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The future of Facebook is Stories.

That was one of the biggest takeaways from Facebook’s third-quarter earnings call, where Mark Zuckerberg and other executives repeated again and again that Stories will soon be bigger than News Feed.

While not the first time Facebook execs have made such a claim, it quickly became clear just how important Stories will be for future growth on Facebook.

While the format has been incredibly successful on Instagram and WhatsApp, Zuckerberg noted that it’s gotten a slower start in Facebook’s main app, which the CEO attributed in part to early bugs in the experience. “Our effort to switch Facebook from News Feed first to Stories first hasn’t been as smooth as I hoped,” Zuckerberg said.

But Zuckerberg did say Stories is growing, and that he expects it to outpace News Feed in the “not so distant future.” 

Just how distant, though, is unclear, as he didn’t share any metrics for Stories in the main Facebook app, where the feature has lagged significantly behind its counterparts on Instagram and WhatsApp. 

The bigger question, at least for investors, is how soon Facebook will able to monetize the format effectively, as the company is still in the early stages of experimenting with Story ads.

“We’re following our normal playbook here of building out the best consumer products first, and focusing on succeeding there before ramping up ads. I’m optimistic we’ll get ads in Stories to perform as well as feed over time,” he told investors on the call.

In the meantime, it sounds like we can expect more ads in more places on Instagram. Zuckerberg hinted that ads may soon be coming to Instagram’s Explore tab, which currently has no ads at all. He said that ads in Explore represent a significant opportunity for the company as Instagram users currently spend about 20 percent of their time in the  Explore tab.

Overall, Facebook did manage to turn out stronger growth than last quarter’s disastrous results. While daily active user growth remained flat in the United States and Canada, growth was up in other regions, including Asia. Europe, where new privacy legislation contributed to a loss of 3 million users last quarter, was the only region where the company lost users. 

Revenue was also up from last quarter to $13.73 billion, just barely under analysts’ estimates.

All that would seem to be relatively good news for the social media company, which still hasn’t recovered from the nose dive that wiped out more than $100 billion off the company’s market value following last quarter’s earnings call.

Top American officials called for a ceasefire in Yemen and demanded warring parties immediately come to the negotiating table.

James Mattis, the Pentagon chief, said the US had been watching the conflict “for long enough”, adding he believes Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – who are in a US-backed coalition fighting Houthi rebels – are ready for talks.

“We have got to move toward a peace effort here, and we can’t say we are going to do it sometime in the future,” Mattis said at the US Institute of Peace in Washington.

“We need to be doing this in the next 30 days.”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later called on the Saudi-Emirati coalition to stop air strikes in populated areas in Yemen. Pompeo said the “time is now for the cessation of hostilities” in the war-plagued country.

Mattis said the United States is calling for all factions to meet with United Nations special envoy Martin Griffiths in Sweden in November and “come to a solution”.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the conflict between embattled Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, whose government is recognised by the United Nations, and the Houthis in 2015.

At least 10,000 people – a figure that hasn’t been updated in years and is likely significantly higher – have since been killed and the country that now stands at the brink of famine that threatens millions.

‘Killing innocent people’

The United States has faced fierce international criticism for its role in supporting the Saudi-led coalition, especially after a series of air strikes killed scores of civilians.

Mattis said US support is based primarily on teaching the Saudi air force to improve targeting and to not drop bombs when there is any doubt about what they might hit.

“Our goal right now is to achieve a level of capability by those forces fighting against the Houthis that they are not killing innocent people,” he said.

“The longer term solution – and by longer term I mean 30 days from now – we want to see everybody around a peace table based on a ceasefire, based on a pullback [of Houthis] from the border and then based on a ceasing dropping of bombs that will permit the special envoy Martin Griffiths … to get them together in Sweden and end this war. That is the only way we are going to really solve this.”

Last month, UN-led peace talks failed to take off after Houthi rebels refused to fly to Geneva over what they said was the UN’s failure to guarantee a safe return to the capital Sanaa, which the group has controlled since 2014.

