Former farmer, 84, is accidental ASMR YouTube star

People around the world have thanked an 84-year-old YouTuber for helping them cope with anxieties about the coronavirus pandemic. John Butler has attracted millions of views and more than 120,000 subscribers with his philosophical videos about life and meditation. The softly spoken ex-farmer became an unlikely YouTube star when an interview he gave in 2016 … Read more

Donald Trump condemns supporters for storming US Capitol; pledges to ensure peaceful transition of power

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President Donald Trump has condemned the violent supporters who stormed the US Capitol, saying they do not represent America, as he vowed to ensure a peaceful and smooth transition of power to President-elect Joe Biden. In a new video message, Trump said America is, and must always be a nation of law and order. “Like … Read more

How desi Youtubers are using India’s social landscape to their advantage

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So far, the programme has garnered a whopping 1 billion views on YouTube. Synopsis These videos, mostly comedy or drama genre, leave the popular comedy channels that focus on an English-speaking, urban audience far behind in subscribers. Khandeshi Movies, for example, has racked up 19.6 million subscribers with just 135 videos. Chotu ke Golgappe is … Read more

Vanessa Pappas: The woman taking over TikTok at the toughest time

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By Mike Isaac and Taylor Lorenz Six weeks ago, as TikTok grappled with escalating tensions between the United States and China, the social media app’s top executives huddled together to figure out their next steps. Vanessa Pappas, 41, was worried. TikTok’s North American business, which she has run since 2018, was dealing with an uproar. … Read more

Coronavirus: Facebook, Twitter and YouTube ‘fail to tackle anti-vaccination posts’

By Leo KelionTechnology desk editor image copyrightGetty Images image captionCCDH says tech firm’s failure to act may limit take-up of Covid-19 vaccines when they become available Social networks are failing to tackle coronavirus-related anti-vaccination posts containing “clearly harmful information” even after the material is brought to their attention, according to a campaign group. It flagged … Read more