Edward Little, a 21-year-old Islamist terrorist, has admitted to plotting the murder of a Christian preacher at Speaker’s Corner in London. Little, who wanted to shoot Hatun Tash, arranged to buy a gun for £5,000. The young man hoped to kill any police officers or soldiers that were in the vicinity, as well as the camera crew following Tash. Little changed his plea and admitted the charge, but prosecutors have asked for seven days to review. Sentencing is set to occur on July 21.
YouTube personality Hank Green has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer affecting the blood. In an online video, Green explained how his enlarged lymph nodes prompted a visit to the doctor, where he was quickly diagnosed. Green assured fans that Hodgkin’s lymphoma is relatively easy to treat, but warned that the prescribed chemotherapy would be “fairly unpleasant”. In addition to his YouTube channels, Green has enjoyed a surge of popularity on social media app TikTok, where he has posted numerous videos on social issues and science.
With the threat of climate change wanting to drive policy change and the oil and gas industry wanting to preserve the profitable status quo, the stakes are high for the province's residents and Canada as a whole. With Sandra Jansen retiring from her position, NDP Leader Rachel Notley and UCP Leader Danielle Smith are competing for Lethbridge, a riding that the NDP wants to win to form the government, the winner of which could determine the direction of the legislature for the next four years—and beyond. This week on “It’s Political” podcast Althia Raj discusses the upcoming election with experienced advisors and political science experts.
The Guardian's Alison Flood explores the benefits and dangers of using YouTube to enhance reading epriences. Flood describes how she paired her recent reading of Alan Cumming's Baggage with the near-constant companionship of relevant YouTube videos, including footage of Cumming's Emcee in Cabarat. While undeniably an enjoyable pastime, the strategy comes with downsides: "I finished the week fully understanding why nobody ever gets round to anything any more."
A Wagner soldier speaking with Vans Without Borders claimed that he was used as "cannon fodder" after he was lured to the Ukrainian front to fight with a promise of being pardoned after six months, but ended up fighting in the war since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. The prisoner claimed that he and fellow inmates were given the worst possible stations within the Russian army and described the conditions as "everyday chaos", with "no one is interested in what will happen to you". He said his ex-convict status guaranteed him the worst possible conditions.
Looking for a side hustle? This company will pay you $100 an hour to watch TikTok for 10 hours. No cap
CNN
23-05-20 08:06
Influencer marketing agency Ubiquitous is offering to pay three people $100 per hour to watch TikTok for a 10-hour session in order to help the company identify emerging trends on the social media platform. The successful applicants, who must be aged over 18 and well-versed in the platform and its trends, must also record their findings on a simple document. After the session, they will be asked to post their experiences on any social media platform and tag the company.
The chairman of Ukraine's Supreme Court, Vsevolod Kniaziev, and another unnamed court representative have been convicted of accepting bribes totalling $2.7m by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine. Anti-corruption officials believe this could be the largest bribery case to be heard in the country's judiciary. The case also involves intermediaries from the Finance and Credit group of companies, owned by former parliamentarian Kostiantyn Zhevago, who is also implicated in the case, according to the authorities. Kniaziev and his accomplice face between eight and 12 years in prison if found guilty. While the case is a blow to the reputation of the country's judiciary, observers welcomed the fact that the country's anti-corruption watchdog was investigating despite the ongoing "war of aggression" from Russia, and that the case demonstrated the country's commitment to pursuing reform.
Moose Toys' Magic Mixies toy has become a $100m product line, backed by a Netflix series, merchandise and awards from the toy industry. The toy involves young users adding water, powders and glitter to a cauldron until a furry creature – the Magic Mixie – appears. Moose hopes the toy line will be the successor to its previous wildly successful Shopkins range of tiny collectibles, which has racked up $4.3bn in sales since 2014. Analysts predict the integration of a TV series with the range will drive sales further and help licensing deals.
The Guardian's Alison Flood explores the benefits and dangers of using YouTube to enhance reading epriences. Flood describes how she paired her recent reading of Alan Cumming's Baggage with the near-constant companionship of relevant YouTube videos, including footage of Cumming's Emcee in Cabarat. While undeniably an enjoyable pastime, the strategy comes with downsides: "I finished the week fully understanding why nobody ever gets round to anything any more."
