Entertainment
Key upgrader ablaze for second time in weeks
A massive explosion and blaze hit the Petrocedeño crude upgrader in eastern Venezuela on Wednesday, November 19, marking the second major incident at the critical facility this month and underscoring the perilous state of the country’s oil infrastructure.
The incident occurred in the afternoon at the José Antonio Anzoátegui Petrochemical Complex, located in the heart of Venezuela’s Orinoco Belt.
As per sources cited by Reuters and local media, the explosion ignited near the facility’s distillation tower.
The fire was reported to have potentially spread to a nearby naphtha plant, raising concerns of a cascading emergency.
Responding to the situation, the emergency teams from state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), which operates the project, swiftly started a large-scale evacuation of personnel from the site.
Ambulances were seen rushing to the complex, though officials have not yet confirmed any injuries or fatalities.
PDVSA crews managed to contain the blaze by late evening.
The incident strikes at a core component of Venezuela’s petroleum dependent economy.
Crude upgraders such as Petrocedeño are crucial for converting the country’s vast reserves of extra-heavy crude into exportable grades.
The repeated blazes at such a key facility signifies the severe vulnerabilities caused by years of underinvestment, insufficient maintenance, and the crippling effect of international sanctions.
This is the second fire to hit the Petrocedeño upgrader in June alone, highlighting a major ongoing operational and safety challenges plaguing PDVSA as it struggles to revive its oil industry.
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau are reportedly going strong.
As per the latest report of RadarOnline.com, the singer cannot stop gushing about Trudeau behind the scenes, particularly about how great of a lover he is.
However, despite the growing affection, the pair has decided to be far more discreet about their relationship in public.
It is noteworthy that Trudeau and the Dark Horse singer made their first official appearance as a couple during Perry’s birthday celebration at a cabaret show at Crazy Horse Paris.
“They’ve decided to be much more private about it,” a source shared, adding that both are trying to stay low-key amid intense public and media speculation.
It is noteworthy that Katy and Justin first sparked dating rumors after they were spotted enjoying dinner together in Montreal back in July.
Their romance speculation intensified after they were later photographed kissing on a yacht in early October.
According to insiders, the two have been spending as much time together as their schedules allow.
However, they now want to protect the relationship from unnecessary scrutiny.
Drake has drawn attention on social media after liking a comment aimed at ex Serena Williams.
The rapper, 39, posted tennis-themed photos with Sexyy Red on November 17, captioned, “I said tennis lesson she said where’s the bracelet or the necklace.”
Under the post, one user commented, “Serena Williams upgrade,” accompanied by two fire emojis. Drake appeared to approve by liking the comment, which led another user to call him “messy for liking” it.
The interaction comes months after Williams, 44, told Time her cameo in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show was “absolutely not” a dig at Drake.
Williams was spotted dancing during Lamar’s performance of Not Like Us, a song widely interpreted as a diss track aimed at the rapper.
She insisted her appearance was a nod to her 2012 London Olympics celebration and added she “would never” mock her ex.
Williams described her relationship with Drake as long-standing and said she has “never had negative feelings towards him.” Drake previously referenced her in his 2013 song Worst Behavior.
Australians younger than 16 will be removed from Facebook and Instagram on December 4, tech giant Meta said Thursday, as Canberra prepares to enforce sweeping laws banning teens from social media.
From December 10, Australia will force social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, to remove users under the age of 16 or face hefty fines.
Meta said that it would start removing teenagers from its platforms ahead of the ban coming into force.
“From today, Meta will be notifying Australian users it understands to be aged 13-15 that they will lose access to Instagram, Threads and Facebook,” Meta said in a statement.
“Meta will begin blocking new under-16 accounts and revoking existing access from 4 December, expecting to remove all known under-16s by 10 December.”
There are around 350,000 Instagram users aged between 13-15 in Australia and around 150,000 Facebook accounts, according to government figures.
Meta has started warning impacted users that they will soon be locked out.
“Soon, you’ll no longer be able to use Facebook and your profile won’t be visible to you or others,” reads a message sent to impacted users.
“When you turn 16, we’ll let you know that you can start using Facebook again.”
Teenagers will be able to access their accounts “exactly as you left it” once they turn 16, Meta told them.
Hefty fines
Accounts that were flagged by mistake could verify their age using a “video selfie” or by providing government-issued ID.
Social media companies have previously described the laws as “vague”, “problematic” and “rushed”.
Meta again voiced its concerns on Thursday.
“We share the Australian Government’s goal of creating safe, age-appropriate online experiences, but cutting teens off from their friends and communities isn’t the answer.”
There is keen interest in whether Australia’s sweeping restrictions can work as regulators around the globe wrestle with the dangers of social media.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, will introduce a similar bill to restrict children’s social media use.
And the Dutch government advised parents this year to forbid children under 15 from using social media apps like TikTok and Snapchat.
Social media companies caught flouting the laws will face fines of up to Aus$49.5 million (US$32 million).
On paper, the ban is one of the strictest in the world.
But some experts are concerned that the law will be merely symbolic because of the difficulty in implementing and policing online age verification.
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