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3 French tourists drown when their boat capsizes in Oman

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Three French tourists drowned in Oman after the boat they were in capsized in waters off the sultanate’s capital city of Muscat, police said Tuesday.

The Royal Oman Police said the ship carried 25 French tourists, as well as a tour guide and a boat captain, when it capsized in the Gulf of Oman. It said three tourists died and two suffered minor injuries.

The police said in a short statement that “investigations are still ongoing to determine the circumstances of the incident.”

The French Foreign Ministry expressed condolences to the victims’ loved ones, and said in a statement that French consular authorities are working with Oman authorities to support their families. French officials did not provide further information.

Oman, on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, draws tourists from around the world for its diving and natural beauty, though the nation remains overshadowed as a destination by skyscraper-studded Dubai in the neighboring United Arab Emirates.

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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