Fast-food chain Burger King's United Kingdom division sparked an outcry on Monday as critics accused the brand of using a sexist trope as a clickbait.&nbsp;

Burger King sparked an uproar with a tweet that read, "Women belong in the kitchen" on International Women's Day.&nbsp;

According to The Washington Post, the Burger King Foundation, the company's United States-based non-profit arm published a full-page ad with similar language in Monday's print edition of the New York Times.&nbsp;

"Women belong in the kitchen" was bolded in large font that took up much of the ad's above-the-fold space.&nbsp;

"Fine dining kitchens, food truck kitchens, award-winning kitchens, casual dining kitchens, ghost kitchens, Burger King kitchens. If there's a professional kitchen, women belong there," the ad continued as quoted by The Post.&nbsp;

"But can you guess who's leading those kitchens these days? Exactly. Only 24% of chef positions in America are occupied by women. Want to talk head chefs? The number drops to fewer than 7 per cent," it added.&nbsp;

The Post further reported that the Burger King Foundation's Helping Equalize Restaurants (HER) scholarship will grant USD 25,000 apiece to two current female employees.&nbsp;

Employees must be employed by Burger King or a franchisee, have plans to enroll in an accredited two- or four-year culinary programme or university in the US during the 2022-23 academic year, have a high school diploma or GED, and demonstrate financial need and substantial work experience, according to the foundation's website.&nbsp;

The foundation will establish similar programmes in the United Kingdom and Mexico, Burger King spokeswoman Adrianna Lauricella said in an email.&nbsp;

"We are committed to helping women break through a male-dominated culinary culture in the world's fine dining restaurants -- and sometimes that requires drawing attention to the problem we're trying to help fix," Lauricella said.&nbsp;

"Our tweet in the UK today was designed to draw attention to the fact that only a small percentage of chefs and head chefs are women. It was our mistake to not include the full explanation in our initial tweet and have adjusted our activity moving forward because we're sure that when people read the entirety of our commitment, they will share our belief in this important opportunity," the spokeswoman added.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Fast-food chain Burger King's United Kingdom division sparked an outcry on Monday as critics accused the brand of using a sexist trope as a clickbait. Burger King sparked an uproar with a tweet that read, "Women belong in the kitchen" on International Women's Day.

Fast-food chain Burger King's United Kingdom division sparked an outcry on Monday as critics accused the brand of using a sexist trope as a clickbait. Burger King sparked an uproar with a tweet that read, "Women belong in the kitchen" on International Women's Day. According to The Washington Post, the Burger King Foundation, the company's United States-based non-profit arm published a full-page ad with similar language in Monday's print edition of the New York Times. "Women belong in the kitchen" was bolded in large font that took up much of the ad's above-the-fold space. "Fine dining kitchens, food truck kitchens, award-winning kitchens, casual dining kitchens, ghost kitchens, Burger King kitchens. If there's a professional kitchen, women belong there," the ad continued as quoted by The Post. "But can you guess who's leading those kitchens these days? Exactly. Only 24% of chef positions in America are occupied by women. Want to talk head chefs? The number drops to fewer than 7 per cent," it added. The Post further reported that the Burger King Foundation's Helping Equalize Restaurants (HER) scholarship will grant USD 25,000 apiece to two current female employees. Employees must be employed by Burger King or a franchisee, have plans to enroll in an accredited two- or four-year culinary programme or university in the US during the 2022-23 academic year, have a high school diploma or GED, and demonstrate financial need and substantial work experience, according to the foundation's website. The foundation will establish similar programmes in the United Kingdom and Mexico, Burger King spokeswoman Adrianna Lauricella said in an email. "We are committed to helping women break through a male-dominated culinary culture in the world's fine dining restaurants -- and sometimes that requires drawing attention to the problem we're trying to help fix," Lauricella said. "Our tweet in the UK today was designed to draw attention to the fact that only a small percentage of chefs and head chefs are women. It was our mistake to not include the full explanation in our initial tweet and have adjusted our activity moving forward because we're sure that when people read the entirety of our commitment, they will share our belief in this important opportunity," the spokeswoman added. (With inputs from agencies)

UK's Burger King under fire for 'Women belong in kitchen' tweet 

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/university-protesters-in-hong-kong-must-surrender-to-resolve-stand-off-peacefully-carrie-lam-263037">Hong Kong</a> appointed their new police chief, Chris Tang, today. He took office with&nbsp;a warning that "fake news" was undermining the reputation of his police force.

