WASHINGTON:&nbsp;The closing and opening bells of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) may become a ringing ritual of yesteryear, as the market moves toward nonstop trading. This week, the Intercontinental Exchange announced it is developing a platform for 24/7 operations that offers &quot;instant settlement.&quot; The around-the-clock operations would rely on digital tokens mirroring the shares of listed companies, the NYSE&#39;s parent company said in a statement. NASDAQ, another New York-based trading exchange, could follow suit as early as this year. The move is pending approval by federal regulators at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and would amount to a minor revolution for the way money moves in US stock markets. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">&#39;Waste of time&#39; </h2>In the early days of the exchange, investors had to be physically present in markets on <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/european-stocks-rise-wall-street-futures-drop-as-us-shutdown-begins" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wall Street</a> to &quot;stand and yell at each other and wave pieces of paper, and then they would have to write down what everybody bought and sold,&quot; Sam Burns, chief strategist at Mill Street Research, told AFP. That meant &quot;having trading go on all day every day would sort of be impossible to keep up with,&quot; Burns said. Digitized transactions can change all that. Off-hours trading has already been on the rise since 2019, exploding since 2024 when the daily average topped $61 billion, according to a NYSE report in early 2025. But the appeal remains limited, according to Steve Hanke, a professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University. &quot;Historically, there is little evidence that supports the idea that the benefits of 24-hour trading outweigh the costs,&quot; he said, adding that there &quot;are few market-moving events that occur outside of normal business hours in New York City.&quot; &quot;Night trading proved to be a waste of time,&quot; he said. Hanke said the real advantage in the NYSE&#39;s announcement lies in the time needed to finalize a trade -- a process that usually occurs the next day in most stock markets. &quot;Narrowing the settlement window may prove to be a significant competitive advantage,&quot; Hanke said. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Largest in the world</h2>As host to immense market caps, the US <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/asian-markets-plunge-amid-renewed-uschina-trade-tensions" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">market</a> remains the largest in the world, but competition is growing. Last year, many European indexes generated returns that outpaced their US counterparts. With extended hours, Wall Street may be able to attract smaller investors and those outside the Americas. Nearly 18% of US shares belonged to non-US holders in 2024, according to the US Treasury&#39;s most recent available figures. And fans of cryptocurrency trading may jump into stocks, said Burns, the Mill Street Research strategist. &quot;A lot of retail investors nowadays, particularly younger ones, seem to like the idea of being able to trade stocks all the time the way they do cryptocurrencies and other digital assets, whether it&#39;s nights or weekends,&quot; Burns said. It is unlikely that the change would move traditional investors from banker&#39;s hours because the impacts of any change are likely to be limited,&quot; Burns added. &quot;Most institutional investors that trade the real money aren&#39;t really interested in working or trading on the weekends, and the fact (is) that banks are mostly still closed on the weekends,&quot; Burns said.

Business

The closing and opening bells of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) may become a ringing ritual of yesteryear, as the market moves toward nonstop trading.

