Meta concludes the fact-checking program
Meta will stop using third party fact checkers A policy once in place to prevent the spread of misinformation on Facebook, Threads and Instagram, the tech company's social media platforms. Meta will instead rely on users to add notes to posts that may be false or misleading.
The reversal is a clear sign of how Meta has repositioned himself for the Trump presidency. The company recently briefed Trump officials about the change, according to a person familiar with the discussions. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also said Monday that he has added Dana White, the head of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and a longtime friend of Trump, to the company's board.
Zuckerberg said that this change will begin in the United States in the coming months. “It's time to get back to our roots around free speech,” he said. He acknowledged that the decision would result in more “bad things” happening on the platforms, calling it a “trade-off” for a reduction in the number of “posts and accounts of innocent people that we accidentally delete.”
Reactions: While Donald Trump and his conservative allies praised the change, a number of digital rights groups condemned the decision. The president-elect admitted that the decision was “probably” related to the threats he made against Meta and Zuckerberg.
Can the US buy Greenland or Canada?
At a press conference yesterday, Trump refused to rule out the use military or economic coercion Forcing Panama to relinquish control of a canal the United States built more than a century ago, or forcing Denmark to sell Greenland.
His desire to expand his U.S. footprint is in line with a mindset of making everything he manages as big as possible, dating back to his real estate dealings in the late 1980s, and he suggested Greenland might be needed for intelligence. “You might have to do something,” said US national security.
It was unclear how serious the president-elect was in some of the comments. At one point, he proposed that his administration rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.
Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reacted angrily to Trump's threat to use “economic force” against Canada to take over, writing on social media: “There is not a snowball's chance in hell that Canada will be part of the United States.”
Panama: Few seem to have taken Trump's threats very seriously, but Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha, he emphasized that the sovereignty of the channel is “non-negotiable”. said: “Let's be clear: the canal belongs to the Panamanians and will continue to do so.”
Related: A second Trump presidency has unprecedented potential for conflicts of interest between deals in real estate, cryptocurrency and sports.
Dozens of people died as a result of the earthquake in China
At least 126 people died and about 200 were injured as a result of a 7.1-magnitude earthquake that occurred in Dingri County, one of the most historic cities in Tibet, in the west of China. The quake was the country's deadliest since December 2023, when a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck the northwestern provinces of Gansu and Qinghai, killing 151 people.
At least 1,000 homes have been damaged and rescue efforts are being hampered by logistical problems, Chinese state television said. The remoteness of the area along the Himalayan border with Nepal made it difficult to deliver resources.
On the ground: Rescuers rescue workers as temperatures drop to as low as 5 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 15 Celsius) in the region short window to find survivors.
MORE BREAKING NEWS
Snakes compete for the same resources and spaces as humans, often with dire consequences. Venomous snakes kill about 120,000 people a year, most of them in areas of Africa far from clinics and very poor people who do not have access to proper care.
The problem was overlooked until recently, but scientists are now trying to better measure it. Read more.
The Lives He Lived: Peter Yarrow, Peter, Paul and Mary, the folk trio behind such smash hits as 'Puff the Magic Dragon', He died at the age of 86.
CONVERSATION STARTERS
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Turn the page: Writers, artists and social worker shared their favorite tips helping to start and maintain the journal.
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Running: Escaping fraud charges, Samuele Landi went to sea and evaded extradition treaties. He took advantage There was a whole offshore world to offer
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Hazardous by-product: Mining operations in the Roman Empire led to the widespread distribution of lead. This could be the first event in the world widespread industrial pollution.
ART AND IDEAS
Where are you going this year?
Britain will honor Jane Austen on the 250th anniversary of her birth. New York City will celebrate the reopening of four major museums. In Koh Samui, Thailand, fans of “White Lotus” can walk along the sandy beaches and jungles where the upcoming season is filmed. And exploring Angola's tropical beaches, waterfalls and national parks has never been easier.
All of these places are on our Travel Desk's “52 Places to Go in 2025” list this year. Read the list, and record destinations you would most like to go.