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That Faraday Future 91 electric vehicle that seemed so promising just a few years ago will probably never get made for the masses — and definitely not by 2019.

The California-based would-be Tesla rival has suffered many setbacks, but none as severe as those announced this week.

In a statement sent Tuesday, Faraday Future confirmed that two execs, Pete Savagian and Nick Sampson, have left the company. “We wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors,” the statement read. 

But it gets worse from there. 

All employees who joined the electric car startup after May 1 must take a furlough (an unpaid leave of absence) for November and December. Those hired before can opt for the furlough or continue working regularly but at lower pay. Health benefits will continue. It’s also not guaranteed that the furlough will end by December.

“This was an extremely tough decision to make,” the statement read. 

The money problems stem from a messy investment from the Chinese company Evergrande Health Industry Group, who pledged $2 billion. It gave $800 million back in in early 2018 as the lead investor in the company. Then the back-and-forth fighting started. 

In July, Faraday Future claimed the company said it would invest more earlier than planned. But that never happened. FF alleges the investor is keeping the company from accepting other financing and trying to take control and ownership.

Last week the company said it was victorious in the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre and an arbitrator decided Evergrande can’t block funding sources. Last week FF also had layoffs.

The statement about the furloughs continued, “We continue to push forward to find additional funding from investors globally as we strive to retain our people and our suppliers.”

The Verge obtained emails from within the company that said the “reduced level of compensation” is $50,000. Sampson reportedly said in an email that the furloughs will “basically shut down the company.”

It’s almost sad to look at the company’s Twitter page that continues to push out optimistic posts about its car production. The website still has a “reserve” button to be one of the first to receive an FF 91.

The future looks dim.

The seven members of K-pop group Monsta X don’t simply ask for your attention; they demand it. Their latest single, “Shoot Out,” is no exception. It’s loud and aggressive — reminiscent of the septet’s earlier work on songs like “Trespass” — with a thundering beat, slick pop-rock chorus, and sensual visual. And it’s been stuck in my head since it dropped last week.

“Walker walker walker growling” is extremely catchy, OK?

“Shoot Out” is the bombastic lead single off the group’s sophomore album, Take.1 Are You There?, and its striking visual hints at themes of darkness and light. The sumptuous music video also highlights what makes Monsta X one of the more compelling acts in K-pop at the moment: their duality. They’re equal parts dangerous and playful with an in-your-face energy that refuses to be ignored.

They serve angst with chokers, harnesses, faux eyebrow rings, and smoldering stares, while wearing unbuttoned coveralls (sans undershirts, hallelujah) and magically shaking their exposed pecs in a way that I didn’t think was humanly possible.

Seriously. What sorcery is this, Shownu?

The group is composed of charismatic rappers Jooheon and I.M and vocalists Shownu, Wonho, Minhyuk, Hyungwon, and Kihyun (who completely owns the hook on “Shoot Out”). And here they are on the way to my funeral after completely wrecking me with Wonho’s lip ring chain and that gyrating hip choreography:

From left to right: Jooheon, Hyungwon, Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Wonho, and I.M

And because I love to suffer, here are just a few of the moments I can’t stop thinking about from the “Shoot Out” music video:

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Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy and his wife have laid a wreath in memory of club boss Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha after his death in a helicopter crash.

The aircraft came down in a car park moments after taking off from the King Power Stadium on Saturday evening.

Vardy and wife Rebekah were visibly moved during a visit to a memorial outside the ground.

The pair added their own floral tribute to thousands of others left at the stadium.

Mr Vichai, two members of his staff, the pilot and a passenger all died at the scene.

Mr and Mrs Vardy returned to the stadium earlier with club ambassador Alan Birchenall to visit the memorial.

Mr Birchenall had been asked by Leicester City to lay a wreath on behalf of West Ham United.

He said the last few days had been a “horrible, horrible time” for him and paid tribute to Mr Vichai for his generosity and support.

