EU fails to approve new Russia sanctions
Slovakia has been blocking EU's latest sanctions package until its concerns are addressed over a separate EU proposal to phase out imports of Russian gas by Jan 1, 2028. The package proposes banning transactions with Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines.
Reuters
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Business Standard
21 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Microsoft restores services to Nayara Energy after abrupt EU-linked block
Global software giant Microsoft on Wednesday said it had restored services to the Russia-backed oil exploration and marketing company Nayara Energy, roughly two days after Nayara alleged that Microsoft had abruptly stopped access to its own data and services, which were stored with the company. 'Microsoft is committed to supporting all its customers in India and worldwide, and has restored services for Nayara Energy. We are engaged in ongoing discussions with the European Union towards service continuity for the organisation,' a spokesperson for the company said in a statement. Nayara Energy, which operates fuel retailing outlets in India, is largely owned by Russia's Rosneft, which holds nearly 49 per cent stake in the company. Earlier this week, Nayara Energy had moved the Delhi High Court, alleging that the US-based tech firm had abruptly and unilaterally suspended essential services without any prior warning. In its plea, Nayara sought an interim injunction and immediate restoration of services to protect its rights and ensure continued access to important digital systems. According to Nayara, Microsoft did not discuss or notify the company before cutting off services. In its plea, Nayara had also stated that Microsoft's decision to block access to the data and services for the OMC was based only on the 18 July sanctions announced by the EU against Russian companies, in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. On 18 July, the EU said that it had adopted a 'package of economic and individual restrictive measures hitting hard on Russia's energy, banking and military sectors, as well as trade with the EU, and ensuring accountability for Russia's continued war of aggression against Ukraine'. For OMCs such as Nayara Energy, the EU has imposed an import ban on refined petroleum products made from Russian crude oil and originating from any third country, except for Canada, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The move, the EU had then said, was aimed at 'preventing Russia's crude oil from reaching the EU market through the back door.'
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First Post
21 minutes ago
- First Post
Why did Trump and Jeffrey Epstein really fall out? The Mar-a-Lago connection
Donald Trump has shared his most detailed account of his fallout with Jeffrey Epstein, revealing that Epstein 'stole' young spa employees from Mar-a-Lago despite warnings. The split, Trump insists, happened years before Epstein's criminal charges — but conflicting stories, including property disputes and new subpoenas for Ghislaine Maxwell, keep the controversy alive read more US President Donald Trump mimics a weightlifter while he speaks at a dinner he hosts for Republican Senators at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, US, February 7, 2025. File Image/Reuters For years, United States President Donald Trump has fielded questions about his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein — and, crucially, what caused the two men to sever ties This week, he offered his most detailed account yet, linking the rift to Epstein repeatedly hiring away employees from Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, many of them young women working in the club's spa. While travelling back from Scotland aboard Air Force One, Trump recounted how the dispute unfolded two decades ago. He described learning that several Mar-a-Lago workers were leaving to work for Epstein, despite his warnings to the financier to stop. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'People were taken out of the spa — hired by him — in other words, gone. And other people would come and complain, 'This guy is taking people from the spa,'' Trump said. 'I didn't know that. And then when I heard about it, I told him, I said, 'Listen, we don't want you taking our people, whether it was spa or not spa, I don't want them taking people.' And he was fine. And then not too long after that, he did it again. And I said, 'Out of here.'' Trump confirmed that the workers in question were 'young women,' responding directly to reporters: 'The answer is yes, they were.' The US president explained that after Epstein ignored his warning and hired away more employees, he was barred from Mar-a-Lago. 'For years, I wouldn't talk to Jeffrey Epstein. I wouldn't talk. Because he did something that was inappropriate: He hired help,' Trump said. 'And I said, 'Don't ever do that again.' He stole people that worked for me. I threw him out of the place ‒ persona non grata. I threw him out, and that was it. I'm glad I did, if you know the truth.