Meta has urged the Australian government not to make privacy law changes that would prevent the company using personal information taken from Facebook and Instagram posts to train its AI, arguing the AI needs to learn “how individuals discuss Australian concepts”.
In a submission to the Productivity Commission’s review on harnessing data and digital technology, published this week, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp argued for a “global policy alignment” in the Albanese government’s pursuit of privacy reform in the AI age.
As soon as 2060, global heating may send temperatures high enough to stop children in most parts of country from taking part in outdoor summer sports, study shows
The tens of thousands of fans filing into Koshien baseball stadium near Osaka are more grateful than usual for the freebies handed out at the entrance: floppy sun hats bearing the logo of the Hanshin Tigers, the baseball team they are about to watch play their rivals from Tokyo, the Yomiuri Giants, on a clammy July evening.
Spectators in seats in the steeply tiered bleachers waft uchiwa fans to cool their faces while vendors skipping up and down rows of steps do a roaring trade in cold beer and soft drinks.
‘If you promise to give the weapons, but say somebody else is going to pay, it’s not really given by you’; Russia bombs shopping centre, killing two. What we know on day 1,240
Donald Trump’s move to take credit for the additional weapons headed to Ukraine at Europe’s expense has created some mild friction in EU-US relations. “If we pay for these weapons, it’s our support,” said Kaja Kallas, the EU foreign policy chief, on Wednesday. “So it’s European support, and we are doing as much as we can to help Ukraine … If you promise to give the weapons but say that somebody else is going to pay for it, it’s not really given by you, is it? … We welcome President Trump’s announcement to send more weapons to Ukraine, although we would like to see the US share the burden.”
A meeting of Patriot owner nations and Ukraine donors – aiming to find additional Patriot air defence systems for Kyiv and chaired by Nato’s top military commander – could take place on Wednesday of next week, Reuters reported. A Nato official said the alliance would coordinate weapons deliveries through a mechanism known as Nato Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine based in Germany.
Kurt Volker, a former US ambassador to Nato, predicted Ukrainecould ultimately receive 12 to 13 Patriot batteries but it could take a year for them all to be delivered. Trump caused confusion by saying one country had 17 Patriots, some of which would go directly to Ukraine. No Nato member except the US is believed to have that number of Patriot systems.
Ukraine must boost the proportion of weapons made at home to 50% within six months, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has declared. The president said he was counting on his new incoming government under prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko to deliver on the goal. Zelenskyy said that he, the outgoing PM and new defence minister Denys Shmyhal and the outgoing defence minister Rustem Umerov had met and decided that the defence ministry would have “greater influence in the domain of arms production”.
“Ukrainian-made weapons now make up about 40% of those used at the front and in our operations,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. “This is already significantly more than at any time in our country’s independence … Our goal is to reach 50% Ukrainian-made weaponry within the first six months of the new government, by expanding our domestic production. I am confident this is achievable, though not easy.” Ukraine’s arms production ramp-up so far has emphasised drones and air defences. Zelenskyy has in recent weeks stressed the importance of developing drone interceptors to tackle swarms of attacking drones.
A Russian bomb hit a shopping centre and market in Dobropillia near the frontline, killing two people and injuring up to 27 on Wednesday. Vadym Filashkin, governor of the Donetsk region, said a 500kg (1,100lb) bomb was dropped at 5.20pm when shoppers were out. “The occupier specifically targeted the shopping centre. All nearby shopping centres have been either destroyed or damaged.” Zelenskyy described the attack as “simply horrific, stupid Russian terror. There is no military logic to their strikes, only an effort to take as many lives as possible.”
Russia earlier bombed four Ukrainian cities overnight into Wednesday, injuring at least 15 people as it mostly targeted energy infrastructure, officials said. Russia launched 400 Shahed and decoy drones, as well as one ballistic missile, during the night, the Ukrainian air force said. The strikes targeted Kharkiv in Ukraine’s north-east, Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine, Vinnytsia in the west and Odesa in the south.
The Ukrainian foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, urged the EU to adopt further sanctions against Moscow as he rejected as “lies, manipulation and distortion” Russian accusations that Kyiv didn’t want to progress peace talks. Sybiha reiterated that Kyiv was ready to hold them anytime. EU ambassadors were again unable to approve the 18th package of sanctions against Russia today as Slovakia maintained its opposition.
Bot networks have targeted Ukrainians in Russian-controlled regions, posting thousands of comments on social media aimed at “manufacturing an artificial consensus in favour of Russia”, according to a report released by the Atlantic Council thinktank and a “cognitive defence” company called OpenMinds that works with governments including Ukraine. The report said short-lived “disposable” bots commented on posts – often leaving nonsensical remarks under meaningless names, suggesting the use of generative AI. One post said: “Lord, how wonderful that Putin advocates for the use of peaceful weapons.”
The demographic of tourists visiting Bali has changed since the pandemic, residents say, with a wave of backpackers, digital nomads and expats creating the conditions for a criminal underbelly to thrive on the Indonesian island famed for its peacefulness.
