The indigenous Guna: Living with albinism in Panama AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE)(cached at July 31, 2019, 11:44 pm)

The rate of albinism within the Guna population is among the highest in the world, experts say.
How Over 25 People Got Scammed Into Working at a Nonexistent Game Company Slashdotby msmash on business at January 1, 1970, 1:00 am (cached at July 31, 2019, 11:38 pm)

An anonymous reader shares a report: Brooke Holden had all but given up on breaking into the video game business. [...] "Professionally inexperienced but passionate team manager looking for a hobby project to help support and manage," she posted to a subreddit for assembling game dev teams. It was just a lark, yet a half dozen replies accumulated under the post. One in particular stood out, from an account with an active Reddit history on developer recruitment boards. The poster's name was "Kova," and he told Holden that his small team of three developers had recently ballooned into a 48-member operation that needed a manager "on everyone's arse." Holden was exhilarated. On June 22, 2019, she signed a contract with Kova's company Drakore Studios, accepting the position of junior production manager at $13 per hour. There was just one problem: Drakore Studios didn't actually exist. Over the course of a month and a half, "Kova," real name Rana Mahal, convinced at least 25 people to join a game studio that was not a registered company, and develop a video game to which he did not own the rights, in exchange for no pay. Six of them came forward to tell their story to Kotaku. The story they told was one of deceit, exploitation, incompetence, and hope, and one fuelled by gamers' desperation to participate in an industry that has stoked their imagination, lifted their mood and forged friendships since childhood.

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US imposes sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE)(cached at July 31, 2019, 11:27 pm)

Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif brushes off sanctions, says move indicates US sees him as a threat to its agenda.
Facebook Says It Was 'Not Our Role' To Remove Fake News During Australian Election Slashdotby msmash on facebook at January 1, 1970, 1:00 am (cached at July 31, 2019, 11:06 pm)

Facebook has declared it is not "our role to remove content that one side of a political debate considers to be false" in a final, positive, self-assessment of its actions in response to the death tax misinformation circulating on the platform during the May federal election. From a report: In correspondence seen by Guardian Australia, Simon Milner, the Singapore-based vice-president of the social media giant in the Asia-Pacific, tells Labor's outgoing national secretary, Noah Carroll: "I understand that your preference would be for Facebook to remove all content that you believe constitutes misinformation -- which in this instance mean all content that discussed whether or not Labor intends to introduce a death tax -- rather than demote it; however Facebook only removes content that violates our community standards. "We do not agree that is is our role to remove content that one side of a political debate considers to be false," Milner says in the letter sent a month after election day.

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FTC Says 'You Will Be Disappointed' if You Choose $125 For Equifax Payout Slashdotby msmash on government at January 1, 1970, 1:00 am (cached at July 31, 2019, 10:19 pm)

The Federal Trade Commission said today there's been "overwhelming" interest in a settlement agreement with Equifax, and that consumers looking for a previously announced payout of up to $125 may be disappointed. From a report: The agency said this month that it had reached a $700 million agreement with the credit reporting agency over a massive breach of private data in 2017. As part of the settlement, consumers whose data was compromised could request up to $125 or free credit monitoring services. The potential for a quick payout generated major interest, but only $31 million of the settlement was set aside for cash payouts, meaning each payout could be far smaller than $125, depending on how many people request one. In a blog post today, the FTC tempered expectations. "A large number of claims for cash instead of credit monitoring means only one thing: each person who takes the money option will wind up only getting a small amount of money," the agency said. "Nowhere near the $125 they could have gotten if there hadn't been such an enormous number of claims filed."

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Capital One Breach Said To Also Affect Other Major Companies Slashdotby msmash on security at January 1, 1970, 1:00 am (cached at July 31, 2019, 10:16 pm)

The data breach at Capital One may be the "tip of the iceberg" and may affect other major companies, according to security researchers. From a report: Israeli security firm CyberInt said Vodafone, Ford, Michigan State University and the Ohio Department of Transportation may have also fallen victim to the same data breach that saw over 106 million credit applications and files stolen from a cloud server run by Capital One by an alleged hacker, Paige Thompson, a Seattle resident, who was taken into FBI custody earlier this week. Reports from Forbes and security reporter Brian Krebs indicating that Capital One may not have been the only company affected, pointing to "one of the world's biggest telecom providers, an Ohio government body, and a major U.S. university," according to Slack messages sent by the alleged hacker. Krebs posted a screenshot of a list of files purportedly stolen by the alleged hacker. The stolen data contained filenames including car maker "Ford" and Italian financial services company "Unicredit." The Justice Department said Thompson may face additional charges -- suggesting other companies may have been involved. Further reading: Capital One's Breach Was Inevitable, Because We Did Nothing After Equifax.