Tang replaced Commissioner Stephen Lo in the face of major anti-government protests in the city, which have now escalated into a scuffle at a university. The protests have been ongoing for the last five months&nbsp;against the government of Hong Kong and the influence of China on the city.

"First of all, regarding our relationship with the community, I understand that there is a certain segment of the community (that) have different views of about police enforcement. But you have to understand that as a law enforcement agency, we have to enforce the law. And we have to maintain the law and order in Hong Kong'', Tang said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-court-overreached-only-we-can-rule-on-constitution-china-263023">Even though the size of demonstrations</a> has dwindled in recent weeks, clashes have become violent and angry after a protestor was shot by the police. Another man, who was set alight is contributing to the agitation of the people. The city of Hong Kong continues to be on lockdown with tear gas serenading otherwise calm streets.

Watch: Hong Kong continues to be on the boil

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hong-kong-continues-to-be-on-the-boil-universities-turned-into-the-fortress-262819/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

''We also realise that there is a lot of fake news, which may undermine the credibility of the police force, which is obviously not true. So what we are trying to do is first of all, for any false accusation, we have to rebut those false accusations, and we have to let the community know that the purpose of our action is only to maintain law and order, so that we (can) dispel any misunderstandings", Tang added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-court-overreached-only-we-can-rule-on-constitution-china-263023">Hong Kong</a>'s chief executive said Tuesday that protesters occupying a city-centre university had to surrender if the three-day stand-off was to be resolved peacefully.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-will-not-sit-back-if-hong-kong-demonstrations-get-uncontrollable-envoy-263010">China insisted Tuesday</a>&nbsp;it held the sole authority to rule on constitutional matters in Hong Kong, as it condemned a decision by the city's high court to overturn a ban on face masks worn by pro-democracy protesters.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Hong Kong appointed their new police chief, Chris Tang, today. He took office with a warning that "fake news" was undermining the reputation of his police force.

Hong Kong appointed their new police chief, Chris Tang, today. He took office with a warning that "fake news" was undermining the reputation of his police force. Tang replaced Commissioner Stephen Lo in the face of major anti-government protests in the city, which have now escalated into a scuffle at a university. The protests have been ongoing for the last five months against the government of Hong Kong and the influence of China on the city. "First of all, regarding our relationship with the community, I understand that there is a certain segment of the community (that) have different views of about police enforcement. But you have to understand that as a law enforcement agency, we have to enforce the law. And we have to maintain the law and order in Hong Kong'', Tang said. Even though the size of demonstrations has dwindled in recent weeks, clashes have become violent and angry after a protestor was shot by the police. Another man, who was set alight is contributing to the agitation of the people. The city of Hong Kong continues to be on lockdown with tear gas serenading otherwise calm streets. Watch: Hong Kong continues to be on the boil ''We also realise that there is a lot of fake news, which may undermine the credibility of the police force, which is obviously not true. So what we are trying to do is first of all, for any false accusation, we have to rebut those false accusations, and we have to let the community know that the purpose of our action is only to maintain law and order, so that we (can) dispel any misunderstandings", Tang added. Hong Kong's chief executive said Tuesday that protesters occupying a city-centre university had to surrender if the three-day stand-off was to be resolved peacefully. China insisted Tuesday it held the sole authority to rule on constitutional matters in Hong Kong, as it condemned a decision by the city's high court to overturn a ban on face masks worn by pro-democracy protesters. (With inputs from Reuters)

Hong Kong appoints new police chief Chris Tang, says fake news undermining reputation

Indonesia is facing a backlash over an online campaign backing palm oil at a time when <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesians-choked-by-forest-fire-haze-pray-for-rain-249464">forest fires</a>, often linked to slash-and-burn land clearance, have spread choking smoke across the region, raising a growing concern about damage to health.

