
MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia’s House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that would ban children younger than 16 years old from social media, leaving it to the Senate to finalize the world-first law. The major parties backed the bill that would make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent young children from holding accounts. The legislation was passed with 102 votes in favor to 13 against. If the bill becomes law this week, the platforms would have one year to work out how to implement the age restrictions before the penalties are enforced. Opposition lawmaker Dan Tehan told Parliament the government had agreed to accept amendments in the Senate that would bolster privacy protections. Platforms would not be allowed to compel users to provide government-issued identity documents including passports or driver’s licenses. The platforms also could not demand digital identification through a government system. Get the latest breaking news as it happens. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . “Will it be perfect? No. But is any law perfect? No, it’s not. But if it helps, even if it helps in just the smallest of ways, it will make a huge difference to people’s lives,” Tehan told Parliament. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the Senate would debate the bill later Wednesday. Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers, right, gestures as he and Industry Minister Ed Husic speak to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. Credit: AP/Lukas Coch The major parties’ support all but guarantees the legislation will be passed by the Senate where no party holds a majority of seats. Lawmakers who were not aligned with either the government or the opposition were most critical of the legislation during debate on Tuesday and Wednesday. Criticisms include that the legislation had been rushed through Parliament without adequate scrutiny, would not work, would create privacy risks for users of all ages and would take away parents’ authority to decide what’s best for their children. Critics also argue the ban would isolate children, deprive them of positive aspects of social media, drive children to the dark web, make children too young for social media reluctant to report harms they encountered and take away incentives for platforms to make online spaces safer. Australia's Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, introduces the Online Safety Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. Credit: AP/Mick Tsikas Independent lawmaker Zoe Daniel said the legislation would “make zero difference to the harms that are inherent to social media.” “The true object of this legislation is not to make social media safe by design, but to make parents and voters feel like the government is doing something about it,” Daniel told Parliament. “There is a reason why the government parades this legislation as world-leading, that’s because no other country wants to do it,” she added. T he platforms had asked for the vote on legislation to be delayed until at least June next year when a government-commissioned evaluation of age assurance technologies made its report on how the ban could been enforced.
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — If Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi has any definite ideas about who'll play quarterback for New Orleans against Washington on Sunday, he's not ready to share that information. Rizzi maintained on Wednesday that there's still a chance that Derek Carr could clear the concussion protocol and function well enough with his injured, non-throwing left hand to return against the Commanders. Meanwhile, reserve QBs Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler split first-team snaps during Wednesday's practice, which Carr missed, Rizzi said. “We're not going to name a starter right now,” said Rizzi, who also made a point of noting that Carr would not be placed on the club's injured reserve list and would not need surgery. “We're going to see how that progression plays out, first with Derek and then obviously with Jake and Spencer.” Carr, whose latest injury occurred when he tried to dive for a first down during Sunday's 14-11 victory over the New York Giants , has already missed three starts this season because of a separate, oblique injury. New Orleans lost all three of those games, with Rattler, a rookie, starting and Haener, a second-year pro, serving as the backup. In his three starts, Rattler completed 59 of 99 passes (59.6%) for 571 yards, one TD and two interceptions. Haener has gotten sporadic work this season in relief of both Carr and Rattler, completing 14 of 29 passes (48.3%) for 177 yards and one TD without an interception. Rizzi said he finds the 6-foot-1 Haener and 6-foot Rattler “very similar in a lot of ways," adding that whichever of those two might play “doesn't change a whole bunch" in terms of game-planning. “They're both similar-size guys. Their athletic ability is very similar,” Rizzi said. “They're similar-style quarterbacks. We're not dealing with opposites on the spectrum.” The Saints also signed another QB this week — Ben DiNucci — to help take scout team snaps at practice, now that Rattler and Haener are not as available to do that while competing to possibly start if Carr is indeed unable to play. The Saints (5-8) have won three of four games since Rizzi took over following the firing of coach Dennis Allen. That allowed New Orleans to remain alive in the NFC South Division, currently led by Tampa Bay (7-6). Rizzi said Carr has not had any setbacks this week in terms of progressing through the NFL's concussion protocol. “By the end of the week, if's he's not able to get any reps in any form or fashion, then obviously we'll go with one of the other guys,” Rizzi said. NOTES: RB Alvin Kamara did not practice on Wednesday because of an illness. ... WR Chris Olave, who is out indefinitely because of concussions this season, has returned to meetings at Saints headquarters. He as not, however, made plans to return to practice yet because he still plans to meet first with neurological specialists to try to assess the risks of returning to action during what's left of this season. Rizzi said the possibility of Olave playing again this season remains “on the table” for now. