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The Star
20 minutes ago
- Business
- The Star
Australia social media teen ban software trial organisers say the tech works
FILE PHOTO: Two school students pose with their mobile showing social media applications in Melbourne, Australia, November 28, 2024. REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/File Photo SYDNEY (Reuters) -Some age-checking applications collect too much data and no product works 100% of the time, but using software to enforce a teenage social media ban can work in Australia, the head of the world's biggest trial of the technology said on Friday. The view from the government-commissioned Age Assurance Technology Trial of more than 1,000 Australian school students and hundreds of adults is a boost to the country's plan to keep under 16s off social media. From December, in a world first ban, companies like Facebook and Instagram owner Meta, Snapchat and TikTok must prove they are taking reasonable steps to block young people from their platforms or face a fine of up A$49.5 million ($32 million). Since the Australian government announced the legislation last year, child protection advocates, tech industry groups and children themselves have questioned whether the ban can be enforced due to workarounds like Virtual Private Networks, which obscure an internet user's location. "Age assurance can be done in Australia privately, efficiently and effectively," said Tony Allen, CEO of the Age Check Certification Scheme, the UK-based organisation overseeing the Australian trial. The trial found "no significant tech barriers" to rolling out a software-based scheme in Australia, although there was "no one-size-fits-all solution, and no solution that worked perfectly in all deployments," Allen added in an online presentation. Allen noted that some age-assurance software firms "don't really know at this stage what data they may need to be able to support law enforcement and regulators in the future. "There's a risk there that they could be inadvertently over-collecting information that wouldn't be used or needed." Organisers of the trial, which concluded earlier this month, gave no data findings and offered only a broad overview which did not name individual products. They will deliver a report to the government next month which officials have said will inform an industry consultation ahead of the December deadline. A spokesperson for the office of the eSafety Commissioner, which will advise the government on how to implement the ban, said the preliminary findings were a "useful indication of the likely outcomes from the trial. "We are pleased to see the trial suggests that age assurance technologies, when deployed the right way and likely in conjunction with other techniques and methods, can be private, robust and effective," the spokesperson said. The Australian ban is being watched closely around the world with several governments exploring ways to limit children's exposure to social media. ($1 = 1.5427 Australian dollars) (Additional reporting by Cordelia Hsu; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
Straits Times
22 minutes ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Juneteenth holiday goes uncelebrated at White House as Trump complains about too many holidays
Juneteenth, the holiday that marks the end of slavery in the US, went unmarked by President Donald Trump in 2025. FILE PHOTO: REUTERS Juneteenth holiday goes uncelebrated at White House as Trump complains about too many holidays Juneteenth, the holiday that marks the end of slavery in the United States, has been celebrated at the White House each June 19 since it was enshrined into law four years ago. But on June 19 , it went unmarked by the president – except for a post on social media in which he said he would get rid of some 'non-working holidays'. 'Soon we'll end up having a holiday for every once working day of the year,' Mr Trump said in mangled syntax, not mentioning Juneteenth by name nor acknowledging tha t June 19 was a federal holiday. 'It must change if we are going to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' Ms Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, indicated to reporters earlier in the day that she was not aware of any plans by Mr Trump to sign a holiday proclamation. In the past week alone, he'd issued proclamations commemorating Father's Day, Flag Day and National Flag Week, and the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill – none of which are among the 11 federal holidays. In response to a reporter's question about Juneteenth, Ms Leavitt acknowledged that June 19 was 'a federal holiday,' but noted that White House staff had shown up to work during a briefing that focused primarily on the matter of whether Mr Trump would order strikes on Iran. Mr Trump, who has often used holidays as an occasion to advance his political causes and insult critics and opponents on social media, chose the occasion of Juneteenth instead to float the idea of reducing the number of federal holidays, claiming that they are costing businesses billions of dollars. While most federal employees get those holidays off, private businesses have the choice to close or remain open. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day when a Union general arrived in Galveston, Texas, nearly 2½ years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, to finally inform enslaved African Americans there that the Civil War had ended and that all enslaved people had been freed. Months later, the 13th Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery in the final four border states that had not been subjected to Mr Lincoln's order. It is the newest federal holiday, enshrined into law in 2021 by Congress and then-President Joe Biden. Mr Trump cannot undo it without an act of Congress. The lack of revelry at the White House for a holiday that has been cherished by generations of Black Americans was perhaps not a surprise. Since returning to office, Mr Trump has moved to purge the federal government of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and sanitise - or even erase - references to Black history. Even so, the decision not to mark the holiday was an abrupt reversal from his last term, when Mr Trump issued statements on Juneteenth for three years, before it was ever a federal holiday. 