Zoom CEO Eric Yuan told staff an all-hands meeting earlier this month that he wants employees to return to in-person work because Zoom is making them too “friendly” and unable to build trust. “Over the past several years, we’ve hired so many new ‘Zoomies’ that it’s really hard to build trust,” Mr Yuan says in the audio, which was obtained and first reported by Insider. “We cannot have a great conversation. We cannot debate each other well because everyone tends to be very friendly when you join a Zoom call.” Mr Yuan’s thoughts were accompanied by action: On 3 August, Zoom instituted a new policy requiring employees who live within 50 miles of a physical Zoom office to report to work at least two days per week. The return to the office policy at Zoom is striking considering that it was the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting stay-at-home orders that turned the platform from one few people had ever heard of to a part of everyday life for millions. But Mr Yuan is not alone among senior executives at tech firms. Apple, Meta, and Amazon have all instituted return-to-work policies in recent months, angering employees who have enjoyed the increased flexibility afforded by work-from-home policies. Since Covid-19 vaccines have facilitated the re-opening of the economy, workers and bosses in many sectors have clashed over the importance of in-person work and the ability of companies to exercise control over their employees whereabouts and schedules. Some, like Zoom and a number of other tech companies, have adopted hybrid policies in which workers are required to come into the office on certain days of the week but are allowed to work from home on others. But even those companies have faced backlash from workers, many of whom were hired at a different stage of the pandemic when most or all work at their respective companies was being conducted remotely. Mr Yuan’s comments, which were not meant for public consumption, may provide a measure of insight into how he and other top executives truly feel about Zoom and remote work more broadly — suggesting that it somehow limits innovation by not allowing for the sometimes uncomfortable kinds of interactions that can build trust. Mr Yuan, who was born and raised in China, moved to Silicon Valley during the late 1990s. He founded Zoom more than a decade ago and became a multibillionaire during the pandemic. Read More Maui residents are still reeling from wildfire devastation. Now investors and realtors are trying to cash in

Capital punishment could emerge as a major campaign issue in the U.S. presidential race for the first time in 30 years, with top GOP candidates already one-upping each other by touting tougher, more far-reaching death penalty laws

Although several emergency responders arrived at the scene, the home was deemed to be a complete loss

Women’s rights advocates have called for protests in dozens of Polish cities after a woman in her fifth month of pregnancy died of sepsis

Dozens of people are feared drowned after a migrant boat sank near Spain's Canary Islands on Wednesday, according to Spanish officials and aid group Walking Borders.

President Joe Biden planned on Sunday to speak directly with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, hoping to salvage talks to raise the debt limit that have stalled in recent days while he was abroad at the Group of Seven summit

A Texas court heard arguments on Wednesday in a lawsuit that says the state's strict abortion ban is preventing women who develop serious medical conditions during pregnancy...

Luther Burden III put on a show in his first collegiate game in his hometown catching a career-high 10 passes for a career-best 177 yards to help Missouri beat Memphis 34-27 Saturday night

About 16 million people in California will pay higher electric and gas bills next year

The retractable roof at Minute Maid Park will be open for Game 2 of the AL Division series between the Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins Sunday night

Major League Soccer’s newest expansion team San Diego FC unveiled their name, crest and brand identity in front of thousands of fans at Snapdragon Stadium on October 19.

Watch live as Pope Francis arrives in Marseille for a two-day visit on Friday, 22 September. The pontiff will be greeted by French prime minister Elisabeth Borne before leading prayers at the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde for migrants who have died crossing the Mediterranean Sea. The trip was months in the planning, but now comes after thousands of migrants arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa. Almost 130,000 migrants have arrived in Italy so far this year, according to government data, which makes migration a problem for the entire European Union according to Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni. The Pope is known for openness towards migrants, but has previously said that they should be shared among the 27 EU countries. He once called their exclusion "scandalous, disgusting and sinful." The pontiff will meet with Emmanuel Macron twice during his visit. The French president is expected to attend a papal Mass on Saturday, which critics say violates strict separation of state and faith, known as laicite. Read More Pope Francis visits Marseille as anti-migrant views grow in Europe with talk of fences and blockades Congo's president wants the large U.N. peacekeeping mission to start leaving the country this year Catholic priests have held a ceremony blessing same-sex couples in defiance of a German archbishop