Office-sharing startup WeWork is planning to cut as many as 4,000 jobs as a part of a turnaround plan put in place by top shareholder Japan's SoftBank Group&nbsp;after it took control of the company this week, Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

The job cut will amount to just under a third of WeWork's global workforce, and about 1,000 of the cuts will hit employees such as janitorial staff, the report said, citing people with direct knowledge of the plans.

SoftBank agreed to spend more than $10 billion&nbsp;to take over WeWork on Tuesday, giving a near $1.7 billion payoff to the startup's co-founder Adam Neumann to relinquish control.

WeWork was not immediately available for comment.

Office-sharing startup WeWork is planning to cut as many as 4,000 jobs as a part of a turnaround plan put in place by top shareholder Japan's SoftBank Group after it took control of the company this week, Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

Office-sharing startup WeWork is planning to cut as many as 4,000 jobs as a part of a turnaround plan put in place by top shareholder Japan's SoftBank Group after it took control of the company this week, Financial Times reported on Wednesday. The job cut will amount to just under a third of WeWork's global workforce, and about 1,000 of the cuts will hit employees such as janitorial staff, the report said, citing people with direct knowledge of the plans. SoftBank agreed to spend more than $10 billion to take over WeWork on Tuesday, giving a near $1.7 billion payoff to the startup's co-founder Adam Neumann to relinquish control. WeWork was not immediately available for comment.

WeWork plans to lay off 4,000 staff: Report

India's biggest airline IndiGo reported its biggest-ever quarterly loss on higher maintenance costs and cut capacity expansion targets, at a time when the industry is grappling with slowing passenger growth in a sluggish economy.

IndiGo parent InterGlobe Aviation Ltd's net loss grew to 10.66 billion rupees ($150 million) in the three months to September&nbsp;30 from 6.52 billion rupees a year earlier, the only other instance that the airline reported a quarterly loss.

Maintenance costs spiked as IndiGo was forced to reassess the expense of leasing and maintaining older Airbus&nbsp;A320ceo planes to fill a gap caused by the grounding of newer A320neo aircraft due to engine issues, Chief Financial Officer Aditya Pande said on a call with analysts on Thursday.

The company also cut its expectations for capacity expansion for 2019-20 to 25 per cent&nbsp;from 30 per cent, blaming a 3-4 month delay in aircraft deliveries by Airbus. It projected capacity growth of 25 per cent&nbsp;for 2020-21.

The results come against the backdrop of an escalating tussle between IndiGo co-founders and top two shareholders Rakesh Gangwal and Rahul Bhatia over corporate governance issues and future strategy.

Gangwal had alleged that Bhatia's affiliate IGE Group had unusual control over IndiGo. Earlier this month, Bhatia alleged Gangwal had breached shareholder agreements and filed cases in courts in London and the United States, according to media reports.

Some analysts said the feud will not hurt IndiGo's performance, while others believe a prolonged dispute could impact high-level decision making at the Gurugram-based airline.

'Softening economic environment'

IndiGo's quarterly loss also comes as Asia's third-largest economy grows at its slowest pace in years and domestic passenger growth cools.

Although IndiGo flew more customers compared with a year earlier, domestic passenger traffic in India rose only 1.2 per cent&nbsp;year-over-year in September, the slowest increase since March and the second-worst pace in at least five years.

"The revenues in the festive season have been somewhat subdued," Chief Executive Ronojoy Dutta said on the conference call, referring to October, a typically strong period for consumer spending.

"Are we in a softening economic environment? It looks like it."

Dutta also estimated a "flattish" year-over-year change in 2019-20 unit revenue, a measure that compares revenue to flight capacity and is used to gauge efficiency.

Still, IndiGo's quarterly revenue from operations surged 31 per cent&nbsp;to 81.05 billion rupees.

IndiGo and smaller rival SpiceJet Ltd have benefited this year from the collapse of cash-strapped Jet Airways, once India's largest private carrier, as both raced to fill Jet's vacated slots.

IndiGo's overall expenses rose 27.6 per cent to 95.77 billion rupees, while costs related to aircraft repair and maintenance surged 88 per cent&nbsp;to 15.3 billion rupees.

The higher costs are expected to continue for the next couple of quarters and taper off in 2022, CFO Pande said.

India's biggest airline IndiGo reported its biggest-ever quarterly loss on higher maintenance costs and cut capacity expansion targets, at a time when the industry is grappling with slowing passenger growth in a sluggish economy.

