Facebook is planning to hire 10,000 people in the European Union to develop a so-called metaverse. A metaverse is an online world where people can game, work and communicate in a virtual environment, often using VR headsets. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been a leading voice on the concept. The announcement comes as Facebook deals with the fallout of a damaging scandal and faces increased calls for regulation to curb its influence. “The metaverse has the potential to help unlock access to new creative, social, and economic opportunities. And Europeans will be shaping it right from the start,” Facebook said in a blog post. The new jobs being created over the next five years will include “highly specialised engineers”. Investing in the EU offered many advantages, including access to a large consumer market, first-class universities and high-quality talent, Facebook said. Facebook has made building the metaverse one of its big priorities. Despite its history of buying up rivals, Facebook claims the metaverse “won’t be built overnight by a single company” and has promised to collaborate. It recently invested $50m (£36.3m) in funding non-profit groups to help “build the metaverse responsibly”. But it thinks the true metaverse idea will take another 10 to 15 years.(BBC)…[+]

Myanmar’s government has said it will free more than 5,000 prisoners jailed for protesting against February’s coup. Thousands of people were detained during bloody demonstrations after military leaders seized power. The coup leader, Min Aung Hlaing, said the 5,636 prisoners would be released for humanitarian reasons. It comes days after the general was excluded from an annual summit of regional leaders, who said the military had not done enough to end the turmoil. The Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) agreed to invite a non-political representative from Myanmar instead of Gen Min Aung Hlaing. At least 1,178 people were killed and 7,355 arrested, charged or sentenced during a crackdown on dissent that followed Aung San Suu Kyi being ousted from power, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.(BBC)…[+]

Two men suspected of murdering prominent crime reporter Peter R de Vries have appeared in court in the Netherlands. Kamil E, the suspected getaway driver, denied knowledge of the murder while the alleged gunman, Delano G, refused to comment. They were arrested shortly after Mr de Vries was shot dead outside a TV studio in Amsterdam on 6 July. He was revered for his investigations of mobsters and drug lords. The journalist, 64, had been working as an adviser to a key state witness in a major trial involving a drugs gang. Delano G, a 21-one-year-old from Rotterdam, and Kamil E, a 35-year-old originally from Poland, were arrested hours after the attack in a car on a motorway near The Hague. Both suspects were in court on Wednesday for a procedural hearing, where the prosecution gave an update on its investigation. Delano G invoked his right to remain silent, but Kamil E spoke in court the defend himself and proclaim his innocence.(BBC)…[+]