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Vardy was key to Leicester City’s Premier League title in 2016 scoring 24 goals that season and breaking the record for goals scored in consecutive league games.

He married Rebekah, who appeared in I’m a Celebrity, that same year and their wedding was attended by Mr Vichai and his son.

A book of condolence has opened at the ground to those who died and buildings have been turned blue in tribute.

There has been a steady stream of people queuing to sign the book.

It has been placed in a marquee outside the club “for the foreseeable future”, with an online version also available.

While Leicester City’s EFL Cup tie against Southampton on Tuesday was postponed, the club confirmed their Premier League match against Cardiff on Saturday would go ahead.

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Nursara Suknamai, Kaveporn Punpare, pilot Eric Swaffer and his partner Izabela Roza Lechowicz also died in the crash on Saturday.

An investigation into the cause of the crash, which saw the helicopter spiral out of control, is under way with the aircraft’s digital flight data recorder already recovered.

Prommanee Sombattpiboon, a Thai student who is studying in Leicester, said she wanted to sign the book as a mark of gratitude.

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“We wanted to pay our respects and leave a message that he means too much to the community here,” she said.

“It felt like such a privilege to be a student here, especially being Thai, it was such a warm welcome.”

On Monday, Mr Vichai’s wife and son laid a wreath at the stadium.

The club’s first team, youth squad and manager Claude Puel were also at the stadium to see tributes laid by fans.

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Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez, a former Leicester player, dedicated his match-winning goal in Monday night’s game against Tottenham to Mr Vichai.

“It’s been very difficult,” he told Sky Sports. “The boss was very special to me, I spent four-and-a-half years there.

“He was such a good person and I’m very, very sad. That’s why I put my hands in the sky for him.”

Former Foxes boss Nigel Pearson who led the team to Championship promotion in 2014 and now manages Oud-Heverlee Leuven in Belgium – another club owned by the King Power Group – has also paid tribute.

He said he “could not have wished for a better boss” and would “miss his guidance and wisdom”.

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A minute’s silence was held at Leicester’s two universities to remember the victims of the crash and fans gathered at the city’s Jalaram Community Centre “for reflection” on the evening the team was due to be playing its EFL cup match.

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Former minister Keith Vaz and Northern Irish MP Jim Shannon – both Foxes supporters – have expressed their gratitude to the club’s owner in the House of Commons.

In an early day motion, Mr Shannon passed on his condolences to the families and thanked Mr Vichai for “the success he brought to Leicester City FC and for the contribution that he made to Leicester University, hospital and other community projects.”

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Bristol City FC

Buildings across the country, including council offices and sports clubs, have been lit blue – the club colour for Leicester – as a tribute to those who died.

Meanwhile, Thai media has reported arrangements are being put in place to take Mr Vichai’s body back to Thailand.

The Bangkok Post said the Thai and British embassies were working to “prepare the paperwork required for the transport of the body”.

The coroner for Leicester said no date for inquests had yet been set.

The 2018 thriller A Quiet Place was the inspiration for this Halloween couple’s costume — and damn did they really nail it. 

Twitter user @nomadstrange shared a photo of her sister and husband dressed as Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt) and Lee Abbott (John Krasinski) from the film, and you’re really just going to have to take a look:

From the outfits and accessories to the lighting, these two perfectly replicated this look. Also, being pregnant at the time definitely added to the authenticity. 

Even Krasinski, who starred, directed, and co-wrote the screenplay for the film, loved the costume! 

Twitter agreed as well:

Finally, Krasinski is getting the Halloween costumes cred he deserves after years of lazy outfits from The Office. 

US President Donald Trump arrived in Pittsburgh on Tuesday as funerals began for the victims of last weekend’s anti-Semitic shooting at a synagogue in the US city that left 11 dead. 

The Republican leader came to the city on Tuesday despite statements by several Jewish leaders that he would not be welcome.