India's biggest airline IndiGo reported its biggest-ever quarterly loss on higher maintenance costs and cut capacity expansion targets, at a time when the industry is grappling with slowing passenger growth in a sluggish economy. IndiGo parent InterGlobe Aviation Ltd's net loss grew to 10.66 billion rupees ($150 million) in the three months to September 30 from 6.52 billion rupees a year earlier, the only other instance that the airline reported a quarterly loss. Maintenance costs spiked as IndiGo was forced to reassess the expense of leasing and maintaining older Airbus A320ceo planes to fill a gap caused by the grounding of newer A320neo aircraft due to engine issues, Chief Financial Officer Aditya Pande said on a call with analysts on Thursday. The company also cut its expectations for capacity expansion for 2019-20 to 25 per cent from 30 per cent, blaming a 3-4 month delay in aircraft deliveries by Airbus. It projected capacity growth of 25 per cent for 2020-21. The results come against the backdrop of an escalating tussle between IndiGo co-founders and top two shareholders Rakesh Gangwal and Rahul Bhatia over corporate governance issues and future strategy. Gangwal had alleged that Bhatia's affiliate IGE Group had unusual control over IndiGo. Earlier this month, Bhatia alleged Gangwal had breached shareholder agreements and filed cases in courts in London and the United States, according to media reports. Some analysts said the feud will not hurt IndiGo's performance, while others believe a prolonged dispute could impact high-level decision making at the Gurugram-based airline. 'Softening economic environment' IndiGo's quarterly loss also comes as Asia's third-largest economy grows at its slowest pace in years and domestic passenger growth cools. Although IndiGo flew more customers compared with a year earlier, domestic passenger traffic in India rose only 1.2 per cent year-over-year in September, the slowest increase since March and the second-worst pace in at least five years. "The revenues in the festive season have been somewhat subdued," Chief Executive Ronojoy Dutta said on the conference call, referring to October, a typically strong period for consumer spending. "Are we in a softening economic environment? It looks like it." Dutta also estimated a "flattish" year-over-year change in 2019-20 unit revenue, a measure that compares revenue to flight capacity and is used to gauge efficiency. Still, IndiGo's quarterly revenue from operations surged 31 per cent to 81.05 billion rupees. IndiGo and smaller rival SpiceJet Ltd have benefited this year from the collapse of cash-strapped Jet Airways, once India's largest private carrier, as both raced to fill Jet's vacated slots. IndiGo's overall expenses rose 27.6 per cent to 95.77 billion rupees, while costs related to aircraft repair and maintenance surged 88 per cent to 15.3 billion rupees. The higher costs are expected to continue for the next couple of quarters and taper off in 2022, CFO Pande said.

IndiGo reports biggest quarterly loss, cuts expansion targets

Wall Street was mixed early Thursday amid optimism over United States-China trade talks and as Tesla surged on positive earnings, while Twitter plunged on disappointing results.

Analysts cited reports outlining Chinese commitments to buy US agricultural products as a positive sign about a preliminary trade agreement announced earlier this month that is still being hashed out.

The European Central Bank, as expected, held interest rates unchanged, while US data showed a drop in durable goods sales in September amid the General Motors strike and the production halt at Boeing over the grounded 737 MAX.&nbsp;

About 30 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 26,774.20, down 0.2 per cent.

The broad-based S&amp;P 500 climbed less than 0.1 per cent to 3,005.58, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.4 per cent to 8,153.22.

Among the many companies reporting earnings, Tesla Motors stood out, jumping 16.5 per cent after on a surprise profit of $143 million confounding analysts who had been forecasting a loss.

Tesla said it is producing vehicles "on a trial basis" at its so-called Gigafactory in Shanghai, which will help boost global production and sales.

But Twitter plunged 18.3 per cent after it reported a sharp drop in quarterly profits as glitches in its ad-targeting ability hit revenues.

Among other companies reporting, Microsoft rose 1.1 per cent, 3M sank 4.7 per cent and Ford plunged 6.0 per cent.

Wall Street was mixed early Thursday amid optimism over United States-China trade talks and as Tesla surged on positive earnings, while Twitter plunged on disappointing results.

Wall Street was mixed early Thursday amid optimism over United States-China trade talks and as Tesla surged on positive earnings, while Twitter plunged on disappointing results. Analysts cited reports outlining Chinese commitments to buy US agricultural products as a positive sign about a preliminary trade agreement announced earlier this month that is still being hashed out. The European Central Bank, as expected, held interest rates unchanged, while US data showed a drop in durable goods sales in September amid the General Motors strike and the production halt at Boeing over the grounded 737 MAX. About 30 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 26,774.20, down 0.2 per cent. The broad-based S&P 500 climbed less than 0.1 per cent to 3,005.58, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.4 per cent to 8,153.22. Among the many companies reporting earnings, Tesla Motors stood out, jumping 16.5 per cent after on a surprise profit of $143 million confounding analysts who had been forecasting a loss. Tesla said it is producing vehicles "on a trial basis" at its so-called Gigafactory in Shanghai, which will help boost global production and sales. But Twitter plunged 18.3 per cent after it reported a sharp drop in quarterly profits as glitches in its ad-targeting ability hit revenues. Among other companies reporting, Microsoft rose 1.1 per cent, 3M sank 4.7 per cent and Ford plunged 6.0 per cent.

Tesla surges, Twitter slumps amid United States earnings deluge

India on Thursday termed Pakistan's move to take diplomats to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), where the Indian Army destroyed terror camps as "drama" and "naked propaganda" and said it should instead show any credible action against terrorism. 
 
"This is a drama. Pakistan has been doing this kind of naked propaganda. They had taken some diplomats (to PoK). We know that whenever they take diplomats, they try to show a completely different thing," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a press briefing here. 
 
Referring to Pakistan's reluctance to act against terror organisations, Kumar said it should show diplomats how it destroys terror camps and take "credible, irreversible" action against terrorism. 
 
"If Pakistan is serious, it should take diplomats to places to show how it is taking credible, irreversible and verifiable action against terrorism," Kumar said. 
He said Pakistan has been using terror launch pads to send terrorists to India. 
 
"This is in public knowledge that they have launch pads along LoC in PoK that are used to infiltrate terrorists into India," he added. 
 
Indian Army had used artillery guns to target camps in PoK after two Indian soldiers and a civilian were killed in the unprovoked ceasefire violation in Tangdhar sector of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir earlier this month.

India on Thursday termed Pakistan's move to take diplomats to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), where the Indian Army destroyed terror camps as "drama" and "naked propaganda" and said it should instead show any credible action against terrorism.

