Australia

Ukraine's Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko has announced the arrival of Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Kyiv. The high-ranking official will have a busy day of meetings and discussions.

A 7. 3-magnitude earthquake in Vanuatu killed 14 people and injured 200. Embassy buildings were damaged, electricity was cut off, and a state of emergency was declared for 7 days.

“The Porcelain War and Once Upon a Time in Ukraine have been shortlisted for the Academy Awards in the documentary category. Both films were co-produced by Ukraine and the United States.

SoundCloud has introduced a new Artist plan worth $39 per year for musicians. The plan includes monetization, distribution, and AI mastering options with certain limitations.

An Australian study found a negative impact of TikTok on body image among women aged 18-28. Just 10 minutes of viewing content leads to a decrease in self-esteem and comparison with the ideals of thinness.

A powerful earthquake has struck near the Vanuatu capital of Port Vila, causing widespread destruction and at least one death. The main shock was followed by four more aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 4.7 to 5.5.

The foreign ministers of 10 countries and the EU condemned military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, including the deployment of North Korean troops. The countries called on Pyongyang to stop helping Moscow and withdraw its troops.

Seven foreigners were hospitalized after drinking a cocktail at the five-star Warwick Fiji resort. Five of the victims were tourists from the United States and Australia, and two were foreign residents of Fiji.

The United Kingdom has joined the Trans-Pacific Trade Pact, which includes 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The country will have access to preferential trade terms with eight parties to the agreement.

Law enforcers exposed criminal groups that organized fixed matches in esports and sports through bookmakers. Among the participants were former world-class athletes who earned millions of hryvnias from fraud.

323 vials of dangerous viruses, including Hendra, Lissavirus and Hantavirus, have gone missing from a laboratory in Queensland. Authorities have launched an investigation into the largest breach of biosecurity protocols, although they claim there is no risk to the public.

“Power outage schedule” became the most popular query for Ukrainians on Google in 2024. Other top searches included Euro 2024, Oleksandr Syrsky, 20 Days in Mariupol, and EcoFlow.

Australia has successfully launched the first US Tomahawk cruise missile from the HMAS Brisbane destroyer. The country plans to purchase more than 200 missiles for $1.3 billion to strengthen its defense capabilities.

The Swedish authorities are considering introducing age restrictions for social media based on the Australian model. The reason for this was a threefold increase in the number of murder suspects among teenagers under 15.

Overfishing has reduced the number of sharks and rays by more than 50% since 1970. More than a third of chondrichthians are now threatened with extinction due to trapping, environmental degradation, and climate change.

Six winners of the Radio Dictation 2024 were announced, including one participant who wrote a text without errors. A total of 12,000 entries were submitted from Ukraine and 33 countries.

The UK Parliament supported the bill on euthanasia for terminally ill patients: 330 votes in favor against 275. the document provides for the possibility of assisted dying for adult patients with a life span of up to 6 months.

The Australian Parliament has passed a revolutionary law on the protection of social security for children under 16 years of age. Facebook Instagram and TikTok platforms were fined up to 32.1 million dollars for the damage.

The Australian Parliament has passed a law banning access to social networks for people under the age of 16. Platforms face a fine of up to 3 32.1 million for violating them.

The Australian Senate has approved a law prohibiting children under 16 from using social networks. Companies face fines of up to $32.5 million for violations, and the law will come into force in 12 months.

The Australian Senate has approved a bill banning social networks for children under 16. Age verification will be carried out using biometric data or state identification, without providing Passport data to platforms.

The Macquarie Dictionary has chosen the term “enshittification” as the word of the year for 2023, which describes the deterioration of service quality due to excessive commercialization. The term was coined by blogger Cory Doctorow in 2022.

Tech giants are calling on the Australian authorities to postpone the adoption of a law restricting children's access to social media. The companies emphasize the need for additional time to assess the consequences of such a decision.

After the death of her mother and a busy year of filming, Nicole Kidman and her husband Keith Urban are considering a move to Australia. The actress's family is concerned about her emotional burnout due to her busy work schedule.

The British military is conducting demining training for the Ukrainian military as part of Operation Interflex. Twelve NATO and partner countries have joined the initiative to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces in countering explosive ordnance.

Only 10% of Ukrainians use reflectors on their clothes at night. But even a small and inexpensive accessory can save lives.

Elon Musk has criticized Australia's bill to ban social media for children under 16. The owner of social network X considers it a covert way of controlling the Internet and threatens fines of up to $32 million for violations.

The crew of the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission unfurled the flag of Ukraine with the UNITED24 logo in space at an altitude of 1400 km.

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.

Australian scientists have recorded the highest coral mortality in 39 years of observations, with up to 72% of corals dead on 12 reefs. At one northern site, about a third of hard corals died due to rising water temperatures.