Top News Stories –
Instagram hacked by 10-year-old boy –
A 10-year-old Finnish boy named Jani has been given $10,000 (£7,000) after he found a security flaw in image-sharing social network Instagram. The boy, who technically is not allowed to even join the site for another three years, discovered a bug that allowed him to delete comments made by other users. The issue was “quickly” fixed after being discovered, said Facebook, which owns Instagram. Jani was paid soon after – making him the youngest ever recipient of the firm’s “bug bounty” prize. After discovering the flaw in February, he emailed Facebook. Security engineers at the company set up a test account for Jani to prove his theory – which he did. The boy, from Helsinki, told Finnish newspaper Iltalehti he planned to use the money to buy a new bike, football equipment and computers for his brothers. Facebook told the BBC it had paid $4.3m to bug bounty recipients since 2011. [BBC]
Apple loses trademark fight over ‘iPhone’ name in China –
Apple has lost a trademark fight in China, meaning a firm which sells handbags and other leather goods can continue to use the name “IPHONE”. The Beijing Municipal High People’s Court ruled in favour of Xintong Tiandi Technology, said the official Legal Daily newspaper. Xintong Tiandi trademarked “IPHONE” for leather products in China in 2010. Apple filed a trademark bid for the name for electronic goods in 2002, but it was not approved until 2013. [BBC]
Video of the Day –
7 Tips To Wake Up Without Coffee – ASAP Science
Other News Stories –
- Armed conflicts and attacks
- Moro conflict
- The Abu Sayyaf militant group threatens to behead a Canadian hostage, a Filipina hostage, and a Norwegian hostage. (The Guardian)
- Syrian Civil War
- Dozens of people have died in heavy fighting between Syrian government and opposition forces in the western Aleppo Governorate. (Reuters)
- Kurdish–Turkish conflict (2015–present)
- Suspected Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants launch a car bomb attack on a military installation in Turkey, killing one soldier; Turkey’s army destroyes PKK targets in air strikes and kills more than 20. (Reuters)
- Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
- Assailants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) armed with machetes hacked at least 16 civilians to death in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. (FOX News) (Leadership)
- Israeli–Palestinian conflict
- Hamas says it has reached a truce with the Israeli military following hostilities today along the Gaza–Israel border. There were no casualties. (The Jerusalem Post) (Reuters)
- Business and economy
- Philippine presidential election, 2016
- The Philippine stock market continues to fall for the fifth straight day due to fears about the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. He continues to lead in opinion polls. (The Philippine Star), (Rappler)
- British publisher Trinity Mirror announces that its daily newspaper, The New Day, will close after just two months since its launch, after sales fell to around 30,000 copies per day. The last edition will be printed on May 6. (The Guardian)
- Disasters and accidents
- 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire
- Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says the wildfire has destroyed about 1,600 structures in Fort McMurray, which is in Canada’s oil sands region. No major oil sands facilities are in the fire’s path, though twoRoyal Dutch Shell mines are closing, and a Suncor Energy facility is reducing crude production. The fire is threatening the Alberta Highway 63 bridge across the Athabasca River, the sole route south. TheCanadian Red Cross is encouraging people to donate funds rather than clothing. (Reuters) (USA Today) (Métro)
- At least 13 people are killed and 53 injured after a bus skids off a bridge while travelling between India‘s Jharkhand state to Raipur, capital of Chhattisgarh state. (AFP via Daily Mail)
- International relations
- European migrant crisis, EU-Turkey relations
- The European Union proposes visa-free travel for Turkish citizens within Europe’s Schengen Area and invites member states and EU lawmakers to endorse the move by June 30. The EU says Turkey has met all but five of the 72 criteria included in the agreement in exchange for its efforts to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe. This visa deal also needs approval from the European Parliament.(AP) (UPI)
- Law and crime
- North Carolina Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act
- The U.S. Justice Department notifies North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory that the state’s new law which limits restroom access for transgender people violates the U.S. Civil Rights Act, and asks for a response by May 9 whether the state will correct “these violations of Title VII.” The Governor’s statement in response does not specifically say what the state will do. (Reuters) (CNN)
- Politics and elections
- The Nepalese Maoist Party says that they will withdraw support from Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli and form a new government. (Reuters)
- United States presidential election, 2016
- Ohio Governor John Kasich suspends his campaign. He was the last Republican Party challenger to Donald Trump for the GOP presidential nomination. (VICE)(CNN)
- Science and technology
- IBM allows the public to access a five-qubit quantum computer its researchers have developed in Yorktown Heights, New York. (Wired)
- Sport
- 2015–16 UEFA Champions League
- Real Madrid beat Manchester City 1–0 to set-up a UEFA Champions League Final against city rivals Atlético Madrid on May 28, in Milan, Italy. It will be a repeat of the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final.(UEFA Champions League)
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