India on Thursday termed Pakistan's move to take diplomats to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), where the Indian Army destroyed terror camps as "drama" and "naked propaganda" and said it should instead show any credible action against terrorism. "This is a drama. Pakistan has been doing this kind of naked propaganda. They had taken some diplomats (to PoK). We know that whenever they take diplomats, they try to show a completely different thing," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a press briefing here. Referring to Pakistan's reluctance to act against terror organisations, Kumar said it should show diplomats how it destroys terror camps and take "credible, irreversible" action against terrorism. "If Pakistan is serious, it should take diplomats to places to show how it is taking credible, irreversible and verifiable action against terrorism," Kumar said. He said Pakistan has been using terror launch pads to send terrorists to India. "This is in public knowledge that they have launch pads along LoC in PoK that are used to infiltrate terrorists into India," he added. Indian Army had used artillery guns to target camps in PoK after two Indian soldiers and a civilian were killed in the unprovoked ceasefire violation in Tangdhar sector of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir earlier this month.

Pakistan's move to take diplomats to PoK 'drama', says Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson

Pakistani women rights activist Gulalai Ismail, who is currently in the United States on Thursday said that her father was picked up by "men wearing militia dress" in Peshwar. 
 
"My father has been picked up by men wearing Militia dress from outside of Peshawar High Court an hour ago," Ismail tweeted.

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My father has been picked up by men wearing Malitia dress from outside of Peshawar High Court an hour ago.
— Gulalai_Ismail (@Gulalai_Ismail) <a href="https://twitter.com/Gulalai_Ismail/status/1187329908403507200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Ismail managed to escape Pakistan to seek political asylum in the United States in September after being accused of treason. She reached the US months after she was arrested and released for holding a protest demonstration outside the National Press Club in Islamabad. 
 
During a chat with the media in New York last month, Ismail had voiced her concerns about her parents' safety in Islamabad. "I am still worried about my parents back home and the underground network that secretly protected me when I escaped," Gulalai said. 
 
She has now become the new face of hope for the oppressed minorities in Pakistani, raising voice against Islamabad's atrocities on the roads of New York. 
 
Last month, Ismail was seen on the streets of the city, highlighted the plight and miseries that minorities are facing for decades and demanded that the Pakistani Army end human rights violations. "There's a dictatorship in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province by the Pakistani military establishment," Ismail had said. 
 
According to a report in Dawn, a non-bailable warrant was issued against her by a Pakistani court in a case pertaining to maligning national institutions. Ismail had deemed the non-bailable arrest warrant as an act of appeasement before the country's intelligence agency ISI. 
 
The order issued states that the court would initiate the process to declare her a "proclaimed offender" if the "suspect" does not appear before the court on October 21, the report had said.

Pakistani women rights activist Gulalai Ismail, who is currently in the United States on Thursday said that her father was picked up by "men wearing militia dress" in Peshwar.

Pakistani women rights activist Gulalai Ismail, who is currently in the United States on Thursday said that her father was picked up by "men wearing militia dress" in Peshwar. "My father has been picked up by men wearing Militia dress from outside of Peshawar High Court an hour ago," Ismail tweeted. My father has been picked up by men wearing Malitia dress from outside of Peshawar High Court an hour ago. — Gulalai_Ismail (@Gulalai_Ismail) October 24, 2019 × Ismail managed to escape Pakistan to seek political asylum in the United States in September after being accused of treason. She reached the US months after she was arrested and released for holding a protest demonstration outside the National Press Club in Islamabad. During a chat with the media in New York last month, Ismail had voiced her concerns about her parents' safety in Islamabad. "I am still worried about my parents back home and the underground network that secretly protected me when I escaped," Gulalai said. She has now become the new face of hope for the oppressed minorities in Pakistani, raising voice against Islamabad's atrocities on the roads of New York. Last month, Ismail was seen on the streets of the city, highlighted the plight and miseries that minorities are facing for decades and demanded that the Pakistani Army end human rights violations. "There's a dictatorship in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province by the Pakistani military establishment," Ismail had said. According to a report in Dawn, a non-bailable warrant was issued against her by a Pakistani court in a case pertaining to maligning national institutions. Ismail had deemed the non-bailable arrest warrant as an act of appeasement before the country's intelligence agency ISI. The order issued states that the court would initiate the process to declare her a "proclaimed offender" if the "suspect" does not appear before the court on October 21, the report had said.

'Father picked up by men in militia dress', Pakistani rights activist Gulalai Ismail

The United States government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged Wednesday to jointly invest $200 million over the next four years to achieve affordable gene therapy-based cures for sickle cell disease (SCD) and HIV.

The administration of President Donald Trump announced earlier this year its intention to end the HIV epidemic over the next decade and has also identified SCD, which disproportionately affects people of African descent, as a condition requiring greater attention.

Gene therapy is a relatively new area of medicine designed to replace faulty genes in the body that are responsible for a disorder and has been responsible for new treatments for blindness and certain types of leukaemia.

But the treatments are complex and costly, ruling them out as an option for most of the world.

Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said the collaboration would focus therefore on "access, scalability and affordability" to make sure the eventual treatments are available globally.

The NIH and Gates Foundation aim&nbsp;to achieve clinical trials in the United States and countries in sub-Saharan Africa within the next seven to 10 years.

Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders characterized by the presence of an abnormal protein in the red blood cells, causing the feet and hands to swell, fatigue, jaundice, and episodic or chronic pain.

Over time the disease can harm a patients' vital organs, bones, joints and skin and it is currently only curable via a blood and bone marrow transplant, available to only a tiny fraction of people who have the disease.

When it comes to HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART) are now able to reduce patients' viral load to the point that they are undetectable and cannot be further transmitted.&nbsp;

But "a major goal is to find a cure, whereby lifelong ART would not be required," said the NIH's Anthony Fauci.

