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☆ Australia tables bill to limit under-16s from using social media with tech companies facing huge fines
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —The Australian government is threatening multimillion dollar fines for social media companies that breach a proposed ban on children under 16 from using their service. “The legislation places the onus on social media platforms, not parents or children, to ensure protections are in place,” Rowland said. Many parents and pro-ban campaigners have lauded the bill as a long overdue measure to impose accountability on tech companies for tools Australian children use online. Both sides agree about the risks of children spending too much time online, and the need for tech companies to do more to safeguard their products. The Australia government’s also commissioned the UK consortium Age Check Certification Scheme to trial age verification technology, to aid efforts to keep children off social media platforms.

Persons: Michelle Rowland, ” “, ” Rowland, we’ve, ”, “, Australia government’s, it’s Organizations: Australia CNN, Communications, Albanese Government Locations: Brisbane, Australia

A malnourished emperor penguin that was found more than 2,000 miles from its icy Antarctic home is being been taken care of by a wildlife expert, the Australian government said Monday. The penguin was found on a popular tourist beach in the town of Denmark in southwestern Australia on Nov. 1, according to the Western Australia state’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. The malnourished emperor penguin was discovered at a beach in Denmark, Western Australia. Miles Brotherson / DBCA“The penguin appeared to be malnourished and was removed from the beach to avoid potential threats,” it said in a statement. “Never in my wildest thoughts would I thought I’d ever have an emperor Penguin to care for.

Persons: Miles Brotherson, haven't, Carol Biddulph, ” Biddulph, “, I’d, Penguin, It’s, it’s, ” Organizations: Western Australia state’s Department of Biodiversity Locations: Denmark, Australia, Western Australia, ”

☆ Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver withdraws children's book after criticism from Indigenous Australians
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-11 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Mithil-Aggarwal.Jpg | Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has pulled his new children’s book from shelves, saying he was “devastated” by the offense he caused following criticism that the book stereotyped Indigenous Australians. The book narrates the abduction of a First Nations Indigenous character named Ruby, who is living in foster care and is abducted by the book's main villain. For decades, successive Australian governments forcibly removed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families as part of an assimilation policy. The book also equates First Nations beliefs and spirituality with magic in the book, NATSIEC said, calling it a long-held stereotype. The book also contained errors made by mixing different Indigenous languages, which NATSIEC said reinforced the "harmful stereotype that Indigenous peoples are a homogenous group."

Persons: Jamie Oliver, “, “ Billy, ”, Oliver, Jamie, Ruby, ” NATSIEC, NATSIEC Organizations: Random, Nations, National Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander Education Corporation, Torres Strait, First Nations Locations: ”, Australia

☆ As Australia puts more focus on climate change, New Zealand is accused of pulling back
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-10 | by ( Mahalia Dobson | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Two major countries’ approach to climate change has turned upside down Down Under. Critics argue that both countries are falling short as they head to this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP29, which starts Monday in Azerbaijan. “Standing shoulder to shoulder with Pacific Island nations seems not to mean doing anything Pacific Island leaders have asked,” Hemming said. Albanese’s office and the office of his minister for climate change and energy, Chris Bowen, did not respond to requests for comment. Australia came in for special criticism last month at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the Pacific Island nation of Samoa.

Persons: ”, Anthony Albanese, Christopher Luxon, Jacinda Ardern, Luxon, “, Antonio Guterres, Manaui Faulalo, “ We’re, Ralph Sims, ” Sarah Clement, Albanese, Penny Wong, Polly Hemming, ” Hemming, Chris Bowen, Wong Organizations: United Nations, Labor, Conservative, Radio, Getty, Organization for Economic Cooperation, Development, Massey University, Change, Australian National University, Australia Institute, Commonwealth Locations: Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific, Asia, Pacific, Palau, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Anthony Albanese . New Zealand, Samoa’s, AFP, Azerbaijan, Samoa, Vanuatu, Fiji, Canada, Britain

☆ Mark Zuckerberg isn't personally liable for any harm caused to children by Facebook and Instagram, judge says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-09 | by ( Lauren Edmonds | Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A federal judge said Mark Zuckerberg is not personally liable in over two dozen lawsuits. AdvertisementA federal judge said Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is not personally liable in over two dozen lawsuits accusing his company of causing social media addiction in children. Plaintiffs said that Meta knew Instagram and Facebook posed health risks to its users, especially children. The court's ruling comes as world leaders crack down on some social media companies over claims that they are addictive to children and teens. AdvertisementIn Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this week announced plans to introduce a law banning children under 16 from having social media accounts.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Instagram, —, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Plaintiffs, Zuckerberg, TikTok, Anthony Albanese, Antigone Davis, Previn Warren Organizations: Facebook, Service, Associated Press, Meta, Business, Motley Rice LLC, Big Tech, Google Locations: California