Wall Street intends to stay open around the clock

PALM BEACH: President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States will &quot;run&quot; Venezuela and tap its huge oil reserves after snatching leftist leader Nicolas Maduro out of the country during a bombing raid on Caracas. Trump&#39;s announcement came hours after a lightning attack in which special forces grabbed Maduro and his wife, while air strikes pounded sites in and around the capital city. <p style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;" id="isPasted">A US government plane carrying Maduro landed at a military base shortly after nightfall, and he was transported by helicopter to New York City, where the couple were to be arraigned on drug trafficking and weapons charges.<p style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;"> <p style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;">The White House posted a video on X of Maduro, handcuffed and in sandals, escorted by federal agents through a US Drug Enforcement Administration facility in New York.<p style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;"> <p style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; line-height: 2;">&quot;Good night, happy new year,&quot; the 63-year-old leftist is heard saying in English. &#39;Not afraid of boots on the ground&#39;Despite the success of the risky operation, what happens next is highly uncertain. Trump said he was &quot;designating people&quot; from his cabinet to be in charge in Venezuela, but gave no details of how this would work. In another surprise, Trump indicated US troops could be deployed there in the future, saying Washington is &quot;not afraid of boots on the ground.&quot; But he appeared to reject the possibility of the country&#39;s repressed opposition taking power and said he could work instead with Maduro&#39;s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez. One aspect that became clearer was the White House&#39;s motivation, with Trump indicating regime change and Venezuela&#39;s oil riches were the major goals. &quot;We&#39;re going to have our very large United States oil companies ... spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure,&quot; he said. &quot;We&#39;ll be selling large amounts of oil.&quot; At Venezuela&#39;s request, the UN Security Council will meet on Monday to discuss the US operation to seize Maduro, the Somali presidency of the Council told AFP. Trump dismisses opposition leader&nbsp;US-backed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, posted on social media that &quot;the hour of freedom has arrived.&quot; She called for the opposition&#39;s 2024 election candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, to &quot;immediately&quot; assume the presidency. But Trump was surprisingly cold on the prospect that Machado could become Venezuela&#39;s new leader, saying she doesn&#39;t have &quot;support or respect&quot; there. Instead, he touted Rodriguez, saying &quot;she&#39;s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.&quot; Rodriguez, however, poured cold water on that, demanding Maduro&#39;s release and vowing to &quot;defend&quot; the country. Supreme Court&#39;s order Venezuela&#39;s Supreme Court late Saturday ordered Vice President Delcy Rodriguez to become the country&#39;s interim leader, after the United States seized President Nicolas Maduro and whisked him out of the country. The high court ruled that Rodriguez &quot;assume and exercise, in an acting capacity, all the attributes, duties and powers inherent to the office of President...to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the nation.&quot; The judges stopped short of declaring Maduro permanently absent from office, a ruling that requires holding elections within 30 days. Reflecting the confusion, Trump indicated that US involvement is likely to be long-term. &quot;We&#39;re there now, but we&#39;re going to stay until such time as the proper transition can take place,&quot; he said. China, a backer of Maduro&#39;s leftist regime, said it &quot;strongly condemns&quot; the US operation, while France warned a solution cannot &quot;be imposed from outside.&quot; United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was &quot;deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected.&quot; Blackout and bombing&nbsp;Venezuelans had been bracing for attacks as US forces spent months massing off the coast. Caracas residents woke to explosions and the whir of military helicopters around 2 am (0600 GMT). Air strikes hit a major military base and an airbase, among other sites, for nearly an hour, AFP journalists said. The top US military officer, General Dan Caine, said 150 aircraft took part in the operation, supporting troops helicoptering in to seize Maduro with the help of months of intelligence into the leader&#39;s daily habits &mdash; down to &quot;what he ate&quot; and what pets he kept. Maduro, 63, and his wife &quot;gave up&quot; without a struggle, and there was &quot;no loss of US life,&quot; he said. Several hours after the attacks, Venezuelan authorities had yet to release casualty figures. But Trump told a US media outlet that &quot;many&quot; Cubans who were part of Maduro&#39;s security detail were among the dead. Within hours of the operation, Caracas had fallen eerily quiet, with police stationed outside public buildings and a smell of smoke drifting through the streets. Shifting justifications&nbsp;The US and numerous European governments did not recognize Maduro&#39;s legitimacy, saying he stole elections in 2018 and 2024. Maduro &mdash; in power since 2013 after taking over from leftist mentor Hugo Chavez &mdash; long accused Trump of seeking regime change to control Venezuela&#39;s oil reserves. Trump has offered several justifications for the aggressive policy toward Venezuela, at times stressing illegal migration, narcotics trafficking, and the country&#39;s oil industry. But he had previously avoided openly calling for regime change. Several members of Congress quickly questioned the legality of the operation. However, Trump&#39;s key ally, Mike Johnson, the &nbsp;Republican speaker in the House of Representatives, said it was &quot;justified.&quot;

Americas

President Donald Trump says the US military caused a blackout in Caracas to carry out an operation capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