Though SCD is a genetically inherited disease, and HIV is acquired from infection, gene-based treatments are said to hold promise for both, and "many of the technical challenges for gene-based cures are expected to be common to both diseases."&nbsp;

The goal for SCD is to achieve a gene-based intervention that either corrects the gene mutation responsible or promotes fetal haemoglobin gene expression to achieve normal haemoglobin function.

For HIV, the proposed cure would involve targeting the reservoir of proviral DNA that lurks inside a small number of cells even after many years of ART.

The NIH said that approximately 95 per cent of the 38 million people living with HIV globally are in the developing world, with 67 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa, half of whom are living untreated.&nbsp;Around 1.1 million Americans are affected

SCD affects approximately 100,000 Americans, according to official figures. Fifteen million babies will be born with SCD globally over the next 30 years, with about 75 per cent of those births occurring in sub-Saharan Africans, said the NIH.

The United States government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged Wednesday to jointly invest $200 million over the next four years to achieve affordable gene therapy-based cures for sickle cell disease (SCD) and HIV.

The United States government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged Wednesday to jointly invest $200 million over the next four years to achieve affordable gene therapy-based cures for sickle cell disease (SCD) and HIV. The administration of President Donald Trump announced earlier this year its intention to end the HIV epidemic over the next decade and has also identified SCD, which disproportionately affects people of African descent, as a condition requiring greater attention. Gene therapy is a relatively new area of medicine designed to replace faulty genes in the body that are responsible for a disorder and has been responsible for new treatments for blindness and certain types of leukaemia. But the treatments are complex and costly, ruling them out as an option for most of the world. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said the collaboration would focus therefore on "access, scalability and affordability" to make sure the eventual treatments are available globally. The NIH and Gates Foundation aim to achieve clinical trials in the United States and countries in sub-Saharan Africa within the next seven to 10 years. Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders characterized by the presence of an abnormal protein in the red blood cells, causing the feet and hands to swell, fatigue, jaundice, and episodic or chronic pain. Over time the disease can harm a patients' vital organs, bones, joints and skin and it is currently only curable via a blood and bone marrow transplant, available to only a tiny fraction of people who have the disease. When it comes to HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART) are now able to reduce patients' viral load to the point that they are undetectable and cannot be further transmitted. But "a major goal is to find a cure, whereby lifelong ART would not be required," said the NIH's Anthony Fauci. Though SCD is a genetically inherited disease, and HIV is acquired from infection, gene-based treatments are said to hold promise for both, and "many of the technical challenges for gene-based cures are expected to be common to both diseases." The goal for SCD is to achieve a gene-based intervention that either corrects the gene mutation responsible or promotes fetal haemoglobin gene expression to achieve normal haemoglobin function. For HIV, the proposed cure would involve targeting the reservoir of proviral DNA that lurks inside a small number of cells even after many years of ART. The NIH said that approximately 95 per cent of the 38 million people living with HIV globally are in the developing world, with 67 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa, half of whom are living untreated. Around 1.1 million Americans are affected SCD affects approximately 100,000 Americans, according to official figures. Fifteen million babies will be born with SCD globally over the next 30 years, with about 75 per cent of those births occurring in sub-Saharan Africans, said the NIH.

United States and Gates Foundation plan $200m for sickle cell, HIV cures

Twitter shares plunged Thursday after reporting glitches that impacted its ad-targeting ability, pulling down revenue growth in the past quarter.

Profit for the third quarter was $37 million, a sharp drop from last year when the online messaging platform was helped by a large tax benefit.

Revenue rose nine per cent from a year earlier to $824 million, well below analyst forecasts, impacted by what the company called "revenue product issues."

Shares in Twitter slid as much as 20 per cent in pre-market trade on the disappointing results.

Twitter said revenue was hit by "bugs" which made it harder to deliver targeted advertising, as well as some seasonal factors.

"Unfortunately we had some missteps and bugs," chief executive Jack Dorsey told a conference call.

"These are issues we identified quickly and are working quickly to fix."&nbsp;

Twitter's investor relations team said the issue affected the ability to deliver ads, which make up the bulk of revenue.

"In Q3, we discovered and took steps to remediate, bugs that primarily affected our legacy Mobile Application Promotion product, impacting our ability to target ads and share data with measurement and ad partners," Twitter's investor relations team tweeted.

"We also discovered that certain personalisation and data settings were not operating as expected. We believe that, in aggregate, these issues reduced year-over-year revenue growth by 3 or more points in Q3."

Chief financial officer Ned Segal said Twitter is working on a fix but that the glitch is expected to have a negative impact in the fourth quarter.

The bugs mainly affected Twitter operations outside the United States, where ad revenue was up just five per cent compared with 11 per cent for the US.

Overall, advertising revenue totalled&nbsp;$702 million, up eight per cent from last year.

Challenges ahead

The results highlight challenges for Twitter, which has struggled to keep pace with rival social platforms as it seeks to remove fake accounts, abusive content and manipulation efforts.

"The miss (on revenue) wasn't just because of tough comparisons, which were expected to dampen their revenue growth, but issues with their ad product. That could impact their performance in the all-important Q4," analyst Jasmine Enberg of eMarketer said.

Twitter boosted the number of "monetisable" daily active users, the new measurement used by the platform, by six million from the past quarter to 145 million.

Twitter has stopped using a count of "monthly active users," which was 330 million earlier this year, in favour of the new measure of daily users on the mobile app or website who see ads in their feeds.

Dorsey said the growth in users represents a "steady refinement of Twitter" as it works to improve the platform and weed out inappropriate content.

