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Venus Williams has settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the family of a man who died as a result of a car crash in Florida involving the US tennis star.

Ms Williams and the family of Jerome Barson reached a settlement last week, court documents show. Further details were not included.

Mr Barson, 78, suffered “massive” fatal injuries from the collision in Palm Beach Gardens city on 9 June 2017.

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Police had previously cleared Ms Williams of wrongdoing over the crash.

Mr Barson’s wife Linda, who was driving the couple’s vehicle through an intersection when the collision happened, was also earlier cleared by police investigators.

A report into the incident says that an unidentified third vehicle illegally crossed Ms Williams’s path as she tried to move through a busy motorway on a green light near her home.

This, the report said, set off a chain of events that ended with the vehicle driven by Linda slamming into the passenger side of Ms Williams’s SUV, the Associated Press reports.

• Venus Williams breaks down in news conference

Mr Barson was subsequently taken to hospital but died two weeks later from his injuries.

Police said in an initial report that factors such as drugs, alcohol or mobile phone distractions were not being investigated.

Ms Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, reportedly told police at the time that she had not seen the couple’s car and had been driving slowly.

Lawyers for Ms Williams and the Barsons have not yet commented on the latest reports.

Image: Alex Wong/Getty Images

In case you missed it, the next White House Correspondents’ Association dinner won’t feature a comedian, circumventing tradition.

It comes after Michelle Wolf’s utter roasting of the Trump administration and White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders at this year’s event, which they didn’t like. At all.

Instead, the WHCA announced historian and author Ron Chernow will be speaking at the event, and he presumably won’t be teasing anyone. 

It’s a decision that’s clearly pleased Trump, who tweeted that he’s now maaaaybe thinking of going, instead of ditching the dinner as he did this year. And last year. 

Wolf earlier tweeted the WHCA were “cowards” for its decision to abandon comedy, but in response to Trump labelling her a “so-called” comedian, she hit right back.

After all, Trump did have harsher words for Wolf than he did for Saudi Arabia.

Marriage proposals are just a thing in life you really, really hope goes well.

It went pretty perfectly for one British couple, Jordan Doyle and Mary Lister, who found themselves photobombed by a romp of otters during their proposal in Singapore.

Photographer Bernard Seah captured the rather excellent moment, after being asked by the travelling couple to come with them to see the otters in the country. But the otters gatecrashing Doyle’s proposal wasn’t planned.

“I’d had the ring with me for a while and Mary is a huge fan of otters, so I thought to myself, right, this is the time to propose,” he told the BBC.

The urban-dwelling otters are known as the Bishan 10, a group and local attraction which reside in Marina Bay. 

Seah told the news outlet that it’s “not common” for the otters to approach humans, however, these curious onlookers stuck around for about three minutes. 

How otterly cool, hey? Fiona the Hippo would be proud.

As many as 85,000 children in Yemen starved to death in the past three years during its brutal war, an aid group reported on Wednesday.

Using data compiled by the United Nations, Save the Children evaluated mortality rates for untreated cases of severe acute malnutrition in children under five-years old.

The humanitarian agency found some 84,701 children may have starved to death between April 2015 and October 2018 because of a lack of food.

“We are horrified that some 85,000 children in Yemen may have died because of extreme hunger since the war began,” said Tamer Kirolos, Save the Children’s director in Yemen, in a statement.

“Children who die in this way suffer immensely as their vital organ functions slow down and eventually stop… Parents are having to witness their children wasting away, unable to do anything about it.” 

Since the Saudi-Emirati military intervention in March 2015 in Yemen, commercial imports of food through the vital Hodeidah port have been reduced by more than 55,000 tonnes a month, enough to meet the needs of 4.4 million people, including 2.2 million children, the group said.

The World Food Programme says up to 14 million Yemenis are now at risk of starvation as fighting rages in Hodeidah.

“Any further decline in imports could likely lead directly to famine,” it warned.

Battles rage

The report comes as fighting continues for control of Hodeidah between Houthi rebels and Saudi-Emirati backed forces loyal to Yemen’s President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The World Health Organization says nearly 10,000 people – mostly civilians – have been killed in Yemen since the Saudi-Emirati intervention in March 2015, but rights groups believe the death toll may be five times higher.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have announced they would each give $250m in aid to the war-ravaged country to support more than 10 million people.

