Twitter Founder Under Fire Over Myanmar Tweet, Workers Fined For Using iPhones, And Huawei Chief Released on Bail

Africa

Innovation Hub Gets New Head

South Africa’s Innovation Hub has appointed Pieter Holl as new Chief Executive Officer. Prior to his appointment, Holl had been acting CEO between June and November. Holl comes with 15 years of managerial expertise, with his last stint being a Deputy DG role at Gauteng Department of Economic Development. He takes over from McLean Sibanda. The Innovation Hub is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Gauteng Province established to boost economic development through fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.

Nigeria’s Kobo360 Raises Funds For Truck-Hailing Business

Kobo360, a Nigerian logistics startup that operates ‘Uber for trucks’, has raised $6 million in funding to upgrade its services. The company connects truckers and companies with freight needs using an app. The funding was led by IFC, and will see Kobo360 expand to neighbouring Togo, Ghana, and Cote D’Ivoire.

The Americas

Twitter Chief Under Fire Over Myanmar Tweets

Twitter’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, has been criticised for promoting tourism in Myanmar despite the country’s recent alleged human rights abuses. Jack Dorsey had posted about a ‘meditation retreat’ he’d had in Myanmar over the last month. He described the people as full of joy and their food amazing. Twitter users reminded him of the attrocities perpetrated by the coutnry’s military against Muslim Rohingya minority last year. Over 700,000 refugees have fled the country following the violent crackdown. “The tone-deafness here is… wow,” a user said.

“Idiot” Trends With Photo of President Trump

A search for “idiot” on Google has coughed up images of President Trump following the grilling of Google’s chief executive. Sundar Pichai was been questioned by congress when congresswoman Zoe Lofgren asked why a search of the word highlighted images of the president. Since then, more than a million searches of “idiot” have been typed into Google Image, causing Trump to trend for all the wrong reasons. Sundar assured congress it was not the result of political bias but from billions of keywords ranked according to relevance and popularity, among others, a BBC report said.

Huawei CFO Granted Bail

A Canadian court has granted bail to Huawei CFO, Meng Wanzhou, following her arrest in Vancouver. Meng was released from custody following a three day hearing during which her lawyers argued that she wasn’t a flight risk. Setting her bail at C$10m, Meng, the daughter of Huawei’s founder, will be under 24 hour surveillance and must wear an electronic ankle tag.

Asia

China Demands Release of Huawei CFO

China has demanded that Canada release Huawei CFO, Meng Wanzhou, from police custody. Meng was switching planes in Vancouver when Canadian authorities arrested her over allegations of breaching US sanctions against Iran, and is being prepared for extradition to America. China’s Vice Foreign Minister, Le Yucheng, summoned both the American and Canadian ambassadors to register a “strong protest” against the arrest of the Huawei executive. “China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained person… otherwise Canada must accept full responsibility for the serious consequences caused,” the foreign ministry said. Meng has since been granted bail and put under house arrest.

China’s Baidu Censured For Falsifying Reports

Chinese search engine giant, Baidu, has been censured for providing misleading records about its business. The company, together with 84 others, has been accused of providing falsified information in, among other documents, its corporate annual findings. The long run effect could be that Baidu would be denied future business licenses as punishment for its bad deeds, a report has said.

Chinese Firm Fines Workers Who Use iPhone

Chinese LED display manufacturer, Menpad, is fining workers who purchase iPhones. In a bid to support Huawei in Meng Wanzhou’s ongoing court case in Canada, the company will give a subsidy of up to 15% on the purchase of ZTE or Huawei devices. Menpad is also ‘encouraging’ its staff to buy Chinese car brands instead of their American versions in a clear stand against the US in the trade war with China.

Europe

Equifax Admits Britons Affected By Breach

US credit-rating firm, Equifax, has admitted that data about British citizens may have been accessed during a security breach. The number of potential victims is less than 400,000, the UK arm of the firm said. The US Federal Trade Commission is investigating how data of 143 million people was stolen from the company’s servers. The stolen data included social security numbers, birth dates, and addresses during a hack between mid-May and end of July 2018.

Russian Robot Is a Man

A robot that featured on a state-sponsored event in Russia has turned out to be a man. The robot had taken viewers by surprise because it could walk, dance, and even talk. It turned out, though, that the robot was actually a man wearing a GBP 2,975 suit called Alyosha the Robot. Show Robots, the company behind the costume, created the costume to provide a high sense of illusion. It didn’t take long for the cat to get out of the suit.