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UK Competition Commission Ordered Facebook to Sell GIF Sharing Platform [Tweet]

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The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ordered Facebook to sell Giphy on Tuesday, claiming that acquiring the animated visual sharing platform will give the US company even more market dominance at the expense of rival social media platforms.

“After consulting with interested businesses and organisations – and assessing alternative solutions (known as ‘remedies’) put forward by Facebook – the CMA has concluded that its competition concerns can only be addressed by Facebook selling Giphy in its entirety to an approved buyer,” the competition watchdog said in a statement.

According to the CMA, the merger will block or restrict access to Giphy GIFs on other platforms, resulting in increased traffic to Facebook-owned social media sites such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

“By requiring Facebook to sell Giphy, we are protecting millions of social media users and promoting competition and innovation in digital advertising,” Stuart McIntosh, who chaired the independent inquiry group carrying out the phase 2 investigation, was quoted as saying.

Forsided, 30.11.2021

Woman Sets Fire to Quarantine Hotel in Australia [Video]

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In Queensland, Australia, a mother has been arrested and charged with arson after setting fire to a hotel where she and her two children were ordered to quarantine for two weeks.

The blaze engulfed the top floor of the Pacific Hotel in the northeastern city of Cairns on Sunday morning, forcing the evacuation of more than 160 guests.

There were no injuries, but the damage to the building was “significant” and forced authorities to relocate people to other Covid-19 quarantine facilities.

Authorities said a 31-year-old lady started a fire beneath her bed after just spending a “couple of days” of the mandated two-week quarantine inside the hotel following her passage into Queensland from another state. She had also apparently caused other undisclosed problems for the employees throughout her stay prior to the tragedy.

Forsided, 30.11.2021

Reports: Twitter’s Jack Dorsey to step down [Tweet]

According to CNBC’s insider sources, Twitter founder and CEO Jack Dorsey will be stepping down from his position with the social media platform. The shares of the company have already risen in response to the announcement.

Twitter has not directly responded to the news, which was first reported by CNBC’s David Faber and based on sources with knowledge of the situation.

According to a source cited by Reuters, Dorsey’s exit has been planned since last year, and his successor has already been chosen.

Twitter’s stock bounced up by over 10% once the news broke, an indicator of Dorsey’s increasingly controversial standing with the public. He has been attacked in the past for Twitter’s handling of “misinformation,” and over which posts and users are policed and flagged more than others.

Forsided, 29.11.2021

Lockdown Lifted Over Danger Worse Than Covid As Volcano Erupts [Video]

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A lockdown placed on three coastal communities on the Spanish island of La Palma was lifted on Wednesday after officials announced that hazardous fumes from the Cumbre Vieja volcano’s continuous eruption had partially dissipated.

Officials ordered a lockdown for coastal villages a few days ago, urging inhabitants to stay indoors as lava reaching the water sent clouds of thick fumes into the air, endangering locals’ health.

Miguel Angel Morcuende, the technical director of the Canary Islands Volcanic Emergency Plan, said the decision to end the restriction came after the cloud dissipated. However, he warned that individuals in coastal areas should still wear masks to “stay protected” and “prevent any problem.”

Despite the stay-at-home order being lifted, La Palma’s airport will remain closed, as workers attempt to remove tons of black volcanic ash that has covered parts of the runway. 

Forsided, 29.11.2021

Covid-Positive Czech President Appoints Prime Minister From Inside a Glass Cage [Video]

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Czech President Milos Zeman, who is currently being treated for Covid, has been wheeled and put into a glass box to appoint the country’s new Prime Minister.

During the ceremony at the Lany Chateau, the summer residence of Czech presidents, Zeman sat in a wheelchair inside an acrylic glass box. Both Zeman and Petr Fiala were masked as the new PM was sworn in.

Zeman wished the Prime Minister “success” in his new position and pledged to begin meeting with ministry candidates on Monday.

After testing positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, the Czech president has been isolating himself. Zeman had recently been released from a Prague hospital after battling an undisclosed sickness for more than six weeks.

Forsided, 29.11.2021

Ukraine Starts Practicing to Prevent Refugees Crossing Border [Video]

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With the migrant crisis in Belarus still unsolved, Ukrainian border guards held a joint exercise near the border town of Ovruch to simulate what they would do if groups of asylum seekers attempted to enter Ukraine. Given that Ukraine is not a member of the EU, it’s unclear why Kiev is concerned.

The Border Guard, along with members of the National Guard and National Police, conducted the drill on Thursday in accordance with the country’s “Stranger in the Village” warning system, which urges local inhabitants to notify authorities if they see an unknown individual who does not speak Ukrainian. However, a substantial percentage of Ukrainians do not speak the language fluently and instead speak Russian.

Thousands of Middle Eastern refugees are stuck in Belarus near the Polish border, prompting the drill. Many of them travelled to Poland in the hopes of gaining entry to the EU, but Polish border guards have refused to let anyone in and have forcibly pushed them back. Kiev is now concerned that asylum seekers may attempt to enter Ukraine.

All districts bordering Belarus will practice dealing with a hypothetical inflow of illegal immigrants, according to Igor Klymenko, the chief of the National Police.

