What's Going On Around The World Today

HERE ARE THE TOP STORIES

Square, a payments software company founded in 2009, is going public. Meanwhile, its CEO is also running Twitter.

Square is run by Jack Dorsey, who is also the co-founder and newly appointed permanent CEO of Twitter. Square was founded in 2009 and said it hopes to raise $275 million with its initial public offering, BuzzFeed News’ Matthew Zeitlin writes.

Dorsey, 38, is looking to run both Twitter and Square, which raises questions about how he’ll be able to manage his time.

“It is very unusual for a company to undertake this process while its CEO is simultaneously at the helm of a different public company,” BuzzFeed News’ William Alden writes. Square’s public filing addresses the issue saying that Dorsey’s double duty “may at times adversely affect his ability to devote time, attention, and effort to Square.”

Here are seven things we learned from Square’s public offering. The company also quietly adopted a worker-friendly stock policy. And here’s a quiz to find out which tech CEO you most resemble.

And a little extra tech.

• Netflix’s subscriber base is expanding internationally. But back at home in the U.S., the online streaming giant’s growth is slowing down. Netflix now has more than 69 million subscribers. Netflix’s international subscriber base grew by 2.74 million over the past three months exceeding the company’s goal by about 300,000 new accounts. The company is also looking to branch out to new formats, such as talk shows, BuzzFeed News’ Brendan Klinkenberg writes.

• Tesla on autopilot. The electric car company’s vehicles will now ~kinda~ drive themselves. All of Tesla’s cars that were produced and sold in the U.S. over the last year received a software update to become semi-autonomous, Wired writes. Drivers will still have to keep an eye on the steering wheel, though. And the moment the driver takes back control of the car, autopilot turns off immediately. Tesla CEO Elon Musk told reporters yesterday that “over time, long term, you won’t have to keep your hands on the wheel.” (~Mind blown~)

• Meet “M,” Facebook Messenger’s new, still-in-test-phase virtual assistant. M knows how to answer questions, complete tasks across multiple platforms, and even take screenshots. BuzzFeed News’ Alex Kantrowitz booked a flight, received a confirmation email, and added the travel to his calendar — all through a quick chat with M.

WE’RE KEEPING AN EYE ON

The U.S. is ordering to send 300 troops to Cameroon to help West African soldiers fight Islamist militant group Boko Haram.

Islamist militants who make up Boko Haram have been targeting people in Cameroon and Chad recently. It’s unclear how long the troops will stay in the West African country, but U.S. President Barack Obama said they’ll be there “until further needed,” BBC News writes.

At least 17,000 people have died from Boko Haram’s violence since 2009, the New York Times writes.

The group — whose name literally means “Western education is forbidden” — was founded in 2002. Earlier this year, Boko Haram aligned itself with militant Islamist group ISIS, BBC News wrote at the time. The alliance expands ISIS’s reach well into West Africa. The U.S. and its allies are also fighting ISIS in Syria.

And a little extra.

The U.S. currently has roughly 7,000 troops in Africa, many of whom are stationed at an American base in Djibouti, a country on the Horn of Africa that borders Ethiopia and Somalia, the Wall Street Journal reports. Cameroon’s government reportedly asked for American troops, which are aimed at helping West African soldiers achieve stability in the area.

If you want the latest news and stories, download the BuzzFeed News app for iOS and Android.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS?

A wild bear ran around a Russian shopping mall for a while, bolted out the doors, and was shot dead by police.

Released security footage from the mall shows men in camouflage outfits hunting the animal, shooting him on a nearby playground, then shoving the bear into the backseat of a van, BuzzFeed News’ Michelle Broder Van Dyke writes. And the video has caused a “public outcry.”

The bear — estimated to be between 2 and 3 years old — was reportedly first smoked out of the mall before being shot. Russia will launch an investigation into why the animal was killed, BBC News writes.

Mismanagement at a high profile British youth charity that closed in August dates back to at least 2002.

The UK government gave the Kids Company tens of millions of pounds before the charity closed in August amid claims over financial mismanagement and the safeguarding of vulnerable clients in its centers. The charity's founder and its chair of trustees have been called before the British Parliament today to answer questions about its management.

Kids Company’s trustees and the Charity Commission, a national regulator, were warned about serious concerns at the organization more than a decade ago. This suggests that opportunities to resolve the issues were missed well before it closed over the summer, according to documents unearthed by BuzzFeed News’ Alan White and BBC Newsnight.

Quick things to know:

• President Barack Obama is expected to announce plans to keep thousands of U.S. troops in Afghanistan beyond 2016. (BuzzFeed News)

• Israeli security forces set up new checkpoints between Jewish and Palestinian neighborhoods in Jerusalem on Wednesday, resulting in fear and anxiety across an increasingly divided city. (The Guardian)

• Volkswagen has been ordered to recall 2.4 million cars by a German automotive watchdog following the carmaker's emissions-rigging scandal. (BuzzFeed News)

• European leaders are focusing on Turkey during talks on how to ease the ongoing migration crisis in Europe and the Middle East. (BBC News)

• Iran is showing off its underground missile base just days after officially signing a deal to limit its nuclear program. (BuzzFeed News)

• The FBI and the U.S. Justice Department have launched a probe into the practices of so-called daily fantasy sports websites after allegations surfaced that employees had used insider information to win large sums of money. (BuzzFeed News)

• Seven Hong Kong police officers were charged over the beating of a democracy activist in the Chinese-ruled city late last year, which brought parts of the financial center to a halt. (Reuters)

• Ex-NBA star Lamar Odom used cocaine and sex enhancers at a Nevada brothel, where he was found unconscious before being rushed to the hospital. (BuzzFeed News)

• Pauline Cafferkey, the Scottish nurse who contracted Ebola while working in Africa late last year, is now “critically ill” due to an unusual late complication related to her previous infection. (BuzzFeed News)

• Rappers Jay Z and Timbaland took the stand on Wednesday in a “Big Pimpin’” copyright trail. (BuzzFeed News)

• And Madonna helped a couple get engaged in the middle of a concert last night. (BuzzFeed)

Happy Thursday

Right in time for Halloween, the kids in the city of Niagara Falls in upstate New York will literally be scared into recycling, Mashable writes. The city introduced its newest environmentally friendly initiative that aims at getting kids to recycle their candy wrappers. Enter Totes McGoats (yes, that’s his name), a terrifying goat-man hybrid who apparently loves the environment. And because it’s the 21st century, Totes has his own Twitter account. You can follow him here, but only if you remember to recycle!

This letter was edited and brought to you by Claire Moses and Brianne O’Brien. You can always reach us here.