Social Media Giants Face Strict Age Limit in Australia

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In a bold move, Australia's government has pledged to introduce world-leading legislation to ban children under 16 from social media platforms. This new law will affect giants like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others, giving them a year to figure out how to exclude Australian children under 16. The main goal is to protect young people from potential harm, with the onus on platforms to demonstrate they're taking reasonable steps to prevent access. However, not everyone is on board, as industry representatives claim this might encourage children to explore darker, unregulated parts of the internet. What does this mean for the future of social media and young users?

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Albania TikTok Ban: A Year-Long Hiatus from Social Media

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Albania has decided to ban TikTok for a year, following a fatal stabbing at a school. The ban is part of the government's plan to make schools safer and promote healthier social media use among children. The decision comes after several European countries and Australia imposed restrictions on social media use for minors.

Prime Minister Edi Rama blamed TikTok for fuelling violence among youths in and outside schools. The ban is expected to come into effect early next year and will also include measures to help parents monitor their children's online activities.

Supreme Court to Decide Fate of TikTok in the US

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Supreme Court to Decide Fate of TikTok in the US
The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments on January 10 over TikTok's effort to block a federal ban on the platform if it's not sold by Jan. 19.

Why is TikTok at Risk?

  • The Biden administration and lawmakers say the Chinese government's ability to collect data from TikTok poses a significant national security risk
  • TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance argue that the law is unconstitutional

What Happens Next?

  • The Supreme Court will hear arguments in January and decide the fate of TikTok in the US.

Is TikTok getting banned in the US?*

Major Changes at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art and Australia's Parliamentary Services Department

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The Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney will start charging an entry fee in 2025 due to stagnant government funding, while Rob Stefanic's appointment as head of Australia's parliamentary services department has ended after a period of sudden leave. Stefanic faced scrutiny over his role in the retirement of his deputy secretary and a $315,126 incentive payment she received.

Melbourne Synagogue Fire: Likely Terror Attack

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Three suspects are being hunted in Melbourne, Australia, after a fire at the Adass Israel synagogue was treated as a likely terror act.

  • The fire caused extensive damage and left one man with a minor burn.
  • Witnesses saw masked figures spreading an accelerant before setting it alight.
  • Police say there's no evidence of further antisemitic attacks, but patrols are increased for community reassurance.
  • Jewish leaders believe it's an escalation of recent antisemitism and heightened fears of violence.

ROMANIA'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SHAKEUP: Can TikTok Decide the Outcome?

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Romania's presidential election has been shaken up** after the top court annulled the results due to security concerns over a pro-Russia campaign on TikTok and Telegram. The first round saw an outsider, Calin Georgescu, emerge as the frontrunner, despite having no declared campaign spending. The court has ordered a rerun of the election, causing uncertainty in the Eastern European nation. With TikTok being a major platform for political campaigns, the question remains: Can social media decide the outcome of elections?

Tech Companies Accused of Dodging Questions on AI Data Use, Protesters Demand Climate Action

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Tech giants Amazon, Google, and Meta faced criticism from a Senate committee for being vague about their use of Australian data to train AI products. Protesters from Rising Tide also staged a rally in Canberra, urging the government to cancel new fossil fuel projects, end coal exports from Newcastle by 2030, and introduce a 78% tax on coal export profits to fund the transition to renewable energy. The government is also pushing for three migration bills, including paying third countries to take people who can't be deported and creating powers to confiscate mobile phones in detention.

Under-16s Social Media Ban: No Need for Personal ID, Assures Minister

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The Australian communications minister, Michelle Rowland, has pledged that users won't be required to hand over personal identification like a driver's license or passport for the under-16s social media ban. The bill, which is set to be rammed through parliament, has raised concerns about privacy implications. However, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has negotiated an amendment to ensure no compulsion for people to hand over any form of government ID. Despite these changes, some Coalition members may still vote against the bill.

