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Geneva — The arrest and charging of Telegram founder Pavel Durov is a complex case which raises a lot of human rights concerns, the United Nations said Tuesday. The Russian-born chief of the popular but controversial messaging app was sensationally detained at Le Bourget airport outside Paris on August 24 and then charged with a litany of violations related to the messaging app. He was also banned from leaving France. Numerous questions have been raised about the timing and circumstances of Durov's detention, with supporters seeing the 39-year-old as a freedom of speech champion and detractors as a menace who willfully allowed Telegram to get out of control. "This is a very complex case. It raises a lot of human rights concerns," said Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the U.N. Human Rights Office. She told a media briefing that the Geneva-based agency was considering publishing a paper setting out "the parameters within which these situations should be looked at." She also cited the recent blocking of X in Brazil, where the country's supreme court on Monday ratified the decision by one of its judges to suspend the social media platform for alleged judicial transgressions. Brazil's suspension of X "also raises similar concerns about states having the duty to ensure that social media platforms comply with the law that freedom of expression is permitted," but in line with certain restrictions, Shamdasani said. She called for any restrictions that are imposed to be "proportional" and "in line with international human rights standards." "So we are following this case, and it's difficult for us to get more specific at this point" on the case and on the charges against Durov, because the U.N. Human Rights Office does not have access "to the full information." She said states should be able to regulate platforms, with regulations comply with laws consistent with international human rights law. "The principles of legality, necessity and proportionality, hate speech, incitement to hatred or violence, harmful disinformation, need to be addressed," she said. U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk wrote to the owner of X Elon Musk in November 2022, urging him to make respect for human rights central to the social network. In an open letter, he warned against propagating hate speech and misinformation and highlighted the need to protect user privacy.

Wellington, New Zealand — New Zealand's spy service branded China a "complex intelligence concern" Tuesday and warned the Pacific nation was vulnerable to foreign interference.    In an annual threat report, the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service said several countries were undertaking "malicious activity" on its shores and called out China's attempts as "complex and deceptive."  In particular, Beijing was accused of using front organizations to connect with local groups to replace authentic and diverse community views with those approved by the ruling party.   In one example, a Chinese-language community news outlet parroted Beijing's talking points, it said.  "These front organizations will often appear to be community-based... but their true affiliation, direction and funding sources are hidden," the report said.   The unusually blunt language comes as New Zealand's recently elected center-right government tilts the country's foreign policy more closely toward traditional Western allies.   This comes after years of growing economic ties with China — New Zealand's biggest trade partner.   In March, Wellington publicly said a Chinese state-sponsored group was behind a 2021 malicious cyber-attack that infiltrated sensitive government computer systems.   China dismissed allegations of hacking and accused New Zealand critics of being puppets of Washington.   'Manage them'   New Zealand's spy agency said the country's geographical position and role in the Pacific region made it "vulnerable" to other countries striving for greater influence.  That included Russia, which "likely monitors the public statements and social media accounts" of people.  In another case, an unnamed country contacted a local New Zealand council and offered to pay for a community event if they agreed to restrict a particular religious group.   Andrew Hampton, Director-General of Security, said the report aimed to be upfront about threats facing the country.   "The point is not to alarm anyone but to alert New Zealanders to the threats so that we can work together to manage them," he said.   Earlier this year, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the country could no longer depend on the "splendid isolation" provided by its geography.  China remains New Zealand's biggest trading partner — exporting diary, meat and wood products that exceeded US$13.2 billion, according to the most recent official data.    Luxon has warned that although China was "a country of undoubted influence," different values mean "there are issues on which we cannot and will not agree." 

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SYDNEY — Global concerns over plastic pollution and cuts to fossil fuel use are behind a new Australian-led initiative to develop a new generation of 100 percent compostable plastic. Experts estimate that more than 170 trillion pieces of plastic are floating in the world's oceans. There are growing concerns about the impact of micro-plastics on health and the environment.     The Bioplastics Innovation Hub aims to “revolutionize” plastic packaging by making biologically-made plastic that can break down in compost, land or water.   The aim is to produce water bottles, for example, using bioplastics derived from waste products from the food industry.  The green plastic scheme brings together the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, the CSIRO - Australia’s national science agency - and Murdoch University in Perth in a multi-million dollar collaboration with industry partners.  Andrew Whiteley, a CSIRO research program director, told VOA the technology could be ground-breaking. “What we are really essentially doing is trying to phase out those fossil fuel plastics and bring in this new generation of bioplastics, which take over the roles of the plastics that we have already been using. So it is, really, just that switch over and going forward in a more sustainable way using these bioplastics.”  Australian states and territories have been phasing out various plastics for several years. At the start of September 2024, more items have been banned in South Australia and Western Australia, including polystyrene containers and cups, plastic confetti, and plastic coffee cups and lids. Chile, Kenya, India and New Zealand have also imposed restrictions on some single-use plastic products, such as bags or cutlery. But there is a warning that the degradation of everyday plastic items, from packaging and in clothing, is creating microplastics that pollute the environment and pose a risk to health.     Michelle Blewitt is the program director of the Australian Microplastic Assessment Project, a national citizen science organization, which has been monitoring microplastics. She told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. the microplastic problem is getting worse. “Micro plastics are particles that are less than 5mm in size and they can break up into smaller and smaller pieces until they become airborne.  So, they are found in our waterways and in the air and our homes and certainly on the beaches around our waterways as well.” CSIRO scientists say the biodegradable plastic scheme is part of Australia's commitment to the United Nations Global Treaty on plastic pollution.  It aims to be a legally binding international agreement between 175 countries to reduce the production and consumption of high-risk plastic. About 98% of single-use plastic products are made from fossil fuels, according to the U.N.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.