☆ Australia wants to ban kids under 16 from social media as world governments seek to crack down on the 'addictive' apps
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-09 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Australia plans to ban social media for users under 16, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. AdvertisementWith young people using social media more than ever, and those social media companies perfecting the algorithms that keep them engaged, concerns about social media addiction are taking root all over the world. Now, Australia wants to ban social media for everyone under 16. Australia's social media ban will be introduced into Parliament during its final session this year, which begins on November 18. If passed, social media companies will have 12 months to figure out how to keep minors off their apps before the law is enforced, he said.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, —, " Albanese, Albanese, Jackie Hallan, Hallan, they're, Antigone Davis, Davis Organizations: Service, Australian, TikTok, Guardian, Reuters, Associated Press Locations: Australia, United States, Kentucky

☆ U.S. allies, haunted by past Trump insults, race to delete posts and praise election victor
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-07 | by ( Hannah Peart | Hannah Peart Is An Intern In The Nbc News London Bureau. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“A political pyromaniac who must be put before a criminal court,” Jean Asselborn, then-foreign minister for Luxembourg, said of Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. "Trump has ruined it all," Croatian President Zoran Milanović said, also in 2021. Following Trump’s election victory, at least two of these U.S. allies, the U.K. and Australia, have had to dial back some of their previous attacks. U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy in September. Charles Parton, who served as a British diplomat for almost four decades, said that “the Labour Party has got some grounds to make up” after a perception that Starmer's party had favored the Democrats.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Kevin Rudd, Trump, “, ” David Lammy, ” Jean Asselborn, Zoran Milanović, Rudd, ”, won’t, David Lammy, Neil Hall, government’s, Trump’s, Harris, Keir Starmer, Charles Parton, Parton, Nigel Farage Organizations: Capitol, Australian Government, Foreign, Bloomberg, Getty, ”, U.S, Relations, Labour Party, Trump, Federal, Commission, Labour, Democrats Locations: U.S, Luxembourg, Australia, United States, British

Weeks after sticky black balls washed up on the famed beaches of Sydney, Australia, scientists say they have partly solved the mystery behind the “disgusting” blobs. Initially thought to be tar balls, the golf-ball-size debris turned out to be something much different — a combination of decomposed cooking oils, hair and food waste, the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) said Wednesday. Balls collected for testing in a laboratory at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. They said preliminary test results indicated that the blobs were tar balls formed when oil comes into contact with debris and water. Sydney Water confirmed there were no issues at the Bondi or Malabar water facilities, while Transport for NSW Maritime reviewed recent weather patterns but found no clear answers, according to the statement.

Persons: “, Balls, Jonathan Beve, ”, William Alexander Donald, Donald, we’re, ” Donald Organizations: New South, New South Wales Environment Protection Authority, University of New, Authorities, University of New South Wales Sydney, NBC News, Sydney Water, Transport, NSW Maritime Locations: Sydney, Australia, New South Wales, University of New South Wales, Bondi, University of New South, Victoria, Malabar

☆ Australia proposes ‘world-leading’ ban on social media for those under 16
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-07 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I’m calling time on it,” Albanese said at a news conference. A number of countries have already vowed to curb social media use by children through legislation, though Australia’s policy is one of the most stringent. No jurisdiction so far has tried using age-verification methods such as biometrics or government identification to enforce a social media age cut-off, two of the methods being trialed. Mick Tsickas / AP“The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access,” Albanese said. Last year, France proposed a ban on social media for those under 15, though users were able to avoid the ban with parental consent.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, ” Albanese, Albanese, ”, Mick Tsickas, Michelle Rowland, Rowland, TikTok, Elon Musk’s, Sunita Bose, “ Organizations: Liberal Party, Australian, ”, Facebook, YouTube, Digital Industry Group, Google, DIGI Locations: SYDNEY, Australia, Canberra, France, United States

