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TRANSCRIPT:
- Contradictory messages from the US and Iran over the war in the Middle East;
- Meta to appeal a finding it deliberately designed its platform to hook young users;
- The A-F-L unveils its new drug policy it says is the toughest in the nation.
Meta and Google say they will appeal against a jury finding it deliberately designed its platform to hook young users without concern for their wellbeing.
In a statement, Google has said the verdict misrepresents YouTube which it argues is a responsibly built streaming platform and not a social media site.
Meta's Ashly Nikkole Davis says the company disagrees with the verdict.
"Teen mental health is profoundly complex and cannot be linked to a single app. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously as every case is different, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online."
Cybersecurity analyst Collin Walke says the appeals are likely to fail, amid speculation that the California jury's decision could influence the outcome of thousands of similar lawsuits accusing social media companies of deliberately causing harm.
"We've known for at least a decade now with tell-all books for former Google and Meta employees who come out and say, hey, we're using casino-style techniques in our algorithms to try and keep children on our screens so that we can sell more products. So it's not a particular surprise, long time coming much like the tobacco litigation, so, I think the jury's verdict will ultimately be upheld."
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Iran and the United States have continued to issue contradictory accounts about the war in the Middle East.
The White House says President Donald Trump has engaged in productive conversations with Iran over the past three days, while Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says his country is continuing to defend itself and has no intention of negotiating for now.
An Iranian official has told state media that Iran has issued five conditions to end the war, including ending the conflict across all fronts and the payment of reparations.
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State and federal leaders will meet again next week for further talks on Australia's developing fuel crisis, with about 470 service stations across Australia now out of at least one type of fuel.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen has left the door open to measures aimed at driving down fuel demand, including encouraging people to work from home and increasing levels of E10 in petrol.
Labor has long argued complex petrol and diesel supply chains mean it will take time for extra fuel from the nation's emergency reserves to flow to where it's needed - a statement opposition defence spokesman James Paterson has described as a cop-out.
Meanwhile New South Wales Premier Chris Minns says if the number of fuel tankers heading for Australia drops significantly action will be taken to manage fuel demand.
"We'll look at the circumstances, the inbound fuel tankers to Australia. If that number drops significantly, then we'll make the decisions that we need to do, hopefully with the other states, certainly with the national government, to do whatever we can to manage fuel demand. But we're not going to jump to the end. This needs to be a proportionate, sensible, commonsense approach to what is an international problem, affecting every jurisdiction and every marketplace in the world."
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Labor has made its case for a minimum wage increase to the Fair Work Commission, which is conducting its annual review to determine how much the more than 2.6 million Australians on minimum and award wages will get paid.
The trade union movement is calling for a 5 per cent increase while business group the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry wants a 3.5 per cent rise.
Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth says the lowest paid workers deserve a real increase in wages.
"The Fair Work Commission will consider and have a lot of information. That is why we haven't put a number on this but have asked them to consider an economically sustainable real wage increase."
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The Therapeutic Goods Administration [[TGA]] has proposed new testing requirements for sunscreens.
It follows an investigation by CHOICE last year that found some sunscreens didn't meet their SPF [[Sun Protection Factor]] label claims.
The regulator says it wants to make sure the standards give consumers confidence in the product, given Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer and melanoma in the world.
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Police in Victoria will be doubling the number of officers in Melbourne's central business district.
Civil rights and legal groups have sounded the alarm over the increase in police numbers.
Research from the Centre Against Racial Profiling in 2025 found Aboriginal, African, Middle Eastern and Pacific Island communities are disproportionately targeted in police searches.
Acting Commander Belinda Jones says Operation Harmony will focus on four key challenges, with crime in Victoria now at its highest rate in 10 years amid a shortage of police.
"The key areas that we're going to be looking at currently are retail crime, anti-social behaviour, the safe use of e-scooters and e-bikes and also theft from motor vehicles."
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To sport and in AFL news,
All AFL and AFLW players will have their hair tested for drugs twice a year under a revamped policy.
The AFL and its players' association have an in-principle agreement for the fresh Illicit Drugs Policy (IDP) which ditches the current three strikes model.
The AFL's CEO Andrew Dillon says the revised policy will be the most stringent in Australian sport.
