● [Tech] Bithumb: Hackers 'rob crypto-exchange of $32m'. ︴ ︴

▼ A leading crypto-coin exchange has halted trade after declaring that hackers had stolen some of the digital currencies it stored. Seoul-based Bithumb said that 35bn won (£24m; $31.6m) worth of cyber-cash had been "seized" overnight, adding that it would fully compensate affected customers. The values of Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple all fell on the news. It is the second time in less than a year that Bithumb has been breached. Last July, it acknowledged an employee's PC had been hacked - exposing users' personal details. South Korea's spy agency later accused North Korea of being responsible after the stolen information was used to carry out scams. Cold wallet (▪ ▪ ▪)

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● [Tech] Instagram longer videos: How new IGTV feature will work. ︴ ︴

▼ Instagram has released a long-form video feature which allows users to post hour-long clips. IGTV lets users create content exceeding the current maximum 60-second clip limit for the first time. It's not clear if the longer videos would include adverts or if users would be paid for their content as they are on platforms like YouTube. Speaking exclusively to Newsbeat, Instagram founder Kevin Systrom said it's in "no rush to figure that out". IGTV will show videos in portrait mode, which Instagram says is the "natural way" people use their phones. Kevin said: "Video deserves a better home on mobile". Tech expert Alex Brinnand, from TenEighty magazine, says IGTV could make Instagram a more dominant player in the social media industry. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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● [Tech] 'Disastrous' copyright bill vote approved. ︴ ︴

▼ A committee of MEPs has voted to accept major changes to European copyright law, which experts say could change the nature of the internet. They voted to approve the controversial Article 13, which critics warn could put an end to memes, remixes and other user-generated content. Article 11, requiring online platforms to pay publishers a fee if they link to their news content, was also approved. One organisation opposed to the changes called it a "dark day". The European Parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs voted by 15 votes to 10 to adopt Article 13 and by 13 votes to 12 to adopt Article 11. It will now go to the wider European Parliament to vote on in July. 'Censorship' Last week, 70 influential tech leaders, including Vint Cerf and Tim Berners-Lee, signed a letteropposing Article 13, which they called "an imminent threat to the future" of the internet. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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● [International News] Mystery 'Dogman' Beast Shot in Montana Was Just a Gray Wolf, DNA Shows. ︴ ︴

▼ A wolf-like animal was shot on May 16, 2018, after it was spotted in a private pasture with livestock near Denton, Montana. Credit: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks A mysterious "canid animal" shot by a Montana rancher in May had wildlife officials scratching their heads about what kind of beast it was, but DNA testing finally has answers. It resembled a wolf — mostly — though some features were distinctly un-wolflike, which led to some pretty wild speculation about whether it was a dire wolf (they're long-extinct, so definitely not), a dog-wolf hybrid (dogs and wolves can interbreed) or perhaps a dog-human hybrid (seriously, people?), The Washington Post previously reported. But DNA analysis showed that the beast wasn't so mysterious after all, and it was merely a gray wolf(Canis lupus), from the northern Rocky Mountains.

Tests conducted at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) forensic laboratory in Ashland, Oregon, put the wild rumors about the wild canid to rest. After comparing the animal's DNA with thousands of samples taken from wolves, dogs and coyotes, lab officials confirmed the suspicions of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' (MFWP) wildlife health lab — that the mystery canid was a female gray wolf, and "a relatively normal looking" one at that, MFWP representatives said in a statement. She was probably about 2 or 3 years old, weighing about 85 pounds (39 kilograms) and measuring nearly 4 feet (1 meter) from nose to rump when she was killed, MFWP officials reported. Adult gray wolves typically weigh between 70 and 110 pounds, and can measure up to 6 feet (1.8 m) long, according to the FWS.(▪ ▪ ▪)

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● [Science] Gene-edited farm animals are on their way. ︴ ︴

▼ Scientists have created pigs that are immune to one of the world's costliest livestock diseases. The team edited the animals' DNA to make them resist the deadly respiratory disease known as PRRS - a move that could prevent billions of pounds in losses each year. However, consumers have traditionally been reluctant to eat genetically altered animals and crops. This poses a significant barrier to farmers owning gene-edited pigs. And because genome, or gene, editing (GE) is relatively new, the absence of regulation currently prevents their sale anyway. GE is different to the more widely used technology of genetic modification. The former involves the precise alteration of an organism's DNA, while the latter is characterised by the introduction of foreign genetic sequences into another living thing. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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● [Science] Your efforts to save water are actually making a difference Finally, a bit of good news.. ︴ ︴

▼ Wateris essential for life, but we’re not always the best at keeping our water supply safe. However, a new studyfrom the United States Geological Survey shows water use across the country dropped between 2010 and 2015, even though the population rose by four percent in that time. Significantly, average water use by individuals across the country also fell, following a pattern that’s been continuous since the early 2000s. That means that your low-flush toiletis actually helping conserve fresh water. Such efforts have a real effect on how much H2O is used by the public supply, the third-largest water consumer in the United States, says University of Arizona water scientists Susanna Eden, who was not involved in the study. “It’s very important to become more efficient and to become more protective of our water supply,” Eden says, and small-scale efforts like low-flow toilets, efficient washing machines, and landscaping that doesn’t require outside waterall have an impact. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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● [International News] Panama Papers: Mossack Fonseca was unable to identify company owners. ︴ ︴

▼ A new leak of documents from the offshore service provider at the centre of the Panama Papers scandal reveals the company could not identify the owners of up to three quarters of companies it administered. Two months after becoming aware of the data breach, Mossack Fonseca was unable to identify the beneficial owners of more than 70% of 28,500 active companies in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) as well as 75% of companies in Panama, according to new documents seen by BBC Panorama. At the time, BVI law permitted corporate service providers to rely upon intermediaries, banks, legal firms and other offshore service providers overseas to check the identities of the owners, although they were required to provide information if requested by the authorities. The firm was fined $440,000 (£333,000) by the BVI Financial Services Commission in November 2016 for regulatory and legal infringements of anti-money laundering and other laws. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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● [International News] Trump backs down on migrant family separations policy. ︴ ︴

▼ US President Donald Trump has bowed to public pressure and signed an executive order promising to "keep families together" in migrant detentions. Mr Trump reversed his own policy amid international fury over the separation of undocumented parents and children. He said he had been swayed by images of children who have been taken from parents while they are jailed and prosecuted for illegal border-crossing. It was not immediately clear when Mr Trump's order would be implemented. "It's about keeping families together," Mr Trump said at the signing ceremony on Wednesday. "I did not like the sight of families being separated," he said, but added the administration would continue its "zero tolerance policy" of criminally prosecuting anyone who crosses the border illegally. The executive orderstates that immigrant families will be detained together, except in cases where there are concerns about the child's welfare, but it is unclear for how long. Mr Trump's order also calls for prioritising immigration cases involving detained families. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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● [International News] Irrfan Khan: Bollywood actor flooded with support after cancer letter. ︴ ︴

▼ Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan has been flooded with online support from fans after writing in an open letter about his cancer treatment in London. Khan posted on Twitter in March to say that he was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour. In letter published by the Times of India on Tuesday, the 51-year-old reflected on the "intensity" of his pain and the "uncertainty" of life. His fans shared the letter on Twitter with wishes for a speedy recovery. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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