The Australian government has introduced a bill to ban social media for people under 16. Violators face fines of up to USD 32 million and the introduction of biometric verification.
Australia has unveiled a bill to ban social media for children under the age of 16. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.
Details
On Thursday, the Australian government, which represents a center-left political force, presented a bill that could become one of the world's toughest in terms of regulating access to social media for children. According to the document, it is planned to prohibit the use of social media platforms by persons under the age of 16. In addition, the draft law provides for fines for companies operating such platforms in the amount of up to A$49.5 million (approximately USD 32 million) for systemic violations.
One of the key parts of the initiative is the creation of an age verification system that will include the use of biometric data or official government identification. These measures are designed to ensure that age restrictions are met when users register. The Australian government believes that these initiatives will help protect children from potentially harmful content on the Internet and limit their access to social media.
The Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner's Office has complaints regarding the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Source: Ukrinform news agency, citing Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, at a briefing
Quote: "As for the Red Cross, there are three organisations. We definitely have no complaints against the National Red Cross, but only gratitude. This is the Ukrainian Red Cross Society. The second organisation is the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which includes all national societies. And we have a lot of complaints against this organisation."
Details: Lubinets explained that one of the issues with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is that the Russian Red Cross is officially a member.
It has also been officially confirmed that the Russian Red Cross, for example, was involved in the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children.
"It has been acknowledged and confirmed that, in violation of the charter of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, they turned a blind eye to the fact that the Russian Red Cross seized property belonging to the Ukrainian Red Cross in Crimea and is publicly using it. Moreover, we have received no response from them," Lubinets said.
The Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner's Office has the biggest complaint against the ICRC.
Quote: "Because when they claim the Russians are not allowing them access, we ask them: 'Did you mention or record this anywhere?' If not, it implies they are tacitly accepting that the Russians are fulfilling their obligations. Every month, Ukrainian prisoners of war have the right to correspond, receive parcels and access medical care. The severely wounded and seriously ill should be repatriated to Ukraine unconditionally. Yet, none of this is happening."
OpenAI has expanded ChatGPT functionality by adding voice chat to the web version. Available for Plus, Enterprise, Teams, and Edu subscribers, the new feature uses GPT-4 to create natural conversations.
OpenAI has expanded the ChatGPT voice feature, which is now available to web users. This is reported by Tech Crunch, according to UNN.
Details
From now on, Plus, Enterprise, Teams, and Edu subscribers can use voice chat in the browser, which was previously available only on mobile devices.
This technology uses the power of GPT-4 to create realistic and natural conversations that include not only text but also tone of voice and emotional reactions. The bot is able to adapt to the interlocutor's tone of voice, responding to speech speed and mood.
To start a voice conversation, just click the microphone icon in the bottom corner of the screen and give the browser access to the microphone.
OpenAI launches free AI training for teachers, but there is an uncertain responseNov 20 2024, 12:26 PM • 13519 views
Germany has delivered fresh military aid to Ukraine, including four self-propelled Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers, three Gepard anti-aircraft guns, and more, the German government said on Nov. 20.
Initially criticized for its sluggish delivery of military aid to Ukraine following the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Berlin has become the second-largest provider of military equipment after the U.S.
Germany has handed over ammunition for infantry fighting vehicles Marder, 41,000 rounds of 155 mm ammunition, and several reconnaissance drones, including Vector, Hornet XR, Golden Eagle, VT-4 Rochen, Songbird, and others.
Ukraine received medical equipment, 47 mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles (MRAP), seven howitzer tubes M109 155 mm, three mine clearing tanks Wisent 1, two bridge-laying tanks Beaver, as well as eight air assault vehicles Caracal.
The tranche also included 340 precision rifles HLR 338 with 74,000 rounds of ammunition, 8,000 rounds of 40 mm ammunition, and 100,000 rounds of ammunition for firearms from Bundeswehr and industry stocks.
According to an agreed-upon federal budget, Germany's military aid to Ukraine will be cut by half next year when compared to 2024. Berlin has allocated around 8 billion euros ($8.7 billion) to Kyiv in 2024, whereas the next year's support is currently set at 4 billion euros ($4.35 billion).