Heatwave to Trigger Thunderstorms, Risking Blackouts and Flash Floods in Eastern Australia

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A heatwave is set to give way to thunderstorms in eastern Australia, posing risks of heavy rainfall and blackouts. The heat may strain power supplies in New South Wales and Queensland, with 6 gigawatts of coal-fired power plant capacity offline for maintenance. A cut-off low pressure system over South Australia will combine with a trough over eastern NSW to create 'perfect ingredients' for volatile thunderstorms as the heatwave ebbs. Areas could well pick up more than 100mm of rainfall in the coming days.

Reddit Outage: What You Need to Know

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Reddit Outage: What You Need to Know
Reddit, the social media platform, is having some serious technical difficulties today. As of this writing, over 51,000 users have reported problems on Downdetector.com, with many unable to access the website or app.

  • The outage appears to be due to an HTTP Error.
  • Reddit confirmed the issue and is currently investigating.
  • Users are seeing a black screen with the message: 'Upstream connect error or disconnect/reset before headers. Reset reason: connection failure.'
  • The issue has been ongoing since at least 7 a.m. PT.

This is the second outage in as many days, with the first one happening yesterday afternoon. TechCrunch has reached out to the company for comment.

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Suspected Sabotage in Baltic Sea: Two Undersea Fibre-Optic Communications Cables Damaged

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Two undersea fibre-optic communications cables have been damaged in the Baltic Sea**. The incident has been described as sabotage by Germany's Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, although the perpetrator remains unclear. The damaged cables are a 745-mile (1,200km) cable connecting Helsinki to the German port of Rostock and a 135-mile internet link between Lithuania and Sweden’s Gotland island. The timing of the incidents has led to suspicions of Russian involvement, but Moscow has denied any involvement.

Key Points:

  • **Two undersea fibre-optic communications cables damaged
  • Described as sabotage by Germany's Defence Minister
  • Incidents recall other potentially malicious incidents in the same waterway
  • Suspicions of Russian involvement but Moscow denies involvement

Trump and Musk's Friendship on Full Display at SpaceX Starship Launch

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Donald Trump and Elon Musk recently attended the sixth flight test of SpaceX's Super Heavy-Starship in Texas. This burgeoning friendship played a key role in Trump's reelection, with Musk now set to run a government efficiency agency in the coming months. The Super Heavy-Starship is designed to be reusable, and its first stage super heavy booster was successfully captured last month. Trump and Musk are co-leading a new Department of Government Efficiency, aiming to dismantle government bureaucracy and cut wasteful expenditures. The Super Heavy-Starship is the centerpiece of Musk's drive to make humanity 'multi-planetary' and potentially advance SpaceX's plans for the Artemis moon program.

Bluesky vs X: The Social Media Showdown

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Bluesky is blazing a trail in the social media world.** The Twitter-like service has surpassed 16 million users, with many flocking from X over its right-wing leanings and controversial changes. Meanwhile, X is still the top dog in monthly active users, but Threads is hot on its heels. And let's not forget about Bluesky's indie rival, Mastodon. But what sets Bluesky apart? It's all about putting users in control with its decentralized approach and federation. **Here's the lowdown on the social media showdown:

Australian Housing Market: Renters Giving Up Home Ownership Dreams

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Australia is heading towards a nation of renters, not homeowners.
Three in five Australian renters now expect to never own their own home. This shift in attitude is supported by new research from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).

The AHURI research shows four out of five renters (78%) aspire to be homeowners. However, 51% of tenants rent because they don’t have enough money for a home deposit, with 41% saying they can’t afford to buy anything appropriate.

Between 2011 and 2021, the proportion of people renting increased in all age brackets. Over the next 20 years, rental rates are expected to keep growing with outright home ownership forecast to fall from 67% to 63%.

#Australia #HousingMarket #Renters #Homeownership #AHURI

Artificial Intelligence Taking Over the 2024 US Election?