In Hodeidah, fighting was also under way Tuesday in the main Khamsin Street in the city centre and in al-Saleh district, officials and witnesses said.

Rebel-run Al Masirah TV said the rebels attacked government forces on a main road linking the capital, Sanaa, and Hodeidah. Government forces captured the road in September.

UN envoy Martin Griffiths is expected to meet with Houthi officials in Sanaa on Wednesday.

Both sides have in the past week expressed support for the envoy and his mission to hold talks in Sweden, but that was thrown in jeopardy after fierce clashes flared in Hodeidah late Tuesday.

Just hours before Griffiths’ planned visit, residents in the east of Hodeidah told AFP news agency by telephone they could hear fighting, and reported shrapnel falling in residential neighbourhoods.

Multiple past attempts to hold negotiations between the government alliance and Houthis have failed.

Griffiths said Monday he hoped the rivals would meet in Sweden “within the next few weeks”. No date has been set.

SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies

Poland came from behind to draw against Portugal and ensure they will be in pot one for the Euro 2020 qualifying draw.

The Poles went into the tie knowing a point would secure their status as a top-10 European side, despite having been relegated from League A.

Andre Silva opened the scoring with a glancing header for the hosts but Arkadiusz Milik held his nerve to equalise from the penalty spot.

The result sees Germany drop into pot two before the draw on 2 December.

Germany could therefore be drawn in the same qualifying group for Euro 2020 as England or World Cup finalists France and Croatia, who are among the teams in pot one.

Nations League Group A3 winners Portugal started brightly in Guimaraes and went in front when Silva met Renato Sanchez’s corner at the near post in the 33rd minute.

Having gone behind, Poland burst into life and Tomasz Kedziora’s header struck the crossbar.

Portugal were reduced to 10 men when Danilo Pereira hauled down Milik inside the penalty area after the Portuguese lost possession in a dangerous area.

Milik stepped up to beat Beto from the spot but the referee ordered a retake because of encroachment. The Napoli striker held his nerve and went the same way to send the topless supporters in the away end into raptures.

Poland had chances to secure all three points, but they leave Portugal having secured their top-10 status on goal difference.

Image: Apple

Why should Black Friday be limited to just one day? In 2018, Apple is holding a four-day shopping event from Nov. 23 to Nov. 26. 

It’s a change of pace for Apple. Typically, it holds a one-day sale at retail locations, online, and through the Apple Store App, and the discounts aren’t that generous. 

SEE ALSO: All the best Black Friday 2018 sales, right in one place

In the past, Apple has done things like make the 10 percent student discount available to all shoppers, and offer gift cards, like a $150 credit for a Mac purchase. But iPhones usually aren’t part of the deal. 

Apple could go in an entirely new direction for 2018. At a minimum, the gift-card-with-a-purchase promotion might extend through Cyber Monday. Still, third-party retailers like BestBuy, Amazon.com, Target, B&H Photo, and eBay are your best bets for good deals. 

It would be surprising if Apple gave substantial direct discounts. Either way, don’t expect a discount on the new MacBook Air or even the iPad Pros.

For now, it’s a waiting game, but luckily all will be revealed in a few short days. In the meantime, you can add a calendar reminder for Apple’s shopping event here. And keep your eyes on Mashable for the best deals all holiday season.

England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow says he has not accepted that his only way back into the Test team is as a specialist batsman.

He missed the first Test in Sri Lanka with an ankle injury, and replacement Ben Foakes kept his place for the second despite Bairstow being fit.

“I’m working on both my primary skills,” said Bairstow, 29.

The third and final Test in Colombo starts on Friday, England having won the series with victory in Pallekele.

Foakes, 25, made a century on his debut in Galle, is averaging 76 with the bat in the series and has also impressed behind the stumps.

Asked whether giving up the gloves would be his likeliest way to regain his place, Bairstow said: “You don’t want to accept that.

“You don’t know what’s round the corner. You don’t know how make-up of sides work, or how injuries happen.”

Bairstow averages 41 when he has kept wicket in Tests, and 27 as a specialist batsman.

He was named in the International Cricket Council Test team of the year in 2016 after scoring 1,470 runs – a record for a keeper – at an average 58.80.

However, he averaged 34.31 in 2017 and is averaging 29.87 this year, having made three ducks in his five most recent Test innings.

Bairstow said: “The last two and a half years I’ve been in the team, and it was only three Tests ago I was in the top 10 batters in the world. And then you’re not playing.