☆ Australia announced a sweeping plan to forgive 20% of student debt
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Hannah Abraham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said he would cut student debt by 20% next year. AdvertisementThe Australian government on Sunday announced a sweeping plan to forgive 20% of student debt for around 3 million Australians. The debt relief is designed to promote "intergenerational equity," Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Radio on Monday, according to Bloomberg. AdvertisementHowever, Biden's efforts to grant broad student loan relief have hit several stumbling blocks. Biden's Education Department is continuing to work on debt relief proposals; if finalized, the latest one would benefit 8 million borrowers facing hardship.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, —, Albanese, it's, Andrew Norton, Richard Holden, Ayelet Sheffey, Biden's, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris Organizations: Service, Sunday, Labor, Australian Broadcasting Radio, Bloomberg, Australian National University, University of New, ABC News, Biden's, Department Locations: University of New South Wales

☆ King Charles arrives in an Australia with mixed feelings about the monarchy
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-19 | by ( Hannah Peart | Hannah Peart Is An Intern In The Nbc News London Bureau. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

LONDON — King Charles III has expressed “deep love and affection” for Australia, a former part of the British Empire. Charles, 75, is Britain’s first reigning monarch to visit Australia in 13 years. The royal visit to Australia includes a Monday reception at Parliament House in Canberra, the capital, where the king will meet with Albanese. King Charles and Queen Camilla are greeted upon their arrival at Sydney International Airport on Friday. King Charles is projected on the Sydney Opera House ahead of his official visit on Friday.

Persons: Charles III, ”, Charles, Queen Camilla, Queen Elizabeth II, Charles ’, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, King Charles, Saeed Khan, Queensland Premier Steven Miles, Western Australia Premier Roger Cook, South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas, Chris Minns, Jeremy Rockliff, Bev McArthur, —, “, ” Nathan Hansford, Nathan Ross, Queen Camilla “, ” Charles, Daisy McAndrew, David Gray, Eric Abetz, ” McArthur Organizations: Commonwealth, House, Tasmania —, Sydney International Airport, Getty, Queensland Premier, Western Australia Premier, South Australia Premier, New South Wales, Tasmania, Australian Monarchist League, Australian Republic Movement, ARM, NBC News, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Opera Locations: Australia, British, Sydney, Samoa, Britain, Canada, Canberra, South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, AFP, New, U.S, Commonwealth, Tasmanian, Caribbean, Barbados

☆ Australia is going to more than double the size of Ukraine's Abrams tank force
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementAustralia plans to send Ukraine a large batch of M1A1 Abrams tanks, officials confirmed on Wednesday, in a move that will more than double the size of Kyiv's existing inventory. The planned transfer will significantly expand Ukraine's arsenal of Western-provided armored vehicles and help replace the Abrams lost in combat. An Australian M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank during a training exercise in August 2021. Related storiesVasyl Myroshnychenko, the Ukrainian ambassador to Australia, said that the Abrams tanks will be an "essential part" of Kyiv's land defenses. Since the Abrams are American-made tanks, Australia had to get the US to sign off on the transfer.

Persons: Abrams, —, Pat Conroy, Cpl, Sarah E, Conroy, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, we've, Myroshnychenko Organizations: Abrams, US, Ukraine, Service, Australia's Defense Industry, Bradley, Australian M1A1 Abrams, US Marine Corps, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, NATO Defense, ABC, Canberra Locations: Australia, Ukraine, Canberra, Kyiv, Russia, London, Ukrainian

Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Thursday called the Australian government “fascists” over plans to crack down on misinformation online. Social media companies could face fines up to 5% of their global revenue if they enable the spread of misinformation, under a law proposed Thursday by Australia’s Labor government. Musk, who considers himself a free speech advocate, made the one-word comment in a repost on his social media platform X of an article about the proposed legislation. “Elon Musk’s had more positions on free speech than the Kama Sutra,” Government Services Minister Bill Shorten told the Australian network Channel Nine on Friday. The case is one of several that are ongoing between X and the Australian regulator, eSafety.

Persons: Elon Musk, ”, Musk, “ Elon Musk’s, Stephen Jones, Elon, ” Jones, Michelle Rowland, X, Anthony Albanese Organizations: Tech, Social, Australia’s Labor, Government, Australian, Australian Broadcasting Corp, “, ”, Twitter Locations: Australia

☆ Elon Musk called the Australian government 'fascists.' It's the latest country he's picking a fight with.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-13 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Elon Musk's war of words with Australia is escalating after he called the government "fascists." The billionaire criticized Australia's new social media bill, which would see sites like X face fines over misinformation. Musk is at war on many fronts, with X being suspended in Brazil and criticized for fuelling riots in the UK. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! AdvertisementElon Musk called the Australian government "fascists" in a one-word response to a post on X detailing the country's planned new social media regulation.

