Uber Pays $8.5M After Driver Rape Claim; China Softens Stance

A US court has ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million to a woman who alleged she was raped by a driver, a ruling that could impact thousands of other cases against the ride-sharing company, according to reports from multiple sources including the BBC. The jury in Arizona deliberated for two days before finding Uber responsible for the driver's actions. In other news, the European Union has told TikTok to change its "addictive design" or face hefty fines, and China overturned the death sentence of a Canadian citizen, potentially signaling a diplomatic thaw.

The Uber case, reported by the BBC, involved a federal lawsuit filed by Jaylynn Dean, who claimed she was sexually assaulted in the car. The jury rejected additional claims that Uber was negligent and that its safety systems were defective. Uber stated its intention to appeal the verdict.

Meanwhile, the European Commission, as reported by the BBC, found that TikTok had breached online safety rules. The Commission’s preliminary findings indicated that TikTok did not "adequately assess" how features like autoplay could harm users, including children, and failed to implement measures to mitigate the risks. A TikTok spokesperson, according to the BBC, called the findings a "categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform" and said the company planned to challenge them.

In a separate development, China overturned the death sentence of Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, a Canadian official confirmed on Friday, as reported by The Guardian. Schellenberg was detained on drug charges in 2014. This move comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks to boost trade ties with Beijing, according to the report.

Also, emails released in the Epstein files, as reported by the BBC, revealed new details about Prince Andrew's relationship with financier David Rowland. The emails show Andrew referring to Rowland as his "trusted money man" to Jeffrey Epstein. The emails appear to show Andrew attempting to promote Rowland's financial ventures while serving as the UK's trade envoy. However, Epstein seemed hesitant to engage with Rowland after being warned about the negative press surrounding him.