92 m. ago Teens hoping to get around Australia’s social media ban are rushing to smaller apps. Where are they going?

As Meta begins deleting accounts and the deadline looms, children have already begun to flock to platforms not included in the banned list, like Coverstar, Lemon8, Yope and RednoteAustralia social media ban explained: everything you need to knowGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAs Australia prepares to block under-16s from accessing 10 of its largest social media platforms, less prominent companies have begun courting the teen market – in some cases paying underaged influencers to promote them.One teenaged TikTok influencer said in a paid “collab” video for the app Coverstar: “The social media ban is fast approaching, but I found the new cool app we can all move to.” Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Putin crushes hopes for a peace deal once more as UK eyes unlocking £8BILLION of frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine

Speaking publicly for the first time about his talks with Donald Trump 's peace envoy Steve Witkoff, the Russian president held a hard line.

Economics

3 h. ago Pentagon announces it has killed four men in another boat strike in Pacific

Strike comes amid congressional turmoil over legality of US attacks on suspected drug smugglersThe Pentagon announced on Thursday that the US military’s southern command had conducted another deadly strike on a boat suspected of carrying illegal narcotics, killing four men in the eastern Pacific.Video of the new strike was posted on social media by the US southern command, based in Florida, with a statement saying that, at the direction of Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, “Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel in international waters operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization”. Continue reading...

Events

5 h. ago WW3 threat as Russian minister declares 'war with Europe is inevitable'

As tensions rise between Russia and the West, one minister has declared that Europe is gearing up to take on Russia, and is "deliberately" preparing for war, a move the Kremlin says it is ready for

Politics

5 h. ago Vladimir Putin's WW3 threat 'has hidden meaning with ploy to influence Donald Trump'

Vladimir Putin torpedoed Donald Trump's Moscow-pandering peace plan to end the war in Ukraine with the Russian leader keen to squeeze more concessions from the US President

Politics

6 h. ago Putin's psycho "Dr Evil" charged with war crimes after making Ukrainians bark like dogs

Putin's psycho fake medic Ilya Sorokin – dubbed Dr Evil – is accused of a slew of torture claims against wounded Ukrainian prisoners of war and has been charged in his absence

Events

6 h. ago US Treasury slaps $7.1M fine on New York firm for managing properties for Putin ally

The U.S. Treasury has imposed a $7 million fine on a New York property management firm for allegedly violating Russia-related sanctions

Politics

6 h. ago Russia blocks Snapchat and restricts Apple’s FaceTime, state officials say

Latest effort to control communications comes as regulator claims apps being used to ‘conduct terrorist activities’Russian authorities blocked access to Snapchat and imposed restrictions on Apple’s video calling service, FaceTime, the latest step in an effort to tighten control over the internet and communications online, according to state-run news agencies and the country’s communications regulator.The state internet regulator Roskomnadzor alleged in a statement that both apps were being “used to organize and conduct terrorist activities on the territory of the country, to recruit perpetrators [and] commit fraud and other crimes against our citizens”. Apple did not respond to an emailed request for comment, nor did Snap Inc. Continue reading...

Politics

7 h. ago Experts urge release of boat strike video as US admiral denies ‘kill them all’ order

Democrat Jim Himes calls footage ‘one of the most troubling scenes’ he’s observed in public serviceAnalysis: Killing of survivors sparks outrage – but entire US ‘drug boat’ war is legally shakyTop Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Congress on Thursday said that the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, had not ordered the military to kill surviving members of a a deadly attack on a boat alleged to be carrying drugs in the Caribbean, but differed over whether the double strike was appropriate.The allegation that Hegseth ordered the killing of survivors sparked bipartisan concern in Washington that he or others involved may have committed a war crime. On Thursday, US navy admiral Frank Bradley, who commanded the attack, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, appeared before the House and Senate’s armed services and intelligence committees for a closed briefing in which they showed video and discussed the attack with lawmakers. Continue reading...

Events

7 h. ago NFL sets deadline for every stadium to install new playing surface

The goal of the league is to find fields that are as consistent as possible across all 30 NFL stadiums

Events

7 h. ago Putin says Russia disagrees with parts of the US peace plan to end the Ukraine war as he arrives in New Delhi for arms deal talks

It is understood that the main points of contention are the fate of Ukrainian territory seized by Russian forces and security guarantees for Kyiv.

Politics

7 h. ago Putin's 'secret daughter' says she's 'really sorry' for dictator dad's war in Ukraine

Vladimir Putin's 22-year-old 'love child' was stopped by a heartbroken Ukrainian journalist whose brother was killed fighting against the evil dictator

Politics

8 h. ago Stacey Solomon unveils Pickle Cottage’s huge DIY Christmas decorations

Stacey Solomon has shared an insight into her lavish Christmas decorations which features a humongous home-made bow.

Politics

8 h. ago Angry Ginge ‘flooded' with DMs from admirers as pal lifts lid on streamer's I'm A Celeb journey

Heinz, one fifth of the Bov Boys, spoke to the Standard about his friend’s experience on the show as the ITV show’s end nears

Events

9 h. ago US lawmakers call for inquiry into second US military strike on alleged Caribbean drug boat

Democratic representative Jim Himes, who saw footage of attack, called it ‘one of the most troubling scenes’ he’s observed in public serviceAnalysis: Killing of survivors sparks outrage – but entire US ‘drug boat’ war is legally shakyA Democratic congressman described an unedited video of an extrajudicial military strike that killed two survivors in the Caribbean as “one of the most troubling scenes” he’s seen in public service, as human rights advocates and policy experts are lining up to demand the video’s public release.Congressman Jim Himes, the ranking member of the House intelligence committee, made the remarks on Thursday after viewing footage in a classified briefing of the 2 September follow-up attack that killed two men clinging to wreckage off the coast of Venezuela. His assessment came as experts called the operation murder under international law. Continue reading...

Events

9 h. ago US push for an end to the war in Ukraine sets off a flurry of shuttle diplomacy

The latest U.S. push to end Russia’s nearly 4-year-old war in Ukraine has unleashed a frenzy of diplomatic activity

Events

9 h. ago Video shows the moment ICE agents swarm the mother of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew

The White House spokeswoman reportedly hasn’t talked to Bruna Ferreira in years

Events

9 h. ago Family of Salisbury poison victim blast inquiry for having no plans to stop Mad Vlad

Mum-of-three died Dawn Sturgess after spraying herself with a dose of the deadly chemical, planted in a perfume bottle by Russian spies, in Salisbury in 2018

Events

9 h. ago Experts weigh in: You’re definitely giving yourself brain rot

Growing rates of ADHD in the US heighten concerns that heavy short-form videos leads to ‘brain rot’

Politics

9 h. ago Democrat lawmaker says ‘double tap’ boat strike video shows survivors in ‘clear distress,’ after admiral briefing

Admiral Frank ‘Mitch’ Bradley briefed lawmakers about the ‘double strike’ strike on a boat and answered questions in a closed-door briefing

Events