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AI-driven bots are trying to sway the 2024 US election in favor of Donald Trump.** Open source intelligence researcher Elise Thomas discovered a large bot network on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, promoting Trump. The bots are using generative artificial intelligence to create posts, and many of them have blue tick verified accounts. However, the bots are giving themselves away with old hashtags and inconsistent behavior. The network could be the work of one person or a group, and it's not the first time AI bot networks have targeted US elections. While the network isn't generating much authentic engagement, as AI gets more sophisticated, bot networks might be harder to spot. **Is AI taking over the 2024 US election?

Stolen "Bluey" Coins Recovered by Australian Police

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More than 40,000 stolen Bluey coins, worth one Australian dollar each, have been recovered by Australian police.** The coins were found in a self-storage business in Sydney, still in the Royal Australian Mint plastic bags they were stolen in three months earlier. Three people have been charged over the theft of the coins, which are based on the hit children's animated series Bluey. A total of 40,061 coins were recovered, making a significant dent in the original theft of 63,000 coins. Police are still searching for a fourth suspect.

But here's the kicker - one eBay seller offered a pack of three coins for almost 600 Australian dollars (£309).*

King Charles Heckled During Australia Tour: Here's What You Need to Know

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King Charles III was heckled by an Indigenous senator during his visit to Australia's parliament on Monday. Lidia Thorpe, an independent lawmaker, shouted 'give us our land back' and accused the British monarch of committing genocide against Indigenous Australians. Charles remained unfazed and continued with his schedule, which included visiting the Australian War Memorial and meeting with well-wishers. The incident has reignited the debate over making Australia a republic and severing its constitutional ties with Britain. Here's what you need to know about the King's visit to Australia and the ongoing controversy surrounding his role as the head of state of the commonwealth country.

Mystery Tar Balls Close Multiple Beaches in Sydney

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What's going on down under?
Multiple beaches in Sydney, Australia, have been shut down due to mysterious tar balls washing up on the shores.

  • Bondi Beach, Bronte Beach, Tamarama Beach, Clovelly Beach, Gordon's Bay, Coogee Beach, and Maroubra Beach have been closed due to the unknown hydrocarbon-based pollutant.
  • Authorities are unsure of the source, but believe it may be due to oil spills or seepage.
  • The clean-up efforts are underway, with local councils and the New South Wales state's Environment Protection Authority conducting tests.

Stay tuned for updates on this mysterious situation!

South Africa Wins Over Bangladesh, Hopes for Semi-Finals

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South Africa clinched a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh** in the Women's T20 World Cup, but now faces a nervous wait to see if they will qualify for the semi-finals. Tazmin Brits hit 42 runs, but the team's net run rate decreased, making their qualification dependent on England beating West Indies. Meanwhile, Bangladesh is already out of the tournament. Marizanne Kapp and Chloe Tryon saw South Africa over the line without any further loss. Pakistan continues to struggle, losing to Australia by nine wickets, with Ashleigh Gardner taking 4-21 wickets. Australia is likely to reach the semi-finals, but there are concerns about the injuries to Tayla Vlaeminck and Alyssa Healy.

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States Take Action Against TikTok Over Kids' Mental Health

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TikTok Faces Lawsuits Over Children's Mental Health**: More than a dozen states and the District of Columbia have filed lawsuits against TikTok, alleging the app is addictive and harmful to kids. Key Concerns: The lawsuits focus on TikTok's algorithm and features that keep kids glued to their screens and expose them to potential harm. TikTok's Response: TikTok maintains that it restricts underage users and complies with US laws. What's Next: The lawsuits could lead to changes in TikTok's practices and policies to better protect kids' mental health. Impact: This action highlights growing concerns about the impact of social media on young users, potentially sparking similar actions against other platforms.

Score Big with Amazon Prime Big Deal Days: Don't Miss Out on These Top Picks!

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