Maduro now in New York jail as Trump says US to 'run' Venezuela

NEW YORK: Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews packed the streets and sidewalks for blocks around the Israeli consulate in New York City on Sunday to protest issues, including a potential end of an exemption for religious students from compulsory service in Israel&#39;s military. The protest at the consulate, a block from the United Nations campus in Manhattan, illustrated the complex relationship between Israel and segments of the large population of very religious Jews in New York and its suburbs. The two influential, and often rival, grand rebbes of the Satmar community both called on adherents to participate in the demonstration.&nbsp; The Central Rabbinical Congress of the USA and Canada, a consortium of Orthodox Jewish groups, said it helped organize the protest. It comes after Israel&#39;s Supreme Court last year ordered the government to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox Jewish men into the military.&nbsp; Enlistment exemption There had been a longstanding enlistment exemption &mdash; dating to the founding of Israel in 1948. The ultra-Orthodox worry that mandatory enlistment will impact adherents&rsquo; ties to their faith.&nbsp; But many Jewish Israelis have argued that an exemption is unfair. Rifts over the issue have deepened since the start of the war in Gaza. &lsquo;Freedom and liberty&rsquo;Rabbi Moishe Indig, a Satmar community leader, said he&#39;s not sure organizers expected so many people to show up but he said he felt urgency building around the issue. He said he was appreciative of the governments in New York and the US &ldquo;for giving us the freedom and liberty to be able to live free and have our children go to school and study and learn the Torah.&quot;

There had been a longstanding enlistment exemption — dating to the founding of Israel in 1948; the ultra-Orthodox worry that mandatory enlistment will impact adherents’ ties to their faith. 

Thousands of Orthodox Jews protest Israeli draft changes in New York

Web Desk

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ISLAMABAD: Colombian President Gustavo Petro dismissed the United States&rsquo; decision to revoke his visa, accusing Washington of violating international law after he joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York during the United Nations General Assembly.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;I no longer have a visa to travel to the United States. I don&rsquo;t care. I don&rsquo;t need a visa &hellip; because I&rsquo;m not only a Colombian citizen but a European citizen, and I truly consider myself a free person in the world,&rdquo; Petro said on social media Saturday.<div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-7" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-7&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1971880485383995779&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=0e34ea0d68b5f9c82a1f60f0354db691f7ddf631&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 100%; height: 100%; min-height: 0px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The US State Department said on X it would revoke Petro&rsquo;s visa &ldquo;due to his reckless and incendiary actions.&rdquo;&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Petro had marched alongside pro-Palestinian protesters outside UN headquarters on Thursday, where he urged US soldiers &ldquo;not to point their guns at people. Disobey the orders of Trump. Obey the orders of humanity,&rdquo; Reuters reported.<h3 style="line-height: 2; margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 4pt;"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Petro defends his stance <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Petro argued that revoking his visa &ldquo;for denouncing genocide shows the US no longer respects international law&rdquo; on social media platform X.</h3><div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-8" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-8&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1971856370681934076&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=0e34ea0d68b5f9c82a1f60f0354db691f7ddf631&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 100%; height: 100%; min-height: 0px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A UN inquiry, earlier past month, concluded that Israel&rsquo;s military campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to Palestinian authorities, 65,000 people have been killed in the enclave and the entire population has been displaced since the conflict began, while Israel cites the October 2023 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages, Reuters reported.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Colombia&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the United States&#39; decision, saying that using visa revocation as a diplomatic weapon goes against the spirit of the United Nations, which protects freedom of expression and guarantees independence of member states.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It also suggested the UN should consider a &ldquo;completely neutral host country&rdquo; able to issue its own entry authorizations.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-9" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-9&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1971971304392667361&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=0e34ea0d68b5f9c82a1f60f0354db691f7ddf631&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 550px; height: 863px; min-height: 0px; position: static; visibility: visible;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div></div><h3 style="line-height: 2; margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 4pt;"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">US-Colombia tensions grow</h3><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The move marks another flashpoint in already strained relations between Bogot&aacute; and Washington since Donald Trump&rsquo;s return to the US presidency.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters reported that earlier this year, Petro blocked deportation flights from the United States, prompting tariff and sanctions threats before a deal was reached.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In July, both countries recalled their ambassadors after Petro accused US officials of plotting a coup, a claim Washington rejected as baseless, British media reports.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tensions have also extended to the Middle East. Petro severed diplomatic ties with Israel in 2024 and banned Colombian coal exports to the country.

President of Colombia Gustavo Petro Urrego addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at U.N. headquarters.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro dismissed the United States’ decision to revoke his visa, accusing Washington of violating international law after he joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York during the United Nations General Assembly.