Those calls came from progressive Jewish groups, as well as the former president of the Tree of Life synagogue, which was attacked by suspected gunman Robert Bowers on Saturday. 

Bowers reportedly made anti-Semitic remarks as he opened fire on worshippers inside the building, killing 11 and wounding several others, including police officers responding at the scene.

Before Trump’s arrival on Tuesday, a crowd of protesters blocked the entrance to the city’s Republican club, over the party’s purported failure to denounce white supremacism.

Protesters also shouted “Leave Pittsburgh, leave Pennsylvania” as Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visited the Tree of Life Synagogue. 

There were also signs that read “Trump go home” and “words matter”. 

Others, including Yulia Kushner, who lives in the Squirrel Hill neighbourhood near the Tree of Life Synagogue, acknowledged that many in the Jewish community did not want Trump to visit because they blame his rhetoric for fueling hate, but it was still fitting that the president visited and paid his respects.

“It’s not like I’m a Trump supporter,” Kushner told Al Jazeera. “But today we have to concentrate on mourning and set aside our political differences.”

The protests and memorial vigils coincided with funerals for victims of Saturday’s mass killing, one of the worst acts of anti-Semitic violence in the US in recent memory.

Several of those killed were alive at the time of the Holocaust. 

In posts online before the shooting, Bowers had blamed a Jewish NGO, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, for helping immigrants and refugees enter the US.

He also voiced anger at Trump for surrounding himself with Jews.

In the initial aftermath of the shooting, Trump suggested that an armed guard at the synagogue may have been able to stop the attack “immediately”. He also condemned the shooting and called for the death penalty for the attackers.

In a week marred by violence, the killings have intensified focus on Trump’s role in stoking the far right. 

The US president has repeatedly used terms, such as “globalist”, which has a historic anti-Semitic connotation, and has indulged in conspiracy theories that originated in white supremacist circles, such as his unfounded claim that George Soros was funding protesters against his Supreme Court pick.

Additional reporting by Chris Kenning in Pittsburgh. 

Halloween hasn’t even happened yet, and Beyoncé‘s already won it.

Sure, there were some commendable shots at the costume crown over the weekend — like Halsey’s nearly naked Poison Ivy and Harry Styles’s blinged-out Elton John — but none were quite so meticulous and unique as the one Bey just showed us.

On Halloween Eve (October 30), Beyoncé unveiled her instantly iconic costume on Instagram, which finds her paying homage to R&B superstar Toni Braxton. The photo shoot comes with an amazing alias, “Phoni Braxton,” and finds Bey styled with the pixie cut and leather jacket found on the cover of Braxton’s 1993 self-titled debut album, as well as the album’s lead single, “Another Sad Love Song.”

Beyoncé proclaimed her love for Braxton in a written tribute, captioning one of the posts, “Sending love and adoration to one of our talented legends. Thank you for the countless bops. Your tone, your beauty, your range, and your God-given talent is treasured. Loving you always. Have a Happy Halloween my Kings and Queens.”

This isn’t the first time Beyoncé’s honored her musical heroes for Halloween — she was Janet Jackson back in 2014, Salt-N-Pepa in 2016, and last year, she and Jay-Z dressed up as Lil’ Kim and Biggie, respectively. No word yet on what Jay, Blue Ivy, Sir, or Rumi’s costumes will be this year (maybe Jay will go as Braxton’s fiancé, Birdman?!), but as always, Beyoncé’s set the bar way, way high.

Novak Djokovic broke off from serving for victory against Joao Sousa to help a spectator who was taken ill at the Paris Masters.

The match came to a stop as the spectator was attended to, with Djokovic providing him with a towel before he left his seat for treatment.

The world number two was nearly broken when play resumed but served out for the match to win 7-5 6-1.

Djokovic will play Bosnian Damir Dzumhur in the third round.

World number one Rafael Nadal and number three Roger Federer will start their campaigns at the tournament on Wednesday.

Nadal will play fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, while Federer faces Milos Raonic, of Canada.