The Southeast Asian country is the world's biggest producer of the edible oil and is often vilified abroad for the destruction of forests to make way for plantations, and for the fires that are often started to clear the land.

While Indonesia's neighbours complain about the impact of the smoke drifting in, the criticism at home, where the smoke is usually much more severe, has been more muted.

But that might be changing if the reaction to a government campaign launched to support the palm oil industry is anything to go by.

"We plant palm to fulfil Indonesia's needs, including to develop biodiesel and to lift Indonesia's hopes," the cheery Good Palm campaign said on its Twitter account - @SawitBaikID.

But the campaign, launched by the government and the state Palm Crop Estate Fund agency, could not have come at a worse time.

Fires, at their most serious since 2015 because of an El Nino weather pattern causing an extended dry spell, have been sending clouds of acrid smoke up over Sumatra, parts of Borneo islands and beyond for more than a month.

The government, once again trying to deflect the anger of its neighbours, has sent in more than 9,000 workers to try to beat down and douse the flames.

The smoke, or haze as it is known, has forced <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/schools-airports-closed-as-indonesia-fires-spark-fears-for-singapore-f1-250388">schools and airports to shut</a>, while tens of thousands of people have suffered from respiratory problems.

In one widely reported case, a four-month-old girl from a haze-hit village on Sumatra island died this week.

Doctors said she bore signs of lung infection, though they have yet to give the official cause of death.

"The government should stop using the 'palm oil is a very productive crop' card to justify their negligence on the poor management of existing palm oil plantations," wrote one Twitter user - @agnarendra.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SawitBaik?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SawitBaik</a> is definitely a misplaced campaign amidst the forest fires in Indonesia and the government should stop using the 'palm oil is a very productive crop' card to justify their negligence on the poor management of existing palm oil plantations <a href="https://t.co/RUieFY0Z6M">https://t.co/RUieFY0Z6M</a>
— Ariq (@agnarendra) <a href="https://twitter.com/agnarendra/status/1173809736090652672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Put out the fire

Sheany, a journalist based in Bali, who uses only one name, said it was "bizarre" that the authorities were launching their campaign to make palm oil look good at this time.

"So many Indonesians living in those areas are choking," she said.

In another sign of changing attitudes towards palm oil, some supermarkets in the capital, Jakarta, have begun displaying products with "palm oil-free" labels, to the anger of government officials.

Dono Boestami, head of the Palm Crop Estate Fund, defended the campaign to support palm oil, noting the "huge contribution" it makes to the economy.

Authorities say the fire has scorched 328,000 hectares (810,000 acres) of land since January but it is not clear how much of that has been to make way for palm plantations.

Greenpeace Indonesia said 80% of cleared forests had been turned into becoming palm and pulpwood plantations.

Referring to the Good Palm campaign, Greenpeace called for tighter controls of the palm oil industry.

Environmentalists say poor farmers are often blamed for the fires when the plantation companies egg them on, knowing they can expand later into the land that has been cleared.

Police say many of the fires are started in the forest and scrub next to plantations, which are often untouched.

The chairman of Indonesia's palm oil association, Joko Supriyono, said the companies should not be blamed for fires they do not start.

"There are reports from our members that fires on their concessions were because of widespread fires outside of the concessions," he told foreign correspondents on Tuesday.

President Joko Widodo has not responded directly to the backlash. This week, he attended Islamic prayers for rain in an area shrouded in heavy haze.

"We have done everything we can, but the correct way is to prevent this from ever happening. Whenever there's a fire, it should be put out," Widodo said in a statement.

Indonesia is facing a backlash over an online campaign backing palm oil at a time when forest fires, often linked to slash-and-burn land clearance, have spread choking smoke across the region, raising a growing concern about damage to health.

