A Los Angeles jury found Alphabet’s Google and Meta liable for US$3 million in damages on Wednesday in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit. The ‌outcome could influence thousands of similar cases against the tech companies brought by parents, attorneys general and school districts. At least half of American teenagers use YouTube or Instagram daily, according to the Pew Research Centre. The Los Angeles case involves a 20-year-old woman who said she became addicted to the apps at a young age...

A woman from Florida pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to the attempted murder of singer Rihanna. Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, of Orlando, also pleaded not guilty through her lawyer to more than a dozen other felony counts in Los Angeles Superior Court. Prosecutors allege the singer, her hip-hop star partner A$AP Rocky and their three young children were among the people assaulted at their home in the Beverly Hills area on March 8 when Ortiz, 35, pulled up to the property and sprayed bullets from an...

The skeleton of famed French musketeer Charles de Batz de Castelmore d’Artagnan may have been found in front of a church altar in the Dutch city of Maastricht, church officials and an archaeologist said on Wednesday. Workers ‌discovered a grave containing human remains beneath tiles after part of the floor of St Peter and Paul Church subsided in February, triggering a race to identify the skeleton through DNA testing. “This has truly become a top-level investigation, in which we want to be...

A former nurse made history on Wednesday when she was enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman to lead the centuries-old mother church of the world’s 85 million-strong Anglican community. Sarah Mullally, 63, formally steps into the role after an abuse scandal led to the departure of her predecessor. The former midwife was formally installed in the historic ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral in southeast England in front of around 2,000 people including heir to the throne Prince...

Hong Kong has held onto its crown as the exclusive regional home of Art Basel for the next five years, the culture minister has announced, after a deal was struck to secure the partnership as the city looks to enhance its status as an international art-trading hub. Some galleries at a preview for the local edition of the world-renowned annual art fair told the South China Morning Post that global uncertainties had prompted collectors to take a greater interest in buying works from established...

China Eastern Airlines said on Wednesday it placed a multibillion-dollar order for 101 Airbus A320neo aircraft, marking another success for the French company after it raked in big orders from Chinese airlines in December and amid uncertainties related to a widely speculated potential deal between its rival Boeing and Beijing. While the list price of the deal would be US$15.8 billion, China Eastern said Airbus had granted it “a significant price discount” which was “more favourable than the...

Japan’s structural reform of its maritime force reflects a shift towards quasi-carrier operations and preparations for a potential conflict with Beijing, according to Chinese analysts. The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) on Monday revamped its organisational structure to accelerate decision-making and improve ship operations, according to Kyodo News. The agency described the move as part of Japan’s efforts to strengthen defence amid China’s growing assertiveness. As part of the...