Good morning! Here's what you need to know for Monday. 
The Person Whose Drone Nearly Hit An Airbus At Heathrow Risked £500,000 In Fines | ||
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A mystery drone nearly collided with a commercial passenger jet at Heathrow yesterday. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) gave the incident an "A" rating, the BBC says, which means there was a "serious risk of collision" and is the highest applicable level. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remains unidentified. The Airbus A320 aircraft was carrying 180 people when it nearly crashed into the device , which didn't appear on air traffic control's radar. To throw even more uncertainty on the event, the drone disappeared afterwards and its controller has eluded investigators. Anyone in the UK flying a UAV risk more than £500,000 in fines, according to the CAA and the Independent Commisioner's Office, which enforces the Data Protection Act (DPA). The most serious fine that can be imposed for a serious breach of the DPA is £500,000; the most a magistrates court can lay down for a serious breach of the CAA's unmanned aircraft regulations is £2,500. Since most drones carry cameras, it's possible the two could happen together. Recording footage using a drone could result in serious offences under the ICO's strict surveillance rules. (Here are the CAA's guidelines on using small UAVs.)
Heathrow's incident isn't the first to be recorded in British airspace. In May, a pilot of a smaller ATR 72 plane reported seeing a helicopter drone just 80 feet away as he came into Southend Airport.There have been two convictions in the UK so far. The first concerned an occurrence last year, explains the CAA, when a UAV was recovered from water near a submarine testing facility. The second came about when a man pleaded guilty to two charges of operating a drone over the Alton Towers theme park. A spokesperson for the CAA sells Business Insider: “People using unmanned aircraft for fun have to understand that they must be flown in a sensible and safe manner. Even small, relatively lightweight devices can damage property, or cause injuries. There are a number of proportionate regulations in place to protect members of the public. So while we don’t want to obstruct the great recreational and commercial opportunities unmanned aircraft offer, safety has to be the absolute priority when they are used. We just need people to take responsibility and ‘think safety’ before launching their device into the air.” And the ICO explains: "The ICO has a range of enforcement options available for breaches of the Data Protection Act including undertakings, enforcement notices and civil monetary penalties. The maximum CMP we can issue is £500,000 and the breach has to be proven to have cause substantial damage or distress. The level of the penalty is determined on the factors of the incident." Right now, there's an enquiry covering the civil use of remotely piloted aircraft in the EU. A committee in the House of Lords is discussing better regulations for UAVs to improve safety. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Drones are gaining popularity. This Christmas it's expected they'll be on peoples' wish lists and near accidents such as the one on Sunday might increase as a result. Sales have gone up rapidly: Uber Has Reportedly Been Banned In Delhi, India After Alleged Rape | ||
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The government of India's capital territory has just banned the ride-sharing service Uber after a passenger reported that a driver raped her, according to the Deccan Chronicle. Shiv Kumar Yadav, the Uber driver who's been accused of raping a young female passenger, is scheduled to appear in Indian court on Monday, AFP reports. The man was arrested for another sexual assault three years ago and eventually acquitted of the crime, but he was still allowed to drive for Uber. Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has said that Indian systems lack a process to "to establish clear background checks," according to the Deccan Chronicle. Indian police are reportedly considering taking legal action against Uber, claiming that the company hasn't run proper background checks. Delhi's government said in a statement that "(the) Transport Department has banned all activities relating to providing any transport service by the www.Uber.com with immediate effect." The woman who accused the Uber driver of rape said he dropped her off after he assaulted her and told her not to go to police. She reportedly took down the driver's number and snapped a photo of his car, according to AFP. Uber recently raised more funding and is now valued at $40 billion. SEE ALSO: The Indian Uber Driver Who Has Been Accused Of Rape Was Previously Arrested For Sexual Assault Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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10 Things In Tech You Need To Know Today (AAPL, GOOG, IACI, FB) | ||
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Good morning! It's a chilly day in London. Here's the tech news you need to know to start off the week. 1. Uber has been banned in Delhi after a driver was accused of raping a passenger. The driver is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. 2. North Korea has denied hacking into Sony Pictures. But at the same time the country praised the hack, calling it a "righteous deed". 3. Apple could be making a smaller iPhone. Rumours claim that it's developing a new phone with a 4-inch display. 4. Steve Jobs has posthumously given testimony at Apple's antitrust trial. His video testimony was played in court. 5. Grocey delivery startup Instacart is raising over $100 million at a valuation of $2 billion. Its last reported valuation was $400 million. 6. A BMW-backed company that lets you use cars like Boris bikes has launched in London. DriveNow costs 39p per minute to drive a BMW around London. 7. Google has removed all apps related to file-sharing site The Pirate Bay from the Google Play Store. App developers have received a policy strike for making the software. 8. Viral cat star Grumpy Cat has made its owner nearly $100 million in two years. That's way more than most Hollywood stars earn. 9. IAC is looking to sell entertainment website CollegeHumor for around $100 million. It bought a majority stake in the company eight years ago for around $20 million. 10. Facebook threw a giant party for its employees at AT&T park in San Francisco. The company rented out the entire place. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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The 10 Most Important Things In The World Right Now | ||
