Morning Bird: Google and Facebook want to delay the ban on social networks in Australia. Temperature records fell in the Czech Republic.
Social networks face a ban for children in Australia. Technological magnates who own them are trying to fight the decision. In Czech Republic, temperature records were mainly broken in Jeseníky, where they reached 19 degrees. The end of Russian gas is also awaited by Austria after a half-century long commodity alliance. Billionaire Warren Buffer will let his children distribute his current fortune after his death.
Social network owners fear strict legislation in Australia
Google and Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook, on Tuesday urged the Australian government to delay a proposed law that bans most forms of social media for children under 16, saying more time is needed to assess its possible impact. The centre-left government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants to pass the law, which represents one of the strictest controls on the use of social media by children introduced in any country, by the end of the parliamentary year, that is, by Thursday.
The bill was introduced in parliament last week and was open for views submission for only one day. Google and Meta stated in their comments that the government should wait for the age verification trial results before starting the process. The age verification system can include biometric data or government identification to enforce age limits on social media, said Reuters agency.
After the snowfall, temperatures reached 19 degrees
Whilst it was snowing over the weekend, at the beginning of the work week, the stations of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute recorded a series of temperature records for November 25. Specifically, 8 % of all stations where official temperatures are measured. The warmest was in Zlaté Hory in the Jeseník region, where the mercury climbed up to 18.6 degrees Celsius. However, high temperatures will not last in the coming days, according to meteorologists, another cold front is approaching, ČTK reported.
End of Russian gas has also reached Austria
The triggering mechanism that stopped more than 50 years of gas flow from the Russian state energy giant Gazprom to OMV at the beginning of this month was the seizure of Russian gas by an Austrian group as payment to cover the value of an arbitration decision. OMV was among the few remaining buyers of Russian gas in Europe after Gazprom lost almost all of its customers there as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Before the war, Russia was the single largest supplier of natural gas to Europe.
On November 13, the company OMV announced that it won an arbitration case against Gazprom in Germany for 230 million euros in connection with irregular supplies to its German storage facility and that it would take steps to immediately collect receivables from Gazprom invoices. Three days later, Gazprom halted gas deliveries to the Austrian company, according to a Reuters agency report.
Billionaire Buffet will distribute his shares worth billions of dollars after his death
Investor Warren Buffett (94 years old) on Monday revived his tradition of giving on Thanksgiving Day when he distributed Berkshire Hathaway company shares worth more than $1.1 billion to four family foundations, and offered new details on who will distribute the rest of his wealth after his death.
Buffett has previously stated that his three children will divide his remaining $147.4 billion worth of assets over the course of ten years after his death, but he has now appointed successors, as it is possible that Buffett's children may die earlier than they distribute everything. He did not specify successors, but stated that all his children know them and agree that they would be a good choice. The famous stock investor thus confirmed that he did not build his wealth with the aim of his family managing it further, AP agency reported.
Sources: apnews.com, reuters.com, ČTK
