New COVID-19 variant on the rise in Australia
Australia is facing the continued emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants more than five years after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.
Australia’s PM Anthony Albanese assured privacy protections for the government’s proposed social media ban on children under 16, which includes strict age-verification measures.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese downplayed privacy concerns on Monday regarding the government's proposed social media ban for children under 16. He assured that social media platforms would be required to delete personal data used for age verification once a user's age is confirmed.
The government plans to trial an age-verification system, potentially including biometrics or government IDs, as part of the strict new regulations aimed at enforcing one of the world's toughest social media age restrictions.
Albanese emphasized that the new laws would include strong privacy protections, with platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, and Snapchat facing fines of up to $32 million if they fail to comply. Critics, including Elon Musk, have argued that the laws could be a step toward controlling internet access for all Australians.
The government aims to pass the legislation by the end of the parliamentary year, fast-tracking it through both houses of parliament.
Aid groups in Myanmar’s worst-hit areas urgently need shelter, food, and water after a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake killed over 2,700 people. Rescue efforts face challenges due to ongoing civil war, damaged infrastructure, and restricted aid access, with the toll expected to rise.
Russian forces carried out a drone attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, late Wednesday, injuring at least twenty one people and causing structural damage, according to Ukrainian officials.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen was banned from running for public office for five years after being convicted of embezzlement, ruling her out of the 2027 presidential race. She received a four-year prison sentence, with two years suspended, and a €100,000 fine. Le Pen plans to appeal.
Apple marked its 49th anniversary by reaching a market capitalization of $3.3 trillion. Despite recent tech stock volatility, Apple's shares surged 28% in 2024.
The Armenian armed forces attempted three reconnaissance drone flights over Azerbaijan Army positions near Gerenzur, but all were successfully intercepted. Meanwhile, Armenian units repeatedly fired on Azerbaijani positions from multiple regions, escalating tensions in the area.
Fresh medical evidence could challenge one of Britain’s most shocking criminal cases as lawyers seek to overturn Lucy Letby’s convictions. With growing scrutiny over the trial’s key findings, the case has sparked debate among experts and the public, raising questions about the safety of the verdict.
Russian billionaire Vadim Moshkovich, founder of Rusagro, faces charges of embezzling 30 billion roubles ($357 million). His arrest is among the most high-profile in Russia’s business world in recent years.
India's government has introduced a bill proposing sweeping reforms in the management of waqf properties, allowing non-Muslim members on waqf boards and enabling the state to determine disputed land ownership, sparking concerns among Muslim groups and opposition lawmakers.
Greece plans to invest €25 billion in a sweeping multi-year defence strategy, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told parliament on Wednesday, marking a major step in modernising the country’s armed forces and reinforcing its strategic posture amid regional tensions and global uncertainty.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi on Wednesday, as both nations looked to deepen their strategic partnership and navigate rising global tensions through renewed diplomatic and economic cooperation.
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