Facebook and Instagram owner Meta said on Thursday it had taken down more than 750,000 accounts it suspected ‌were held by Australians aged under 16 since a world-first ban on teen accounts, and promised more action in the face of possible regulatory intervention, Reuters reported.

The company said it had deactivated 462,000 suspect Instagram accounts and 294,000 suspect Facebook accounts from just before the Australian social media ban went live in December to June, up from 331,000 Instagram accounts and 173,000 Facebook accounts it said it had removed by January.

The world’s largest social media company has said it wants to ⁠comply with a law it and other platforms have vocally opposed, just as Australia’s internet regulator considers an enforcement lawsuit against platforms, including some that Meta owns, that it says have failed to take sufficient steps to comply with the law.

No other platforms have released compliance data that matches the date range given by Meta, but Australian government figures and multiple independent studies have shown more than eight in 10 under-16s were still on social media in the ban’s first three months, according to Reuters.

The Australian government proposed the landmark law, which came into force on December 10, on concerns about social media’s impact on the physical and mental health of children and young teens.

With other countries around the world considering similar age-restrictions, Australia has accused the platforms of intentionally setting the ban ‌up ⁠to fail, and has introduced a law to double the maximum penalty for non-compliance to A$99 million ($69.75 million) and give the regulator greater document discovery powers.

Representatives of Meta, TikTok, YouTube owner Google and Snap’s Snapchat are scheduled to give evidence in a parliamentary inquiry about the changes on Friday, as are regulatory and government officials.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Bulgarian National Television (BNT) revealed that Burgas has been selected to host the 71st Eurovision Song Contest in May 2027.

Bulgaria’s Black Sea city Burgas will welcome artists, delegations, fans, journalists and millions of viewers from around the world for three spectacular live shows on Tuesday 11 May, Thursday 13 May and Saturday 15 May 2027, EBU said in a press release.

The Contest will be staged at Bulgaria’s newest sports and entertainment venue, Arena Burgas, which was opened in 2023.

A full schedule of activities will take place around the Contest in Burgas during Eurovision week. More details about Eurovision Village, EuroClub and the wider cultural and entertainment programme will be revealed in the coming weeks and months.

BNT and Burgas will host the Contest following DARA’s historic victory for Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna with “Bangaranga”, securing the country’s first-ever Eurovision win and bringing the Contest to Bulgaria for the first time.

The Grand Final of the 71st Eurovision Song Contest will take place on Saturday 15 May, with two Semi-Finals on Tuesday 11 and Thursday 13 May.

Bulgaria’s 4th largest city is known for its beaches, parks, cultural life and vibrant summer events. The city has built a strong reputation for hosting music, arts and international cultural festivals, and its location will offer Eurovision fans a very unique setting for the world’s largest live music event.

Burgas was selected following a competitive Host City process involving four Bulgarian cities. A dedicated international working group comprising representatives of BNT and the EBU, together with international experts who have worked on the Eurovision Song Contest in recent years, reviewed the submitted documentation, visited the proposed venues, held additional meetings with the municipal teams and conducted numerous working sessions throughout the evaluation process.

The assessment examined the proposed venues, technical and production requirements, local infrastructure, accommodation, transport and the ability of each city to welcome the thousands of artists, delegations, production staff, journalists and fans who will travel to Bulgaria for the Contest.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited a disputed island close to Japan on Thursday prompting a strong condemnation from Tokyo, which said his ‌actions had made any improvement of relations between the countries difficult, Reuters reported.

The island, known in Russia as Iturup and in Japan as Etorofu, is one of four in the Kuril chain close to Japan’s main islands seized by Moscow in the days after Japan’s surrender in World War Two.

Tokyo has maintained its claim to them, making their return a condition for concluding a formal peace ⁠treaty that would unlock closer economic ties.

It “hurts the feelings of the Japanese people and is absolutely unacceptable,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a televised statement. “We hope that the Russian side will take the seriousness of this matter fully to heart,” she added.

Ties between Moscow and Tokyo soured after Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Japan joined other nations in condemning the attack and imposing sanctions on Russia.

Dmitry Medvedev was the first Russian leader to visit the disputed territory in 2010.

On Thursday, the Russian and Chinese ambassadors to Japan, Nikolai Nozdrev and Chinese Ambassador Wu Jianghao, issued a joint statement pledging to oppose attempts to revise the results of World War Two. They also warned ⁠against re-militarisation in the Asia-Pacific, language that echoes Moscow’s rejection of Japan’s claim to the islands.

On the trip, which state news agency TASS described as Putin’s first to the island chain, he visited the Yasny fish-processing plant on the island, after overseeing ⁠navy drills in Russia’s Far East.

