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Australia has begun enforcing a world-first teen social media ban, Moscow is pressing Washington over the future of the last major US-Russia nuclear treaty, and the UN’s human rights office says budget cuts have pushed it into “survival mode.”

Together, they show how governments are trying to redraw rules for technology, security, and basic rights at the same time.

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A sweeping under-16 social media ban took effect in Australia, barring most minors from using major platforms unless parents sign off. Companies must verify users’ ages and remove millions of existing accounts or face steep fines. The law is framed as a response to mental health concerns, online bullying, and exposure to harmful content.

The rules put Australia at the front of a global push to regulate how tech firms deal with children, going further than measures in Europe or the United States. Platforms now have months of technical and legal work to build age checks that don’t create new privacy risks.

New figures from Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service suggest 2025 is on track to be the second- or third-warmest year ever recorded, likely just behind last year. Scientists say the planet is now closing out its first three-year stretch with average temperatures more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial baseline.

That 1.5-degree level is the core threshold in the Paris Agreement, meant to represent a boundary beyond which climate impacts become much harder to manage.

The U.S. Justice Department finalized a new rule for Title VI of the Civil Rights Act that eliminates “disparate-impact” liability in programs receiving federal funds. The change, effective immediately, narrows enforcement to intentional discrimination, rescinding regulatory language that targeted policies with unequal effects even without explicit bias.

An accompanying explanation says the department is aligning its regulations with the statute’s “original public meaning” and with a Trump-era executive order that directed agencies to remove disparate-impact rules.

The UN human rights office said it is in “survival mode” after a funding shortfall of around $90 million forced roughly 300 job cuts and trimmed field work in places like Colombia, Congo, Myanmar, and Tunisia. The high commissioner said treaty reviews and fact-finding missions are being postponed just as global conflicts and abuses are rising.

The squeeze underscores how voluntary contributions, often from Western donors, drive much of the UN’s rights work. A weaker watchdog could mean fewer on-the-ground investigations, slower public reporting on atrocities, and less pressure on governments accused of violations.

Washington publicly backed Tokyo after Japan said a Chinese military jet locked its fire-control radar on a Japanese aircraft, an incident the U.S. called unsafe and destabilizing. In a statement of support, U.S. officials reaffirmed treaty commitments to Japan’s defense and urged China to avoid provocative maneuvers.

The clash comes as both countries’ militaries operate more frequently near contested waters and airspace. Any miscalculation could trigger a broader crisis involving two nuclear-armed powers and their allies, putting long-standing security arrangements and crisis hotlines to the test.

Poland’s defense minister said Warsaw is in talks to send older MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in exchange for access to Ukrainian drone technology. The arrangement would deepen Kyiv’s fleet of Soviet-era aircraft while helping Poland upgrade capabilities as it transitions to newer Western planes.

The proposal highlights how Ukraine’s drone innovations have become a coveted asset for allies, even as Kyiv seeks more air power to defend infrastructure and push back Russian forces. If finalized, the deal could prompt similar tech-for-hardware swaps with other partners.

A senior Hamas figure said the group will not move to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan unless Israel halts alleged truce “violations” and faces more international pressure. The comments follow stalled diplomacy over hostage releases and security arrangements.

The stalemate underscores how fragile the ceasefire framework remains and how quickly limited pauses can unravel. It also raises the stakes for regional mediators, who are trying to prevent a slide back into full-scale fighting that could draw in neighboring states.

NASA reported that its MAVEN spacecraft orbiting Mars stopped sending a signal after passing behind the planet on December 6. Telemetry before the blackout showed systems functioning normally; engineers are now using the Deep Space Network to troubleshoot the anomaly.

MAVEN has been studying how the Martian atmosphere escapes into space and also serves as a communications relay for surface missions. A prolonged outage could complicate data returns and force NASA to lean more on other orbiters, underlining the vulnerability of aging hardware that underpins exploration and rover support.

With the Justice Department’s new Title VI rule now in effect, individuals bringing race or sex discrimination complaints about federally funded programs will need to show evidence of intentional bias, not just unequal outcomes. The department explicitly states it will no longer pursue disparate-impact theories.

The change could reshape how schools, police departments, transit systems, and hospitals respond to data showing disparities. Some may feel less pressure to revise policies that produce unequal results, while others may move to bolster internal civil rights reviews to guard against reputational and legal risk from private lawsuits.

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Global stocks slipped and the dollar firmed as investors braced for a closely watched Federal Reserve rate decision and a wave of major AI earnings. Bond yields ticked higher, and silver prices spiked above $60 an ounce amid bets on looser policy next year.

The moves reflect uncertainty over whether the Fed will deliver another cut and how deeply it will signal future easing. Tech giants’ results will also help determine whether AI-driven spending can keep offsetting weaker demand in other parts of the economy.

