Vin Diesel and other members of the "Fast & Furious 7" cast are heading to the Mideast city of Abu Dhabi after months of uncertainty about the fate of the film.
Abu Dhabi's government-backed twofour54 media hub said in a statement Wednesday that shooting in the United Arab Emirates capital is scheduled to take place in April.
Filming of "Fast & Furious 7" was put on hold in December following the death of star Paul Walker in a car crash.
A crew filmed some helicopter shots, stunt footage and other scenes in Abu Dhabi in November. Cast members including Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges are expected to arrive when filming resumes next month.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during the tech giant's Connect developer conference in Menlo Park, Calif., Sept. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)
Joining companies such as John Deere and Walmart, Facebook and Instagram's parent company Meta Platforms Inc. is getting rid of its diversity, equity and inclusion program that includes hiring, training and picking vendors, a company spokesperson confirmed on Friday.
The move, which was first reported by Axios, comes on the heels of the social media giant's decision to end its third-party fact-checking program and scale back policies on hate speech and abuse.
Citing an internal memo sent to employees, Axios said the Menlo Park, California-based tech giant said the U.S. Supreme Court "has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts will approach DEI. … The term 'DEI' has also become charged, in part because it is understood by some as a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others."
In practice, this means Meta will no longer have a team focused on diversity and inclusion and the company said it will instead "focus on how to apply fair and consistent practices that mitigate bias for all, no matter your background."
The company will also end its "diverse slate approach" to hiring, which meant that a diverse pool of candidates was considered for every open position.
Other companies that have ended DEI programs recently include McDonald's, automaker Ford, Walmart and farm equipment maker John Deere.
Amazon also said it is halting some of its DEI programs, although it did not specify which ones. In a Dec. 16 memo to employees that Amazon shared on Friday, Candi Castleberry, a senior human resources executive, said the company has been "winding down outdated programs and materials, and we're aiming to complete that by the end of 2024."