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLSophie Hediger, a member of Switzerland's snowboard cross team at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, has died following an avalanche at a mountain resort, the country's skiing federation said on Tuesday. The incident occurred on Monday at the Arosa resort in Switzerland. Hediger, 26, competed at the Beijing Games in the women’s snowboard cross and the mixed team version of the same event. Hediger achieved her first two World Cup podium finishes in the 2023-24 season. Her best result was a second place in St. Moritz in January. “We are shocked and our thoughts are with Sophie’s family, to whom we offer our deepest condolences,” said Swiss-Ski CEO Walter Reusser in a statement. “(She lost her life) tragically, brutally and far too soon.” AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
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Inside the Online Posts of Man Connected to CEO’s SlayingA special election will be held next year for the vacant 36th state Senate district seat. The primary will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 25, and the general election will take place on Tuesday, April 29, per Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proclamation ordering the special election. The 36th state Senate district — which spans Orange and Los Angeles counties — was most recently represented by Republican Janet Nguyen , who was sworn in last week as Orange County’s First District supervisor . The district is predominantly coastal, stretching from Seal Beach down to San Clemente. It stretches inland to include Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove and Westminster in Orange County, as well as Artesia and Cerritos in Los Angeles County. Republicans account for 37.11% of registered voters in the district, as of the secretary of state’s latest tally on Oct. 21 , and Democrats make up 33.93% while 22.61% are no party preference. Huntington Beach Councilmember Tony Strickland, a Republican, has already launched a bid for the seat . He previously spent 10 years in the California Legislature where he represented parts of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. The governor’s proclamation Tuesday also set a special election on the same dates for the 32nd Assembly district seat, which was represented by now-Rep. Vince Fong. The San Joaquin Valley Republican had been on the ballot twice in November, for the Assembly seat as well as the House seat to replace former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Staff writer Hanna Kang contributed to this report. Related Articles
Arteta wanted his team to prove their European credentials following some underwhelming displays away from home, and the Gunners manager got exactly what he asked for. Goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard got their continental campaign back on track in style following the 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan last time out. A memorable victory also ended Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season, a streak of 17 wins and one draw, the vast majority of which prompted Manchester United to prise away head coach Ruben Amorim. The Gunners had failed to win or score in their two away games in the competition so far this season, but they made a blistering start in the Portuguese capital and took the lead after only seven minutes. Declan Rice fed overlapping full-back Jurrien Timber, who curled a low cross in behind the home defence for Martinelli to finish at the far post. Arsenal doubled their lead in the 20th minute thanks to a glorious ball over the top from Thomas Partey. Saka escaped the clutches of his marker Maximiliano Araujo to beat the offside trap and poke the ball past advancing goalkeeper Franco Israel for Havertz to tap home. It was a scintillating first-half display which completely overshadowed the presence of Viktor Gyokeres in Sporting’s attack. The prolific Sweden striker, formerly of Coventry, has been turning the heads of Europe’s top clubs with his 24 goals in 17 games this season – including a hat-trick against Manchester City earlier this month. But the only time he got a sniff of a run at goal after an optimistic long ball, he was marshalled out of harm’s way by Gabriel. David Raya was forced into one save, tipping a fierce Geovany Quenda drive over the crossbar. But Arsenal added a third on the stroke of half-time, Gabriel charging in to head Rice’s corner into the back of the net. To rub salt in the wound, the Brazilian defender mimicked Gyokeres’ hands-over-his-face goal celebration. That may have wound Sporting up as they came out after the interval meaning business, and they pulled one back after Raya tipped Hidemasa Morita’s shot behind, with Goncalo Inacio netting at the near post from the corner. Former Tottenham winger Marcus Edwards fired over, as did Gyokeres, with Arsenal temporarily on the back foot. But when Martin Odegaard’s darting run into the area was halted by Ousmane Diomande’s foul, Saka tucked away the penalty. Substitute Trossard added the fifth with eight minutes remaining, heading in the rebound after Mikel Merino’s shot was saved, and Gyokeres’ miserable night was summed up when his late shot crashed back off the post.
