Byron Bay's Balloon Ban Explained

BYRON BAY BALLOON BAN
Byron Bay has just joined a long list of places in Australia, where single-use decorations, such as balloons, are no longer allowed. Yeah, party planning is about to look a whole lot different. You see, for people living in Australia's Byron Shire, single-use decorations are now banned, in all council buildings, parks and outdoor areas. I'm talking balloons, party poppers, glitter, even glow sticks. Why? You see, research has shown that plastic products are a significant threat to our marine life, because they can be easily mistaken for food. And because most of our go-to party decorations are made from plastic, they never fully break down. So while you might use a decoration once, it can stick around forever. In other parts of NSW you're actually allowed to release up to 19 helium balloons into the sky. But other states across Australia have completely banned it. And under Australia's National Waste Policy Action Plan, a lot of single-use plastics are set to be phased out by 2025. But don't worry, your parties can still look fabulous. Paper decorations are everywhere, from cool lanterns to streamers, to paper confetti! So it might be time to start rethinking your go-to party staples.

PUTIN AND KIM JONG UN
Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited North Korea for the first time in 24 years. He was welcomed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, here they had ceremonies, drank wine, and in the end signed an agreement together. The agreement has been called a mutual defence pledge, and while it's not clear exactly what's in it, it'll mean that the countries will help each other out if they're ever attacked.

STONEHENGE PROTEST
Britain's Stonehenge has been given an involuntary makeover. Environmental protestors from Just Stop Oil sprayed orange paint across part of the world heritage site. While onlookers tried to stop them, the two protestors were eventually arrested for damaging the ancient monument. And it's far from the first time we've seen protests like this. Lots of artworks have been targeted too, including the portrait of King Charles a week ago. So, we sent Josh to ask you guys what you think

AI ART CONTROVERSY
First up, to a photo of what appears to be a headless flamingo, which recently won people's choice and 3rd place at an AI art competition. Only catch? It's not an AI image at all, this is a real photo taken by photographer Miles Astray. While some saw it as a clever statement about AI and photography, the judges weren't impressed with this confession and immediately disqualified Miles' pic.

NVIDIA BIGGEST COMPANY
Now to tech giant NVIDIA, which has just become the biggest company in the world. Yep, bigger than Microsoft, or Apple, or Google, with a market cap of 5.1 trillion Aussie dollars. NVIDIA makes computer parts and software, and has boomed in value with the rise of AI.

AI CANDIDATE
And finally, to the UK, where local businessman Steve here is showing off his AI avatar which he's using to run for parliament! Yep, if he wins the election, AI Steve will become the world's first digital lawmaker. Real Steve says his AI clone can handle conversations with folks in the community, on all sorts of topics. But uh, I guess we'll have to wait and see what the public thinks.
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