Several media outlets reported on Nov. 17 that U.S. President Joe Biden permitted Ukraine to use its ATACMS missiles to strike against targets on Russian soil. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in turn, is not planning to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles despite the U.S. easing restrictions on long-range strikes.
Berlin's policy may soon shift as Germany heads toward snap elections on Feb. 23, with the center-right opposition alliance CDU/CSU currently leading the polls and threatening to oust Scholz.
Enemy troops fired 33 times at the border areas of Sumy region, 77 explosions were recorded.
Terrorists shelled Sumy region once again. Unfortunately, there are victims. This was reported by the Sumy Regional Military Administration, UNN reports.
Details
Enemy forces fired 33 times at the border areas and settlements of Sumy region, 77 explosions were recorded. The affected communities include Khotyn, Yunakiv, Miropil, Bilopil, Krasnopil, Velykopysariv, Andriyashiv and Esman.
In the Esman community, the enemy attacked with an FPV drone and mortars, and in Andriyashivska, a drone attack was recorded, which damaged 4 private houses and a church building.
The Velykopysarivska community was subjected to tank and rocket attacks, while Krasnopilska community was subjected to mortar attacks, mine drops and UAV strikes, where one civilian was injured and a house and a car were damaged.
Shelling also took place in other communities: FPV drones and mortars were used in Khotynska and Bilopilska, and an attack with an aerial bomb was recorded in Yunakivska.
US President Joe Biden's administration has submitted to Congress a statement of intent to cancel half of Ukraine's economic aid debt, which is approximately US$4.65 billion.
Source: Voice of America, citing Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US Department of State, at a briefing on Wednesday, 20 November
Details: The document grants Joe Biden the authority to forgive 50% of the loan provided to Kyiv in April 2024. At that time, the loan was part of additional appropriations for Ukraine's security, amounting to approximately US$61 billion. Of this, about US$10 billion was allocated to Kyiv as a conditionally repayable loan rather than in the form of a grant.
It is stipulated that effective 15 November 2024, a week after the US presidential election, the incumbent president may forgive up to 50% of the loan, while the incoming president will have the opportunity to forgive the remaining 50% on 1 January 2026.
Quote from Miller: "We have taken the step that was outlined in the law to cancel those loans, provide that economic assistance to Ukraine, and now Congress is welcome to take it up if they wish."
Details: Once the White House has notified Congress of the decision, lawmakers can pass a resolution to object to it. However, Miller believes this will not happen.
Pope Francis has announced the date of Carlo Acutis' canonization – April 27, 2025. The teenager, who died of leukemia in 2006, became famous for creating religious websites and popularizing Catholic miracles.
Pope Francis has announced that the canonization of Italian teenager Carlo Acutis, who is considered the first saint of the digital age, will take place next year. This is reported by AP, UNN reports.
Details
The canonization ceremony will take place on April 27, 2025, in the Vatican, as part of the Jubilee of Adolescents.
Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006 at the age of 15 from leukemia, was known for his work in web design and for using technology to popularize Catholic miracles. In 2020, Pope Francis declared him blessed, and in May 2024, a second miracle attributed to Akutis' intercession was confirmed, paving the way for his canonization.
Called the "patron saint of the Internet," Akutis became known for his contribution to the creation of websites for religious purposes. His tomb in Assisi has become a place of pilgrimage for Catholics from all over the world.
London boy who died of leukemia at the age of 15 to be made a saint: Vatican accepts conditions for canonizationMay 24 2024, 11:46 AM • 114678 views
The first reports of Ukraine striking deep inside Russia with U.S.-supplied ATACMS emerged on Nov. 19, marking a long-awaited shift in White House policy that could bolster Ukraine's defense against a 50,000-strong joint Russian-North Korean force assembled against them.
President Joe Biden's decision to finally grant Kyiv permission to use ATACMS is likely one of the last significant contributions to the war in Ukraine before Donald Trump takes up residence in the White House on Jan. 20.
