vests stepped in to help. One feature of the spontaneous grassroots anti-government movement that began in November … [Read more...] about ‘They tell nothing but lies’: France’s ‘yellow vests’ reveal their hatred of the media
Pound boosted by Brexit delay reports
Pound boosted by Brexit delay reports BelfastTelegraph.co.uk Sterling was on the rise on Friday following growing speculation that Brexit will be delayed beyond the current March 29 exit date. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/uk-world/pound-boosted-by-brexit-delay-reports-37703006.html https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/uk-world/article37703005.ece/cfcd2/AUTOCROP/h342/bpanews_2d82007b-9bb0-42c2-a5f6-f05744a6b9df_1 Email Sterling was on the rise on Friday following growing speculation that Brexit will be delayed beyond the current March 29 exit date. Currency traders pushed the British currency up 0.6% to 1.282 US dollars at the London market close, its highest level since November. Versus the euro, sterling was also up 0.6%, trading at 1.117. David Madden, market analyst at CMC Markets, said: “GBP/USD had a volatile session after it was reported that Brexit will be delayed beyond March 29, and shortly after, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister denied … [Read more...] about Pound boosted by Brexit delay reports