SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook on Friday began rolling out encryption for voice or video calls made through its Messenger texting app, ratcheting up privacy for users. The move comes as the sanctity of data on smartphones becomes an increasingly sensitive topic. Encrypting text chats on Messenger has been an option since
PARIS: As Argentine superstar Lionel Messi leaves Barcelona and looks set to sign for Paris Saint-Germain, he takes with him a legacy which has inspired a legion of lesser-known players who have been compared, often against their will, to the 34-year-old. AFP Sport looks at a Messi for every occasion:
SINGAPORE: Giant pumps whir deep underground at a plant in Singapore that helps transform sewage into water so clean it is fit for human consumption while reducing ocean pollution. The tiny island nation has little in the way of natural water sources and has long had to rely principally on
LOS ANGELES: In a parking lot in Los Angeles, a village of miniature prefab houses has sprung up, one of several sites in America’s second-largest city where so-called “tiny homes” are being put up to help the homeless get back on their feet. The City of Angels has a large
LOS ANGELES: Steven Spielberg will produce multiple new films for Netflix every year, the company said Monday, in a major deal that highlights how fully Hollywood has embraced streaming platforms. The partnership with arguably Tinseltown’s top director is a coup for Netflix at a time when competition with streaming rivals
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean woman who starved, assaulted and ultimately killed her domestic worker was sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday, with the judge describing the case as “among the worst types of culpable homicide”. The affluent city-state is home to about 250,000 domestic workers who mostly come from poorer
HELSINKI, Finland: Repeatedly dubbed the happiest nation on the planet with world-beating living standards, Finland should be deluged by people wanting to relocate, but in fact it faces an acute workforce shortage. “It’s now widely acknowledged that we need a spectacular number of people to come to the country,” recruiter Saku
HONG KONG: A young wild boar in Hong Kong has sparked delight by hopping onto a Hong Kong subway train and leading staff on a merry cross-harbour chase that included boarding two separate trains. The plucky piglet slipped under the ticket barriers of Quarry Bay station on Hong Kong Island on
SYDNEY: Stargazers across the Pacific Rim can cast their eyes skyward on Wednesday night and behold a “Super Blood Moon”, as the heavens align to bring a rare celestial twin treat. The first total lunar eclipse in two years is happening at the same time as the moon is closest
BRUSSELS, Belgium: It has been through a series of name changes and much scientific and political discussion, but the “EU digital Covid certificate” comes into use on July 1. How will it use data on coronavirus vaccinations, tests and immunity to usher in a return to summer tourism and non-essential