Persons: Elon, Australia's, —, Elon Musk Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Australia, Brazil

☆ Elon Musk calls Australian government 'fascists' over misinformation law
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-13 | by ( Peter Guo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Thursday called the Australian government "fascists" over plans to crack down on misinformation online. "Elon Musk's had more positions on free speech than the Kama Sutra," Government Services Minister Bill Shorten told the Australian network Channel Nine on Friday. "I mean, is this what he thinks free speech is all about?" At the time, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called Musk an "arrogant billionaire who thinks he is above the law." The Australian regulator later dropped its legal effort after a federal court refused to extend a temporary order to block the graphic content.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Elon Musk's, Stephen Jones, Elon, Jones, Michelle Rowland, X, Anthony Albanese Organizations: Tech, Social, Australia's Labor, Government, Australian, Australian Broadcasting Corp, Twitter Locations: Australia

☆ Australia has a plan to combat the iPad kid: set a national age limit for social media
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Australia's putting an age limit on social media this year. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government is planning new age limits for social media to protect young people's mental and physical health, Reuters reports.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, —, Albanese Organizations: Service, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Business

☆ Forced marriage: She wanted ‘the world’ for her daughter. Instead, she got a landmark prison sentence
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Jan is the first person in Australia to be convicted of forced marriage since it was criminalized in 2013. Sakina Muhammad Jan was the first person convicted under Australia's forced marriage laws. Some of the measures borrow from forced-marriage laws in Britain, where hundreds of people take out protection orders each year to thwart an impending forced marriage. Other countries such as France, Canada and Germany also have specific laws against forced marriage. A month before Jan’s sentencing, the immigration minister circulated a directive specifically naming the crime of forced marriage as serious enough to warrant the removal of a visa.

Persons: Australia CNN — Ruqia Haidari, Sakina Muhammad Jan, Haidari, Jan, “, ”, Fran Dalziel, Helena Hassani, Boland Parwaz, she’s, ” Helena Hassani, Haidari’s, Mohammad Ali Halimi, Ruqia Haidari, Facebook Halimi, ’, Halimi, he’d, ” Hassani, Wakil Kohsar, Jennifer Burn, Andrew Buckland, it’s, Dalziel, Hassani, It’s, “ I’m Organizations: Australia CNN, Victoria County Court, Australian Federal Police, University of Technology Sydney, UTS, AFP, Facebook, “, Getty, Slavery, Refugee Convention, United Nations, Afghanistan Association Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Shepparton, Victoria, Hazara, London, Perth, Western Australia, Baharak, Badakhshan province, AFP, Slavery Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, Britain, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Germany, Melbourne, Australian, Goulburn

☆ Australia says Israel did not deliberately kill foreign aid workers in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY — Israeli airstrikes that killed international aid workers in Gaza in April were the result of serious operational failures but were not intentional, according to an Australian government review of the incident released on Friday. Three Israeli airstrikes hit the convoy of aid vehicles traveling through Gaza on April 1, killing seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) staff, including Australian team leader Zomi Frankcom. The killings drew widespread condemnation from Israel’s allies as well as accusations by some that Israel had deliberately targeted the aid workers, a claim it rejected. This confusion was compounded because Israeli officials could not directly communicate with the aid convoy, the review added. Binskin said an apology and compensation for the families were important considerations for Israel, but stopped short of recommending Australia demand either of Israel.

Persons: Zomi Frankcom, Israel, Ali Jadallah, Mark Binskin, ”, Binskin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Penny Wong, Wong, “, Frankcom Organizations: SYDNEY, Israel Defense Forces, Hamas, IDF, Getty, Air Locations: Gaza, United States, Britain, Poland, Australian, Anadolu, Israel, Australia

☆ MH17 passengers’ relatives mark 10 years since plane was shot down over Ukraine, killing 298
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Story Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

AP —Relatives of passengers killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine gathered with officials at Australia’s Parliament House on Wednesday to mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy that claimed 298 lives. So in that sense, I’m heartbroken that the conflict continues,” Paul Guard told Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC). Relatives of MH17 passengers join officials at Australia's Parliament House in Canberra. The investigation concluded the missile was driven into Ukraine from a Russian military base near the city of Kursk and returned there after the plane was shot down. Putin said through an interpreter that Ukrainians were all fascists, had brought down MH17 themselves and that Ukraine had no right to exist, Abbott said.