"This is an incredibly strong foundation to build upon," he said.

Dorsey said Twitter has improved its automated systems to remove unwanted content, and now takes down more than 50 per cent "proactively" and "without a bystander or first-person report."

Twitter shares plunged Thursday after reporting glitches that impacted its ad-targeting ability, pulling down revenue growth in the past quarter. Profit for the third quarter was $37 million, a sharp drop from last year when the online messaging platform was helped by a large tax benefit.

Twitter shares plunged Thursday after reporting glitches that impacted its ad-targeting ability, pulling down revenue growth in the past quarter. Profit for the third quarter was $37 million, a sharp drop from last year when the online messaging platform was helped by a large tax benefit. Revenue rose nine per cent from a year earlier to $824 million, well below analyst forecasts, impacted by what the company called "revenue product issues." Shares in Twitter slid as much as 20 per cent in pre-market trade on the disappointing results. Twitter said revenue was hit by "bugs" which made it harder to deliver targeted advertising, as well as some seasonal factors. "Unfortunately we had some missteps and bugs," chief executive Jack Dorsey told a conference call. "These are issues we identified quickly and are working quickly to fix." Twitter's investor relations team said the issue affected the ability to deliver ads, which make up the bulk of revenue. "In Q3, we discovered and took steps to remediate, bugs that primarily affected our legacy Mobile Application Promotion product, impacting our ability to target ads and share data with measurement and ad partners," Twitter's investor relations team tweeted. "We also discovered that certain personalisation and data settings were not operating as expected. We believe that, in aggregate, these issues reduced year-over-year revenue growth by 3 or more points in Q3." Chief financial officer Ned Segal said Twitter is working on a fix but that the glitch is expected to have a negative impact in the fourth quarter. The bugs mainly affected Twitter operations outside the United States, where ad revenue was up just five per cent compared with 11 per cent for the US. Overall, advertising revenue totalled $702 million, up eight per cent from last year. Challenges ahead The results highlight challenges for Twitter, which has struggled to keep pace with rival social platforms as it seeks to remove fake accounts, abusive content and manipulation efforts. "The miss (on revenue) wasn't just because of tough comparisons, which were expected to dampen their revenue growth, but issues with their ad product. That could impact their performance in the all-important Q4," analyst Jasmine Enberg of eMarketer said. Twitter boosted the number of "monetisable" daily active users, the new measurement used by the platform, by six million from the past quarter to 145 million. Twitter has stopped using a count of "monthly active users," which was 330 million earlier this year, in favour of the new measure of daily users on the mobile app or website who see ads in their feeds. Dorsey said the growth in users represents a "steady refinement of Twitter" as it works to improve the platform and weed out inappropriate content. "This is an incredibly strong foundation to build upon," he said. Dorsey said Twitter has improved its automated systems to remove unwanted content, and now takes down more than 50 per cent "proactively" and "without a bystander or first-person report."

Twitter tumbles as 'bugs' hit revenue growth

The European Union's top court ruled on Thursday that France has persistently exceeded the threshold limit for nitrogen dioxide, a polluting gas from diesel motors that causes major health problems.

France "systematically and persistently exceeded the annual limit value for nitrogen dioxide since Jan. 1, 2010," the court said in a statement.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, referred the matter to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in May 2018 after almost a decade of warnings that went unaddressed.

France is the first of several member states, including Germany and Britain, that the commission has sued in court after it stepped up its anti-pollution fight in the wake of the so-called "Dieselgate" scandal that erupted in 2015.

The motors caught up in the scandal, in which automakers installed special emission-cheating devices into their car engines, are the main emitters of nitrogen oxides that the European Environment Agency says are responsible for 68,000 premature deaths per year in the EU.

Nitrogen dioxide is toxic and can cause significant respiratory problems as one of the main constituents of traffic-jam smog.

Under EU rules, member countries are required to keep the gas to under 40 micrograms per cubic metre&nbsp;but that level is often exceeded in many traffic-clogged European cities.

The judgement opens the way to possible sanctions at a later stage if Paris does nothing to fix the situation.&nbsp;

The case involved 24 areas in France, including the cities of Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nice and Strasbourg, but also the alpine Arve Valley, France's lorry-clogged gateway to Italy.&nbsp;

While France does not dispute the violation, it argued that the application of European air quality legislation "must be assessed in the light of the structural difficulties encountered" in applying it, the court said in a statement.

But for the judges, EU law demands that when high pollution is found, the member state concerned is required to draw up an air-quality plan and to ensure that the danger period is "as short as possible".&nbsp;

The court said "France clearly did not adopt, in due time, appropriate measures," noting an "overrun for seven consecutive years".

The European Union's top court ruled on Thursday that France has persistently exceeded the threshold limit for nitrogen dioxide, a polluting gas from diesel motors that causes major health problems.