Indonesia is facing a backlash over an online campaign backing palm oil at a time when forest fires, often linked to slash-and-burn land clearance, have spread choking smoke across the region, raising a growing concern about damage to health. The Southeast Asian country is the world's biggest producer of the edible oil and is often vilified abroad for the destruction of forests to make way for plantations, and for the fires that are often started to clear the land. While Indonesia's neighbours complain about the impact of the smoke drifting in, the criticism at home, where the smoke is usually much more severe, has been more muted. But that might be changing if the reaction to a government campaign launched to support the palm oil industry is anything to go by. "We plant palm to fulfil Indonesia's needs, including to develop biodiesel and to lift Indonesia's hopes," the cheery Good Palm campaign said on its Twitter account - @SawitBaikID. But the campaign, launched by the government and the state Palm Crop Estate Fund agency, could not have come at a worse time. Fires, at their most serious since 2015 because of an El Nino weather pattern causing an extended dry spell, have been sending clouds of acrid smoke up over Sumatra, parts of Borneo islands and beyond for more than a month. The government, once again trying to deflect the anger of its neighbours, has sent in more than 9,000 workers to try to beat down and douse the flames. The smoke, or haze as it is known, has forced schools and airports to shut, while tens of thousands of people have suffered from respiratory problems. In one widely reported case, a four-month-old girl from a haze-hit village on Sumatra island died this week. Doctors said she bore signs of lung infection, though they have yet to give the official cause of death. "The government should stop using the 'palm oil is a very productive crop' card to justify their negligence on the poor management of existing palm oil plantations," wrote one Twitter user - @agnarendra. #SawitBaik is definitely a misplaced campaign amidst the forest fires in Indonesia and the government should stop using the 'palm oil is a very productive crop' card to justify their negligence on the poor management of existing palm oil plantations https://t.co/RUieFY0Z6M — Ariq (@agnarendra) September 17, 2019 × Put out the fire Sheany, a journalist based in Bali, who uses only one name, said it was "bizarre" that the authorities were launching their campaign to make palm oil look good at this time. "So many Indonesians living in those areas are choking," she said. In another sign of changing attitudes towards palm oil, some supermarkets in the capital, Jakarta, have begun displaying products with "palm oil-free" labels, to the anger of government officials. Dono Boestami, head of the Palm Crop Estate Fund, defended the campaign to support palm oil, noting the "huge contribution" it makes to the economy. Authorities say the fire has scorched 328,000 hectares (810,000 acres) of land since January but it is not clear how much of that has been to make way for palm plantations. Greenpeace Indonesia said 80% of cleared forests had been turned into becoming palm and pulpwood plantations. Referring to the Good Palm campaign, Greenpeace called for tighter controls of the palm oil industry. Environmentalists say poor farmers are often blamed for the fires when the plantation companies egg them on, knowing they can expand later into the land that has been cleared. Police say many of the fires are started in the forest and scrub next to plantations, which are often untouched. The chairman of Indonesia's palm oil association, Joko Supriyono, said the companies should not be blamed for fires they do not start. "There are reports from our members that fires on their concessions were because of widespread fires outside of the concessions," he told foreign correspondents on Tuesday. President Joko Widodo has not responded directly to the backlash. This week, he attended Islamic prayers for rain in an area shrouded in heavy haze. "We have done everything we can, but the correct way is to prevent this from ever happening. Whenever there's a fire, it should be put out," Widodo said in a statement.

Indonesia's 'Good Palm' drive enflames anger as smoke clouds skies

Trump was on Christmas bashed on social media after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-border-wall-no-match-for-mexican-girls-santa-wish-list-186288">he asked a seven-year-old whether he still believed in Santa</a>.&nbsp;

Trump and his wife Melania were answering calls for NORAD, the US defence agency which "tracks"&nbsp;Santa's Christmas eve movements. The answering of calls by the president is a Christmas tradition.&nbsp;

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Helping children across the country track <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Santa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Santa</a> is becoming one of my favorite traditions! <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Potus</a> and I enjoyed working with <a href="https://twitter.com/NoradSanta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NORADSanta</a> - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChristmasEve?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChristmasEve</a> <a href="https://t.co/CYNkARbFaI">pic.twitter.com/CYNkARbFaI</a>
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS/status/1077371798705111041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Hello, is this Coleman? Merry Christmas. How are you? How old are you?" the US president asked the child.&nbsp;

And then followed it up with:&nbsp;&nbsp;"Are you still a believer in Santa Claus? 'Cuz at seven it's marginal, right?"&nbsp;&nbsp;

Expectedly, the blowback on social media was severe:&nbsp;

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I don't think I've ever seen a REAL smile on trump's face before. 
 