Persons: Paul, Roger, Jill Guard, ” Paul, fatefully, MH17, Mick Tsikas, Penny Wong, ”, “, ” Wong, recommit, Mark Dreyfus, we’ve, ” Dreyfus, Pierre Crom, Tony Abbott, Abbott, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ” Abbott, Russia Organizations: Malaysia Airlines, Paul Guard, ” Paul Guard, Australian Broadcasting Corp, Boeing, European, of Human, International Civil Aviation Organization Council, House, Australian, “, Australian Attorney, Australia, . Security, Aircraft Missile Brigade, Economic Cooperation, ABC Locations: Ukraine, Australia’s, Toowoomba, Russia, Soviet, Russian, Moscow, Ukrainian, Netherlands, Australia, Australia's, Canberra, Schiphol, Malaysian, Kuala Lumpur, Grabovo, Malaysia, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Philippines, Canada, New Zealand, Vietnam, Israel, Italy, Romania, United States, South Africa, Kursk, Asia, Beijing, Australian

☆ King Charles and Queen Camilla to visit Australia and Samoa
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-14 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | Max Foster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla are heading down under in the fall. The forthcoming visit to Australia will be the 75-year-old British monarch’s first trip to a Commonwealth realm since he ascended the throne. In addition to the United Kingdom, Charles is also head of state in 14 realms including Australia, New Zealand and Canada, though his role is largely ceremonial. “Their majesties’ state visit to Samoa will celebrate the strong bilateral relationship between the Pacific Island nation and the UK,” the palace added. Charles’ visit to Australia will be a key test of his popularity as head of state.

Persons: CNN — Britain’s King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Charles, Camilla, Charles ’, “, Keir Starmer, –, Queen Elizabeth II’s, rumblings, Anthony Albanese’s, Albanese Organizations: CNN, Australian Capital, Coast, Games, Commonwealth, Labour Party, New Zealand, CNN’s Royal Locations: Australia, Samoa, Commonwealth, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada, Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, France, Scotland, Cardiff, Germany, Kenya

☆ Australia appoints special envoys as antisemitism, Islamophobia rise over Gaza war
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —The Australian government is appointing the country’s first envoys to fight antisemitism and Islamophobia in an attempt to prevent further fraying of social cohesion over the war in Gaza. “I have spoken with members of the Jewish community here, in Melbourne, right around Australia, who have not felt safe, members of the Jewish community whose children are worried about wearing their school uniform in our capital cities. David Gray/AFP/Getty ImagesThe Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), which represents the Jewish community, recorded a spike in antisemitic incidents from October to November 2023. The group said Tuesday reports of antisemitic incidents in Australia are still running 400-500% higher than before the conflict. Protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza are continuing in Australia with four people arrested for climbing onto the roof of Parliament House last week.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, “, ”, Albanese, Jillian Segal, ” Albanese, David Gray, Fatima Payman, Matt Jelonek, ” Sen, Labor’s Organizations: Australia CNN, “, Albanese’s, Labor Party, Jewish Museum, Getty, of Australian, Australian, Hamas, Palestinian, United, West, Australian Labor Party, Greens Party, University Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Gaza, Israel, Sydney, Melbourne, That’s, AFP, United Nations, Perth, West Australian

☆ McDonald's shortens breakfast hours in Australia in response to nationwide egg shortage
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Australia is facing an egg supply crunch thanks to bird flu outbreaks — and it's led McDonald's to trim breakfast hours by 90 minutes, also pushing supermarkets to restrict purchases to two cartons per consumer. Citing "industry challenges," McDonald's on Tuesday announced that it was temporarily serving breakfast until 10.30am instead of midday across Australia. The government added that it is currently responding to outbreaks of the H7 high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) at 11 poultry farms. The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) noted that there is currently no evidence that people can contact the virus through "properly prepared" food. "Avian influenza (bird flu) is not a food safety concern and it is safe to eat properly handled and cooked chicken meat, eggs and egg products," the organization added.

