Discord will soon require users globally to verify their age before accessing adult content. Users must confirm their age with a face scan or upload an official ID. The platform says it has more than 200 million monthly users. The company says the new safety measures will place all users into a teen-appropriate environment by default. Discord already enforces age checks in the UK and Australia to comply with online safety laws. The platform will expand the system globally from early March. Savannah Badalich, Discord’s policy head, said teen safety remains a top priority. She added that teen-by-default settings strengthen…
Author: OMN AI
Ships, Soot, and a Warming Arctic As global temperatures rise, previously frozen Arctic waters are opening new shipping routes, but this comes with a steep environmental cost. Black carbon, or soot, from ships settles on ice and snow, darkening surfaces and accelerating melting. “It ends up in a never-ending cycle of increased warming,” says Sian Prior, lead adviser for the Clean Arctic Alliance. The faster the ice melts, the more heat the Arctic absorbs, making it the fastest-warming region on Earth and influencing weather patterns worldwide. Cleaner Fuel Rules Face Political Hurdles To tackle the problem, France, Germany, Denmark, and…
People who drink a couple of teas or coffees a day appear to have a lower risk of dementia and slightly better cognitive performance, researchers say. A US study tracking more than 130,000 people for up to 40 years found that those who drank two to three cups of caffeinated coffee or one to two cups of caffeinated tea daily had a 15–20% lower dementia risk than non-drinkers. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, also showed slightly less cognitive decline among caffeinated coffee drinkers compared with those who chose decaf. Researchers caution the results do…
The Seattle Seahawks overpowered the New England Patriots with a relentless defensive display, winning the Super Bowl 29-13 at Levi’s Stadium. The victory marked Seattle’s second championship in franchise history. Two of the NFL’s most dominant defences met in the season’s biggest game, and Seattle controlled the field from the opening snap. Briton Aden Durde became the first overseas coach to lift the league’s top prize in the United States. Dark Side Defence Dominates Seattle’s 46-year-old defensive coordinator has built the NFL’s most feared unit, nicknamed “the Dark Side.” On Super Bowl Sunday in Santa Clara, California, the Patriots could…
LDP Claims Dominant Victory Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appears set for a decisive win in Sunday’s snap elections, with early estimates showing her ruling bloc capturing roughly 300 of 465 seats in the lower house. If confirmed, this would mark the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) strongest performance since 2017 under the late Shinzo Abe. The projected two-thirds majority could allow the party to govern independently, without relying on the Japan Innovation Party (JIP). LDP Secretary General Shunichi Suzuki credited voters for supporting Takaichi’s proactive fiscal policies and push to strengthen Japan’s national defense. In contrast, the opposition’s new Centrist…
BP faces renewed shareholder pressure as it prepares to publish full-year results expected to show weaker profits. Analysts forecast earnings of about $7.5bn, down from nearly $9bn in 2024, after oil prices fell for a third straight year. Crude dipped below $60 a barrel late in 2025, hitting fourth-quarter results. Incoming chief executive Meg O’Neill will be pressed to outline a clearer strategy as investors question BP’s recent shift back toward fossil fuels. Activist shareholders, including groups led by the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility and Follow This, want limits on oil and gas spending and plans for a future…
A South Korean cryptocurrency exchange accidentally sent customers more than 40 billion dollars in bitcoin. The mistake briefly turned some users into multimillionaires. The company had intended to give a small reward of 2,000 won, worth about 1.37 dollars. Instead, it sent 2,000 bitcoins to customers on Friday. The platform Bithumb apologised for the error and detailed the incident. The company said it quickly noticed the mistake and recovered nearly all missing tokens. It restricted trading and withdrawals for 695 affected customers within 35 minutes of the glitch. Exchange Recovers Nearly All Erroneous Bitcoin Bithumb said it retrieved 99.7 percent…
Italy and Germany Projects Halted Automotive Cells Company (ACC) has officially abandoned plans to build electric vehicle battery gigafactories in Italy and Germany. The Italian metalworkers’ union UILM confirmed that ACC management informed them the Termoli plant is definitively canceled, with the Kaiserslautern project in Germany also shelved. Both projects had been on hold since 2024 due to weaker-than-expected EV market growth. Slower EV Adoption Forces Strategic Reassessment ACC, a joint venture backed by Stellantis, TotalEnergies, and Mercedes-Benz, said it is evaluating cheaper battery technologies and that the conditions for restarting the factories “are not yet in place.” The company…
Researchers say testing menstrual blood could provide a simple alternative to cervical screening.A sanitary pad fitted with a blood strip can detect human papillomavirus, which causes most cervical cancers. Scientists in China compared pad-collected menstrual blood with clinician-taken cervical samples.The study involved more than 3,000 women aged 20 to 54 with regular periods. Results, published in BMJ, showed similar accuracy between both methods.The pad test detected serious cervical cell changes with 94.7% sensitivity. Researchers said the method could offer a non-invasive, home-based screening option.It may help reach women who currently skip clinical screening appointments. Cancer Research UK welcomed the findings…
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order threatening tariffs on countries that continue trading with Iran. The order does not set a fixed rate but uses 25 percent as an example. It states the tariff could apply to goods imported into the United States from any nation that directly or indirectly purchases goods or services from Iran. Trump did not comment directly on the order but emphasized that Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons. He spoke from Air Force One while senior US and Iranian officials held talks in Oman after weeks of escalating threats. Trump had already…
