Author: damazah@gmail.com

Phia, the shopping startup co-founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, is once again under fire for its alleged business practices. The latest issue stems from earlier this year when Bloomberg published an investigation that mapped out how Phia was taking credit and commission for affiliate purchases it did not help to generate, known as cookie stuffing.  It’s a controversial practice that can get startups sued, mainly because it’s seen as taking referral revenue away from other affiliate marketers. Usually, when affiliate platforms like Phia sign on to work in a marketplace, they sign a contract stating that cookie stuffing…

The police chiefs from Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland also called for greater consideration of victims when prisoners have their sentences altered – such as with the government’s early release scheme, which was designed to reduce prison overcrowding.Under changes to the Sentencing Act made this year, Cole and Bowers, who were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter in 2020, will become eligible for release from custody after serving half of their sentences.In the letter, released on Tuesday evening, police chiefs said the early release of PC Harper’s killers, and that of anyone involved in the death of an officer,…

Named Silescelida acristata, the species lived about 240 million years ago, during the Middle Triassic Period. The fossil was found in Dona Francisca, in central Rio Grande do Sul, in rocks that are part of the UNESCO Quarta Colônia Geopark. The discovery helps fill an important gap in our understanding of the evolution of archosauriformes, a group of reptiles that gave rise to the archosaurs. Archosaurs, in turn, are the lineage that encompasses two of the best-known groups of terrestrial vertebrates: crocodiles and dinosaurs, including birds. The study was conducted by researchers from the Quarta Colônia Center for Paleontological Research…

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique says the European champions “want to win everything” this season, ahead of their first chance of silverware in Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup final against Aston Villa. PSG secured their second straight Champions League title last term, as well as a fifth consecutive Ligue 1 crown, the UEFA Super Cup, the French Champions’ Trophy and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. Luis Enrique’s side get their new campaign under way in Salzburg against Europa League winners Villa. “We have to show what our level is and that has to be shown on the pitch,” the Spaniard told reporters.…

When Vera Drew made her ambitious debut film “The People’s Joker,” she didn’t know if anyone else in the world would understand her deeply personal superhero movie parody about transitioning. The first time she met a trans person who connected with the film after a public screening was a “mindblowing” experience. “There had been other trans directors, but something that was that fiercely independent and coming at it from this personal perspective of a trans coming out story – I didn’t really know if there was any sort of audience for that,” Drew tells Variety. “I kind of just thought…

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja  The Kayode Olasekun Foundation (KOF) has launched a humanitarian intervention aimed at cushioning the impact of economic hardship on vulnerable residents, with its founder, Francis Kayode Olasekun, declaring that the initiative will go beyond the distribution of palliatives to sustainable empowerment. A statement signed by the founder and made available to THISDAY in Abuja on Tuesday, explained that the Foundation had already held its pilot palliative outreach in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. The statement noted that the Foundation distributed food items and cash assistance to widows, students, single mothers, elderly persons, vulnerable families and other residents struggling…

The US Department of State has canceled more than 175,000 visas since Donald Trump returned to office, quadrupling the pace of revocations under Joe Biden’s final year in the White House, according to a new tally released by the department this week.The announcement said the revocations targeted foreign nationals who allegedly broke the terms of their visas, committed crimes, called for violence against Americans, defrauded US citizens, abused the immigration system or endangered national security. Many followed run-ins with law enforcement, the department said, with assault, drunk driving, theft and drug offenses the leading causes, alongside reckless driving, sexual assault,…

The US military says one of its helicopters has fired missiles to disable “the steering gear” of a cargo ship attempting to violate the US blockade of Iranian ports.In a statement, US Central Command (Centcom) says its MH-60 aircraft on Tuesday fired two hellfire missiles into the engine room of the Panama-flagged M/V Vela Nova vessel, as it attempted to transit the Gulf of Oman.Centcom says it acted after “the ship’s civilian crew ignored repeated warnings from American forces”. It adds that the vessel “is no longer transiting to Iran”.Iran has so far not commented on the issue. The US…

President Bola Tinubu has approved a new investment framework designed to unlock up to $50 billion in deep offshore oil and gas investments and revive major projects that have remained stalled for decades. The framework replaces project-by-project negotiations with transparent eligibility criteria and a rules-based investment architecture intended to provide greater certainty for investors and improve Nigeria’s competitiveness in attracting global capital. According to a statement issued on Tuesday by Bayo Onanuga, the president’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, the reform is expected to support the next generation of deep offshore developments, beginning with the approximately $10 billion Bonga…

It seems like a pretty full-featured app. Meta says that with the Threads VR app, you can do things like browse feeds, make posts, like and reply to posts, visit profiles, search, and watch videos — you know, Threads stuff.“We designed the new Threads app for Meta Quest to make using VR more social than ever,” Meta says. “Whether you want to keep up with conversations during a game, riff on the latest TV show or hit album with friends, or simply do fast check-ins between daily tasks, Threads can enhance your VR experience with a dedicated native app.”