Forsided, 26.11.2021

Another Football Player Passes Out in The Middle of a Match [Video]

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Last night, during Real Madrid’s Champions League match against Sheriff Tiraspol in Moldova, another professional footballer fainted unexpectedly in the middle of a game.

In the 77th minute, Sherrif Tiraspol winger Adama Traore, 26, was seen clutching his chest as he dropped to the ground.

The Mali attacker stayed down as medics hurried onto the pitch to assist him, initially unsuccessfully attempting to resuscitate him with smelling salts.

The Daily Mail adds that “he was observed shaking his head in response to medics’ questioning and was finally elevated to a sitting posture before being taken off the field and back to the dressing room.”

“The Moldovan side has yet to provide an explanation for why Traore was experiencing chest issues.”

Other professional athletes have also recently suffered similar health problems, including 24-year-old Slovak hockey player Boris Sádecký, who tragically died after collapsing on the ice during a match last month.

Forsided, 25.11.2021

Christmas Ad Causes Controversy As Santa Gets A Boyfriend [Video]

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An elaborately produced advertisement showing a homosexual relationship between Santa Claus and a man named Harry has been released by Norway’s postal service. The LGBT love story, which culminates in a kiss, has generated conflicting comments on social media.

‘When Harry Met Santa,’ a film made to commemorate 50 years since Norway decriminalized homosexuality, depicts the developing love affair between a Norwegian man and Father Christmas himself. Santa pays ‘Harry’ several visits over the years, and the two fall in love. As Posten, the country’s postal service handles Santa’s deliveries for the night, the commercial closes with a kiss between the two men.

Gay rights groups and LGBT advocates raved about the ad and its “strong and moving message of inclusion,” to quote Canadian Member of Parliament Randall Garrison.

Others were less enthusiastic. “Leave Santa alone!” one person tweeted. “Sexualisation of him is just wrong…whether gay or straight. I find this ad creepy and disturbing!”

Forsided, 25.11.2021

Massive Protests Against Swiss Health Pass in Zurich [Video]

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Demonstrators with torchlights and Swiss national flags descended on the municipality of Pfäffikon On Tuesday night.

The protests are against the country’s Covid health pass, which will be decided on in a referendum this Sunday.

Despite Switzerland’s reputation for a culture of communication and compromise, clashes with police have been increasingly common in recent weeks. Unlike many of their European neighbours, however, the Swiss will have a direct voice in the legislation’s passage.

Forsided, 24.11.2021

NYC Mayor Pushes For Vaccine Mandate on Subway [Tweet]

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Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City appears to have asked for a vaccine mandate on the subway, thus prohibiting anyone who has not had the COVID vaccine from travelling across the city.

De Blasio made the call on Twitter, writing “We know vaccine mandates work.”

He added, “New York City is proof of that. Now let’s go even further. I’m urging @GovKathyHochul to institute an MTA vaccine mandate. Let’s do what we can to keep our city, our residents, and our workforce safe.”

It would imply that not only would a vaccine mandate be in place for visits to gyms, restaurants, and cinemas, but that anybody wishing to travel anywhere, even to work, would be required to provide proof of immunization.

Some suggested that De Blasio meant a mandate for MTA workers, however, the tweet clearly does not single out workers.

Nevertheless, many are not impressed with the suggestion:

Forsided, 24.11.2021

German Minister: We Will be ‘Vaccinated, Cured or Dead’ by Winter’s End [Video]

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Germany’s health minister, Jens Spahn, has urged citizens to get the coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible, including booster shots if it has been more than six months since their previous shot, predicting a sad end to the winter season.

“By the end of this winter pretty much everyone in Germany will have been vaccinated, recovered or died,” he said at a news conference in Berlin, admitting that many may see this view as cynical.

“But it’s true. With the highly contagious Delta variant, this is very, very likely and that’s why we are recommending vaccination so urgently.”

In his Twitter account, Spahn has intensified calls on Germans to participate in the re-started vaccination campaign, underlining that Germany has enough vaccines “for all citizens”.

“Both mRNA vaccines – Moderna and BioNTech – are safe and effective. We need both to meet the growing demand for vaccinations,” he tweeted. “By the end of the year, we will be able to first, second and third vaccinate 50 million people with both vaccines.”

Forsided, 23.11.2021

British Prime Minister Called Peppa Pig’s World His “Kind of Place”[Video]

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British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, was left speechless on Monday after losing his place in his notes during a speech before entertaining business executives with an anecdote about his recent visit to a Peppa Pig theme park.

Johnson grumbled, said “blast it,” and repeatedly whispered “forgive me” when he paused his speech to the Confederation of British Industry at Port of Tyne, northern England, while looking through his notes.

He recovered by talking about “unicorns” in technology and then taking a trip to Peppa Pig World, a theme park based on the children’s cartoon television show about a bouncy pink pig and her friends and family.

“Yesterday I went, as we all must, to Peppa Pig World,” Johnson told the business executives. “I loved it. Peppa Pig World is very much my kind of place: it has very safe streets, discipline in schools.”

Johnson asked the audience of business executives who had been to the theme park in Hampshire, southern England, which says it is the world’s largest Peppa Pig World and “perfect for toddlers”.

Johnson was unabashed when reporters asked him about the speech and said he had made the points he had wanted.

“I think that people got the vast majority of the points I wanted to make,” Johnson said. “I thought it went over well,” he said.

Forsided, 23.11.2021