Author: Web Desk

Canberra: The social media ban in Australia has prompted a major investigation into leading technology companies, including Meta, TikTok and Google, over claims they have failed to properly enforce age restrictions. The probe has followed findings that a significant number of children remain active on social media despite the new rules. A survey of around 900 parents has revealed that 31 percent reported their children still had social media accounts after the ban, compared with 49 percent before its implementation. Among platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, nearly 70 percent of under-16 users were found to have maintained access…

Dubai: The UAE stock markets have lost around $120 billion (£95 billion) in value since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran, placing them among the most affected financial markets globally. Dubai and Abu Dhabi have both seen notable declines as geopolitical tensions continue to influence investor confidence. Dubai’s benchmark index has fallen by about 16 percent, while Abu Dhabi’s index has dropped roughly 9 percent since the conflict began on February 28. In terms of market capitalisation, the Dubai Financial Market has lost approximately $45 billion (£35.6 billion), while the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange has shed around $75…

Beijing: The DeepSeek chatbot has suffered a major outage that lasted more than seven hours, marking the longest disruption since the platform’s rapid rise in popularity. According to the company’s status page, the outage began in the early hours of Monday and was resolved later in the morning. The incident has impacted both the chatbot interface used by general users and the application programming interface, commonly used by developers to integrate DeepSeek into their own systems. The platform has not provided an official explanation for the disruption, in line with its standard communication approach. Such outages can occur due to…

London: The rise in oil prices has reflected deepening uncertainty in global energy markets as the Iran war has entered its fifth week. Brent crude has climbed by more than 3 percent to exceed $115 per barrel, while US-traded oil has also gained, pushing towards $102 per barrel. Asian stock markets have reacted negatively to the surge, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 and South Korea’s Kospi both recording notable declines. Investor sentiment has weakened as higher energy costs have raised fears of inflation and potential economic slowdown across major economies. The escalation in conflict has intensified after Iran-backed Houthi forces launched…

Caribbean: Australia have delivered a commanding performance to secure a 103-run victory over West Indies in the opening ODI in St Kitts, continuing their strong run after sweeping the T20 series. The result has highlighted Australia’s consistency and depth across formats during the tour. Australia have posted an imposing total of 341 from 49.5 overs, setting a record for the highest women’s one-day international team score in the Caribbean. The innings has been built on a collective effort, with several batters contributing valuable runs rather than relying on a single dominant century. Phoebe Litchfield has top-scored with a well-constructed 77,…

Vienna: The proposed social media ban in Austria has emerged after discussions within the country’s coalition government, aiming to limit children’s exposure to potentially harmful online content. Authorities have argued that stricter rules are needed to protect young users from addictive algorithms and negative mental health effects. Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler has stated that social media platforms can make children addicted and unwell, stressing that governments have a responsibility to act. Babler has compared the regulation of social media to existing controls on alcohol and tobacco, calling for clear rules in the digital environment. Under the proposal, children below 14 would…

Riyadh: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Saudi Arabia, signalling a renewed push to strengthen security cooperation with Gulf nations. The visit has come after Zelenskyy highlighted Ukraine’s growing capabilities in drone technology as a potential asset for regional defence. The proposal has centred on Ukraine’s battlefield-tested drone systems, which Zelenskyy has said could help improve security across the Gulf. Zelenskyy emphasised that Ukraine has developed not only advanced drone technology but also practical experience in deploying it alongside radar systems, aviation and integrated air defence networks. Zelenskyy has linked this cooperation to broader global stability, noting that energy…

Lausanne: The new rules for Olympic women’s sport have been introduced by the International Olympic Committee, stating that only biological females will be eligible to compete in female categories. The decision has been based on guidance from medical experts and is set to take effect from the Los Angeles Olympics. Under the updated framework, eligibility for Olympic women’s sport will be determined through a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ genetic screening test. This test will detect the presence of the SRY gene, which is part of the Y chromosome and linked to the development of male biological traits. The screening may be conducted using…

Los Angeles: The issue of social media addiction has taken centre stage after a Los Angeles jury ruled that Meta and Google were responsible for designing platforms that negatively impacted a young user’s mental health. The case focused on platforms owned by the companies, including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube. Jurors determined that both companies had intentionally created features that encouraged prolonged engagement, contributing to social media addiction. The plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman identified as Kaley, was awarded $6 million (£4.5 million) in damages. This included $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages, after the jury…

Somerset: The discovery of early dogs has emerged from a fragment of a jawbone uncovered in a cave in Somerset, offering new insight into the origins of the human-animal bond. DNA analysis has confirmed that the jaw belonged to one of the earliest domesticated dogs, indicating that humans in Britain had already formed close relationships with dogs around 15,000 years ago. This timeline has pushed back the known domestication of dogs by approximately 5,000 years. The findings have suggested that early dogs and humans developed a close partnership almost immediately after wolves began interacting with human communities. The remains were…