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Turkey accuses Trump of delaying set up of safe zone in Syria AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE)(cached at July 31, 2019, 9:34 pm)

In what seems to be a message to its NATO ally, there is an increase in US army patrols close to the border with Turkey.
Indian court to probe alleged threats by BJP leader in rape case AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE)(cached at July 31, 2019, 9:31 pm)

Supreme Court to look into alleged threats from state legislator Kuldeep Singh Sengar who is accused of rape.
Can a new divorce law protect India's Muslim women? AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE)(cached at July 31, 2019, 9:30 pm)

The use of the 'triple-talaq' by a man to instantly divorce his wife is now outlawed in India.
Trump Administration Plans To Allow Imports Of Some Prescription Drugs From Canada Slashdotby msmash on medicine at January 1, 1970, 1:00 am (cached at July 31, 2019, 9:08 pm)

The Trump administration is outlining two possible ways certain drugs that were intended for foreign markets could be imported to the U.S. -- a move that would clear the way to import some prescription drugs from Canada. From a report: "Today's announcement outlines the pathways the Administration intends to explore to allow safe importation of certain prescription drugs to lower prices and reduce out of pocket costs for American patients," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement about the plan. "This is the next important step in the Administration's work to end foreign freeloading and put American patients first." The Department of Health and Human Services outlined two "pathways" for importing the drugs to the U.S. In one initiative, the Food and Drug Administration and HHS will rely on their rulemaking authority to use existing federal law to set up pilot projects from states or wholesalers "outlining how they would import certain drugs from Canada that are versions of FDA-approved drugs that are manufactured consistent with the FDA approval." Separately, the FDA will work on safety guidelines for drug manufacturers who want to import any drugs they sell in foreign countries to the U.S. market.

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Iraq's PM pressures paramilitary groups, aiming to placate US AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE)(cached at July 31, 2019, 8:44 pm)

Groups told to either integrate with Iraqi government forces, or surrender weapons and join a political organisation.
Corruption trial of Sudan's al-Bashir to begin August 17: Lawyer AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE)(cached at July 31, 2019, 8:15 pm)

Sudan's deposed leader failed to appear in court for the first session over trial on corruption charges.
Corruption trial of Sudan's al-Bashir to begin August 17: Lawyer AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE)(cached at July 31, 2019, 8:15 pm)

Sudan's deposed leader failed to appear in court for the first session over trial on corruption charges.
Your Next iPhone Might Be Made in Vietnam. Thank the Trade War. Slashdotby msmash on china at January 1, 1970, 1:00 am (cached at July 31, 2019, 8:13 pm)

No country on earth has benefited from President Trump's trade fight with China more than Vietnam. From a report: The country's factories have swelled with orders as American tariffs cause companies to reconsider making their products in China. Now, more big technology firms are looking to bulk up their manufacturing operations in Vietnam, lifting the ambitions of a nation already well on its way to becoming a powerhouse maker of smartphones and other high-end gadgets. First, though, Vietnam needs to get better at making the little plastic casings on your earbuds. Vu Huu Thang's company in the northern city of Bac Ninh, Bac Viet Technology, produces small plastic parts for Canon printers, Korg musical instruments, and Samsung cellphones and phone accessories, including earbuds. He said it would be hard for his firm to compete against Chinese suppliers as long as he had to buy 70 to 100 tons of imported plastic material every month, most of it made in China. "Vietnam cannot compare with China," Mr. Thang said. "When we buy materials, it's 5, 10 percent more expensive than China already." And the Vietnamese market is too small, he said, to entice plastic producers to set up plants here.

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Your Next iPhone Might Be Made in Vietnam. Thank the Trade War. Slashdotby msmash on china at January 1, 1970, 1:00 am (cached at July 31, 2019, 8:13 pm)

No country on earth has benefited from President Trump's trade fight with China more than Vietnam. From a report: The country's factories have swelled with orders as American tariffs cause companies to reconsider making their products in China. Now, more big technology firms are looking to bulk up their manufacturing operations in Vietnam, lifting the ambitions of a nation already well on its way to becoming a powerhouse maker of smartphones and other high-end gadgets. First, though, Vietnam needs to get better at making the little plastic casings on your earbuds. Vu Huu Thang's company in the northern city of Bac Ninh, Bac Viet Technology, produces small plastic parts for Canon printers, Korg musical instruments, and Samsung cellphones and phone accessories, including earbuds. He said it would be hard for his firm to compete against Chinese suppliers as long as he had to buy 70 to 100 tons of imported plastic material every month, most of it made in China. "Vietnam cannot compare with China," Mr. Thang said. "When we buy materials, it's 5, 10 percent more expensive than China already." And the Vietnamese market is too small, he said, to entice plastic producers to set up plants here.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.