Bali politician Agung Bagus Pratiksa Linggih said he had seen an increase in long-term visitors with low budgets in the years since the Covid-19 pandemic, and that local facilities and infrastructure were racing to keep up.
Blaze came a day before thousands of electronic dance music fans were set to descend on the Belgian event
The main stage of the Tomorrowland music festival near Antwerp was totally destroyed by fire on Wednesday, a day before thousands of electronic dance music lovers were due to arrive at the Belgian event.
There were no injuries, organisers said, insisting they would still go ahead with the festival over the next two weekends.
Resolution Foundation says unpaid carers on low incomes pay ‘very heavy price’ for looking after loved ones
The carer’s allowance benefit should be overhauled and the basic rate of payment increased to lift more unpaid carers and disabled people out of financial hardship, according to a living standards thinktank.
The Resolution Foundation said unpaid carers on low incomes were paying a “very heavy price” – a typical penalty of 10% or as much as £7,000 a year compared with non-carers – for looking after loved ones full-time.
Children can buy pouches legally as they are not regulated as a specific tobacco or nicotine product
Nicotine pouches are being legally sold to children and are being made appealing to them with special flavours and packaging mimicking sweets, a trading standards body has said.
In June, it became illegal for single-use vapes to be sold in England to tackle their widespread use by children. However, there is currently no legislation that restricts the age at which you can buy nicotine pouches.
Italy’s heroine Cristiana Girelli hailed their “magical and special” achievement of reaching their first major women’s tournament semi-final since 1997 after her 90th-minute header beat Norway and sparked memorable celebrations.
The 35-year-old striker’s dramatic strike, her second goal of the game, set up a semi-final with either England or Sweden, who meet in Zurich on Thursday, as Italy moved a step closer to what could be their first major silverware.
Doctors in the UK have announced the birth of eight healthy babies after performing a groundbreaking procedure that creates IVF embryos with DNA from three people to prevent the children from inheriting incurable genetic disorders.
The mothers were all high risk for passing on life-threatening diseases to their babies due to mutations in their mitochondria, the tiny structures that sit inside cells and provide the power they need to function.
Seeds of rocky planets forming in gas around star Hops-315 is called glimpse of ‘time zero’, when new worlds start to gel
Astronomers have discovered the earliest seeds of rocky planets forming in the gas around a baby sun-like star, providing a precious peek into the dawn of our own solar system.
It’s an unprecedented snapshot of “time zero”, scientists reported on Wednesday, when new worlds begin to gel.
Deepti Sharma hits 62 not out as tourists complete chase
Fifty-over cricket is Charlotte Edwards’s Big Project. The day she was announced as the new England head coach, she declared that the national side had “underperformed” in the one‑day format of late, and that she was making it her “first priority” before the World Cup in India in October.
All eyes, then, on this three‑match ODI series against India, which began on Wednesday at Southampton with a narrow four-wicket win by the visitors.
The president is pushing for cuts in spending that Congress needs to approve to take effect – but what exactly are they?
Congressional Republicans are pushing for passage of a rescissions package, legislation requested by Donald Trump that will claw back $9bn in funding intended for foreign aid programs and public broadcasting.
The bill, which is part of the president’s campaign to slash government spending, passed the House last month, and is now being debated in the Senate.
The country has a long history of championing the women’s game, pioneering coaching and iconic players
For a nation with a population of 10 million, with a men’s national side that failed to quality for three of the past four World Cups, Sweden have a track record in women’s football that belongs to a sporting superpower.
Sweden finished third at three of the past four Women’s World Cups and are five-time World Cup semi-finalists. They also claimed the silver medal at the Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo Olympics. In Europe, their success is even more consistent and they stand one win from a 10th European semi-final when they meet England in Zurich on Thursday. Their men’s national side has not reached a world or European semi-final for more than 30 years.
Move follows concerns several papers in Forensic Sciences Research did not meet ethical standards on DNA collection
Oxford University Press (OUP) will no longer publish a controversial academic journal sponsored by China’s Ministry of Justice after years of concerns that several papers in the publication did not meet ethical standards about DNA collection.
A statement published on the website of Forensic Sciences Research (FSR) states that OUP will stop publishing the quarterly journal after this year.
There’s an incredible adrenaline, we can’t wait. It’s going to be a tough and challenging match against a difficult opponent, but we have the awareness, the strong motivation, and the desire to reach the final four. In a competition of this level, in a moment like this, there are no favourites – it will be a very balanced match. Norway, like all the other teams, are dreaming of reaching the semi-finals. We need a lot of focus and concentration, and then the girls must feel free to express their qualities – they have many, and that gives us confidence and awareness that we can go through.
[Italy’s] obvious strengths, for me, are the individuals they have; they have some very good individual players. From a defensive perspective, they’re very well-organised, as you would expect from an Italian team, and have a strong back five. From an attacking perspective, they are very forward-thinking and like to get a lot of numbers in the box when they attack.
