Chris Sacca, one of Twitter's earliest investors, may become more critical of the company. In a blog post, Sacca signaled that he would soon post his thoughts about 'a few things that I personally hope the Twitter team will accomplish.' Sacca spent most of the post laying out his history of loyalty and passion for the company and his continuing belief in its potential. He suggested that he had more constructive criticism to share, though he did not provide many details or say when or where he would speak out.
The German GDP grew 0.3% in the first quarter, while the Bank of Japan held off on stimulus. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras held debt talks with the leaders of France and Germany. Hewlett-Packard will sell a controlling 51 percent stake in its China-based data-networking business to China's Tsinghua Unigroup for at least $2.3 billion. Charter is in talks with Time Warner Cable about a bid that is likely to be well above $170 per share expected by some analysts. Italy passed a new law to tackle corruption.
The idea of launching a parallel currency alongside the euro to solve Greece's problems is bound to fail. A transitory regime, a smoke-and-mirrors version where nobody knows precisely whether Greece is in or out, would be a better option. A parallel currency that acts as a medium of exchange but not necessarily as a store of value or unit of account, with its denomination being the euro, would be the preferred choice. However, launching a fully independent currency may send a strong signal to financial markets that the government in Athens was preparing the way for Greece to slide out of the euro, causing financial markets to start pulling out as many euros as they could and external creditors to likely refuse to roll over their loans on fear that they would not be able to be paid back.
Hull City and Newcastle United face a shootout for Premier League survival this weekend. Hull must win at home to Manchester United on Sunday to stand any chance of staying up, but if they succeed, Newcastle will be relegated unless they prevail at home to West Ham United. Newcastle will begin the day two points above the relegation zone, but Hull's superior goal difference (-18 to -25) means that if the two teams finish level on points, it is Steve Bruce's men who will stay up.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday there was still a lot of work needed to reach agreement with Greece on its debt bailout, as tortuous talks drag on amid fears Athens could run out of money.
Ireland is holding a referendum on whether same-sex marriage should be legal. If approved, Ireland would become the first country to make the change following a popular vote. All of Ireland's main political parties support amending the constitutional definition of marriage, but the Catholic Church has campaigned strongly for a 'No' vote.
The US dollar is up 0.7% to 96.05, nearly its highest level this month, following inflation data that showed consumer prices rose more than expected in April. West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices were down as much as 1.7% to fall back below $60 a barrel. Germany's finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said Greece might need a 'parallel currency' if it cannot meet its debt obligations. However, this report did little to shake markets.
Young Libyans gather every Friday in Qarabuli for races in brightly coloured four-wheel drives, a weekly escape from the violence gripping their country. Away from the stress and daily uncertainty of life in post-Kadhafi Libya, hundreds of motorsport enthusiasts also gather at Qarabuli as spectators. The event gives hope of resolving differences and saving lives, promoting a Libya of coexistence.
Qatar's annual pearl diving event, the 'Senyar', sees traditional dhow boats with pearl divers competing for a first prize of 400,000 Qatari riyals. The event aims to keep Qatar's heritage alive and showcases the serious business of pearl diving, with teams of up to five divers vying for the largest number of pearl oysters. The boats are skippered by experienced sailors who need a deft touch to put the dhow in the right place for the divers.
The article features an interview of Toca Boca's CEO and cofounder, Bjorn Jeffery, conducted by an 8-year-old girl who is a fan of the company's apps. The interview covers topics such as the origin of the company's name, the inspiration behind their apps, and their music production process. Toca Boca is a Swedish developer that creates simple, non-competitive apps for children, which have been downloaded over 85 million times.