Actor Johnny Depp, who won his defamation case against Amber Heard earlier this year, is said to be set for a Hollywood comeback with rumours he may appear in the next Pirates of the Caribbean film, despite having been dropped by Disney. There is no word on how much Depp would be paid for his participation, but rumours suggest it could be around $300m. In contrast, Heard has largely disappeared from view, having relocated to Spain to raise her child away from the media. However, author Nick Wallis believes that despite her financial situation, Heard may be poised for a comeback of sorts with the upcoming December release of the Aquaman sequel, in which she is the female lead and will receive substantial exposure.
Interest in eSports in the US is declining as investors are pulling out and viewers are tuning out. The warning signs were there when Madison Square Garden owners failed to sell Counter Logic Gaming, and instead laid off many staff and merged what remained into another firm. Other groups are laying off staff and ending contracts with star players. Riot Games, developer of League of Legends and the organiser of the League Championship Series, which pits ten teams against each other in games being watched by millions, has generated billions, but the league has never been profitable, causing tension with investors. Last month, Riot admitted its missteps and sought to reassure investors. Some eSport groups are parting ways with many of their expensive League of Legends players, others are selling their teams at a loss.
An advertisement by coffee chain Starbucks that features a transgender person being accepted by her parents has proved popular on social media in India. The ad shows a young woman called Arpita, who is revealed to be a transgender person, coming out to her parents in the coffee shop, with her father subsequently addressing her by her chosen name. Some critics said the ad was tokenistic and stood against Indian culture. Despite recent shifts in the acceptability of the transgender community in India, many members of the community still experience stigma and abuse.
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) by students for academic purposes is growing rapidly, with schools and universities forced to rethink how they conduct tuition and academic testing. Many students are using AI tools to help with academic work, with some students using it to cheat on assignments and exams. However, educators and students are also cautiously experimenting with the use of generative AI to enhance lessons, and questioning whether it is possible to use AI in education without undercutting the most important features of human learning. One of the major challenges with generative AI is accuracy, including hallucination, the fabrication of facts and the black box effect, which produces false information and creates a vacuum for content to be reframed. There is also evidence that AI-written text can be biased and learned from internet content, including sexism, racism and political partisanship.
Using ‘he/him,’ ‘she/her’ in emails got 2 dorm directors fired at small New York Christian college
The Toronto Star
23-05-21 04:19
Two recently fired dorm directors at Houghton University, a small Christian university in western New York, are pushing back against a new policy demanding email signatures have no gender identity attached to them. Shua Wilmot and Raegan Zelaya refused to adhere to the new policy, for which they were fired. The ongoing culture wars in the US over sexual preferences, gender identity and transgender rights have engulfed politics, school campuses and many other facets of public and private life. This is an issue for other religiously-affiliated campuses in the US. In the northwest of the US, 16 plaintiffs are suing Seattle Pacific University to challenge the school’s employment policy barring people in same-sex relationships from full-time jobs. In New York City, LGBTQ students are challenging Yeshiva University’s decision to bar their student-run club from campus. As a result of this issue, Paul Southwick, director of the Religious Exemption Accountability Project, said "there’s a backlash against the rise of LGBTQ rights".
What you need to know about Temu, the online shopping app dominating download charts
CBC
23-05-21 08:00
Experts have raised concerns about Temu, a discount e-commerce platform that has become hugely popular due to its referral scheme, gamification techniques, and aggressive social media marketing. The platform, which launched in the US in 2022, aims to be the “cheapest online supermarket in America,” according to a Super Bowl advertisement. Among the concerns raised about the Boston-based, Chinese-owned app is its “growth-at-all-costs” approach, its promotion of low-quality, disposable goods, and the environmental impact of its free shipping and returns policies. Experts also warn that using Temu encourages consumers to “buy stuff you don't need and inexpensive stuff that's likely to break.” There have also been accusations that the platform enables the sale of counterfeit goods and data leaks. However, the platform’s consumer-to-manufacturing model has been praised by some for potentially reducing waste.
