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TIME honours Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells for championing social media age restrictions
Anika Wells, Australia’s communications minister, has been named on TIME magazine’s list of influential rising stars for championing social media age restrictions for under-16s. The honour reflects international recognition of Australia’s world-leading regulatory approach to protecting children online, which has inspired similar measures in Europe, Asia and some US states. Wells pursued the landmark restrictions…
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Zimbra flaw breaches email servers; Huawei overtakes Nvidia in China
A critical Zimbra vulnerability is being exploited to steal corporate emails and credentials. Huawei claims its Ascend processors have overtaken Nvidia in China’s chip market.
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California’s new law bans companies from relying on AI to fire workers
California has enacted new legislation to protect workers from AI-powered layoffs and surveillance. Governor Gavin Newsom announced these laws, which prohibit employers from solely relying on AI to make disciplinary or termination decisions, whilst requiring companies to provide transparency if mass layoffs or relocations are driven by AI systems. The legislation also protects against surveillance…
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AI shopping assistants remain at least five years from practical use
The technology industry is enthusiastic about automated shopping bots that could make purchases on behalf of consumers, a concept known as “agentic commerce.” However, despite significant hype with projections of up to $1 trillion in US retail revenue by 2030, current products claiming to offer this functionality are not yet operational, and experts believe it…
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Recent borrowers with large mortgages face greatest negative equity risk
The Reserve Bank of Australia says most households are positioned to cope with higher interest rates and falling property prices, but recent borrowers with large loans face the greatest risk of owing more than their homes are worth. The warning comes amid a property downturn, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, and wider risks to global…
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Anika Wells recognised for championing Australia’s under-16 social media ban
Australian communications minister Anika Wells has been named on Time’s list of influential rising stars, recognised for championing Australia’s ban on social media accounts for under-16s and challenging major technology companies. The recognition highlights the global interest in Australia’s restrictions, while debate continues over whether the ban is effective and how it is enforced. Former…
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Singapore trials dating app to match single civil servants
Singapore’s government digital agency GovTech is piloting FirstDate, a dating app developed at an internal hackathon to help civil servants meet potential partners. It uses questionnaires and algorithmic matching, offering one suggested match at a time; the trial reflects official interest in supporting relationships and family formation. The app is for single Singapore civil servants…
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South Park mocks billionaires and data centres in Trump deepfake episode
South Park’s latest episode satirises billionaire culture and the proliferation of energy-intensive data centres through the fictional “Billionaire Weenietown,” a community of anthropomorphic disembodied penises whose invasive infrastructure threatens to destroy the town. The episode follows Butters as he attempts to address the billionaire infestation by consulting an exterminator and media, eventually convincing most to…
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Ben Affleck Doesn’t “Worry About SkyNet” When It Comes To AI; “It’s Another Form Of Computing”
Ben Affleck spoke at a Bloomberg Screentime event about artificial intelligence in entertainment, striking a notably optimistic tone compared to other tech leaders. Unlike OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta executives who emphasise existential AI risks, Affleck (whose InterPositive AI company Netflix acquired for $587 million) views AI as simply another technological tool. He argued that filmmaking…
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Muslim immigration drops 96% as Russia issues nuclear warning to NATO
The White House celebrates a dramatic fall in Muslim immigration whilst Moscow escalates rhetoric over Kaliningrad. Also this week: Fed audit findings and Reddit’s content restrictions.