Police initially thought the girl was attacked by an animal due her injuries, but later arrested a 17-year-old boy
A small rural community in Canada is reeling after police said the horrific attack of an eight-year-old girl was not caused by an animal, as they had suspected, but allegedly by a teenage boy who they have now charged with attempted murder.
The residents of Quadeville, a town of a few hundred people in southern Ontario, are questioning local law enforcement’s handling of the case after officials initially told them to keep their children indoors to protect them against a possible offending animal.
Maro Itoje’s rise to the very top of his sport brings both pride and idolisation from the British-Nigerian community
It is 2017 and Maro Itoje has just been selected as the youngest member of the British & Irish Lions squad. He is asked for his favourite Lions memory and his response is illuminating. “Ugo Monye scoring his try in the third Test [against South Africa in 2009]. When you’re young and growing up, you look at players that look like you. And, by that, I don’t mean eyes, ears, nose, I mean who have the same skin colour, who you can identify with. Ugo is one I could identify with, as we’re both of Nigerian descent. To see him score that amazing try resonated with me.”
On Saturday, when the Lions begin their series against Australia, Itoje will win his 100th Test cap. He is England captain, the first black captain of the Lions and the country’s most prominent rugby player. And you cannot help but wonder to what extent he himself has passed the torch. For there can be little doubt that the number of British-Nigerian players making a significant impact in the Premiership is at an all-time high. Gabriel Ibitoye finished the season as joint top try-scorer, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso began it as England’s next big thing. Andy Onyeama-Christie, Beno Obano, Nick Isiekwe, Max Ojomoh, Afo Fasogbon and Emeka Ilione all shone across the campaign.
Pogacar falls 6km from end but quickly back on bike
In a chaotic climax to stage 11 of the Tour de France in Toulouse, Tadej Pogacar crashed at speed before remounting to finish, an anti-Israel protester ran on to the finish line, and the Norwegian Jonas Abrahamsen took his first Grand Tour stage win, for Uno-X.
As Abrahamsen sprinted towards the finish with his final breakaway companion, Mauro Schmid, a male protester, wearing a white T-shirt bearing the slogan “Israel out of the Tour”, jumped the barriers and ran on to the road, before being rugby-tackled by a Tour official, Stephane Boury.
Lawsuit claims Fema lacks power to cancel multibillion-dollar Bric program after it was approved by Congress
A group of 20 mostly Democratic-led US states filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to block the Trump administration from terminating a multibillion-dollar grant program that funds infrastructure upgrades to protect against natural disasters.
The lawsuit filed in Boston federal court claims that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) lacked the power to cancel the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program in April after it was approved and funded by Congress.
US rock band claim reunion tour and album was derailed by Farrell’s ‘repeated and unprovoked attack’ in 2024 – but the singer lodged his own legal complaint hours later
Members of Jane’s Addiction have sued the alt-rock band’s lead singer, Perry Farrell, after an on-stage altercation last fall that they claim derailed their North American tour and forthcoming album. Dave Navarro, Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins are seeking $10m from the 66-year-old singer.
Guitarist Navarro is also suing Farrell for assault and battery for the onstage altercation at a Boston gig in September last year. Footage from the concert showed Farrell punching and shoving Navarro before he was restrained by crew members. He was then escorted off the stage.
New England Society for Psychic Research announced the ‘sudden’ death of Dan Rivera, 54, the organization’s leader
A paranormal investigator who was helping lead a national tour of the allegedly haunted Annabelle doll has suddenly died over the weekend.
On Tuesday, the New England Society for Psychic Research announced the “sudden” death of 54-year-old Dan Rivera, the organization’s lead paranormal investigator and an army veteran.
NHS Fife says there is insufficient evidence against Sandie Peggie as her tribunal case against the trust resumes
A nurse who objected to sharing a female changing room with a transgender woman doctor has been cleared of gross misconduct allegations.
Sandie Peggie, who has worked as a nurse for the health board for more than 30 years, is claiming she was subject to unlawful harassment under the Equality Act when she was expected to share a changing room with a trans woman, Dr Beth Upton.
CEO says company plans to spend hundreds of billions on developing artificial intelligence products
Mark Zuckerberg proclaimed that Meta would spend hundreds of billions of dollars on developing artificial intelligence products in the near future and, to that end, construct a data center planned to be nearly the size of Manhattan.
The parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp is among the large tech companies that have struck high-profile deals, and doled out multimillion-dollar pay packages to AI researchers in recent months – some as high as $100m – to fast-track work on machines that could outthink humans on many tasks, a concept known as “super-intelligence” or “artificial general intelligence”.
Liverpool’s record bid for striker and offer for Howe target Ekitike cast cloud over manager’s plans for new season
Amid the jungle of super-skyscrapers dominating Riyadh’s financial district, one building soars above the rest. From the higher floors of the 385-metre PIF Tower, employees can plot their next deal while gazing down on a glass-curtained canopy of concrete, steel and polished marble.
For Yasir al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the chair of Newcastle United, the top of this striking, 80-storey crystalline structure is a place where metaphorical blue-sky thinking meets reality.
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