Accused in Edmonton security guard killing had history of violence and gang involvement: parole boardVictoria Police has announced it's treating the Melbourne synagogue fire as a terrorist attack. The blaze at the Adass Israel synagogue in Ripponlea soon appeared to many, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, to be motivated by terror, but it took authorities four days to declare it. To the casual onlooker, this might seem odd. On December 6, masked men were seen pouring liquid on the floor while people were inside, before the building burst into flames. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, among others, was adamant it was clearly an act of terror. But whether or not something is terrorism isn't always easy to determine, nor is the current political argument about it very useful. If holding those responsible is the goal, careful investigation from the outset is the only way to achieve it, even if it means waiting longer. À lire aussi : Albanese announces antisemitism taskforce, as synagogue firebombing investigation upgraded What have police said? In a press conference, Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett outlined how the investigation has been upgraded from arson to counter-terrorism, based on investigations over the weekend. The main thing that changes operationally is unlocking more resources: more people with specific expertise, more federal and state cooperation and more agencies involved, including ASIO. Legally, it means those responsible potentially face harsher penalties. Any charges laid would likely be related to terrorism rather than regular arson or property destruction. Police have identified three suspects, but have said little about them. This is usual practice in these sorts of investigations as they don't want to alert the perpetrators that authorities are onto them. While police haven't explicitly said so, it's likely they've found evidence of the suspects' motivations. This could include finding their online footprints, social media posts and communications with...
Preview: Holstein Kiel vs. Mainz 05 - prediction, team news, lineupsLIBERTY LAKE, Wash., Dec. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI), which is innovating new ways for utilities and cities to manage energy and water, marks a significant milestone with the 50th deployment of its Temetra ® solution in Australia, which is being deployed by Aqwest, the provider of drinking water to the City of Bunbury and its surrounding areas in Western Australia. With Itron’s cloud-based multi-vendor meter data collection and management solution, Aqwest will be able to manage its existing mechanical meters while enhancing and optimizing operations. Aqwest selected Temetra, Itron’s innovative cloud-based solution, to simplify meter data collection by utilizing a solution capable of incorporating multi-vendor meter reads. With the adoption of Temetra, Aqwest can now upgrade to digital meters at a pace best suited for its operations and seamlessly collect meter readings from existing mechanical meters and future smart meters through a single data collection and management platform. This multi-vendor capability allows Aqwest to gain comprehensive insights into consumption patterns through one unified platform. Utilizing Aqwest’s existing communication protocols and meter vendors, Temetra will collect, record and upload meter data using the handheld mobile Android devices currently in use by the utility. Temetra provides valuable insights by analyzing both current reads and historical data, enabling Aqwest to address customer billing questions and detect potential water leaks. This 50th customer milestone reinforces Itron’s commitment to addressing water scarcity in Australia and ensuring that communities are better equipped to manage water operations. The Temetra solution enables utilities to address critical water management tasks more efficiently. These capabilities are key to helping utilities anticipate and address potential water challenges before they turn into a crisis, such as losing water within the distribution system. “Aqwest is committed to providing sustainable, high-quality drinking water to the Bunbury Region. As the effects of climate change continue to impact on local water security, having an efficient water management system in place is crucial,” said Gary Hallsworth, chief executive officer at Aqwest. “We are delighted to be working with Itron to upgrade our water metering infrastructure to improve our