Persons: it's, Murray Watt, McDonald's, Rowan McMonnies, there's, McMonnies Organizations: U.S, Australia Facebook, Coles, Woolworths, Food Standards, Food Standards Australia New Zealand Locations: Australia, Food Standards Australia

☆ Julian Assange ends stalemate with US, exchanging guilty plea to felony charge for his freedom
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | Thomas Manglona | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images Assange addresses the Oxford Union Society from the Ecuadorian Embassy in January 2013. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images Assange attends a news conference inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London in August 2014. FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images Assange, on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy, holds up a United Nations report in February 2016. Carl Court/Getty Images Assange speaks to the media in May 2017, after Swedish prosecutors had dropped their investigation of rape allegations against Assange. Jack Taylor/Getty Images Assange was seen for the first time in months during a hearing via teleconference in Quito, Ecuador, in October 2018.

Persons: Julian Assange, “, ” Assange, Assange, Kim Hong, Ramona Manglona, Chelsea Manning, Jack Taylor, LEON NEAL, BERTIL ERICSON, FABRICE COFFRINI, Carl Court, Geoff Caddick, Oli Scarff, CARL COURT, Leon Neal, Philip Toscano, Ricardo Patino, Frank Augstein, David Paul Morris, John Stillwell, Mike, Pompeo, Maria Sol Borja, Alastair Grant, Daniel Leal, Elizabeth Cook, Anthony Albanese, Joe Biden, ASSANGE, Adrienne Watson, Stella, ”, Gabriel Shipton, he’s, hasn’t, Julian, –, ” Shipton Organizations: Northern Mariana Islands CNN, Northern, Northern Mariana Islands . Justice Department, WikiLeaks, United States, Reuters, Army, Metropolitan Police, US Justice Department, British, Justice Department, Guardian, Getty, Swedish Trade Union Confederation, St, Paul's, Court, Ecuadorian Embassy, Oxford Union Society, Ecuadorian Foreign, Southwest Festival, Bloomberg, United Nations Human Rights, United, United Nations, CIA, CNN, Ecuadorian, Ecuador, Southwark Crown, White, Sweden, National Security, Department of Justice, BBC Radio Locations: Saipan, Northern Mariana, London, United Kingdom, Hawaii, Northern Mariana Islands, Australia, United States, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sweden, Ecuadorian, Ecuador, Westminster, AFP, Stockholm, Geneva, Switzerland, Austin , Texas, United Nations, Quito, Southwark, Baghdad, Guantanamo Bay

The plea deal allows Assange to avoid prison in the US and return to his native Australia. “That never came up in our conversations,” said David Stilwell, the State Department assistant secretary for the Pacific region during the Trump administration. Sessions’ focus on national security-related leaks was “probably one of the reasons why the [Assange] case had more traction,” Hickey told CNN. Hickey said he was not involved in the Assange case when he was a senior official at DOJ’s National Security Division from 2016 to 2023. Stilwell, the former State Department official under the Trump administration, pushed back on the Assange plea deal.

Persons: Julian Assange, Assange, Biden, Trump, ”, David Stilwell, Anthony Albanese, Joe Biden, General Merrick Garland, Chelsea Manning, Manning, Barack Obama, Obama, Trump’s, Jeff Sessions, Adam Hickey, ” Hickey, Hickey, “ Assange, who’s, Mayer Brown, Garland, Andrew McCabe, “, it’s, ” McCabe, Stilwell, ” Stilwell, Bradley Moss, would’ve, ” Moss, ” CNN’s Zachary Cohen, Marshall Cohen, Kevin Liptak Organizations: CNN, United, Wikileaks, State Department, Australian, Justice Department, FBI, Northern, London’s, US Justice Department, White, Pentagon, Army, Assange ., Department, Obama, Biden, DOJ’s National Security Division, Protect Journalists, Amnesty International, American Civil Liberties Union, Computer, Ecuadorian Locations: United States, Washington, London, Stockholm, Quito, Ecuador, Australia, Pacific, Virginia, London’s, Northern Mariana Islands, Iraq, Guantanamo, Washington ,

☆ Julian Assange Pleads Guilty to Espionage, Securing His Freedom
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Damien Cave | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a felony charge of violating the U.S. Espionage Act, securing his freedom under a plea deal that saw its final act play out in a remote U.S. courtroom in Saipan in the Western Pacific. He appeared in court wearing a black suit with his lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, and Kevin Rudd, the Australian ambassador to the United States. His family and lawyers documented his journey from London to Bangkok and on to Saipan, capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth. They posted photos and videos online from a chartered jet.

Persons: Julian Assange, Jennifer Robinson, Kevin Rudd, Mr, Assange, Stella Organizations: WikiLeaks, . Espionage Locations: Saipan, Western, Australian, United States, Australia, London, Bangkok, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S

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