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said Russia handed over 261 bodies of fallen servicemen to Kyiv on August 13, the BBC Russian Service reports.

“As a result of repatriation measures, the bodies of 261 fallen soldiers, which according to the Russian side belong to Ukrainian servicemen, have been returned to Ukraine,” the headquarters said.

According to the statement, law enforcement investigators and representatives of expert institutions will work to establish the identities of the deceased.

Russian media reported that, as part of the exchange, Ukraine handed over 24 bodies to Russia.

The previous exchange of fallen soldiers’ bodies between Russia and Ukraine took place on July 16. According to representatives of both sides, Ukraine handed over 31 bodies to Russia at the time, while Russia handed over 501 bodies to Ukraine.

The Kazbegi-Upper Lars border crossing between Georgia and Russia has been closed due to rising water levels in the Devdoraki Gorge, TASS reports, citing a statement from Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.

“The early warning system installed in Devdoraki, which detects even minor changes in the riverbed, was triggered. In accordance with protocol, citizens at the checkpoint, patrol police and border police officers working there, as well as representatives of private companies, were evacuated,” the statement said.

The Interior Ministry added that, as a precautionary measure, vehicle traffic had been restricted near the village of Gveleti, close to the border.

The Kazbegi-Upper Lars border crossing is the only operational checkpoint connecting Georgia and Russia.

Armenia’s Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan chaired a meeting summarizing the work of Yerevan’s police units in the first half of 2026, the Interior Ministry said.

The meeting reviewed the work of the Yerevan City Department of the Criminal Police, the capital’s Community Police divisions, the Yerevan City Battalion of the Patrol Service and the Yerevan divisions of the Police Guard.

Acting Chief of Police–Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Kamo Tsutsulyan, as well as representatives of the ministry and the Police leadership, were present.

The Head of the Yerevan City Department of the Criminal Police reported that during the reporting period, 1,833 cases of crime were registered by the department, approximately 20.9 percent fewer than during the same period of the previous year. The number of serious and particularly serious crimes decreased. Crimes against persons decreased by 39.3 percent, crimes against property by 23.5 percent, and crimes against economic activity by 41.3 percent. At the same time, crimes against state authority, service, and the established order of administration increased by 81.5 percent. Attempts at murder decreased by 7.7 percent, while crimes committed with the use of firearms decreased by 18.2 percent. Cases of residential burglary and fraud also decreased.

Crimes against public safety, public order, and public health increased, which was mainly due to Patrol Service officers detecting cases of driving vehicles without a driver’s license.

The ministry also reviewed the performance of the capital’s Community Police divisions. Crime figures varied across districts, with cases increasing in several divisions and decreasing in others. Crimes against persons and property generally declined in a number of districts, while cases of domestic violence increased in several areas. The Nubarashen Division registered 128 cases, compared with 50 during the same period of the previous year, while the Erebuni Division recorded 817 cases, 21 percent more than a year earlier. The Kentron Division registered 1,553 cases, 44.4 percent fewer than during the previous year. In Arabkir, 968 cases were registered, of which 605, or 62.5 percent, were cleared. The Malatia Division recorded 501 cases, with a clearance rate of 80.4 percent, compared with 70.3 percent the previous year. The Nor Nork Division registered 610 cases, of which 493, or 80.8 percent, were cleared. In Davtashen, 302 cases were recorded, 227 of which, or 75.2 percent, were cleared. The Metropolitan Division recorded 22 cases, 29 percent fewer than during the previous year, while the Zvartnots Airport Division recorded 92 cases, of which 78, or 84.8 percent, were cleared. No crimes committed by minors were recorded in Kanaker-Zeytun.

Officers of the Yerevan City Battalion of the Patrol Service cleared 1,336 cases of crime, 55 more than during the same period of the previous year. A total of 129,174 reports were drawn up for various administrative offenses. Although road traffic accidents increased in the capital, the number of fatalities and injured persons resulting from them decreased.

During the first half of the year, the Yerevan units of the Police Guard, alongside protecting facilities, maintaining public order, and ensuring public safety, also solved a number of crimes.

Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan thanked the personnel for the work carried out and emphasized that, despite positive trends recorded in a number of types of crime, the results of work in certain areas were not satisfactory.

The Minister issued a strict instruction to intensify work with persons who are in hostile relations with one another, with the aim of preventing further criminal manifestations.

Emphasizing that the number of serious and particularly serious crimes in the capital had decreased, Minister Sargsyan nevertheless expressed concern about crimes committed with the use of firearms. The Minister instructed that, alongside clearance efforts, the causes of such crimes be analyzed and targeted and consistent work be carried out to prevent them.