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Virginia Giuffre connection Virginia Giuffre — one of Epstein's most prominent accusers — may have been among the employees Epstein took from Mar-a-Lago. When asked directly if she was one of them, Trump said, 'I don't know. I think she worked at the spa. I think so. I think that was one of the people. He stole her. And by the way, she had no complaints about us, as you know, none whatsoever.' Giuffre worked at Mar-a-Lago during the summer of 2000 when she was 16 years old, later becoming an outspoken advocate for sex trafficking survivors. She died by suicide earlier this year, and her association with both Epstein and Mar-a-Lago remains a key part of public interest in the case. Conflicting narratives about the falling out The explanation Trump gave this week differs from earlier accounts and statements. The White House recently said Trump banned Epstein 'for being a creep.' Trump now says the reason was tied to Epstein hiring spa employees, saying those two descriptions are 'sort of a little bit of the same thing.' Commuters walk past a bus stop near Nine Elms Station as activists put up a poster showing US President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein near the US Embassy in London, UK. File Image/AP In previous years, other theories circulated about their falling out. A 2019 Washington Post report suggested the two men clashed over a high-end property called Maison de l'Amitié, a bankrupt oceanfront estate in Palm Beach. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD That report described the pair competing aggressively for the property, though Trump's White House at the time neither confirmed nor denied that story. Epstein had been part of Trump's social circle in the 1990s and early 2000s and even attended Trump's 1999 wedding to Marla Maples. But according to Trump's own comments and those of former aides, the friendship ended years before Epstein's 2006 arrest for soliciting prostitution. Maxwell subpoenaed, Epstein files under pressure Trump's latest remarks come as the Epstein case continues to reverberate politically. Several Republican lawmakers have demanded the Justice Department release sealed documents from the Epstein investigation, some of which reference Trump's name. The White House has acknowledged his name appears in the files but insists there is no wrongdoing on Trump's part. A US Attorney alongside FBI (right), at a news conference announcing charges against Ghislaine Maxwell for her role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein in New York City, New York, US, July 2, 2020. File Image/Reuters The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's longtime associate, who is serving a 20-year sentence for assisting Epstein in sexually abusing underage girls. On Tuesday, Maxwell's lawyers requested immunity for her testimony and asked to delay any appearance until the Supreme Court considers her case. Questions over what Trump knew Trump has repeatedly stated he never visited Epstein's private island in the Caribbean, where some of the worst abuse took place. 'And by the way, I never went to the island,' he said this week. Yet his past remarks and other reported encounters continue to raise questions about how much he knew about Epstein's activities. In 2002, Trump famously told New York Magazine that Epstein 'likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD There are accounts from others, too. A Florida businessman once said he warned Trump about holding a 'calendar girl' event with Epstein, saying he expressed discomfort about Epstein pursuing younger girls. Trump adviser Roger Stone, in his 2016 book, quoted Trump recalling Epstein's 'swimming pool was full of beautiful young girls,' with Trump allegedly commenting, 'How nice, I thought, he let the neighbourhood kids use his pool.' A 2020 book by reporters from the Miami Herald and Wall Street Journal claimed Epstein even made advances toward the teenage daughter of a Mar-a-Lago member. A ccording to one of the authors, 'such an act could irreparably harm the Trump brand, leaving Donald no choice but to remove Epstein.' Former Trump aide Sam Nunberg told The Washington Post in 2019 that Epstein's recruitment of a young woman for massages prompted Trump to excommunicate him from Mar-a-Lago — long before Epstein's sex trafficking investigation became public knowledge. Fallout overshadowing Trump's agenda Trump's trip to Scotland was meant to focus on global issues, including announcing a preliminary trade deal with the European Union and addressing the food crisis in Gaza during his meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. But questions about Epstein overshadowed much of the visit. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD When reporters asked whether the trade deal was timed to shift focus from Epstein, Trump dismissed the suggestion: 'You gotta be kidding with that. That had nothing to do with it.' Despite attempts to steer the conversation back to policy, the Epstein story continues to dominate headlines and fuel debate within Trump's own political base. He has called the controversy a 'hoax' amplified by political opponents, but the details he has shared — and the inconsistencies between different versions of events — have only fuelled further questions. With inputs from agencies
Indian Express
21 minutes ago
- Indian Express
YouTube joins list of platforms banned for children under 16 in Australia
After TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and Snapchat, YouTube has now joined the list of online platforms included in Australia's social media ban for children under the age of 16, BBC reported. YouTube was earlier excluded from the ban, citing the benefits and values it offers to younger Australians. The move comes a month after Australia's internet regulator urged the government to reverse a planned exemption for the video-sharing platform from its world's first national teen social media ban, Reuters noted. Australia is set to put curbs on social media usage of a million teens, beginning this December. It announced the ban initially in November last year by introducing the new Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024, which puts the onus on social media companies to prevent children from accessing their platforms. What does the ban on YouTube entail? Teenagers will still be able to view YouTube videos but will not be permitted to have an account, that is required for uploading content or interacting on the platform, according to BBC. Under the ban, the social media platforms, now including YouTube, will need to deactivate existing accounts and prohibit any new accounts, as well as stopping any workarounds and correcting errors, the report underlined. The government, currently awaiting a report on tests of age-checking products, said those results will influence enforcement of the ban, Reuters mentioned. Chief information security officer at cyber security firm Arctic Wolf, Adam Marre, welcoming the Australian government's move said that artificial intelligence has supercharged the spread of misinformation on social media platforms such as YouTube. 'The Australian government's move to regulate YouTube is an important step in pushing back against the unchecked power of big tech and protecting kids,' he wrote over an email. Feud between YouTube and Australia government? The government last year, at the time of introducing the Online Safety Amendment Bill, said that it would exempt YouTube due to its popularity with teachers, as per the report. However, social media platforms Meta, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, complained. Australia's internet regulator last month urged the government to overturn the exemption on YouTube, citing a survey that found 37 per cent of minors consuming harmful content on the site, in the worst demonstration for a social media platform, Reuters reported. The country's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant then recommended YouTube be added to the ban as it was 'the most frequently cited platform' where children aged 10 to 15 years saw 'harmful content'. She said social media companies deployed 'persuasive design features' such as recommendation-based algorithms and notifications to keep users online and 'YouTube has mastered those, opaque algorithms driving users down rabbit holes they're powerless to fight against', Reuters quoted. YouTube, over a blog post, accused Grant of giving inconsistent and contradictory advice, discounting the government's own research which found 69 per cent of parents considering the video platform suitable for those under 15, according to the report. 'The eSafety commissioner chose to ignore this data, the decision of the Australian Government and other clear evidence from teachers and parents that YouTube is suitable for younger users,' the report quoted Rachel Lord, YouTube's public policy manager for Australia and New Zealand. Last week, YouTube had told Reuters it had written to the government urging it 'to uphold the integrity of the legislative process'. YouTube also threatened a court challenge, as quoted by local media, however, YouTube has not confirmed the same. What has YouTube stated? In a statement on Wednesday, YouTube, a tech company owned by Google, argued against the ban, saying that the platform 'offers benefit and value to younger Australians.' YouTube also highlighted that its platform is used by nearly three-quarters of Australians aged 13 to 15, and should not be classified as social media, considering its main activity is hosting videos. 'Our position remains clear: YouTube is a video sharing platform with a library of free, high-quality content, increasingly viewed on TV screens. It's not social media,' a YouTube spokesperson stated over an email. The spokesperson also stated YouTube will 'consider next steps' and 'continue to engage' with the government. Why has the ban been introduced? Speaking to the media today, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, 'Social media is doing social harm to our children, and I want Australian parents to know that we have their backs… We know that this is not the only solution,' he said of the ban, 'but it will make a difference.' Australia Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells, as quoted by the BBC, said that while there is a place for social media, 'there's not a place for predatory algorithms targeting children'. On YouTube threatening a court challenge, Wells said, 'I will not be intimidated by legal threats when this is a genuine fight for the well-being of Australian kids.' What if YouTube and other tech companies refuses to comply? Under the ban, tech companies can fined up to A$50m ($32.5m; £25.7m) if they do not comply with the age restrictions, as per the BBC report. What is Australia's social media ban all about? The Australian law called the ban as one of the 'reasonable steps' to block teen users (below the age of 16) from accessing social media platforms. The Online Safety Amendment Bill 2024 stated, 'There are age restrictions for certain social media platforms. A provider of such a platform must take reasonable steps to prevent children who have not reached a minimum age from having accounts.' PM Albanese had announced via a statement, 'The bill also makes clear that no Australian will be compelled to use government identification (including Digital ID) for age assurance on social media. Platforms must offer reasonable alternatives to users.' Notably, access to online gaming and apps associated with education and health support (like Google Classroom) will be allowed, now barring YouTube from this exemption. Other parts of the world, including, Britain, Norway and European Union countries including France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, have introduced similar curbs on social media usage among teens and children.