“Naturally, you’re going to be disappointed, but it’s about how you manage that disappointment, especially when you’re around the group.

“You don’t want to be going around sulking. If you’re sapping the energy from the group, that’s not a good thing.”

Bairstow twisted an ankle playing football on 19 October, ruling him out of the final two one-day internationals in Sri Lanka and the opening Test.

He said he feared his tour was over, adding: “I thought I’d broken my ankle. Everything goes through your mind in those two or three minutes.

“I’ve not told everyone how bad I did it. We’re well ahead of where we were going to be.”

England’s 57-run win in Pallekele on Sunday gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and secured a first triumph in Sri Lanka since 2001.

All-rounder Sam Curran, who played in the first two Tests, has a side strain and will be assessed on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka have called up the uncapped Nishan Peiris for Colombo as fellow off-spinner Akila Dananjaya will have his suspect bowling action assessed in Brisbane.

Dananjaya was reported during the first Test but, under ICC guidelines, was allowed to play in the second, when he took eight wickets.

Peiris, 21, has taken 38 wickets at 29.52 apiece in 12 first-class matches.

Image: pexels

Browsing the internet these days can be dangerous thanks to hackers and scammers trying to steal your info, like credit card numbers and bank statements. However, there is a way to surf the web safely and securely, while saving a bit of cash in the process. 

Enter IPVanish, one of the best VPNs (virtual private network) out there. This trusted service is currently on sale for only $3.33 a month, making it just $79.99 for a two-year subscription during Cyber Week.

SEE ALSO: All the best Black Friday 2018 sales, right in one place

IPVanish is one of the smartest ways to hide your internet browsing history, keep your IP address a secret, and gain the peace of mind that you’re not being tracked by shifty scammers or corrupt companies wanting to get ads in front of your eyeballs.

IPVanish keeps all your personal information and identity 100% under wraps without recording your online activities. The VPN offers encrypted data at home and on the go with coverage options for laptops and smartphones with unrestricted internet access anywhere in the world.

This deal will be live through Nov. 27, 2018 and is for new users only, so be quick so you don’t miss out. The best part of all: Once you sign up, you’ll get to keep this deal price for the lifetime of your subscription.

 

Black Friday 2018 deals by store

Black Friday 2018 deals by category

• Gaming deals: Xbox One X, PlayStation 4, Nintendo, Alienware laptops, and more

• Laptop deals: Lenovo Yoga, Alienware, Dell, HP, Asus, and more

• TV deals: OLEDs from Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart, and more

• Smart home deals: Amazon Echo, Roomba, Google Home, Apple HomePod
   

Shenzhen, China – The video screen shows a constant procession of Chinese citizens moving past a camera at what appears to be a public festival, park or central city plaza.

Their faces are bracketed by yellow squares with various numbers hovering below, including each person’s estimated age and gender. If the person is known to the system, their name appears too.

The facial recognition technology was just one of dozens of such systems at the China Hi-Tech Fair in the southern city of Shenzhen this month.

But while other companies tried to bring some levity to the dystopian feel by making cute dog heads appear on the faces of passers-by, others had no qualms about showcasing the Orwellian nature of their products.

Shenzhen-based Kuang-Chi, which stresses the benefits of “civil-military integration” of its technologies, claims its “super-intelligent tracking system” leaves “nowhere to hide” for those it targets.

“It can find a person in a crowd of up to 8,000 people,” a Kuang-Chi representative explains at the firm’s prominent display at the entrance to the fair. “It is being used already by police in Chongqing and Shanghai and is 95 to 98 percent accurate.”

For now, many Chinese appear to accept these new surveillance technologies as a way to make communities safer by tracking and identifying criminals, child abductors, and “terrorists”.

‘Techno-dystopian’

But outside the country questions are being asked about the more nefarious uses of such technologies, and the authorities’ deployment of such systems to tighten control over their citizens and crack down on dissent, most notably in the far-western region of Xinjiang.

Last week, US lawmakers introduced bills that, if passed, would call on the commerce secretary to look into restrictions on technology sales to companies that are involved in providing surveillance technology in Xinjiang.

Chinese companies too might find themselves at risk of sanctions and restrictions.

“That risk is certainly appearing to be on the rise as the US government seems very determined to act against this repression, and to hold related companies responsible,” said Adrian Zenz, a lecturer in social research methods at the European School of Culture & Theology, who has been following the Xinjiang situation closely.

