● [Tech] Roblox 'gang rape' shocks mother. ︴ ︴

▼ A US mum has written a Facebook post describing her shock at seeing her child's avatar being "gang raped" by others in the online game Roblox. Amber Petersen said her seven-year-old was playing the game, which is marketed at children, when she showed her the screen and asked what was happening. She also shared screenshots, which showed two male avatars attacking her daughter's female character. Roblox said it had banned the player who carried out the action. Ms Petersen said in her post that she felt "traumatised and violated on so many levels" following the experience. The screenshots she shared included a representation of male genitalia. "Parents/Caregivers... not only do I urge you to delete this app, I hope you will take another look at all of your devices and their security settings," she wrote on Facebook. 'Zero tolerance' Roblox said it was "outraged" that a "bad actor" had violated its community policies and rules of conduct. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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● [Tech] Facebook shuts down Hello, Moves and tbh apps. ︴ ︴

▼ Facebook is retiring three apps, blaming low user numbers. One, an anonymous social media app aimed at teenagers called tbh, is less than one year old. It was bought by the tech giant eight months ago after attracting millions of downloads at launch. All user data for tbh, along with fitness tracker Moves and Hello, an app which linked Facebook information with phone contacts, will all be deleted within 90 days, the firm said. In a statement, Facebook acknowledged that existing users of all three apps would be disappointed. "We need to prioritise our work so we don't spread ourselves too thin. And it's only by trial and error that we'll create great social experiences for people," it said. Facebook acquired Moves in 2014, Hello in 2015 and tbh in 2017. Tbh ("to be honest") was downloaded 5 million times in the US in its first nine weeks, before being bought by Facebook for an undisclosed sum. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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● [Tech] Italy Wikipedia shuts down in protest at EU copyright law. ︴ ︴

▼ Italian Wikipedia blocked readers from its pages on Tuesday in protest over the future of EU online copyright law. Critics say the rules, due to be voted on this week, could put an end to memes and remixes, and require platforms to pay for linking to news. Instead of an encyclopaedia entry, visitors to any page on the Italian language Wikipedia were greeted with a statement about the upcoming vote. The editors wrote that "Wikipedia itself would be at risk of closing". "If the proposal is approved, it may be impossible to share a newspaper article on social networks or find it on a search engine," it said. English-language users of the site were not cut off from its articles - but instead saw a large banner advert urging readers to contact their European representatives, or MEPs, ahead of the vote. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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● [Science] What to Do If You Come Face-to-Face with an Alligator. ︴ ︴

▼ An American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) in a Florida swamp. Credit: Shutterstock A teenage girl rafting in a creek got the fright of her life when an alligator nearly as long as two grand-size pianos chased her up a tree in Florida's Ocala National Forest on Friday (June 29). When the 9-foot-long (2.7 meters) alligatorapproached 15-year-old Jordan Broderick in the midafternoon, she grabbed onto a large, overhanging branch and climbed into a tree, according to the Orlando Sentinel. But that didn't dissuade the gator. It stayed at the base of the tree, aggressively hissing at her, for at least 30 minutes. Alligators usually steer clear of humans, but that's not always the case. Unless you're near a tall, climbable tree like Jordan was, you may not know what to do. Here are the best ways to avoid and escape aggressive alligators. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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● [Science] Exomoons: on the hunt for distant worlds. ︴ ︴

▼ The search for exoplanets, which orbit distant stars, has opened up a whole galaxy of worlds beyond our own. Over 3,700 have been discovered to date, but they may have companions. Since the first confirmed discovery of planets beyond our own Solar System over 20 years ago, we have known that our stellar neighbourhood is not unique in the Universe. But now the frontier of exploration is shifting again; because where there are planets, there should be moons. And those moons could be surprisingly Earth-like. Why moons? Thus far, scientists interested in potential habitable worlds beyond our Solar System have focused on planets that could resemble Earth; currently our only blueprint for life. But what if these worlds don't orbit their star, but another planet instead? (▪ ▪ ▪)

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● [Science] How Long Would It Take to Cross the Milky Way at Light Speed?. ︴ ︴

▼ The Milky Way's starry disk is bigger than previously thought, a new study reports. It extends to at least the inner dotted circle in this illustration, and may reach even farther out. Credit: R. Hurt, SSC-Caltech, NASA/JPL-Caltech The disk of our home galaxy – the Milky Way – is bigger than we previously thought. A new study shows it would take 200,000 years for a spaceship traveling at the speed of light to go across the entire galaxy. Researchers made the find after analyzing the abundances of metals (heavy elements) in stars, also known as their metallicities. When looking beyond the previously assumed boundary of the Milky Way's disk, scientists were surprised to see stars with compositions resembling those of disk stars. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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● [International News] Bengaluru: what's next for India's tech capital? The city – formerly known as Bangalore – is where India’s IT industry began 25 years ago. Is the city finally shaking off its reputation as a hub for cheap tech labour? ︴ ︴

▼ The headquarters of IT company Infosys in Bengaluru, India. Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images There are two things that the streets of Bengaluru are full of: bars and software developers. Take a seat at your watering hole of choice, and it won’t be long before you hear murmurs of startups, VCs and funding at a neighbouring table. This is where the entrepreneurs of Bengaluru (known as Bangalore until November 2014) come to meet – in the coffee shops, bars and restaurants of one of India’s most buzzing cities. “The tech scene and entrepreneurial spirit in Bengaluru are booming,” says Niketh Sabbineni, a local tech entrepreneur who sold his company, Bookpad, to Yahoo in 2014. Although from the Indian city of Hyderabad, he and his cofounders moved to Bengaluru straight out of college in search of three things: access to entrepreneurs, talent and venture capital. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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● [International News] Thailand cave: 'Zero risks' to be taken in rescue of boys. ︴ ︴

▼ Rescuers will take no risks in freeing the 12 boys and their football coach trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand, an official said. They have received their first food and medical treatment in 10 days. Seven divers, including a doctor and a nurse, joined the group inside the caves in the north of the country after they were discovered alive on Monday. Rescuers are now considering how best to bring the group to safety. "We will not rush to take the lads out of the cave," the governor of Chiang Rai, Narongsak Osoththanakorn, told reporters, adding: "Whoever has zero risk first can leave the cave first." More heavy rain could see water levels rise and threaten the air pocket where the group has taken refuge. The boys were found nine days after they entered the caves in Chiang Rai province following a football training session and became trapped by rising waters from heavy rainfall. On Tuesday, Thai officials told reporters that rescuers were providing health checks and treatment, and keeping the boys entertained, adding that none of those trapped were in a serious condition. "They have been fed with easy-to-digest, high-energy food with vitamins and minerals, under the supervision of a doctor," Rear Admiral Apagorn Youkonggaew, head of the Thai navy's special forces, told reporters. Why can't they swim out? (▪ ▪ ▪)

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