Anti-regime activists in Canada accuse Cuba of using YouTube channel to intimidate them
CBC
23-05-21 08:00
Thirteen Montrealers have claimed that the Cuban government has started a campaign of harassment to prevent them from protesting against one-party rule on the island. A social media account – operating under Col. Pedro Orlando Martínez, head of the political wing of Cuba's National Revolutionary Police, according to a Cuban defector – is spreading detailed allegations against the 13 men, accusing them of trafficking cocaine from Colombia to Canada. Critics of the government have argued that this is a tactic employed by the Cuban regime as a way of attacking the reputation of Cuban-Canadian protestors. Online criticism is banned in Cuba, with government officials able to prosecute cyber-terrorism.
The allegations have already resulted in one individual being called for an interview with the Cuban Ministry of the Interior, where he was filmed being interrogated by a Colonel Luis Morales. Morales and his men suggested that the interviewee was involved in drug trafficking and financing anti-government YouTubers. Canada was perceived as unable to protect the individuals named in the campaign. Critics argue that the campaign is an attempt to discredit Cuban-Canadian protestors by "attacking your reputation any way they can".
‘An instinctive action.’ Alistair Brownlee relives one of the most incredible moments in sports
CNN
23-05-21 11:41
Alistair Brownlee, a British triathlete and double Olympic gold medallist, has opened up to CNN about the viral moment in 2016 when his brother, Jonny, was minutes from winning the world championship, but collapsed due to heat exhaustion at the triathlon finale in Mexico. Instead of winning the race, Alistair picked up his sibling and took him over the finish line in second place before ensuring his own place on the podium. Alistair said he has been asked about the incident "too often". Both brothers are now involved in professional triathlon and continue to compete at the highest level.
With gas at $2.63 a litre, northern Quebec village looks to alternatives
CBC
23-05-21 11:00
The Whapmagoostui First Nation in Quebec is planning to build a band-owned gas station on category 1a lands, providing a service to the growing transportation market in the community that is shifting away from traditional snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles to vans and trucks. The station would also provide drivers with a tax exemption on gas and diesel, which is not currently available at the only public gas station owned by the Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Québec, located in the neighbouring community of Kuujjuarapik. The band also hopes to add a vehicle repair shop to the gas station to service the local market.
At least 12 people have died in a stadium crush during a Primera Division play-off quarter-final second leg between Alianza and FAS at Cuscatlan Stadium, San Salvador. The event was suspended and a criminal investigation will be launched, involving all relevant parties, according to a statement from the press office of El Salvador president Nayib Bukele. Dozens more fans were also injured during the incident. The president vowed “whoever the culprits are, they will not go unpunished”. The Salvadoran Soccer Federation has suspended all national matches for the following day.
Prince William has joined members of the HMS Oardacious for a transatlantic rowing challenge to raise money for mental health causes. In a YouTube video released during Mental Health Awareness Week, the Duke of Cambridge was shown taking part in a training session at Dorney Lake in Buckinghamshire. HMS Oardacious, set up in 2019, was established to fundraise, with submariners taking on the challenge of rowing across the Atlantic. In January 2020, four Royal Navy submariners became the quickest military team to row across an ocean.
During the film, William discussed the importance of exercise and managing mental health with the crew. Together, the team discussed the challenges faced while crossing the Atlantic and the benefits of supporting each other as a crew. Speaking during the film, Prince William said: “Understanding our support networks is crucial because a lot of people don’t have those support networks”. Meanwhile, the Princess of Wales has visited The Dame Kelly Holmes Trust in Bath, and the Anna Freud Centre, both in London, to help raise awareness of Mental Health Awareness Week.
The crew of HMS Oardacious also aim to combat the stigma associated with conversations around mental wellbeing, and a Kensington Palace spokesperson said that William was able to learn more from the crew about how they manage their mental health. The prince went on to discuss the importance of forming close bonds, calling it essential, because: “the only way we are going to get through all of this is to support each other and pull each other through”. More recently, William and others have been continuing to raise awareness and funds for mental health causes in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