Executives from Europe’s electric-vehicle industry urged Brussels not to erode the bloc’s 2035 phaseout of new combustion-engine cars, warning that any retreat would undermine investment and widen the gap with Chinese rivals. They spoke out as officials debate softening some climate mandates and reporting rules.

Auto groups say clear, stable rules are critical for planning battery plants and charging networks. A weaker target could ease short-term pressure on traditional manufacturers but muddy the outlook for billions in EV-related projects and the jobs tied to them.

Researchers unveiled a paper-thin silicon implant called BISC that creates a wireless, high-bandwidth link between the brain and computers, potentially enabling restoration of movement, speech, or vision.

The device — just as thin as human hair — packs tens of thousands of electrodes and may open new pathways for treating paralysis, epilepsy, and blindness.

A new preclinical study found that a targeted blend of supplements slowed tumor growth and extended survival in models of difficult-to-treat brain cancers.

Researchers say the mix appears to alter cancer metabolism rather than simply attacking dividing cells. The early findings renew interest in metabolic strategies alongside conventional treatments.

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope captured images of helium streaming away from a low-density “puffy” exoplanet. The data reveal a vast cloud of gas stripped by stellar radiation, showing how atmospheres can erode over time. The results may refine models of planetary evolution and explain the diversity of observed exoplanet sizes.

The Dallas Stars pushed their point streak to 11 games with a 4–3 win over the Jets, as a game recap detailed three assists from Mikko Rantanen and a late push from Winnipeg that fell just short.

Tampa Bay, New Jersey, and Boston are also picking up wins on a busy night. The surge has Dallas climbing the standings while reinforcing the importance of depth scoring and special teams.

Atalanta overturned a first-half deficit to beat Chelsea 2–1 at home, with Gianluca Scamacca and Charles De Ketelaere completing a second-half comeback.

The win consolidates Atalanta’s position for direct last-16 qualification, while Chelsea face a harder path through knockout play-offs after letting control of the match slip.

Jalen Brunson poured in 35 points and Josh Hart added 21 as the New York Knicks routed the Toronto Raptors 117–101 to reach the NBA Cup semifinals for the first time.

The in-season tournament run adds momentum to a Knicks squad trying to prove it belongs among the league’s true contenders.

Italy’s culinary heritage, from regional pastas to traditional trattoria culture, has been added to UNESCO’s intangible heritage list, recognising food as a pillar of national identity. The latest update also honours Egypt’s koshary street food and Bohol’s asin tibuok salt-making, highlighting how everyday dishes can become cultural ambassadors.

The 15th Shanghai Biennale has opened under the theme “Does the flower hear the bee?” at the Power Station of Art. The show brings together artists exploring communication, ecology, and urban life, reflecting how Chinese and international art scenes are responding to environmental and social uncertainty.

In the Philippines, the CoLove Rights Fashion, Food, and Film Festival is turning public spaces into stages for LGBTQ+ designers, chefs, and filmmakers. The city-backed event mixes runway shows with street-food fairs and screenings, aiming to promote inclusion through everyday culture rather than formal conferences.

Around the world, policymakers are racing to catch up with artificial intelligence as it reshapes everything from advertising to warfare. In the US, the administration has signaled it will issue a national executive order that would centralize approval for high-risk AI systems, giving regulators a stronger hand over models that could affect critical infrastructure, healthcare, or elections. Supporters say a unified process will reduce regulatory gaps; critics worry that an overburdened gatekeeper could slow innovation or become a political battleground.

South Korea is moving on a different front, targeting AI-driven misinformation in everyday media. New rules will require clear labels on AI-generated ads and deepfakes, especially when synthetic voices or faces could mislead viewers. Regulators there argue that if people cannot tell whether a politician, celebrity, or ordinary person is real, basic trust in information—and even in markets—starts to erode. Advertisers and platforms now have to retool production pipelines to track which content involves generative models.

Lower- and middle-income countries are wrestling with more basic questions: how to benefit from AI without importing risks they have limited capacity to manage. A recent country profile on the Philippines, for example, notes rapid growth in AI-related investment alongside patchy digital infrastructure, limited specialist skills, and “outdated legal and regulatory frameworks.” Bills pending in Congress aim to create dedicated AI councils and ethical guidelines, but a “light-touch” approach remains the default as governments try not to scare away investment or overburden small firms.

The emerging picture is a patchwork rather than a single global model. Rich countries experiment with licensing and safety standards for powerful models, while others focus first on consumer disclosure and online abuse. That fragmentation could create regulatory arbitrage, where firms route sensitive work through the least restrictive jurisdiction. Over the next year, watch whether domestic experiments like South Korea’s labeling rules or a US national approval system become templates for cross-border standards—or whether AI governance stays fragmented even as the technology itself spreads seamlessly across borders.

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—The Five Minute Daily Team