But here he is, spending Christmas Eve, asking a 7-year-old if he still believes in Santa "because at 7, it's marginal, right?" Dream-crushing gets him smiling. 
 
What a nasty, grinchy crumb bum. <a href="https://t.co/oE8XClS8jv">pic.twitter.com/oE8XClS8jv</a>
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) <a href="https://twitter.com/mmpadellan/status/1077396376785510400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Per pool, Trump to the first child who called in tonight to talk to Santa: “Are you still a believer in Santa?"
— Dafna Linzer (@DafnaLinzer) <a href="https://twitter.com/DafnaLinzer/status/1077364540105523200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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Donald Trump, the lyingest liar of all the liars who ever lied, couldn't bring himself to lie about Santa.
— David M. Perry (@Lollardfish) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lollardfish/status/1077383788571910145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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It is not known how Coleman answered Trump.&nbsp;

Trump was on Christmas bashed on social media after he asked a seven-year-old whether he still believed in Santa. Trump and his wife Melania were answering calls for NORAD, the US defence agency which "tracks" Santa's Christmas eve movements.

Trump was on Christmas bashed on social media after he asked a seven-year-old whether he still believed in Santa. Trump and his wife Melania were answering calls for NORAD, the US defence agency which "tracks" Santa's Christmas eve movements. The answering of calls by the president is a Christmas tradition. Helping children across the country track #Santa is becoming one of my favorite traditions! @Potus and I enjoyed working with @NORADSanta - #ChristmasEve pic.twitter.com/CYNkARbFaI — Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) December 25, 2018 × "Hello, is this Coleman? Merry Christmas. How are you? How old are you?" the US president asked the child. And then followed it up with: "Are you still a believer in Santa Claus? 'Cuz at seven it's marginal, right?" Expectedly, the blowback on social media was severe: I don't think I've ever seen a REAL smile on trump's face before. But here he is, spending Christmas Eve, asking a 7-year-old if he still believes in Santa "because at 7, it's marginal, right?" Dream-crushing gets him smiling. What a nasty, grinchy crumb bum. pic.twitter.com/oE8XClS8jv — BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) December 25, 2018 × Per pool, Trump to the first child who called in tonight to talk to Santa: “Are you still a believer in Santa?" — Dafna Linzer (@DafnaLinzer) December 25, 2018 × Donald Trump, the lyingest liar of all the liars who ever lied, couldn't bring himself to lie about Santa. — David M. Perry (@Lollardfish) December 25, 2018 × It is not known how Coleman answered Trump.

Trump to 7-year-old: Do you still believe in Santa?

Alphabet Inc's Google will not renew a contract to help the US military analyse aerial drone imagery when it expires in March, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday, as the company moves to defuse the internal uproar over the deal.

The defence program, called Project Maven, set off a revolt inside Google, as factions of employees opposed Google technology being used in warfare. The dissidents said it clashed with the company`s stated principle of doing no harm and cited risks around using a nascent artificial intelligence technology in lethal situations.

Google plans to honour what is left of its contract on Project Maven, the person said. More than 4,600 employees signed a petition calling for Google to cancel the deal, with at least 13 employees resigning in recent weeks in protest at Google`s involvement, according to a second person familiar with the deal.

Through Project Maven, Google provides artificial intelligence technology to the Pentagon to help humans detect and identify targets captured by drone images. Company executives have defended the contract, saying its cloud computing and data analysis tools were being used for non-offensive tasks and would help save lives.

Tech publication Gizmodo first reported that Google Cloud Chief Executive Diane Greene told employees on Friday Google`s role in the program would end.