The European Union's top court ruled on Thursday that France has persistently exceeded the threshold limit for nitrogen dioxide, a polluting gas from diesel motors that causes major health problems. France "systematically and persistently exceeded the annual limit value for nitrogen dioxide since Jan. 1, 2010," the court said in a statement. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, referred the matter to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in May 2018 after almost a decade of warnings that went unaddressed. France is the first of several member states, including Germany and Britain, that the commission has sued in court after it stepped up its anti-pollution fight in the wake of the so-called "Dieselgate" scandal that erupted in 2015. The motors caught up in the scandal, in which automakers installed special emission-cheating devices into their car engines, are the main emitters of nitrogen oxides that the European Environment Agency says are responsible for 68,000 premature deaths per year in the EU. Nitrogen dioxide is toxic and can cause significant respiratory problems as one of the main constituents of traffic-jam smog. Under EU rules, member countries are required to keep the gas to under 40 micrograms per cubic metre but that level is often exceeded in many traffic-clogged European cities. The judgement opens the way to possible sanctions at a later stage if Paris does nothing to fix the situation. The case involved 24 areas in France, including the cities of Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nice and Strasbourg, but also the alpine Arve Valley, France's lorry-clogged gateway to Italy. While France does not dispute the violation, it argued that the application of European air quality legislation "must be assessed in the light of the structural difficulties encountered" in applying it, the court said in a statement. But for the judges, EU law demands that when high pollution is found, the member state concerned is required to draw up an air-quality plan and to ensure that the danger period is "as short as possible". The court said "France clearly did not adopt, in due time, appropriate measures," noting an "overrun for seven consecutive years".

France loses diesel pollution fight in European Union court

Spain exhumes remains of dictator Francisco Franco

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bolivias-election-sparks-protest-as-rivals-clash-over-results-257398">Bolivia's leftist leader Evo Morales</a> was on track to win a fraught presidential race outright, edging to a decisive 10-point lead over his main rival after accusing the opposition on Wednesday of attempting a "coup" against him.

Delays during the count following Sunday's election and a sudden shift in fortunes in Morales favour fanned tensions, resulting in protests and marches in the main cities of one of South America's poorest countries.

On Wednesday evening, with the counting almost done, hundreds of flag-waving opposition supporters kept up their protest outside the electoral building in La Paz, chanting and setting off fireworks.

At around midnight in Bolivia, the official count showed Morales, who has governed landlocked Bolivia for almost 14 years, had 46.77 per cent&nbsp;of the vote with just over 98 per cent&nbsp;of ballots counted, putting him 10 points ahead of main rival Carlos Mesa.

If Morales holds onto that lead he would win outright and avoid a risky second-round run-off in a vote that has drawn allegations of fraud.

After all the demonstrations over the past few days, the mood in the plaza outside the electoral building had turned more boisterous than angry, with small bonfires and mostly young people chanting that they did not want to live in a dictatorship.

"Evo has accumulated so much power. Look at everything that has happened, he doesn't want to leave," said Franco Garcia, 21, adding he voted for Mesa, a former president because he would be easier to topple if needed.

"If we continue with Evo, then something like Venezuela awaits us. He has too much power."

The unrest, already the severest test of Morales' rule since he came to power in 2006, could spread if the outright victory is confirmed, after monitors, foreign governments and the opposition called on Morales to hold a second-round vote.

The tensions began after an official quick vote count was disrupted by a day-long halt starting late on Sunday when a preliminary count of almost 84% of ballots showed the two main rivals heading to a second round. 
 
'Coup D'etat'

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/morales-leads-bolivia-election-but-faces-run-off-257140">Morales, the country's first indigenous leader</a>, struck a defiant tone on Wednesday.

In a fiery speech at the government office in La Paz, Morales criticized recent violence that saw electoral offices torched and skirmishes between protesters and police, blaming it on the right-wing opposition and what he described as their foreign backers.

"I have called this conference to denounce, in front of the Bolivian people and the entire world, that a coup d'etat is in progress. In advance, the right had prepared with international support for a coup," he said.

Morales called on the people to "defend democracy." Later in the day, he sought to shore up backing from the country's military at an event in the region of Cochabamba, a key source of political support.

At an evening news conference, government minister Carlos Romero denounced "violent groups," which he said were seeking to confront police with explosives, adding the government would look to hold responsible those promoting the violence.

Mesa, in a video statement on Wednesday, called for "permanent protests" until a second-round vote was confirmed, and said he would present evidence of electoral fraud.

Protesters have demonstrated in La Paz, Santa Cruz and Potosi, with strikes also called in some cities. 
 
'What's he afraid of?'

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hundreds-of-thousands-voice-outrage-over-bolivian-leaders-response-to-forest-fires-254027">Morales, a former union leader for coca farmers</a>, has overseen relative stability and economic growth but angered many by running for a fourth consecutive term in defiance of term limits and a 2016 referendum that voted against him doing so.

"If he wants to be elected cleanly, he should accept a second-round election. What's he afraid of?" asked Maria Luz Vargas, 65, a newspaper seller in La Paz who had joined the protests.

The official election monitor, the Organisation of American States, had called the count into question and cited a "drastic" and inexplicable shift in the vote, which it said hurt voters' confidence in the electoral process.

Antonio Costas, one of the six-member electoral team coordinating the vote, stepped down on Tuesday in protest at the halt to the rapid count, although he told Reuters he had not come under political pressure.

A number of foreign governments, including the United States, Brazil and the European Union, also voiced concerns about the integrity of the vote.

At a meeting on Wednesday, the OAS recommended a second-round vote go ahead even if Morales reached a 10-point lead.

Morales has maintained throughout that when the final vote count was announced, he would obtain a first-round win, helped by strong support in the countryside.

"Our triumph has always been with the votes from the rural areas with the votes of the indigenous movement," he said on Wednesday, adding he would respect the final result.

Bolivia's leftist leader Evo Morales was on track to win a fraught presidential race outright, edging to a decisive 10-point lead over his main rival after accusing the opposition on Wednesday of attempting a "coup" against him.

