World

Australia to ban children from using social media

Published

4 weeks ago

September 12, 2024 7:45 am

BodexNG

The Australian government has proposed a bill on a minimum age limit for children to use social media, citing mental and physical health concerns.

Anthony Albanese, prime minister of Australia, said his government would run an age verification trial before introducing the legislation.

“I want to see kids off their devices and onto the footy fields and the swimming pools and the tennis courts,” Albanese said.

“We want them to have real experiences with real people because we know that social media is causing social harm.”

The law would place Australia on the list of countries to impose age restriction on social media.

Australia’s internet regulator, eSafety Commissioner, said in June that “restriction-based approaches may limit young people’s access to critical support” and push them to “less regulated non-mainstream services”.

‘GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO STEP IN’

The proposal follows South Australia’s plan to restrict social media access to people aged 14 and over.

Peter Malinauskas, South Australian premier, said the proposal was fuelled by concerns that social media was harming young people and affecting their mental health, leaving parents “almost powerless”.

“The government is now going to step in, we’re going to ban kids from getting access to these accounts,” he said.

“We’re going to ban the social media services from providing access in that first place and where they do it and do it knowingly, they are subject to severe punishment, heavy financial penalties that will act as a major deterrent to ensure this doesn’t occur in the future.”

Malinauskas said the proposed regulation put “a positive obligation and duty” on social media companies to ensure children under 14 cannot access such platforms.

“That positive duty and obligation doesn’t just extend to prevent individual children from getting access to the platform but creates a systemic responsibility on the social media platforms to ensure they are undertaking all reasonable steps to prevent children from getting access,” he said.

If passed, the legislation will require social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent access by any South Australian child under the age of 14.

They would also have to ensure teens aged 14–15 could only access platforms with parental content.

Bans and limited access would be overseen by a state regulator who would monitor compliance and impose sanctions, such as: warnings, infringement notices and fines; and court proceedings that impose corrective orders or civil penalties.

Legal action could also be taken against providers by either a regulator or parents on behalf of a child who has suffered significant mental or physical harm.

World

Israel bans UN secretary-general from entering country

Published

5 days ago

October 3, 2024 10:20 am

BodexNG

Israel Katz, Israeli foreign minister, has announced a ban preventing Antonio Guterres, secretary general of the United Nations (UN), from entering the country.

In an X post on Wednesday, Katz termed Guterres “undesirable”.

“I decided today to declare U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres an undesirable personality in Israel and to ban his entry into Israel,” Katz said.

Guterres failed to “unequivocally condemn Iran’s criminal attack on Israel” on Tuesday, Katz said, and as a result “does not deserve to set foot on Israel’s soil.”

Iran said its missile attacks on Israel was retaliation for the deaths of Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah leader; Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas political leader; and Abbas Nilforoushan, a senior commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Israeli air strikes killed those three figures in recent times, tipping the region closer toward a multi-front crisis.

After Iran fired missiles at Israel, Gutteres condemned the broadening of the Middle East conflict.

“This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire,” the UN chief said.

Katz accused Guterres of giving “support to the terrorists, rapists and murderers of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and now to the mother ship of global terrorism, Iran”.

“Israel will continue to protect its citizens and maintain its status and national honor with or without Antonio Guterres,” the foreign minister added.

Banning the UN chief from entering the country marks a major escalation in tensions between Israel and the global body.

Several UN officials were also banned from entering Israel in recent months, including Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur for Palestinians, and the UN humanitarian office chief in occupied Palestinian territory.

Israel has also attacked the credibility of the UN agency for Palestinian Refugees.

It is not immediately clear if Katz has the authority to bar Guterres from the country. In most climes, such authority would lie only with the interior minister.

World

Hurricane Helene hits US, kills 116, leaves 2m households without electricity

Published

7 days ago

October 1, 2024 8:39 am

BodexNG

Hurricane Helene has rocked the United States, leading to the death of at least 116 people and causing power outages in more than two million households across the country.

The storm, which started last Thursday, brought catastrophic flooding, tornado damage, collapsed trees, and closed roads in six states.

According to the BBC, Helene is the most powerful hurricane on record to hit Florida.

At least 42 people have been reported dead in North Carolina, 29 in South Carolina, 25 in Georgia, 15 in Florida, two in Tennessee and one in Virginia.

Buncombe County in Florida appeared to be the most severely affected area, with at least 30 fatalities reported there.

About 1,000 people have “remained unaccounted for” in the county due to lack of cell phone service and electricity.

Ryan Cole, an emergency official in the county, described the hurricane as “a biblical devastation”.

“This is the most significant natural disaster that any one of us has ever seen,” Cole added.

As of Monday morning, 500,000 people remained without power in both North Carolina and Georgia as well as 750,000 in South Carolina.

North Carolina and the Big Bend region of Florida experienced devastating flooding, with certain areas completely submerged.

Coastal and island towns, such as Cedar Key and Treasure Island, suffered storm surge flooding exceeding 15 feet above ground level.

Recovery from the storm is estimated to cost between $95 and $110 billion nationwide.

Officials have, however, warned that more storms could be on the horizon, as the end of hurricane season is not until November 30.

World

17 killed in mass shooting in South Africa

Published

1 week ago

September 28, 2024 7:53 pm

BodexNG

Seventeen people have been killed in a mass shooting in a remote South African town.

According to the BBC, the police said two homesteads in the town of Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape, were targeted.

At least 12 women and one man were said to have been killed in one location, with three women and one man murdered in a second location.

An 18th victim is in critical condition in hospital.

The police said a manhunt for the perpetrators is under way.

Senzo Mchunu, the police minister, is expected to provide an update and visit the area where the attack occurred.

South African media report that the victims were preparing to attend a traditional mourning ceremony for a mother and daughter who were murdered a year ago.

They were packing goods and presents, including furniture, for the event when the attacked occurred on Friday night.

“The gunmen came and shot randomly, killing everyone. Women and children were also killed in the bloody shooting,“ the reports read.

“This has left the community terrified.”

Officials are yet to determine the motive or make any arrests.

Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others