A source confirmed that, but Google declined to comment.

"I am incredibly happy about this decision and have a deep respect for the many people who worked and risked to make it happen. Google should not be in the business of war," Meredith Whittaker, a research scientist affiliated with Google and New York University, wrote on Twitter.

More than 700 Google employees had joined an online group inside the company called Maven Conscientious Objectors, using it to vent their concerns about the project and discuss ways of protesting against it.

Some employees planned to hold a public rally in San Francisco in July, coinciding with a Google conference, according to one source. Company officials have told employees in recent months that the deal was seen as a gateway to further, more lucrative government work, the source said.

As Google ventures into new territory, a group of nine people are working on a set of ethical guidelines for any future military contracts. The guidelines will be released, "very, very soon," Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said in a recording of a staff meeting last week reviewed by Reuters.

Maven had an initial budget of $70 million. Google has told employees it was getting less than $10 million for its work on the program, according to one source who requested anonymity because the information has not been made public.

Selling cloud computing services, including the object detection tool being used with drone footage, is one of the top areas Google is counting on to diversify revenue. But Amazon.com Inc and Microsoft Corp have won far more cloud business.

Google in August 2017 hosted defence executives to demonstrate its artificial intelligence capabilities, according to a document shared with Google employees and seen by Reuters.

An internal email sent in October 2017 entitled "MAVEN Kickoff Meeting Notes" quoted Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan as saying during a meeting with Google in Mountain View, California, that he wanted "a built-in AI capability" in all future Department of Defense systems deployed in the field.

The email was shared with the Maven Conscientious Objectors and Reuters viewed it on the group`s online forum.

Google declined to comment on internal documents and messages seen by Reuters.

Project Maven includes several subcontractors. Pentagon spokeswoman Major Audricia Harris said in an email to Reuters on Friday that the Pentagon values "all of our relationships with academic institutions and commercial companies involved with Project Maven."

The primary contractor on the project, ECS Federal, did not respond to a request to comment.

As Google ventures into new territory, a group of nine people are working on a set of ethical guidelines for any future military contracts.

Alphabet Inc's Google will not renew a contract to help the US military analyse aerial drone imagery when it expires in March, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday, as the company moves to defuse the internal uproar over the deal. The defence program, called Project Maven, set off a revolt inside Google, as factions of employees opposed Google technology being used in warfare. The dissidents said it clashed with the company`s stated principle of doing no harm and cited risks around using a nascent artificial intelligence technology in lethal situations. Google plans to honour what is left of its contract on Project Maven, the person said. More than 4,600 employees signed a petition calling for Google to cancel the deal, with at least 13 employees resigning in recent weeks in protest at Google`s involvement, according to a second person familiar with the deal. Through Project Maven, Google provides artificial intelligence technology to the Pentagon to help humans detect and identify targets captured by drone images. Company executives have defended the contract, saying its cloud computing and data analysis tools were being used for non-offensive tasks and would help save lives. Tech publication Gizmodo first reported that Google Cloud Chief Executive Diane Greene told employees on Friday Google`s role in the program would end. A source confirmed that, but Google declined to comment. "I am incredibly happy about this decision and have a deep respect for the many people who worked and risked to make it happen. Google should not be in the business of war," Meredith Whittaker, a research scientist affiliated with Google and New York University, wrote on Twitter. More than 700 Google employees had joined an online group inside the company called Maven Conscientious Objectors, using it to vent their concerns about the project and discuss ways of protesting against it. Some employees planned to hold a public rally in San Francisco in July, coinciding with a Google conference, according to one source. Company officials have told employees in recent months that the deal was seen as a gateway to further, more lucrative government work, the source said. As Google ventures into new territory, a group of nine people are working on a set of ethical guidelines for any future military contracts. The guidelines will be released, "very, very soon," Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said in a recording of a staff meeting last week reviewed by Reuters. Maven had an initial budget of $70 million. Google has told employees it was getting less than $10 million for its work on the program, according to one source who requested anonymity because the information has not been made public. Selling cloud computing services, including the object detection tool being used with drone footage, is one of the top areas Google is counting on to diversify revenue. But Amazon.com Inc and Microsoft Corp have won far more cloud business. Google in August 2017 hosted defence executives to demonstrate its artificial intelligence capabilities, according to a document shared with Google employees and seen by Reuters. An internal email sent in October 2017 entitled "MAVEN Kickoff Meeting Notes" quoted Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan as saying during a meeting with Google in Mountain View, California, that he wanted "a built-in AI capability" in all future Department of Defense systems deployed in the field. The email was shared with the Maven Conscientious Objectors and Reuters viewed it on the group`s online forum. Google declined to comment on internal documents and messages seen by Reuters. Project Maven includes several subcontractors. Pentagon spokeswoman Major Audricia Harris said in an email to Reuters on Friday that the Pentagon values "all of our relationships with academic institutions and commercial companies involved with Project Maven." The primary contractor on the project, ECS Federal, did not respond to a request to comment.