Bolivia's leftist leader Evo Morales was on track to win a fraught presidential race outright, edging to a decisive 10-point lead over his main rival after accusing the opposition on Wednesday of attempting a "coup" against him. Delays during the count following Sunday's election and a sudden shift in fortunes in Morales favour fanned tensions, resulting in protests and marches in the main cities of one of South America's poorest countries. On Wednesday evening, with the counting almost done, hundreds of flag-waving opposition supporters kept up their protest outside the electoral building in La Paz, chanting and setting off fireworks. At around midnight in Bolivia, the official count showed Morales, who has governed landlocked Bolivia for almost 14 years, had 46.77 per cent of the vote with just over 98 per cent of ballots counted, putting him 10 points ahead of main rival Carlos Mesa. If Morales holds onto that lead he would win outright and avoid a risky second-round run-off in a vote that has drawn allegations of fraud. After all the demonstrations over the past few days, the mood in the plaza outside the electoral building had turned more boisterous than angry, with small bonfires and mostly young people chanting that they did not want to live in a dictatorship. "Evo has accumulated so much power. Look at everything that has happened, he doesn't want to leave," said Franco Garcia, 21, adding he voted for Mesa, a former president because he would be easier to topple if needed. "If we continue with Evo, then something like Venezuela awaits us. He has too much power." The unrest, already the severest test of Morales' rule since he came to power in 2006, could spread if the outright victory is confirmed, after monitors, foreign governments and the opposition called on Morales to hold a second-round vote. The tensions began after an official quick vote count was disrupted by a day-long halt starting late on Sunday when a preliminary count of almost 84% of ballots showed the two main rivals heading to a second round. 'Coup D'etat' Morales, the country's first indigenous leader, struck a defiant tone on Wednesday. In a fiery speech at the government office in La Paz, Morales criticized recent violence that saw electoral offices torched and skirmishes between protesters and police, blaming it on the right-wing opposition and what he described as their foreign backers. "I have called this conference to denounce, in front of the Bolivian people and the entire world, that a coup d'etat is in progress. In advance, the right had prepared with international support for a coup," he said. Morales called on the people to "defend democracy." Later in the day, he sought to shore up backing from the country's military at an event in the region of Cochabamba, a key source of political support. At an evening news conference, government minister Carlos Romero denounced "violent groups," which he said were seeking to confront police with explosives, adding the government would look to hold responsible those promoting the violence. Mesa, in a video statement on Wednesday, called for "permanent protests" until a second-round vote was confirmed, and said he would present evidence of electoral fraud. Protesters have demonstrated in La Paz, Santa Cruz and Potosi, with strikes also called in some cities. 'What's he afraid of?' Morales, a former union leader for coca farmers, has overseen relative stability and economic growth but angered many by running for a fourth consecutive term in defiance of term limits and a 2016 referendum that voted against him doing so. "If he wants to be elected cleanly, he should accept a second-round election. What's he afraid of?" asked Maria Luz Vargas, 65, a newspaper seller in La Paz who had joined the protests. The official election monitor, the Organisation of American States, had called the count into question and cited a "drastic" and inexplicable shift in the vote, which it said hurt voters' confidence in the electoral process. Antonio Costas, one of the six-member electoral team coordinating the vote, stepped down on Tuesday in protest at the halt to the rapid count, although he told Reuters he had not come under political pressure. A number of foreign governments, including the United States, Brazil and the European Union, also voiced concerns about the integrity of the vote. At a meeting on Wednesday, the OAS recommended a second-round vote go ahead even if Morales reached a 10-point lead. Morales has maintained throughout that when the final vote count was announced, he would obtain a first-round win, helped by strong support in the countryside. "Our triumph has always been with the votes from the rural areas with the votes of the indigenous movement," he said on Wednesday, adding he would respect the final result.

Bolivia's Morales set to win outright as disputed vote count nears completion

Moscow has sent an S-400 missile system battalion and a Pantsir anti-aircraft gun and missile system to Belgrade for their first joint drills in Serbia, the defence ministry said.

The systems will be deployed at Batajnica base, outside the capital, as part of the exercises that will take place on October 23-29, a statement said.

It is the first time that the S-400 and Pantsir systems will appear in military drills outside Russia, it said.

Russian and Serbian air defence units will jointly perform various tasks including detecting and destroying "the entire spectrum of air targets of the enemy force".

The drills come after the first phase of the first joint Russian-Serbian air defense exercises, Slavic Shield-2019, took place in the southern Russian region of Astrakhan in September.

Serbia is Moscow's key ally on the edge of Europe and Russian President Vladimir Putin received a rock-star welcome when he travelled to the country in January.

Although Serbia aspires to join the European Union, it has kept close ties with Russia, a historical "Orthodox big brother" whose people also share Slavic origins.

Moscow has sent an S-400 missile system battalion and a Pantsir anti-aircraft gun and missile system to Belgrade for their first joint drills in Serbia, the defence ministry said.

Moscow has sent an S-400 missile system battalion and a Pantsir anti-aircraft gun and missile system to Belgrade for their first joint drills in Serbia, the defence ministry said. The systems will be deployed at Batajnica base, outside the capital, as part of the exercises that will take place on October 23-29, a statement said. It is the first time that the S-400 and Pantsir systems will appear in military drills outside Russia, it said. Russian and Serbian air defence units will jointly perform various tasks including detecting and destroying "the entire spectrum of air targets of the enemy force". The drills come after the first phase of the first joint Russian-Serbian air defense exercises, Slavic Shield-2019, took place in the southern Russian region of Astrakhan in September. Serbia is Moscow's key ally on the edge of Europe and Russian President Vladimir Putin received a rock-star welcome when he travelled to the country in January. Although Serbia aspires to join the European Union, it has kept close ties with Russia, a historical "Orthodox big brother" whose people also share Slavic origins.

