Zoom to roll out end-to-end encryption after privacy concerns June 18, 2020 Video conferencing platform Zoom has announced it will roll out end-to-end encryption to all customers, following mounting criticism from civil rights groups over security concerns. The announcement marks a sharp U-turn for the networking app, which last week said it would start providing end-to-end encryption services for paying customers only. Eric Yuan, chief executive of [...]
Tesco sells Polish business for £165m due to ‘market challenges’ June 18, 2020 Tesco has announced it will sell its struggling Polish operation for 819m zlotys (£164.6m), as the British supermarket giant seeks to streamline its presence across Central Europe. In a statement this morning, the big four supermarket chain said it will sell Tesco Polska’s 301 stores and associated distribution centres to Salling Group A/S, subject to [...]
Tiktok launches €13m educational platform as company increases presence in Europe June 18, 2020 Social media giant Tiktok has announced its entrance to the education market with the launch of a new learning platform in Europe, as the company seeks to bolster its presence outside the Chinese market. The Bytedance-owned firm today unveiled its #LearnOnTiktok platform, which will see the social media company partner with universities, experts and charities [...]
UK newspaper the Independent to launch Russian language edition June 17, 2020 British newspaper The Independent is set to launch an online Russian-language edition starting this month, according to Russia’s RBC media portal. Russian media magnate Alexander Lebedev, the financial backer of both the Independent and the Evening Standard, provided no specific date of the launch. Artem Artemov, the editor overseeing the roll out, told RBC that [...]
China-India border dispute: Diplomats exchange blows as Chinese mobile firm scraps Indian launch June 17, 2020 The Indian and Chinese foreign ministers exchanged protests today in an escalation of tensions after clashes at the border yesterday left 20 Indian soldiers dead. A phone call between India’s Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and China’s Wang Ji earlier today heard both sides disagree over which country had crossed the border first. Jaishinkar claimed China tried to [...]
When and where to watch the Premier League after lockdown hiatus June 17, 2020 The Premier League is back — but not as we know it. After a 100-day hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the top-flight football season will return to screens this evening from behind closed doors. Following pressure from culture secretary Oliver Dowden, most of the Premier League’s 92 remaining shows are set to be shown [...]
Tiktok owner Bytedance sees revenue surge to £4.4bn, according to sources June 17, 2020 Bytedance, the Chinese company behind social media platform Tiktok, has seen a surge in first-quarter revenue to 40bn yuan (£4.4bn), according to two people familiar with the matter. The revenue boost marks a 130 per cent year-on-year increase, according to Reuters, citing two sources with knowledge on the matter who declined to be identified. Bytedance [...]
Facebook to allow users to turn off political adverts June 17, 2020 Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg today announced it will allow users to turn off political adverts in the run-up to the US presidential election, closing what critics have described as a glaring loophole in the firm’s transparency efforts. Writing in American newspaper USA Today, Zuckerberg said the social media giant would let users mute political, electoral [...]
SSE profit slumps as pandemic weighs on electricity demand June 17, 2020 Big Six energy supplier SSE reported a sharp drop in profit in its full-year results today, following a slump in electricity demand during the pandemic as businesses across the country ground to a halt. The figures The British utility firm reported a 55 per cent slump in profit before tax to £587.6m in the year [...]
Beijing shuts all schools as second wave fears escalate June 16, 2020 Beijing has shut all schools in a sharp escalation of containment measures, as fears that new coronavirus outbreaks could develop into a second wave accelerate. The Chinese capital has suspended on-campus classes for all primary school, middle school and high school students in a bit to stem the rapid spread of new cases, state news [...]