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The ceasefire in Lebanon will not last long
Israel has a long track record of violating ceasefires, agreements, and resolutions meant to keep peace in the region.
A ‘new page’: World reacts to Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire
Agreement greeted with relief in Lebanon and beyond, with some pushing for 'urgent steps' to end Israel's war in Gaza.
Al Jazeera reports from ruins of Lebanese town after ceasefire
Following the Lebanon ceasefire deal, thousands of people plan to return to their homes in the south.
ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrant for Myanmar military regime chief
Karim Khan promises further arrests will be pursued in bid for justice and accountability by persecuted Rohingya.
Lebanese PM calls on Israel to commit to truce and withdraw
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati comments on ceasefire deal.
“Fear” Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire will mean another Sykes-Picot
Rami Khouri on why the Lebanon ceasefire negotiations may turn into another Western-led, carving up of the Middle East.
The difficulty of working as a medic in Gaza
In this episode of Centre Stage, our guest is British plastic surgeon, Dr Victoria Rose.
Russia VS Ukraine – The dangerous new phase
As winter descends, both Russia and Ukraine are deploying new resources in hopes of gaining a strategic foothold.
US envoy explains Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire agreement
“We don't have to be fast, we have to be smart.” US envoy Amos Hochstein has told Al Jazeera.
Lebanon’s political families: The Jumblatt dynasty
The Jumblatt family has led Lebanon's Druze community for generations amid civil war and political assassinations.
Pakistan police crackdown clears Imran Khan protesters from Islamabad
Top aide to imprisoned ex-PM says hundreds of protesters shot as authorities end lockdown after evicting PTI supporters.
South Korean capital hit by record November snowfall
Seoul is blanketed in snow, the bad weather snarling traffic, knocking out power and grounding hundreds of flights.
Displaced returning to southern Lebanon amid hopes ceasefire will hold
People quick to start making their way back to homes amid signs that Israel-Hezbollah truce is holding.
Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia handed four-year ban for avoiding dope test
Punia, who was at the forefront of protests against former wrestling body chief Brij Bhushan Singh, says he is innocent.
Thousands returning home to south Lebanon after Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire
Families start making their way home, defying Israeli military warning not to return to areas it had forcibly evacuated.
Australia's House of Representatives passes bill that would ban young children from social media
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — Australia’s House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that would ban children younger than 16 years old from social media, leaving it to the Senate to finalize the world-first law.
The major parties backed the bill that would make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to $33 million for systemic failures to prevent young children from holding accounts.
The legislation passed 102 to 13. If the bill becomes law this week, the platforms would have one year to work out how to implement the age restrictions before the penalties are enforced.
Opposition lawmaker Dan Tehan told Parliament the government had agreed to accept amendments in the Senate that would bolster privacy protections. Platforms would not be allowed to compel users to provide government-issued identity documents including passports or driver’s licenses. The platforms also could not demand digital identification through a government system.
“Will it be perfect? No. But is any law perfect? No, it’s not. But if it helps, even if it helps in just the smallest of ways, it will make a huge difference to people’s lives,” Tehan told Parliament.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the Senate would debate the bill later Wednesday. The major parties’ support all but guarantees the legislation will pass in the Senate, where no party holds a majority of seats.
Lawmakers who were not aligned with either the government or the opposition were most critical of the legislation during debate on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Criticisms include that the legislation had been rushed through Parliament without adequate scrutiny, would not work, would create privacy risks for users of all ages and would take away parents’ authority to decide what’s best for their children.
Critics also argue the ban would isolate children, deprive them of positive aspects of social media, drive children to the dark web, make children too young for social media reluctant to report harms they encountered and take away incentives for platforms to make online spaces safer.
Independent lawmaker Zoe Daniel said the legislation would “make zero difference to the harms that are inherent to social media.”
“The true object of this legislation is not to make social media safe by design, but to make parents and voters feel like the government is doing something about it,” Daniel told Parliament.
“There is a reason why the government parades this legislation as world-leading, that’s because no other country wants to do it,” she added.
The platforms had asked for the vote on legislation to be delayed until at least June next year when a government-commissioned evaluation of age assurance technologies made its report on how the ban could been enforced.
Melbourne resident Wayne Holdsworth, whose 17-year-old son Mac took his own life last year after falling victim to an online sextortion scam, described the bill as “absolutely essential for the safety of our children.”
“It’s not the only thing that we need to do to protect them because education is the key, but to provide some immediate support for our children and parents to be able to manage this, it’s a great step,” the 65-year-old online safety campaigner told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
“And in my opinion, it’s the greatest time in our country’s history,” he added, referring to the pending legal reform.
Is Russia poisoning Namibia’s water in its hunt for uranium?
Russian nuclear energy company Rosatom is trying to drill for uranium in Namibia. Farmers say a key aquifer is at risk.
Celebrations and heavy traffic as Lebanon ceasefire begins
People in Lebanon celebrated and thousands of cars filled the roads to return home after a ceasefire deal.
China launches corruption probe against Defence Minister Dong Jun: Report
Investigation is part of a broader probe into military corruption that unseated Dong's two predecessors.
Man City ‘weak and fragile’ but Guardiola defends team after Feyenoord loss
Manager admits his team are defensively 'not stable' after conceding three goals in 15 minutes in the Champions League.