Russia sends S-400 system to Serbia for drills

President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday put forward businessman and former economy minister Thierry Breton as France's candidate for a key <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-brexit-vote-eu-says-done-all-in-our-power-for-orderly-departure-257542">European Commission</a> portfolio after his first choice was shot down by the European Parliament.

Macron proposed Breton to incoming commission head Ursula von der Leyen for the ambitious portfolio covering industrial policy, defence spending, technology and space, an Elysee Palace official said.

The portfolio, which Macron fought hard for, has remained unchanged.

Macron and Von der Leyen had agreed on Breton's "profile," the official said, adding: "If we are proposing this candidate, he is suitable."

Two weeks ago, European Parliament lawmakers voted to reject Macron's first candidate for the Brussels post, Sylvie Goulard, in a rare political defeat for the French leader on the European stage.

A former MEP, Goulard resigned in June 2017 from a short stint as France's defence minister after claims she and other members of the centrist MoDem party were using European parliamentary funds to pay assistants who were actually based in France.

She was questioned by French investigators in September and is also under scrutiny by the EU Anti-Fraud Office, though she has not been charged.

Breton, 64, is credited with a turnaround for the debt-laden former state monopoly France Telecom, now Orange, and leading it to privatisation.

He has served as a director on many boards and led French computer-maker Bull as well as Thomson Multimedia before serving as economy minister under Jacques Chirac from 2005 to 2007.

He now heads digital firm Atos, a group with head offices both outside Paris and in Munich, where he has doubled turnover to more than $13.4 billion&nbsp;and staff numbers to 122,000.

But Atos is an IT service provider to the EU and Breton's nomination has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest.

The vetting process "will be complicated, once again," said Yannick Jadot, a European parliamentarian from France's EELV green party.

"Thierry Breton is the CEO of Atos, it is a digital company that receives European grants, that is a European leader in supercomputers, also with European grants. And in his portfolio, what do we have? Digital."

Another MEP, Manon Aubry of the hard-left France Unbowed party, criticised the candidature of a boss of a listed company "that receives millions of European grants".

But the Elysee insisted Breton was always "rigorous to avoid any conflict of interest" when he moved to government from the business sector.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/macron-vows-unrelenting-fight-against-islamist-terror-after-police-killings-254514">Macron's nominee will be vetted by European lawmakers</a> in the coming weeks.

The Elysee official said Breton "has solid skills in all the areas covered by the portfolio, particularly industry and high tech", adding that he is a "committed European" and "a man of action".

Breton said Thursday that he was "working on preparing for the hearings", adding he was "very honoured" by the trust placed in him.

"For Europe and for all our fellow European citizens, I appreciate the importance of the challenges associated with this portfolio for the future of our country."

The vetting of the EU's 28 commissioners, one for each member country, has taken longer than expected, and the EU executive is now expected to start its work on December 1, a month later than initially planned.

MEPs also rejected the candidates from Hungary and Romania last month.

President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday put forward businessman and former economy minister Thierry Breton as France's candidate for a key European Commission portfolio after his first choice was shot down by the European Parliament.

President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday put forward businessman and former economy minister Thierry Breton as France's candidate for a key European Commission portfolio after his first choice was shot down by the European Parliament. Macron proposed Breton to incoming commission head Ursula von der Leyen for the ambitious portfolio covering industrial policy, defence spending, technology and space, an Elysee Palace official said. The portfolio, which Macron fought hard for, has remained unchanged. Macron and Von der Leyen had agreed on Breton's "profile," the official said, adding: "If we are proposing this candidate, he is suitable." Two weeks ago, European Parliament lawmakers voted to reject Macron's first candidate for the Brussels post, Sylvie Goulard, in a rare political defeat for the French leader on the European stage. A former MEP, Goulard resigned in June 2017 from a short stint as France's defence minister after claims she and other members of the centrist MoDem party were using European parliamentary funds to pay assistants who were actually based in France. She was questioned by French investigators in September and is also under scrutiny by the EU Anti-Fraud Office, though she has not been charged. Breton, 64, is credited with a turnaround for the debt-laden former state monopoly France Telecom, now Orange, and leading it to privatisation. He has served as a director on many boards and led French computer-maker Bull as well as Thomson Multimedia before serving as economy minister under Jacques Chirac from 2005 to 2007. He now heads digital firm Atos, a group with head offices both outside Paris and in Munich, where he has doubled turnover to more than $13.4 billion and staff numbers to 122,000. But Atos is an IT service provider to the EU and Breton's nomination has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest. The vetting process "will be complicated, once again," said Yannick Jadot, a European parliamentarian from France's EELV green party. "Thierry Breton is the CEO of Atos, it is a digital company that receives European grants, that is a European leader in supercomputers, also with European grants. And in his portfolio, what do we have? Digital." Another MEP, Manon Aubry of the hard-left France Unbowed party, criticised the candidature of a boss of a listed company "that receives millions of European grants". But the Elysee insisted Breton was always "rigorous to avoid any conflict of interest" when he moved to government from the business sector. Macron's nominee will be vetted by European lawmakers in the coming weeks. The Elysee official said Breton "has solid skills in all the areas covered by the portfolio, particularly industry and high tech", adding that he is a "committed European" and "a man of action". Breton said Thursday that he was "working on preparing for the hearings", adding he was "very honoured" by the trust placed in him. "For Europe and for all our fellow European citizens, I appreciate the importance of the challenges associated with this portfolio for the future of our country." The vetting of the EU's 28 commissioners, one for each member country, has taken longer than expected, and the EU executive is now expected to start its work on December 1, a month later than initially planned. MEPs also rejected the candidates from Hungary and Romania last month.

After setback, Emmanuel Macron unveils new pick for key EU post

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