CNN blocks access to its Facebook page in Australia

CNN has blocked access to its Facebook page in Australia after a court ruled media companies were liable for defamatory user comments on their stories. Yesterday, Australian users trying to navigate to CNN's Facebook page received a message that the content was restricted. Australia's High Court upheld a ruling earlier this month that held media companies responsible for user comments on a story, opening them to potential prosecution under the country's heavy defamation laws. The US-based news operation said on Wednesday it had asked Facebook to help publishers disable the comments on their platform in Australia but the tech giant "chose not to do so". "We are disappointed that Facebook, once again, has failed to ensure its platform is a place for credible journalism...," a CNN spokesperson said in a statement on the outlet's website.

Israeli fire kills three Palestinians in day of unrest

Three Palestinians were killed yesterday by Israeli fire, including a woman who tried to stab officers in Jerusalem, a militant shot during West Bank clashes and a Gazan who approached the border fence. The violence comes days after an Israeli raid on militants in the occupied West Bank left five Palestinians dead. At dawn in Jerusalem, the sound of gunshots rang through the Old City, with the body of a woman lying on a stone street that leads to the Al-Aqsa mosque, an AFP journalist said. She was later draped in a survival blanket. Police said she had attempted to stab officers after being stopped for a check because her conduct aroused suspicion.

Russia reports record virus deaths for third day

Russia yesterday reported its highest coronavirus death toll for a third day in a row, as infections spike driven by the contagious Delta variant and slow vaccination rates. A government tally reported 867 fatalities over the past 24 hours and 23,888 new cases. The new figure brings the country's total deaths from Covid-19 to 207,255 -- the highest in Europe. Independent experts have accused authorities of downplaying the severity of the outbreak. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia's vaccination rate was "still insufficient". "We need to more actively continue to explain that the only thing that saves lives is the vaccine," Peskov told reporters yesterday. The world's fifth worst-hit country with more than seven million infections, Russia has seen cases climb over the past month as vaccinations stalled.