After employee backlash, Google says no to Pentagon work

China`s plan for President Xi Jinping to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-proposes-removal-of-two-term-limit-for-president-reports-34002" target="_blank">remain in office indefinitely</a> has sparked social media opposition, drawing comparisons to North Korea`s ruling dynasty and charges of creating a dictator by a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist.

The social media reaction late on Sunday quickly saw China swing into a concerted propaganda push by Monday, blocking some articles and publishing pieces praising the party.

The ruling Communist Party on Sunday proposed to remove a constitutional clause limiting presidential service to just two terms in office, meaning Xi, who also heads the party and the military, might never have to retire.

The proposal, which will be passed by delegates loyal to the party at next month`s annual meeting of China`s largely rubber stamp parliament, is part of a package of amendments to the country`s constitution.

It will also add Xi`s political thought to the constitution, already added to the party constitution last year, and set a legal framework for a super anti-corruption superbody, as well as more broadly strengthen the party`s tight grip on power.

But it seems the party will have its work cut out trying to convince some in China, where Xi is actually very popular thanks in part to his war on graft, that the move will not end up giving Xi too much power.

&quot;Argh, we`re going to become North Korea,&quot; wrote one Weibo user, where the Kim dynasty has ruled since the late 1940s. Kim Il Sung founded North Korea in 1948 and his family has ruled it ever since.

&quot;We`re following the example of our neighbour,` wrote another user.

The comments were removed late on Sunday after Weibo, China`s answer to Twitter, began blocking the search term &quot;two term limit&quot;.

Widely read state-run newspaper the Global Times said in an editorial the change did not mean the president will stay in office for ever, though it did not offer much explanation.

&quot;Since reform and opening up, China, led by the Communist Party, has successfully resolved and will continue to effectively resolve the issue of party and national leadership replacement in a law-abiding and orderly manner,&quot; it said, referring to landmark economic reforms that began four decades ago.

The party`s official People`s Daily reprinted a long article by Xinhua news agency saying most people supported the constitutional amendments, quoting a variety of people proffering support.

&quot;The broad part of officials and the masses say that they hoped this constitutional reform is passed,&quot; it wrote.

The WeChat account of the People`s Daily, after initially posting a flurry of positive comments under its article, then disabled the comments section completely late on Sunday. It was back again by Monday, complete with remarks lauding the party.

The overseas edition of the same paper`s WeChat account removed entirely an article focusing on the term limits, replacing it with the lengthy Xinhua report summing up all the amendment proposals.

In one confusing moment for many Chinese, Xinhua initially only reported the news in English.

Jokes have also circulated on social media. One shows a picture of a condom in its wrapper under the words &quot;doing it twice is not enough&quot;.

Others shared pictures of Winnie the Pooh, an internet meme that plays on Xi`s supposed likeness to the rotund cartoon bear, an image censors have repeatedly tried to remove.&nbsp;

Parts of the stock market took heart from the news. Chinese speculators pounced on stocks with &quot;emperor&quot; in their name on Monday.

The decision has also unsettled some in the Chinese territory of Hong Kong, where authorities have been trying to rein in a pro-democracy movement.

