Tag: online

DOF taps 65 of 76 regulatory agencies for online trading platform

The Department of Finance (DOF) has so far engaged 65 of the country’s 76 government regulatory agencies that are required to go online to streamline applications for permits on imports and exports in line with the Duterte administration’s goal of improving the ease of doing business. DOF Undersecretary Gil Beltran also said the initial tests on the country’s interconnection with other ASEAN economies, starting with Indonesia via the ASEAN Single Window (ASW), had been successful, […]

Poland to post Chopin collection online

WARSAW, Poland (AFP) — Poland’s Fryderyk Chopin Institute (NIFC) on Tuesday said it would make its entire collection devoted to the 19th-century composer available online for free by 2020. “Chopin will be the first great composer to have all of his musical scores digitised” and openly accessible by all, NIFC deputy director Maciej Janicki told reporters. Nearly 40,000 Chopin items from the UNESCO world heritage collection — including photographs and paintings of the Polish-French romantic […]

Facebook to deliver more local news to US users

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook said Monday it has decided to deliver more local news to US users, in its latest effort to manage the flow of information on the enormously-influential social network. Earlier this month, Facebook announced it will ask its two billion users to rank their trust in news sources as part of an effort to combat the spread of misinformation. The changes come as the online giant seeks to address […]

Chinese activist jailed for 8 years

TIANJIN, China (AFP) — A Chinese court sentenced an activist known by the online pseudonym “Super Vulgar Butcher” to eight years in prison Tuesday after he refused to plead guilty to charges of “subverting state power.” Wu Gan, who was taken into police custody in May 2015, attracted authorities’ attention with performance art and caustic commentary on Chinese society and politics that he published online. He was “dissatisfied with the current system of governance, and […]

Questions and answers on ‘net neutrality’

by Rob Lever Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) m– US regulators voted Thursday on a plan overhauling rules for internet services providers. The action by the Federal Communications Commission is likely to end so-called “net neutrality.” Here are some questions and answers: What is net neutrality and why is it important? The concept dates back to the early days of the web, and requires internet service providers to treat all data equally — prohibiting […]

Tumblr founder leaving Yahoo-owned blogging platform

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Tumblr founder and chief David Karp on Monday announced he is leaving the nearly 11-year-old blogging platform — with his departure coming in the wake of Verizon buying parent-company Yahoo. Karp said that he will leave by the end of this year and chief operating officer Jeff D’Onofrio will take his place at the helm of Tumblr. “I beg you to understand that my decision comes after months of […]

Iraqi animal lovers go online to help save Baghdad’s strays

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) – The welfare of stray cats and dogs roaming Iraq’s capital Baghdad is far from a priority for most residents after years of bloodshed and insecurity. Homeless animals typically face cruelty or even extermination on the streets of the city, but now some pet lovers are looking to use social media to change attitudes and find loving owners for the four-legged friends. Agricultural college student Assan Attallah, 22, has just helped get […]

Facebook makes it simple to see if friends are safe

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Facebook on Monday made it simpler to see whether friends have checked in as “safe” on the online platform during disasters or other dangerous events. A Safety Check feature was given its own dedicated tab along with friends, groups, events and other main categories at the leading social network’s mobile application and desktop pages, according to the California-based company. “Safety Check helps our community let loved ones know they […]

Facebook launches plan to combat online extremism

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — US social media giant Facebook launched a campaign in Britain on Friday to counter the spread of online extremism following warnings from Prime Minister Theresa May after four terror attacks in three months. Facebook said it would seek to educate charities and other organisations on how to fight hate speech, in the wake of recent terror attacks in Belgium, Britain and France. The Online Civil Courage Initiative (OCCI) will act […]

After Manchester, May targets online extremism at G7

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May will urge internet companies to do more to remove extremist content Friday as she makes a shortened visit to the G7 summit following the Manchester attack. As British authorities hunt accomplices of the bomber who killed 22 people at a concert on Monday, May will use a meeting with world leaders in Italy to emphasize the importance of tackling the spread of terror online. “The threat […]

YouTube showing a billion hours of online video daily

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — YouTube on Monday said that a billion hours of video is being watched daily at the Google-owned online viewing venue in “big milestone” for the service. “Let’s put that in perspective,” YouTube vice president of engineering Cristos Goodrow said in an online post announcing the achievement. “If you were to sit and watch a billion hours of YouTube, it would take you over 100,000 years,” he said. Online video […]

Spotify launches Japan streaming with karaoke twist

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Online music giant Spotify said Thursday it is launching a streaming service in Japan with a karaoke twist, the world’s second-biggest music market but one still dominated by compact discs. Sweden-based Spotify said it will offer a free service with advertising and an ad-free 980 yen ($9.70)-per-month version with around 40 million song titles. “The Japanese market is very different” from other markets, and “we want to make sure Spotify here […]