Apple

• Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has ordered social media platform “X” (formerly known as Twitter) to remove graphic videos of the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in Sydney last week from the site.
• In response to this order, X’s owner, Elon Musk, has branded the commissioner the “Australian censorship commissar”.
• Read more:
  Why is the Sydney church stabbing an act of terrorism, but the Bondi tragedy isn't?

Prompt political fallout

• Labor minister Tanya Plibersek referred to Musk as an “egotistical billionaire”.
• Of course such damning remarks directed towards a much-maligned website and its equally controversial owner are to be expected.

What do federal laws say?

• The power she exercised under part nine of that act was to issue a “removal notice”.
• The removal notice requires a social media platform to take down material that would be refused classification under the Classification Act.
• While it’s these laws being applied in the case against X, there are other laws that can come into play.
• It is a variation of this bill, reflecting the substantial range of views on the draft, that now has bipartisan support.

What else could be done?

Perhaps the gruesome images in the Wakeley videos might remind some of the Christchurch massacre. In that attack, Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone (now part of TPG), cut access to sites such as 4Chan, which were disseminating video of the attack. This was without any prompting from either the eSafety Commissioner or from law enforcement agencies.

• She would need to be satisfied the material depicts abhorrent violent conduct and be satisfied the availability of the material online is likely to cause significant harm to the Australian community.
• This means the commissioner could give a blocking notice to telcos which would have to block X for as long as the abhorrent material is available on the X platform.
• This would be a breach of the terrorism prohibitions under the federal Criminal Code.

Rob Nicholls receives funding from the Australian Research Council for the International Digital Policy Observatory.

• Finding an
  effective response to these concerns would support competition, foster innovation and increase choice for
  consumers with mobile wallets on their iPhones.
• We note that Apple?s proposed commitments would not give third parties full access to the secure element (SE),
  but only allow for the usage of Host Card Emulation (HCE).
• Crucially, access to the SE is vital for mobile device based offline digital euro payments.
• 3 4 Therefore, Apple?s
  proposed commitments, which do not provide full access to the SE of iOS smart phones, would not facilitate
  offline payments with digital euro on iPhones.
• We understand that the Commission?s antitrust investigation, and Apple?s proposed commitments on access to
  NFC technology, are limited to in-store payments with iOS smart phones.
• As a result, the ability of merchants to accept payments with Apple devices other than
  through ApplePay might be limited.
• I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for other Commission initiatives which have
  implications for the European retail payment ecosystem.
• 9

  An effective implementation of Article 33 on FRAND access to a series of mobile devices is of paramount importance for the offline variant
  of the digital euro.

• One day, she explained that she adds apple cider vinegar to improve my health.
• Apple cider vinegar is a natural product made of fermented apple juice that has gone sour.
• I decided to turn medical sleuth and investigate whether apple cider vinegar is as good for health as it sounds.

Claim: disinfectant properties

• But does apple cider vinegar’s decontaminant qualities translate to the human gut?
• Our stomachs produce acid, which acts as a natural barrier to infection, so how can adding more acid help?

Claim: weight loss and management of type 2 diabetes

• There are plenty of anecdotal claims that apple cider vinegar can aid weight loss, supported by limited evidence from several small studies.
• Apple cider vinegar is thought to cause weight loss through its effect on delay of gastric emptying.
• Reduced calorific intake will lead to weight loss – but how are the metabolic effects on blood glucose and lipids mediated?
• In type 2 diabetes there is a reduction in sensitivity to insulin which in turn leads to a reduced uptake of glucose by cells.

Claim: reduces risk of heart disease

• Raised blood lipids are a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction and stroke.
• Well, I’m afraid there’s no scientific evidence that vinegar consumption of any kind reduces cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in those with or without diabetes.

Claim: cancer treatment and prevention

• One of the more outrageous claims of benefits of daily apple cider vinegar consumption is that it may prevent or treat cancer.
• A frequently quoted case-control study from China found that an increased consumption of vinegar was associated with a reduced incidence of oesophageal cancer.

Stephen Hughes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• Andy Heyward, Chairman & CEO of Kartoon Studios, stated, “2023 was a transformative year for the Company as we laid the foundation for long-term growth and sustainable profitability.
• At the same time, Kartoon Channel!’s paid subscriber base continues to grow, providing us with high margin recurring revenue.
• Moreover, our Beacon Media Group subsidiary has resumed solid growth and, in Q4 2023, achieved its highest quarter revenue since 2021.
• The team of players now inside Kartoon Studios brings extraordinary playing records at Disney, Warner Brothers, Hasbro, and other leading organizations.