With election promises of ending the war in "24 hours," and cabinet appointments marked equally by inexperience and disdain for the fate of Ukraine, a Trump-led U.S. will have a profoundly different stance towards Kyiv than the previous administration.
A few hours before reports of the strikes in Bryansk Oblast, the Kyiv Independent sat down with retired U.S. General Ben Hodges for his take on ATACMS, the prospect of peace negotiations, and how he feels personally about Ukraine's future.
Editor's note: This is a transcript of the video interview that has been edited for clarity and brevity.
The Kyiv Independent: This week, we heard the news that the Biden administration is going to authorize long-range strikes inside Russia. What do you think is the significance of the timing?
Ben Hodges: I'm not sure why this finally happened. Obviously this is something that should have happened two years ago. I'm glad it did happen, but I'm not sure what finally caused it.
Perhaps it had something to do with North Korea's involvement. I'm not sure. I am still frustrated that it's not a complete lifting of restrictions, that it still applies only to use against Russian and North Korean forces that are attacking the Kursk bridgehead. So it's better than nothing, but it still falls short of what's actually needed.
The Kyiv Independent: A lot of people have pointed out that this probably won't be a game changer, but what will Ukraine be able to do now that it wasn't able to do before?
Ben Hodges: I've never liked the phrase 'game changer' because the only thing that would really be a game changer would be if the Biden administration, and other European governments would say, "we want Ukraine to actually win this war" and then commit to that. New weapons or permissions by themselves are not game changing.
Nonetheless, this is still a positive step. I would anticipate that the Ukrainian General Staff will use these to target Russian headquarters, logistics, and artillery. That's how you defeat mass, and mass is the only advantage that the Russian forces have, the big numbers (of troops).
And if you can destroy the headquarters that are necessary to coordinate their movements and their support, if you can destroy the artillery that enables their attacks, and if you can destroy the logistics that provide the artillery ammunition, then I think you can really degrade the effectiveness of Russian mass attacks.
Members of the unit Dnipro One of the Joint Assault Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine "Luty" operate a Soviet-era howitzer D-30 near Toretsk, Ukraine on Nov. 9, 2024. (Diego Fedele/Getty Images)A Ukrainian serviceman of the 56th Motorized Brigade fires a grenade launcher during training in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on Oct. 22, 2024. (Yevhenii Vasyliev/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
The Kyiv Independent: With the election of Donald Trump, there's a sort of a deadline now. Trump has said he's going to try and stop or freeze the war quickly. Do you think the timing of the decision for ATACMS has that in mind?
Ben Hodges: The Biden administration would certainly have been very conscious of the fact that the inauguration is only two months away, and that possibly influenced the thinking somehow. I'm not sure. But as I reflected on this all day yesterday, this is actually a gift from the Biden administration to the Trump administration, to have this policy in place so the Trump administration can just leave it (in place) or use it as a point of increased leverage against the Russians — or not.
Of course, I don't know what the Trump administration is going to do based on everything they've said during the campaign. I'm not hopeful that they're going to be supportive of Ukraine, but I am hopeful that the leadership of the Republican Party in Congress, both in the Senate and in the House, who are mostly pro-Ukraine, pro-NATO, pro-transatlantic, will be able to convey to the new administration how important it is that the United States to not turn its back on Ukraine. We'll see if they have the ability and the courage to push back against Trump's designs to end the war in 24 hours.
And, of course, these kinds of ridiculous assertions that he can end the war in 24 hours or freeze it somehow assume that Ukraine will just go along with it or that Eastern European countries — who are not confused about the threat that is Russia — that they'll just go along with it. I doubt that's the case because most of them know that they will end up paying the price if this conflict is frozen. None of them believe for a second that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin would ever live up to any agreement.
So I think once the Trump administration is in place, and they're faced with the reality of owning the situation and the implications, then perhaps that will moderate some of the language that comes from the incoming administration.
The Kyiv Independent: And how important is it that Ukraine retains some territory in Kursk Oblast by the time that Trump comes into office? Because if Trump does try to impose a freeze of the front lines, obviously Ukrainian troops on Russian soil greatly complicates things for the Kremlin.