'Melania and I send our warmest greetings to all those celebrating Juneteenth, a historic day recognising the end of slavery,' he wrote in 2017, extolling Major General Gordon Granger's announcement in Galveston that all slaves were free. In 2018 he invoked Mr Granger again, and praised 'the courage and sacrifice of the nearly 200,000 former enslaved and free African Americans who fought for liberty'. But Mr Trump's second term has been marked by a widespread effort to slash funding for diversity initiatives, prompting backlash from states, schools and the corporate world. Some cities and institutions that have had their funding cut reported that their Juneteenth celebrations would be smaller this year. Mr Trump's critics dug in sharply, using Juneteenth to call attention to what they called the administration's attempts to bury Black history. Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic leader, accused the White House and Mr Trump's allies of engaging in 'an intentional effort to turn back the clock' and divide the country by banning books about Black history, dismantling DEI programs and undermining the citizenship protections of the 14th Amendment. 'Today, we celebrate the freedom that Black Americans long fought for and the rich culture that grew from that great struggle,' Mr Jeffries, the first Black leader of a party in either chamber of Congress, said in a statement. 'That struggle roars on.' The holiday also came as Mr Trump marked a new low in his relationship with the NAACP, the oldest and largest US civil rights organisation, which said this week that it would not invite Mr Trump to its national convention, breaking from a 116-year tradition of inviting the president to its marquee event. Mr Biden established Juneteenth as a federal holiday in 2021, after interest in the history of the day was renewed during the summer of 2020 and the nationwide protests that followed the police killings of Black Americans including Mr George Floyd and Ms Breonna Taylor. During his presidency, Mr Biden held a concert on the South Lawn of the White House to commemorate the holiday and gave remarks. On t he evening of Ju ne 19, Mr Biden attended a Juneteenth celebration at Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Galveston, sitting at the head of the church next to local leaders. He was honoured for signing the federal holiday into law and praised for his appointment of Ms Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Speakers did not name Mr Trump, but criticised his administration's policies, especially on diversity. 'Black history is American history,' Mr Biden told the crowd to cheers, according to a livestream of his remarks. Mr Biden also took to task those who thought Juneteenth should not be a federal holiday. 'Some say to you and to me that this doesn't deserve to be a federal holiday,' Mr Biden said. 'They don't want to remember what we all remember – the moral stain, the moral stain of slavery.' NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
35 minutes ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova to retire after US Open
Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova celebrates with the trophy after winning the Wimbledon final in 2014. PHOTO: REUTERS Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova to retire after US Open PARIS – Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova announced on June 19 that she will be retiring from the professional tennis circuit after this year's US Open. The 35-year-old Czech, who is currently ranked down at 572nd in the world, reached a career-high ranking of 2 in 2011 when she won the first of her two Wimbledon titles. She triumphed again in 2014 and went on to reach the final of the Australian Open in 2019. This week she was handed a wildcard entry for one last outing on the grass courts of south-west London. 'There comes a day that it is time for a new chapter and that time for me has come now,' the left-handed Kvitova wrote on social media. 'I therefore wanted to share with you that 2025 is my last season on tour as a professional. 'I am excited and very much looking forward to soak in the beauty of playing The Championships, Wimbledon one more time, a place that holds the most cherished memories in my career for me. 'While I am not entirely sure yet what my hardcourt swing in the US will look like, I am intending to finish my active playing career at the US Open in New York later this summer.' Kvitova won Olympic bronze in 2016 but just before Christmas she was attacked in her home by a knife-wielding robber, suffering cuts to the nerves and tendons in her left-hand. She was a member of six Czech teams to have won the Fed Cup and won the most recent of her 31 tour titles on the grass in Berlin in 2023. Kvitova missed the 2024 season in order to give birth to her first child. Since returning, she is 1-6, with her lone win coming in the first round of Rome. 'I could not have asked or wished for anything more,' Kvitova added. 'Tennis has given me everything I have today, and I will continue to be forever grateful to this beautiful sport that I love.' Meanwhile in tennis action on June 19, Coco Gauff fell at the first hurdle on grass in Berlin 12 days after winning her second Grand Slam title at the French Open. Recipient of a first-round bye, the American lost 6-3, 6-3 to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu. Gauff, a winner of 10 main tour titles, including the US Open in 2023 and the WTA Finals in 2024, has yet to lift a trophy in a grass-court tournament. In men's tennis, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner's bid to win back-to-back Halle Open titles ended following a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat by Alexander Bublik in the last 16, the top seed's first loss to a player outside the Top 20 since 2023. AFP, REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
GMA Network
an hour ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Thai PM under mounting pressure as ruling coalition hangs by a thread
