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Moderate earthquake kills 1 person, damages dozens of homes in northern Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck northern Pakistan on Monday, killing at least one person and damaging dozens of mud-brick houses, authorities said.

In a statement, the regional Gilgit-Baltistan government said the tremors mainly caused damage across the Hunza Valley. The tremors, which were also felt in several districts in the northwest, triggered landslides in Hunza and nearby towns, blocking several roads, it said.

According to the statement, rescue teams were still collecting information on casualties and damages. The quake’s epicenter was in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

Pakistan lies along an active seismic zone and is frequently hit by earthquakes.

A magnitude 7.6 quake in 2005 killed thousands of people in Pakistan and Kashmir, which is divided between Pakistan and India and claimed by both.

Australian watchdog files legal action against Telegram, saying it failed to remove violent content

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s online safety watchdog has filed legal action against messaging app Telegram, saying the platform failed to remove extremist content including videos of white supremacist mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and the New Zealand city of Christchurch as well as Islamic State group beheadings. The United Arab Emirates-based app, which reports having 1 billion users worldwide, faces a fine of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars ($38 million) if convicted in the Australian Federal Court for “alleged failure to detect and remove pro-terror material,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Thursday. The civil action is a test of Australia's 2021 law requiring tech platforms to work to keep illegal and pro-terrorism material off their networks. Telegram denied the claims. “We reject these allegations and will contest them in court,” a spokesperson said in a written statement sent on Telegram.
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