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1. At least 21 people were killed and around one million evacuated as typhoon Hagupit, which has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, swept through the Philippines over the weekend. 2. Japan's economy contracted more than expected in the period between July and September, revised data showed Monday. 3. Ride-sharing service Uber has reportedly been banned in Delhi after a passenger alleged that a driver raped her. 4. DNA results from a bone fragment confirmed the death of one of the 43 students in Mexico who have been missing since September after clashes with police. 5. Amazon workers at two warehouses in Germany called a strike on Monday over wage disputes with the online US retailer. 6. At least 70 migrants from Africa drowned after their boat sank near the entrance of the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen. 7. A US doctor who was treated for Ebola has spoken out for the first time in an interview with the The New York Times. 8. New Zealand authorities said Monday that around 200 passengers on a cruise ship were sickened by an outbreak of norovirus. 9. Two Myanmar men have plead not guilty to murder chargers over the killing of two British tourists on the Thai island of Koah Tao in September. 10. Prince William and wife Kate arrived in New York on Monday as part of a three-day trip to the East Coast, during which William will meet with President Barack Obama to discuss the illegal wildlife trade. And finally ... Grumpy cat has earned its owner nearly $100 million in just 2 years. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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The Person Whose Drone Nearly Hit An Airbus At Heathrow Risked £500,000 In Fines | ||
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A mystery drone nearly collided with a commercial passenger jet at Heathrow yesterday. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) gave the incident an "A" rating, the BBC says, which means there was a "serious risk of collision" and is the highest applicable level. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remains unidentified. The Airbus A320 aircraft was carrying 180 people when it nearly crashed into the device , which didn't appear on air traffic control's radar. To throw even more uncertainty on the event, the drone disappeared afterwards and its controller has eluded investigators. Anyone in the UK flying a UAV risk more than £500,000 in fines, according to the CAA and the Independent Commisioner's Office, which enforces the Data Protection Act (DPA). The most serious fine that can be imposed for a serious breach of the DPA is £500,000; the most a magistrates court can lay down for a serious breach of the CAA's unmanned aircraft regulations is £2,500. Since most drones carry cameras, it's possible the two could happen together. Recording footage using a drone could result in serious offences under the ICO's strict surveillance rules. (Here are the CAA's guidelines on using small UAVs.)
Heathrow's incident isn't the first to be recorded in British airspace. In May, a pilot of a smaller ATR 72 plane reported seeing a helicopter drone just 80 feet away as he came into Southend Airport.There have been two convictions in the UK so far. The first concerned an occurrence last year, explains the CAA, when a UAV was recovered from water near a submarine testing facility. The second came about when a man pleaded guilty to two charges of operating a drone over the Alton Towers theme park. A spokesperson for the CAA sells Business Insider: “People using unmanned aircraft for fun have to understand that they must be flown in a sensible and safe manner. Even small, relatively lightweight devices can damage property, or cause injuries. There are a number of proportionate regulations in place to protect members of the public. So while we don’t want to obstruct the great recreational and commercial opportunities unmanned aircraft offer, safety has to be the absolute priority when they are used. We just need people to take responsibility and ‘think safety’ before launching their device into the air.” And the ICO explains: "The ICO has a range of enforcement options available for breaches of the Data Protection Act including undertakings, enforcement notices and civil monetary penalties. The maximum CMP we can issue is £500,000 and the breach has to be proven to have cause substantial damage or distress. The level of the penalty is determined on the factors of the incident." Right now, there's an enquiry covering the civil use of remotely piloted aircraft in the EU. A committee in the House of Lords is discussing better regulations for UAVs to improve safety. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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10 Things In Advertising You Need To Know Today | ||
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Good morning, here's everything you need to know before you head into your first meeting. 1. Facebook is to blame for a huge proportion of “dark traffic” swamping the web. But it is working on a fix. 2. There’s a debate brewing about whether Cadillac should be a car or a brand. Fans are worried that Cadillac’s marketing people — who just moved from Detroit to New York — are going to juice the brand at the expense of the cars. 3. Three big ad companies have revised their 2015 global ad spending forecasts downward, CMO Today reports. A shift to digital advertising, weak European markets and slower than expected growth in the US are to blame. 4. Digiday has looked into why Silicon Valley and media don’t mix easily. The site explores recent lessons learnt from The New Republic, First Look Media, Say Media and The Washington Post— all examples in tech moguls trying their hands at media. 5. The Guardian has released its annual MediaGuardian 100 list of the most powerful people in UK media. Larry Page, Sir Martin Sorrell and Ben Priest, founder and executive creative director at Adam & Eve DDB, all feature. 