Australia Flags Child Safety Gaps at Apple, Meta, Google Over Online Sexual Extortion 
Trinidad Businessman Dominic Hadeed Appeals Detention Over Alleged Assassination Plot 
DOJ Seeks Dismissal of Gautam Adani Bribery Case, Citing Foreign Scope 
Brazil Court Bars Flavio Bolsonaro From Visiting Jair Bolsonaro Ahead of Election 
Stellantis Q2 Vehicle Shipments Rise 10% as North America Drives Growth 
Kitron Q2 Revenue Beats Estimates as Defense Demand Lifts Growth 
Apple Challenges India Antitrust Probe, Says CCI Copied Rivals’ Claims in App Store Case 
Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Faces Lawsuit From 12 States 
BHP Faces Major Port Hedland Strike as Labor Talks Stall Ahead of Production Report 
Wolfspeed Sues Navitas Over GaN and SiC Patent Infringement 
SK Hynix Stock Soars as AI Memory Demand Outlook Fuels Chip Rally 
ICC Says Darfur War Crimes Probe Reaches Breakthrough in Sudan Investigation 
DOJ Orders Crackdown on Birth Tourism After Supreme Court Upholds Birthright Citizenship 
New Mexico AG Accuses DOJ of Delaying Jeffrey Epstein Ranch Investigation 
Australia Sues Amazon Over Prime Video Ads and Subscription Terms 
Rio Tinto Reports Strong Q2 Iron Ore Sales, Maintains 2026 Production Outlook 
SoftBank Corp Partners With Sierra to Expand AI Customer Support Across Japan 
The US asked Australia to scrap proposed laws that will force Facebook and Google to pay for news sourced from local media outlets, and instead, further study the markets, and develop a voluntary code.
Under the proposed Australian law, Google and Facebook will pay based on mandatory arbitration if they could not agree on a price with Australian media.
Australia announced the legislation last month after a probe found the tech giants held too much market power in the media industry, becoming a potential threat to democracy.
According to a letter that bore the letterhead of the Executive Office of the President, the US is concerned that any attempt to regulate Facebook and Google may result in harmful outcomes and raise concerns with Australia’s international trade obligations.
In response to the US letter, Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said that Australia is committed to proceeding with a mandatory code addressing the bargaining power imbalances with digital platforms and media companies.
Frydenberg added that an 18-month review by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chairman and “extensive consultation” that included the views of both Google and Facebook were conducted.
The ACCC found that 53 percent of online advertising goes to Google, 28 percent to Facebook, and 19 percent to other media companies.
Google and Facebook found Australia's proposed laws unfair and may limit their offerings in the country.
