The Top Stories on the Internet Today (Thursday November 29)

Here are today’s top headlines.

‘The word Jew was not a common insult when I went to school…it is now.’

Rachel always thought it was best to hide her religion from her high school students. The trouble started a few years ago when she let slip to a student that she was Jewish.

Lion Air: Pilots fought automatic safety system before fatal crash

Indonesian investigators probing the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 have recommended the airline review its safety culture while they seek to find out why the plane’s aircraft sensors failed, triggering an automatic safety feature that sent the plane plunging nose-first into the ocean.

New Zealand spy agency rejects carrier’s plan to use Huawei 5G equipment

Officials told Spark that using Huawei’s 5G equipment would “raise significant national security risks.”

Chinese ambassador threatens retaliation over possible US Uyghur sanctions

China’s ambassador to the US, Cui Tiankai, has threatened retaliation against the United States if the Trump administration goes ahead with with possible sanctions against Beijing over human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

The Clintons launch paid speaking tour with plenty of ire for Trump

Bill and Hillary Clinton on Tuesday kicked off their paid speaking tour here in Toronto, re-emerging in the national spotlight as their political legacy undergoes a public re-examination two years after the former secretary of state lost the 2016 election.

Alibaba founder Jack Ma is a member of the Communist Party

China’s most famous entrepreneur and billionaire has been outed as a card-carrying communist.

HIV diagnoses at all-time high in Eastern Europe, report says

The HIV epidemic in Europe is still growing at an alarming rate, particularly in Eastern Europe, according to a new report.

Former Facebook employee says the company has ‘a black people problem’

Facebook has a “black people problem” according to a former manager at the company.

Trump ‘may cancel Putin talks over Ukraine’

US President Donald Trump says he may cancel a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin following a maritime clash between Russia and Ukraine. Mr Trump told the Washington Post he was waiting for a “full report” after Russian ships fired on and seized three Ukrainian boats on Sunday.

Missionaries: Serving God or playing God?

“You guys might think I’m crazy in all this… But I think it’s worth it to declare Jesus to these people.” These were some of the last words in the final letter John Allen Chau sent to his parents before he was killed by the people of North Sentinel Island last week.

New Zealand is latest country to ban Huawei

New Zealand has become the latest country to block a proposal to use telecoms equipment made by from China’s Huawei because of national security concerns. Spark New Zealand wanted to use Huawei equipment in its 5G mobile network. However, a government agency said the deal would “raise significant national security risks”.

Facebook Has Had A Very Bad Week. Again.

If that’s a headline that sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen it before, maybe in March, maybe in September or maybe even just earlier this month as the social media giant weathered yet another storm of multiple scandals all at once.

The Gender Wage Gap Is Even Worse Than You Thought

The gender wage gap is actually worse than you think, with women earning slightly less than half of what men make over the long term, according to a released Wednesday by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. The standard wage gap measure put out annually by the Census Bureau currently shows that women make for every male dollar earned.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Gets Fact-Checked Live On Air By CNN

CNN split its screen to run a fact-checking graphic alongside White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders ‘ briefing on Tuesday. A “Facts First” box listing key points about the government’s new National Climate Assessment flashed up as Sanders defended President Donald Trump’s rejection of the report, which was released over the Thanksgiving weekend and predicted that the U.S.

Trump’s ‘Very High Levels Of Intelligence’ Draw Some Doubt On Twitter

President Donald Trump claimed in an interview Tuesday with The Washington Post that his “very high levels of intelligence” have led him to not believe in climate change. Trump, who also rejected the findings of his own administration’s report Friday on climate change, attempted to justify his position by adding that America’s air and water were “now at a record clean.”

Trump Gets Fact-Checked By Reporter Right To His Face, Walks Away

A reporter earned praise Monday after she called out President Donald Trump, over one of his more questionable claims, right to his face. CBS’ Paula Reid challenged Trump over his discredited assertion that his administration’s policy of separating migrant children from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border was the same as that conducted by former President Barack Obama.

PlayStation Classic reviews are in: Here’s what the critics think

Did Sony strike gold with the PlayStation Classic? Or is it just a big hunk of pyrite wrapped in a vintage-styled plastic shell? Reviews are in for the latest micro-console sensation, and the first from Sony. Just like Nintendo’s NES and SNES Classic, PlayStation Classic is a pint-sized replica of the original PlayStation (or PS One, as it is now known).

These countries’ mobile internet speeds are way faster than WiFi

Switched off your WiFi on your phone because of bad download speeds? You’re not alone. According to a study by OpenSignal, 33 countries have mobile network speeds that are faster on average than WiFi, which was the opposite ten years ago.

Judge Judy is TV’s highest paid host

Real cases, real people, real money. Judge Judy is officially the highest paid host on TV, raking in a whopping $147 million last year. Judy Sheindlin, the formidable host of the courtroom show, is sitting in the top spot of a new Forbes list, which ranks television’s highest earners.

A tiny satellite says goodbye to Mars with gorgeous new photo

Parting is such sweet sorrow. A farewell photo taken by a tiny satellite shows its final view of Mars as it flew by the red planet on Monday. The satellite – called a cubesat – that took the photo is named MarCO-B and it performed quite the service for humanity before saying goodbye to Mars.

‘Game of Thrones’ director compares set secrecy to ‘the Gestapo’

The secrets of the realm must always be protected, which is why Game of Thrones Season 8 filmed fake scenes to mislead spies and sleuths who are after the final season’s secrets. Director David Nutter confirmed to Huffington Post that he had in fact filmed scenes he knew were fake.

19 wild headlines from 2018 that sadly aren’t from The Onion

Has 2018 felt unreasonably long to anyone else? Between the mess of our presidential administration and the bizarre internet drama we’ve all sat through, it has been a year. Can you believe snacking on Tide Pods was a thing in January? How has the year managed to drag on for so long?