6. On the other side of the pond, Adweek has released its annual “Hot List.” Alibaba’s Jack Ma is Adweek’s “media visionary.” 7. Walmart is editing a commercial showing a black man saying “I can’t breathe” as he’s hugged by his daughter, AdAge reports. The amendment comes in the wake of nationwide protests after a grand jury declined to indict white police officer Daniel Pantaleo for the death of Eric Garner, a black man who was seen in a video to be gasping the words “I can’t breathe” while being placed in a chokehold after being arrested for selling cigarettes. 8. UK supermarket Sainsbury’s has created another Christmas ad, Marketing Magazine reports. The online video features dads in Christmas jumpers dancing to dubstep. 9. Drinks company Pernod Ricard is using facial recognition to target airport travelers, Marketing Week reports. The digital screen detects the faces of passers-by and displays their reflections as Warhol-style “selfies.” 10. Cosmopolitan magazine and the CoverGirl cosmetics line are uniting to sponsor New Year’s Eve in Times Square, The New York Times reports. It is estimated the pair are paying just over $2 million to sponsor the event, which will see them distributing hats and balloons, stream a live webcast and position their logos on the button that is pushed to begin the ball drop from 1 Times Square. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Uber Has Reportedly Been Banned In Delhi, India After Alleged Rape | ||
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The government of India's capital territory has just banned the ride-sharing service Uber after a passenger reported that a driver raped her, according to the Deccan Chronicle. Shiv Kumar Yadav, the Uber driver who's been accused of raping a young female passenger, is scheduled to appear in Indian court on Monday, AFP reports. The man was arrested for another sexual assault three years ago and eventually acquitted of the crime, but he was still allowed to drive for Uber. Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has said that Indian systems lack a process to "to establish clear background checks," according to the Deccan Chronicle. Indian police are reportedly considering taking legal action against Uber, claiming that the company hasn't run proper background checks. Delhi's government said in a statement that "(the) Transport Department has banned all activities relating to providing any transport service by the www.Uber.com with immediate effect." The woman who accused the Uber driver of rape said he dropped her off after he assaulted her and told her not to go to police. She reportedly took down the driver's number and snapped a photo of his car, according to AFP. Uber recently raised more funding and is now valued at $40 billion. SEE ALSO: The Indian Uber Driver Who Has Been Accused Of Rape Was Previously Arrested For Sexual Assault Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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Delhi city government bans Uber after alleged rape | ||
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New Delhi (AFP) - The Delhi city government said Monday it has banned Uber after a passenger accused one of the online taxi service's drivers of raping her. "(The) Transport Department has banned all activities relating to providing any transport service by the www.Uber.com with immediate effect," the government of the Indian capital said in a statement. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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10 Things You Need To Know In Markets Today | ||
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Good morning! Here are 10 things you absolutely need to know in markets today. Plunging Oil Prices Are Pushing BP Into A Round Of Job Cuts. BP is to axe middle managers and could freeze projects as it grapples with the plummeting oil price, The Sunday Times reported, citing finance director Brian Gilvary. European Investor Confidence Is Coming. The Sentix index of investor confidence is coming out at 9:30 a.m. GMT. Analysts are expecting that there will be a small improvement in the index, which is still in negative territory. Greece Passed Its 2015 Budget With A Midnight Vote. The budget, which predicts 2.9% economic growth for Greece next year, and a deficit of just 0.6% of GDP, was passed by 155 lawmakers to 134 overnight. Japan's Sales Tax Shock Was Worse Than We Thought. Japan's economic contraction in July-September was deeper than initially expected, according to revised data on Monday that backs Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent decision to delay a second sales tax hike. The annualised contraction was 1.9%, not 1.6% as previously thought. But Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Is Set For An Even Bigger Landslide. Latest media projections show Abe's LDP winning 303-320 of 475 seats, up from the 294 he won in 2012. Germany's Industrial Production Ticked Up. Output rose 0.2% in October, slightly less than analysts had expected. That follows a 2.5% increase in factory orders for the same month. China's Latest Trade Figures Don't Look Healthy. China's imports fell unexpectedly in November while export growth slowed, adding to concerns the world's second-largest economy could be facing a sharper slowdown. Exports rose 4.7& in November from a year earlier, while imports dropped 6.7% - the sharpest decline since March. Asian Markets Are Up. Bad data from both Japan and China doesn't seem to have weighed too heavily on Asian investors. The Nikkei closed up 0.08% to start the week, the Hang Seng is currently up 0.48%, while the Shanghai Composite has surged again, and is currently up 3.44%. German Chancellor Angela Merkel Says France Should Be Reforming More Quickly. Crisis-hit France was urged Sunday by Germany and its own Nobel prize-winning economist to reform, days before Paris prepares to unveil a controversial set of measures to unblock its stagnating economy. The Founders Of India IT Firm Infosys ARE Selling Shares Worth $1.1 Billion. Four of the founders of Infosys are seeking to raise about $1.1 billion (£706.7 million) by selling stakes in the Indian IT outsourcing company, IFR reported on Monday. Join the conversation about this story »  | ||
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