&quot;This move, which would allow for a single individual to amass and accumulate political power, means that China would again have a dictator as her head of state - Xi Jinping,&quot; said Joshua Wong, one of the movement`s leaders.

&quot;The law may exist in China in form, but this just proves that the Chinese law exists to serve the individual and the party`s purposes.&quot;

China is likely though to see any such criticism as a plot against the party.

&quot;Every time China deliberates on reforms and key decisions, effect on public opinion is worth pondering,&quot; the Global Times wrote. &quot;Misinformation and external forces` meddling will affect public opinion in China.&quot;

The social media reaction late on Sunday quickly saw China swing into a concerted propaganda push by Monday, blocking some articles and publishing pieces praising the party

China`s plan for President Xi Jinping to remain in office indefinitely has sparked social media opposition, drawing comparisons to North Korea`s ruling dynasty and charges of creating a dictator by a Hong Kong pro-democracy activist. The social media reaction late on Sunday quickly saw China swing into a concerted propaganda push by Monday, blocking some articles and publishing pieces praising the party. The ruling Communist Party on Sunday proposed to remove a constitutional clause limiting presidential service to just two terms in office, meaning Xi, who also heads the party and the military, might never have to retire. The proposal, which will be passed by delegates loyal to the party at next month`s annual meeting of China`s largely rubber stamp parliament, is part of a package of amendments to the country`s constitution. It will also add Xi`s political thought to the constitution, already added to the party constitution last year, and set a legal framework for a super anti-corruption superbody, as well as more broadly strengthen the party`s tight grip on power. But it seems the party will have its work cut out trying to convince some in China, where Xi is actually very popular thanks in part to his war on graft, that the move will not end up giving Xi too much power. "Argh, we`re going to become North Korea," wrote one Weibo user, where the Kim dynasty has ruled since the late 1940s. Kim Il Sung founded North Korea in 1948 and his family has ruled it ever since. "We`re following the example of our neighbour,` wrote another user. The comments were removed late on Sunday after Weibo, China`s answer to Twitter, began blocking the search term "two term limit". Widely read state-run newspaper the Global Times said in an editorial the change did not mean the president will stay in office for ever, though it did not offer much explanation. "Since reform and opening up, China, led by the Communist Party, has successfully resolved and will continue to effectively resolve the issue of party and national leadership replacement in a law-abiding and orderly manner," it said, referring to landmark economic reforms that began four decades ago. The party`s official People`s Daily reprinted a long article by Xinhua news agency saying most people supported the constitutional amendments, quoting a variety of people proffering support. "The broad part of officials and the masses say that they hoped this constitutional reform is passed," it wrote. The WeChat account of the People`s Daily, after initially posting a flurry of positive comments under its article, then disabled the comments section completely late on Sunday. It was back again by Monday, complete with remarks lauding the party. The overseas edition of the same paper`s WeChat account removed entirely an article focusing on the term limits, replacing it with the lengthy Xinhua report summing up all the amendment proposals. In one confusing moment for many Chinese, Xinhua initially only reported the news in English. Jokes have also circulated on social media. One shows a picture of a condom in its wrapper under the words "doing it twice is not enough". Others shared pictures of Winnie the Pooh, an internet meme that plays on Xi`s supposed likeness to the rotund cartoon bear, an image censors have repeatedly tried to remove. Parts of the stock market took heart from the news. Chinese speculators pounced on stocks with "emperor" in their name on Monday. The decision has also unsettled some in the Chinese territory of Hong Kong, where authorities have been trying to rein in a pro-democracy movement. "This move, which would allow for a single individual to amass and accumulate political power, means that China would again have a dictator as her head of state - Xi Jinping," said Joshua Wong, one of the movement`s leaders. "The law may exist in China in form, but this just proves that the Chinese law exists to serve the individual and the party`s purposes." China is likely though to see any such criticism as a plot against the party. "Every time China deliberates on reforms and key decisions, effect on public opinion is worth pondering," the Global Times wrote. "Misinformation and external forces` meddling will affect public opinion in China."

China pushes back against criticism of plan for Xi to stay in power

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