Arpine Sargsyan emphasized the need to intensify operational and intelligence measures, targeted work, and searches aimed at detecting and seizing illegal weapons and ammunition.

The Minister of Internal Affairs emphasized the need to intensify the fight against the criminal subculture and to strengthen cooperation among the divisions in order to prevent possible consequences.

Addressing crimes against property, the Minister highlighted the trend of decreasing residential burglaries and emphasized the need to ensure continuity of preventive work. At the same time, it was stressed that particular attention must be paid to thefts committed from vehicles.

Instructions were also issued to intensify efforts to prevent and solve fraud, crimes committed using information technologies, crimes against economic activity, illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, and certain types of crimes against persons.

Particular attention was also drawn to the morale within the divisions, service discipline, and proper communication with citizens. The heads were instructed to keep these areas under constant supervision.

The decrease in the number of fatalities and injuries resulting from road traffic accidents in Yerevan during the first half of 2026 was assessed positively, and instructions were issued to maintain the positive dynamics.

Minister Arpine Sargsyan emphasized that it is necessary to ensure the active involvement of the Police Guard in efforts to prevent and solve crimes.

Ukraine has proposed a mutual halt to strikes on commercial vessels in the Black Sea and on logistics facilities considered important by both sides.

According to Reuters, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara had proposed that the two sides establish a mechanism for a moratorium on attacks in the Black Sea.

“The Ukrainian side already had such a proposal. We have also conveyed it to our Russian counterparts and are now awaiting a response,” Fidan said.

The Turkish foreign minister noted that military ports and vessels had initially been the targets of strikes, but commercial ships were now also coming under attack.

According to Fidan, both sides are striking logistics facilities that are important to the other, which he described as a dangerous development.

Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan chaired a review of the work carried out by the Police units in Aragatsotn Province during the first half of the year.

Acting Police Chief–Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Kamo Tsutsulyan and other senior officials were present at the meeting.

According to a press release issued by the ministry, Sargsyan, addressing crime trends, instructed officials to intensify operational and intelligence measures to combat the criminal subculture, emphasizing that any such manifestations must receive a swift, proportionate, and uncompromising response from the police.

Minister Sargsyan also instructed officials to pursue consistent efforts to detect, investigate, and prevent economic crimes, particularly by strengthening oversight in the mining sector.

The minister stressed the importance of an active police patrol presence in communities, noting that preventive policing should be more visible and accessible, including in residential courtyards. She instructed authorities to strengthen police services during the holiday season and ensure continuous monitoring in recreational areas.

Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan, accompanied by other officials, visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex in Yerevan again to inspect the ongoing second phase of maintenance and renovation work.

The ministry said in a press release that, as part of the second phase of the improvement works, the foundations of three more pillars of the Temple of Eternity are being completely renovated, along with renovation work in the museum section.

During the visit, representatives of the contractor briefed the minister on the progress and scope of the work, as well as the tasks ahead. It was reported that continuous professional oversight is being carried out to ensure the quality of the construction and improvement works.

Minister Zhanna Andreasyan stressed the importance of carrying out the work to a high standard, in accordance with the established requirements and within the specified deadlines.

Since the maintenance work began, the minister has regularly visited the site to inspect the progress on the ground.

The Armenian government has allocated an additional AMD 2.64 billion ($7.24 million) from the reserve fund to the Ministry of Environment for organizing and hosting the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17).

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Environment Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan highlighted that Armenia will host and preside over COP17.

He noted that representatives from the 196 countries that are parties to the convention, as well as tens of thousands of participants from around the world, are expected to attend.

“By hosting and presiding over COP17, we will also become one of the centers of global decision-making,” Matevosyan said.

He said preparations are in full swing.

COP17 will be preceded by a Leaders’ Summit, which will bring together heads of state and government, as well as leaders of international organizations.

The summit is expected to adopt the “Yerevan Declaration for the Preservation of Life on Earth.”

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Armenia has never hosted an event of this scale before.

“There will be a very significant influx of tourists, and this is a great opportunity for our private sector—first to provide services and then to promote those services. People who visit Armenia once often return and also recommend Armenia to others,” Pashinyan said.

He noted that the organizational costs of the event are being financed from the state budget, while major investments have been directed toward the private sector. According to him, significant investment has also been made in the Meridian Center, the venue for the meeting, resulting in an eight-year service agreement being signed with the center.

“We sometimes face difficulties when organizing events, and this investment addresses that issue. It is very important for us to have infrastructure that meets international standards,” Pashinyan added.

The 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity will be held in Yerevan from October 19 to 30, 2026.