International

International


Georgia proposal could take DNA swabs from immigrants in custody for minor offenses

ATLANTA (AP) — Over the past three decades, the collection of DNA from convicted criminals has become standard in the U.S. justice system, and many states now also swab people arrested for serious crimes. Legislation awaiting a final vote in Georgia would take that a step further by collecting DNA from people charged with less […]

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New York Times accuses Pentagon of flouting judge’s order blocking its press access policy

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has flouted a court order blocking it from enforcing a policy limiting news reporters’ access to the Defense Department’s headquarters, a New York Times attorney asserted Monday in urging a federal judge to compel the government’s compliance with the 10-day-old order. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman didn’t immediately rule from […]

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Hacked hospitals, hidden spyware: Iran conflict shows how digital fight is ingrained in warfare

WASHINGTON (AP) — As they fled an Iranian missile strike, some Israelis with Android phones received a text offering a link to real-time information about bomb shelters. But instead of a helpful app, the link downloaded spyware giving hackers access to the device’s camera, location and all its data. The operation, attributed to Iran, showed […]

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In the wake of US social media verdicts, a look at what limits other countries have imposed for kids

Dual jury verdicts this week have validated longstanding concerns about the dangers of social media for young people. But the U.S. lacks federal regulation that meaningfully addresses these harms. On Wednesday, a Los Angeles jury found both Meta and YouTube liable for harms to children using their services. A day earlier in New Mexico, a […]

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Georgia’s Fulton County and the Trump administration square off in court over seized 2020 ballots

ATLANTA (AP) — Attorneys for Georgia’s Fulton County and President Donald Trump’s administration squared off in court Friday over the county’s demand that the FBI return seized ballots and other materials from the 2020 election. Abbe Lowell, representing Fulton County, repeatedly called the January seizure “unusual” because it involved an old election and allegations that […]

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Indonesia starts implementing social media restrictions for children under 16

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia on Saturday began implementing a new government regulation approved earlier this month that bans children younger than 16 from access to digital platforms that could expose them to pornography, cyberbullying, online scams and addiction. With the move, Indonesia became the first country in Southeast Asia to ban children from having […]

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Vance holds first meeting of a new anti-fraud task force targeting benefit programs

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance on Friday held the inaugural meeting of a new anti-fraud task force he’s leading as the Trump administration seeks to show it’s cracking down on potential misuse of social programs. Vance, speaking Friday before the task force held a closed-door meeting, said that the federal government, for decades, […]

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Verdicts against Meta, YouTube validate concerns long raised by parents, child safety advocates

For years, parents, teenagers, pediatricians, educators and whistleblowers have pushed the idea that social media is detrimental to young people’s mental health and can lead to addiction, eating disorders, sexual exploitation and suicide. For the first time, juries in two states took their side. In Los Angeles on Wednesday, a jury found both Meta and […]

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EU targets Snapchat over child safety and accuses porn sites of failing to block minors

LONDON (AP) — European Union regulators are investigating Snapchat over concerns the platform isn’t doing enough to protect kids and exposing them to risks such as increased vulnerability to child predators or recruitment by criminals. The 27-nation EU’s executive Commission said Thursday it was opening a formal investigation into Snapchat under the bloc’s sweeping rule […]

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Video shows Minnesota dad and boy were flown on Delta to ICE detention in Texas

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Airport security video shows another way federal agents are taking immigrants to detention centers — in some cases they’re using commercial flights, with escorts dressed like any other passenger. Video obtained through a public records request shows the 5-year-old boy, who became a face of the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis when he […]

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At Pentagon Christian service, Hegseth prays for violence ‘against those who deserve no mercy’

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, hosting his first monthly Christian worship service at the Pentagon since the Iran war began, prayed Wednesday to have “every round find its mark.” “Every month it is fitting to be right here,” he told the gathered civilian employees and uniformed military personnel. “All the more fitting this month, at […]

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New Mexico jury says Meta harms children’s mental health and safety, violating state law

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico jury determined Tuesday that Meta knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its social media platforms, a verdict that signals a changing tide against tech companies and the government’s willingness to crack down. The landmark decision comes after a nearly seven-week trial, […]

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