“During conversations with State Department officials in September, I certainly got that very same impression, and I am not surprised that the government is moving towards specific actions and possible sanctions,” Zenz told Al Jazeera.

The action proposed by Congress would authorise annual release reports on surveillance, detection, and control methods in Xinjiang, and create a list of leaders involved in high-tech policing in the region including Party Secretary Chen Quanguo who could be sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Act, according to a draft.

“I believe we’re at the very early stages of the matter, and will likely see this gain further prominence in the months ahead,” said Adrian Shahbaz, research director of technology and democracy at Freedom House.

“Taking swift action to condemn the draconian surveillance state rapidly developing in Xinjiang is fundamental not only to protecting the human rights of millions of persecuted inhabitants there, but also to ensure the Chinese government is not given carte blanche to expand its techno-dystopian model to other parts of the country,” Shahbaz added.

Customer and funder

Whether companies in China involved in developing surveillance systems that the government is using for policing in places such as Xinjiang are concerned depends on whether they are targetting the domestic market or harbour ambitions of expanding beyond China, analysts say.

“I think a lot of the companies that support surveillance tech are domestic companies and don’t have a lot of international trade links,” said Maya Wang, China senior researcher at Human Rights Watch who has been studying the use of technology in the Xinjiang crackdown.

“Even trying to figure out the funding and where they are selling is just coming to the surface, and a lot of these smaller companies exist beneath the surface,” Wang said.

Facial recognition, artificial intelligence (AI), and other technology that can be utilised for surveillance is a huge and growing business in China.

SenseTime, which describes itself as the world’s “most valuable artificial intelligence unicorn” and is worth more than $4.5bn, is a major player in facial recognition systems.

But it is also China’s biggest provider of AI algorithms and is involved in projects from the development of “intelligent cities” to autonomous cars and education.

In September, China’s ministry of science and technology signed a deal with SenseTime to establish a fifth national open innovation platform for “next-generation” AI, joining Tencent and Baidu.

At the Shenzhen fair, SenseTime was playing up the more benign applications of its technology from fixing blemishes to adding heart-shaped cat noses and whiskers to photos.

For these firms it is China and its government that is their biggest market, and the latter is often their biggest source of funds too.

“It’s not that the tech community [in China] is amoral or anything,” said Elliott Zaagman, who co-hosts the China Tech Investor podcast.

“You either play their game and have your company, your products, and your money, or don’t and lose it all, or worse,” Zaagman said. “Absolutely they have concerns about [a Western] backlash, but there isn’t much that they can do. They need to comply at home.”

Jordan Nobbs’ serious knee injury is a “big blow” to England’s World Cup chances in France next year, according to record goalscorer Kelly Smith.

The player Smith describes as the “engine” of England’s midfield ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament during Arsenal’s win over Everton on Sunday.

Nobbs, 25, has 56 senior international caps and was England’s player of 2016.

“She’s a pivotal part of the England set up and it’s a massive loss to both Arsenal and England,” Smith said.

“It’s going to be tough for her to make the squad, it seems.”

Nobbs scored in the 4-0 win over Everton, helping the Gunners maintain their perfect start to the Women’s Super League, where they sit top of the table.

But both Arsenal and England could lose the energetic midfielder for between six to nine months, which is the expected recovery time for ACL injuries.

Phil Neville’s England team will go into the World Cup, starting on 7 June, as one of the favourites, having finished third in 2015 in Canada.

Nobbs did not play in that tournament because of a hamstring injury, but was part of the squad.

“As vice-captain and captain, Jordan and Steph Houghton are the first two names on the team sheet,” former Arsenal and England forward Smith told BBC Sport.

“No one player makes a team, but when you’re playing so positively and full of confidence, it’s a blow to the team. She is the engine so it’s a big blow.”

Smith, who also suffered the same injury during her playing career, said making the squad in such a short space of time would be a “massive feat”.

“It depends on the surgery and how she reacts post-surgery,” Smith added. “Any time you come back from a long injury like that, it’s a massive feat to come back in such a short period of time between now and the World Cup.

“Anything is possible but you don’t know and you have to keep a positive frame of mind because you might have a couple of setbacks.

“It will be tough for her but I’m sure she knows that. I pray she comes back because she’s an integral part of the side.”