Colombian President says US decision to revoke visa violates international law

Reuters

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promoted his government&#39;s world-first teen social media ban at an event in New York, warning the challenges posed by social media for children was &quot;constantly evolving&quot;.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Governments and tech firms are closely watching Australia&#39;s effort to become the first country to block the use of social media by those younger than 16, starting from December.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Australia wants social media firms to use artificial intelligence and behavioural data to estimate the age of users, and not conduct blanket age-verification.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&quot;It isn&#39;t foolproof, but it is a crucial step in the right direction,&quot; Albanese said in New York on Wednesday at the Protecting Children in the Digital Age event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in her speech, said she had been &quot;inspired by Australia&#39;s example&quot;.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&quot;We in Europe are watching and will be learning from you ... it is up to us to step up for the next generation,&quot; she said.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Australia&#39;s ban passed into law in November 2024 and aims to delay teens&#39; ability to set up social media accounts from the current age of 13 until the age of 16.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Albanese&#39;s centre-left government proposed the law citing research showing harms to mental health from the over-use of social media among young teens, including misinformation, bullying and harmful depictions of body image.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Albanese called his government&#39;s efforts a sensible but overdue step to protect children at a critical stage in their life.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&quot;The challenge we face is constantly evolving, and different countries are tackling it in different ways,&quot; Albanese said, adding the law would give Australian teens &quot;three more years of being shaped by real-life experience, not algorithms&quot;.

Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly

Viral

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promoted his government's world-first teen social media ban at an event in New York, warning the challenges posed by social media for children was "constantly evolving".

Australia’s teen social media ban draws praise at UN

NEW YORK: The US Secret Service has found and is quietly dismantling a massive network of &quot;SIM farms&quot; across the New York area just as world leaders gather for meetings at the United Nations. Matt McCool, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service&#39;s New York field office, said agents found multiple sites filled with servers and stacked SIM cards, of which more than 100,000 cards were already active. Though the investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made, he described it as a well-funded, highly organized enterprise and possibly run by nation-state actors &mdash; perpetrators from particular countries. Officials also warned of the havoc the network could have caused if left intact. McCool compared the potential impact to the cellular blackouts that followed the Sept. 11 attacks and the Boston Marathon bombing, when networks collapsed under strain. So what are these SIM farms and what are they capable of? What the tech doesSIM farms are hardware devices that can hold numerous SIM cards from different mobile operators. These devices then exploit voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology to send and receive bulk messages or calls. While initially developed for legitimate purposes, such as low cost international calling, the technology has become a cornerstone of organized fraud targeting mass audiences &mdash; phishing texts and scam calls. &quot;Scams have become so sophisticated now. Phishing emails, texts, spoofing caller ID, all of this technology gives scammers that edge,&quot; said Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center. In this case, the devices were concentrated within 35 miles of the U.N. building. The investigation is ongoing, but McCool said forensic analysis currently believe the system could have been used to send encrypted messages to organized crime groups, cartels and terrorist organizations. How these farms pose a threat to telecom networksAnthony J. Ferrante, the global head of the cybersecurity practice at FTI, an international consulting firm, said the photos show a very sophisticated and established SIM farm that could be used for any number of nefarious activities, including the potential to overwhelm cellular networks with millions of calls in just a few minutes. &quot;So if you can imagine that type of magnitude on cellular networks, it would just overwhelm them and cause them to shut down,&quot; Ferrante said in an interview. He also notes that it&#39;s possible the system could be used for surveillance operations, given its proximity to the United Nations, &quot;potentially that equipment could be used to either intercept communications, eavesdrop on communications, or actually, clone devices, as well.&quot; Ferrante, who previously served in key security positions at the White House and the FBI, says he&#39;s awaiting the results of the investigation before drawing any conclusions about the nature of the setup, but he emphasizes that the scale of the operation shows how simple tools can pose real risks to critical infrastructure. &quot;The masterminds could have set this up a long time ago and be operating from thousands of miles away,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#39;s a stark reminder of how deeply interconnected our world has become, where local vulnerabilities can be exploited globally.&quot;

US Secret Service has found and is quietly dismantling a massive network of "SIM farms" across the New York area just as world leaders gather for meetings at the United Nations

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