customer consumption data and billing capabilities.” “Australia is no stranger to water shortages due to its dry climate, recurring droughts and the challenges caused by climate disruption, making water management a complex issue. On top of these challenges, population growth is increasing the demand on existing water infrastructure, much of which is aging and prone to inefficiencies,” said Don Reeves, senior vice president of Outcomes at Itron. “We are excited to celebrate this significant milestone. Working together with Australian utilities, we strive to deploy efficient solutions to address these challenges and to ensure that both remote and urban communities are equipped to tackle water management. With Temetra, utilities across the country are another step closer to water security.” Temetra is a globally adopted, cloud-based, multi-vendor, multi-commodity, meter data management solution. Temetra supports a variety of meter manufacturers and communications protocols enabling a smooth migration from automated meter reading to advanced meter reading. Temetra’s open ecosystem solution enables interoperability at all levels and supports multiple data collection technologies concurrently, providing utilities a smooth migration path from manual to smart metering. Storing meter read data from a variety of sources in one location, combined with other innovations like map-based routing, enhances operational efficiency. Temetra has demonstrated scalability, accommodating thousands of customers ranging in size from several hundred meters to several million. About Itron Itron is a proven global leader in energy, water, smart city, IIoT and intelligent infrastructure services. For utilities, cities and society, we build innovative systems, create new efficiencies, connect communities, encourage conservation and increase resourcefulness. By safeguarding our invaluable natural resources today and tomorrow, we improve the quality of life for people around the world. Join us: www.itron.com . Itron®, the Itron Logo and Temetra are registered trademarks of Itron, Inc in the United States and other countries and jurisdictions. All third-party trademarks are property of their respective owners and any usage herein does not suggest or imply any relationship between Itron and the third party unless expressly stated. For additional information, contact: Itron, Inc. Sharon Chong Field Marketing Manager, Asia Pacific Office: +65 69837687 sharon.chong@itron.com Paul Vincent Vice President, Investor Relations 512-560-1172 Investors@itron.com Itron, Inc.
Unlike some automakers that are leveraging economies of scale to engineer an architecture to support both all-electric and gas-powered vehicles, Audi is building both. Its all-new Q6 e-tron is the first Audi model built on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE), dedicated to Audi's even-numbered models like the Q6. Odd-numbered models like the Q5 are built on the corresponding Premium Platform Combustion (PPC). "Some of our competitors have opted for what we call a 'multi-traction' platform so you have one base platform and adapt it to combustion or electric vehicles," Audi EV powertrain development engineer Johannes Haf told Popular Science. "We think that comes with compromises." The 2025 Audi Q6 and its sportier sibling, the SQ6, boast a range of up to 321 miles and 275 miles, respectively. Audi's Mark Dahncke says the upcoming A6 sportback sedan (which will also sit on the same PPE architecture) will do even better than that, approaching 390 miles of range. Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Email address Sign up Thank you! By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Fittingly, Audi's motto and philosophy–Vorsprung durch Technik, or progress through technology–encompasses the brand's dedication to its precise engineering. Scores of technical explanations are available online; Barry Hoch, senior director of product planning for Audi, invited us to "nerd out" (his words) on the specs, starting with the motor itself. Wiring and welding Hairpin wiring and a direct oil-spray cooling system in the motor's stator, which creates a rotating magnetic field contribute to the overall performance. Audi says the "fill factor," or energy density, has increased to 60 percent compared to 45 percent for the conventional windings used previously. The oil spray reduces reliance on rare Earth materials, decreasing total costs and... Kristin Shaw
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