Ben Hodges: This was one of the reasons I have been a supporter of the Ukrainian decision to launch the Kursk counteroffensive because it does create a real problem for the Kremlin. Both in terms of whether or not to commit forces to try and eliminate this bridgehead and in terms of some sort of negotiations coming up.
So, it does create a problem, and I think this was a brilliant move by the Ukrainian General Staff. Now, at the end of the day, the Ukrainian General Staff will have to decide if it is worth it. Are they getting the benefit of this versus the casualties and the costs of hanging onto it? We'll see. They will know much better than I ever will.
But again, Trump cannot impose a freeze on this conflict. There are no American soldiers there. Europe is providing more aid combined than the United States is.
So I think the idea that somehow Trump can impose a freeze or impose a ceasefire, that's just not what's going to happen. He can, of course, demand it. He can, of course, stop all aid.
But I think that people with cooler heads will understand that it's in our interest that Europe remains stable, secure, and prosperous for our own economic reasons. And China is watching to see how we handle this.
The Kyiv Independent: What sort of leverage will Trump have over Putin to try to get him to stop? Obviously, in Donbas, the Russian offensive is still relatively slow, but it's gaining pace. So Putin does have the upper hand there. So what kind of thing can Trump do to try and force Putin into a deal?
Ben Hodges: There are so many things that we have not done yet. We have not imposed all the sanctions that could have been imposed. We have not taken steps to block Russia from exporting oil and gas to China and India, which is what generates the money necessary for Russia to be able to buy ammunition and weapons from Iran and North Korea.
We've done nothing against those things. So there are still economic tools remaining for the incoming administration. And, of course, he could say, 'I'm going to accelerate delivery of ATACMs,' for example, or other capabilities.
So, the incoming president has a lot of leverage to build on what the Biden administration has already done, which has fallen well short of what I think could have been done. So, Trump will have a lot of leverage against Putin. Does he want to use that? That's what remains to be seen.
The Kyiv Independent: You mentioned China just before. What do you think China is hoping to see when Trump takes office?
Ben Hodges: I think the Chinese are waiting to see if the U.S. and our allies have the political will to actually defend these post-war constructs of respect for sovereignty, freedom of navigation, respect for international law, respect for international agreements. If we're not willing to do that in Europe, they may think we're not willing to do that out in the Indo-Pacific region, where, frankly, it will be much more difficult to do — it takes nine days for a U.S. Navy ship to go all the way from Hawaii to Japan, for example.
I think the Chinese are going to be watching that. They'll be watching to see if Trump follows through on the threat to impose these massive tariffs that will have a significant impact.
I think, like everyone, they want to know how much of what was said in the campaign is actually going to happen in reality.
The Kyiv Independent: Earlier on, you alluded to the differences in how particularly Eastern European states perceive the Russian threat and how America perceives the Russian threat. How do you think that's going to play out with an increasingly isolationist U.S.? Is Europe going to be able to fill that gap if aid slows or if they reduce support in other ways?
Ben Hodges: Well, they certainly can. The combined economies of the European Union — forget Canada and the U.K. — the combined economies of the European Union are about eight times greater than Russia. So this is about political will.
It's not about economic capacity or industrial capacity. It's about political will. And so what I would hope is that Europe, led by a new German government coming in February, probably led by Friedrich Merz and the CDU, Poland under Donald Tusk, Finland under Alexander Stubb, and Italy under Prime Minister Meloni, that together they could convince the American president 'hey, don't turn your back on Europe.'
We still need an American nuclear deterrent. But we, Europe, can pick up the slack if the U.S. needs to back away from its support for Ukraine. There's a lot of potential in Europe. The question is, do they have the political will?
The Kyiv Independent: And just to finish with, how do you personally feel about the future for Ukraine?
Ben Hodges: I've always believed in the eventual victory of Ukraine, not because I want it to be so, but because I have seen what Ukraine has been able to accomplish over the last 11 years, that they have stopped Russia without consistent, decisive aid from the U.S. or from Europe. I mean, this war started in 2014.
