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New Zealand to introduce bill for under-16s social media ban
New Zealand’s government is introducing an Online Safety Bill that would ban under-16s from using social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, requiring companies to verify users’ ages or face fines of up to 10% of their global revenue. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the aim is to protect children from “harmful…
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Minister tells social media firms to remove posts that ‘celebrate’ dangerous driving after A66 crash
Seven people, including two police officers, died after a car being pursued by police collided head-on with a marked armed response vehicle on the A66 near Middlesbrough in the early hours of Saturday. The tragedy prompted the government to demand social media platforms remove videos glorifying dangerous driving, amid concern such content may have influenced…
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Ministers’ Big Tech access, online child-safety alarm, and rising fraud losses dominate
Labour faces scrutiny over 200+ meetings with Big Tech firms as the NCA warns children aren’t safe online and Lloyds reports impersonation scams up 10%; also: a US deputy’s death in prison, a shark-attack survivor’s recovery, Maradona’s Hand of God ball sold at auction, and a Dumfriesshire woodmouse photo.
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Zambia courts sealed off as election petition deadline looms
Court premises in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, and elsewhere have been sealed off and guarded by police as the deadline approaches for filing a legal petition against the outcome of the recent presidential election. Opposition candidate Brian Mundubile, who took 38% of the vote against incumbent Hakainde Hichilema’s 60%, has said he intends to challenge the…
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UK permits Ukraine to manufacture Scalp missiles domestically
Andy Burnham has visited Kyiv on his first foreign trip as prime minister, announcing that the UK will let defence firm MBDA declassify information on UK components used in the long-range Scalp missile, enabling Ukraine to produce them domestically. The move, made alongside a meeting of the “coalition of the willing” he now chairs, marks…
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Burnham in Kyiv as Russia tensions escalate, government targets pub tax rates
Ministers promise to overhaul business-rate valuations for pubs and hotels as Burnham travels to Kyiv amid escalating Russia tensions and Reform UK unveils a social housing pledge. Also: Iran’s sanctions warning, a Nevada wildfire and Maradona’s ball sells for £2.5m.
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New Fed chair faces critical test at Jackson Hole as inflation fears mount
The new US Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Warsh, faces a pivotal moment this week as he prepares to address the central bank’s annual Jackson Hole symposium amid heightened anxiety in global bond markets. Investors and analysts are looking for reassurance on the Fed’s commitment to controlling inflation, but Warsh has signalled he may avoid the…
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Aussies could be slugged with new tourist tax in Fiji as soon as next week: ‘Zero consultation’
Fiji’s government is introducing a new five per cent tourism services tax from 1 September, which could push up costs for Australian holidaymakers, including those with existing bookings. The levy, aimed at tourism operators such as hotels and cruise companies with an annual turnover above FJ$2 million, has drawn strong criticism from tourism bodies who…
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Police Scotland chief under fire as Kushner meets Jeffries and Sydney shark survivor speaks out
Jo Farrell reportedly told she’s lost her force’s confidence, while Trump aide Jared Kushner and Democrat Hakeem Jeffries talk ahead of the US midterms. Also: an Australian activist pulls out of a rally over a death threat, and Newcastle draw with Liverpool in Kevin Keegan tribute.
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KPMG axes hundreds of jobs in Australia as it is suspended from applying for government contracts
KPMG Australia will cut around 5% of its workforce, equating to roughly 360 employees and 27 partners, after being suspended from bidding for federal government contracts. The move follows an audit leak scandal in which executives were found to have misused confidential board papers to win audit work and mistreated a whistleblower, a matter now…