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra speaks during a press conference following a leak on Wednesday of a phone call between her and Cambodia's Hun Sen, the influential former premier of Cambodia, amid a border dispute between the two countries, at the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Panumas Sanguanwong BANGKOK — The government of Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was hanging by a thread on Thursday following the withdrawal of a major coalition partner, building pressure on her to resign after just 10 months in power. Political neophyte Paetongtarn, the 38-year-old daughter of influential former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, is facing dwindling popularity, a stuttering economy and a territorial row with Cambodia that has sparked fears of military clashes. The second-biggest partner in the alliance, the Bhumjaithai Party, withdrew from the coalition late on Wednesday, citing damage caused to Thailand's integrity, sovereignty and its army after an embarrassing leak hours earlier of a phone call between the premier and Cambodia's influential former leader Hun Sen. The United Thai Nation, Chart Thai Pattana and Democrat parties announced separate meetings on Thursday to decide their next steps. A decision to withdraw by either the Democrats or UTN would leave Paetongtarn with a minority government and in an untenable position. The premier has not commented on Bhumjaithai's exit. Paetongtarn was seen entering the government's headquarters on Thursday, with police surrounding the complex in preparation for possible protests against her. Thai stocks .SETI fell as much as 2.4% in morning trading to the lowest level since April 9. In the leaked June 15 call, Paetongtarn is heard pressing former Cambodian leader Hun Sen for a peaceful resolution to the territorial dispute, and urging him not to listen to "the other side" in Thailand, including an outspoken Thai army general who she said "just wants to look cool." She later told reporters that was a negotiation tactic and there were no issues with the military. Paetongtarn met top security officials on Thursday to discuss the crisis with Cambodia. Flanked by the defense minister, army chief and armed forces commander, she apologized over the leak and called for unity. "We don't have time for infighting. We have to protect our sovereignty. The government is ready to support the military in all ways," she told reporters. 'The last straw' If Paetongtarn were to resign, parliament must convene to choose a new prime minister to form the next government, from a pool of only five remaining eligible candidates nominated before the 2023 election. Another option would be to dissolve parliament and call an election, a move that could favour the opposition People's Party, the largest force in parliament and the country's most popular party according to opinion polls. The People's Party, the reincarnation of the Move Forward Party that won most votes in the 2023 election but was disbanded last year by a court, said Thailand was paralyzed by problems that only a new election could solve. "The situation yesterday on the leaked phone call is the last straw," People's Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut told a press conference. "I want the prime minister to dissolve parliament. I think the people want a government that can solve problems for the people, a legitimate government that comes from a democratic process." Paetongtarn's administration has also been dogged by criticism from opponents about the influence of her divisive tycoon father Thaksin, who holds no official position but often comments on policy and has maintained a high profile since his return from self-exile in 2023. The turmoil and the army's assertiveness over the border dispute with Cambodia have again put the spotlight on Thailand's politically powerful military and its animosity with the Shinawatra family, whose governments it overthrew in 2006 and 2014 coups. The army on Thursday issued a statement affirming its "commitment to democratic principles" while emphasising Thai unity. "The chief of army has called upon the Thai people to maintain confidence in the Royal Thai Army's steadfast commitment to constitutional monarchy and ... protecting national sovereignty through established legal frameworks and institutional mechanisms," it said. — Reuters
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Malaysia drops 1MDB-related money laundering charges against ex-PM Najib
FILE PHOTO: Prison officers escort former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, as the jailed politician leaves the court during a break in proceedings, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 4, 2024. REUTERS/Hasnoor Hussain/File Photo KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's High Court has discharged but not acquitted jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak of money laundering charges in a long-running case involving a former unit of scandal-tainted state fund 1MDB, his lawyer said on Friday. Najib has been in prison since August 2022 after being found guilty of corruption and money laundering over funds misappropriated from SRC International, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad, from which Malaysian and U.S. authorities say about $4.5 billion was stolen in a complex, globe-spanning scheme. He was also facing three separate money laundering charges over 27 million ringgit ($6.4 million) allegedly misappropriated from SRC. The case had repeatedly stalled since 2019 due to procedural delays, prompting the Kuala Lumpur High Court to grant Najib's request for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) on Friday, his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told reporters. Muhammad Shafee said the decision was a fair one, as the prosecution remained free to re-file the charges once they were ready to proceed. "So (Najib) isn't left waiting or as they say, no longer has the sword of Damocles hanging over his head," he said. The attorney-general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Friday's decision was the second time 1MDB-linked charges filed against Najib have been dropped. Last year, a court allowed another DNAA request due to procedural delays in a corruption case against the ex-premier and the country's former treasury chief. In 2023, he was also acquitted on separate charges of tampering with a government audit into 1MDB. Najib is still awaiting a verdict in the biggest trial he faces over the 1MDB scandal, with the court expected to hear closing arguments in October. He has denied all of the charges brought against him. Najib is also bidding to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, and has sought to compel the government to confirm the existence of a royal order that he says would allow him to do so. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