So all the people talking about how today is 1,000 days — that's only 1,000 days since the large-scale invasion. It's been almost 7,000 days since Russia first invaded Ukraine. And after 11 years, almost 7,000 days, Russia still only controls about 20% of Ukraine, and they have suffered devastating losses.
Russian industry is in tatters. And so I think it's clear to me that there's no way Russia can just knock Ukraine out of the war unless we in the West quit. So this sort of resilience and determination by Ukrainian soldiers and people, emergency services, is something that we're all going to be studying and admiring for a very long time.
Introducing official merch from the Kyiv Independent Shop now
According to DeepState, the occupation forces have made gains in the areas of Daryne, Kurakhove and other settlements in the east.
The enemy continues its offensive in several areas in eastern Ukraine. This is reported by DeepState, according to UNN.
Details
Occupation forces continue to advance in several locations in eastern Ukraine. According to the latest reports, enemy forces have achieved results in the areas of Daryne, Kurakhove, as well as in the vicinity of Nyzhnyi Klyn and Kremenne, Rozdolne, Novodonetske and Dalne.
Recall
According to the General Staff, the aggressor carried out one missile strike, 61 air attacks using 91 guided aerial bombs, over 560 kamikaze drone attacks and over 3,000 attacks on Ukrainian troops' positions and settlements using various types of weapons.
DeepState: Occupants seized Nova Illka and are advancing on several frontsNov 20 2024, 02:50 AM • 16613 views
Gary Neville claims Manchester Untied pair Marcus Rashford and Casemiro should have stayed a little closer to home over the international break.
Rashford was seen at an NBA game between the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets in New York City last week, while Casemiro posted pictures of him with his family at Disney World in Orlando.
Neville wasn’t bothered by the optics of Rashford’s attire or that he “wants attention”, but was concerned by the Red Devils pair travelling so far ahead of Ruben Amorim’s first week in charge of the club.
“It comes with the territory when you’re this sort of player and stature,” Neville said when asked about the attention Marcus Rashford has received on the It’s Called Soccer! podcast.
“I’ve got very little sympathy for players who are the stars who are on huge money, huge commercial contracts, they want that attention, they need it as that’s what fuels them and makes them the great players what they are and that’s what gives them that adrenaline rush, they’re going to get more attention, so I’ve got no problem with that and the attention he gets.
“I’ve got no problem with him going away in the international break and I’ve got no problem with the clothes that he wears, he can wear whatever he wants, the only thing I would say, and I’m saying this very calmly as I don’t want a ‘Neville hammers Rashford’ to be honest with you, as I’m not hammering him.
“It’s been a very difficult period for the club and it’s been a very difficult period for Marcus Rashford. There was a player I used to play with that used to say, when times were tough that basically you go down to that extra level of detail in making sure everything’s perfect, you take the butter off your toast, you literally make sure you’re absolutely looking at every single 1% of detail you could.
“So I used to think standing in that tunnel, when going through a difficult time, I’d think ‘right I’ve got to work my way out of this, I’ve got to be absolutely perfect’. Every drink, every sleep, every training session, every stretch, has just got to be absolutely perfect.
“So would I think the most relaxing way to spend your time, whether you’re Casemiro, and I’ll bring him into it, Casemiro is 30 odd years of age, Marcus Rashford is in his 20s, travelling 10 or 11 hours and I, to be fair, have done that quite a few times in the last few months, you get a bit of jet lag going to the US. So, a three, four day jet lag-based trip, when you’ve got basically the idea of training and making sure you’re fit, I don’t personally think it’s the right choice of distance and choice of destination.
“If the New York Knicks were playing three or four hours away, with a one-hour time difference I’d say go for your life. But I think personally, If I was looking at being absolutely perfect in myself, and I maybe took professionalism to an obsessive level, I wouldn’t be on a 10 hour flight to a different time zone that was potentially going to cause me more of a problem.
“Physically from a tiredness perspective, at particularly this point where a manager has just been sacked and we’re going through a tough time and all eyes are on us. I’d lie low and I’d go somewhere and rest. There are some Manchester United players who have gone away for the international break, and you don’t know where they’ve gone, but they’re the clever ones in my mind.”
The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek
