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Australia will prohibit minors under 16 from using social media.

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The goal of the proposed bill, which will be presented to parliament next week, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, is to lessen the “harm” that social media causes to Australian youngsters.

“This one’s for the parents… They share my extreme concern for our children’s online safety. Albanese expressed his desire for Australian families to understand that the government is on their side.

Although the specifics are still being discussed, the government has stated that there would be no exceptions for parental agreement and that the ban will not apply to youngsters who are currently engaged on social media. Social media companies will have to demonstrate that they are taking appropriate precautions to keep minors off of their sites. There are no consequences for users, and the eSafety Commissioner, Australia’s internet regulator, will enforce the rule.

The law will go into effect 12 months after it is passed, and it will then be reviewed. Though perspectives on whether a ban is the right course of action vary, many experts concur that social media can negatively impact adolescents’ mental health. Some others think that rather than teaching kids how to use social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok securely, restrictions just postpone their introduction to these sites.

Age-verification procedures have encountered difficulties in other regions, such as the European Union, where similar limits have proven challenging. Major advocacy group Australia’s Child Rights Taskforce called the new law “too blunt” and asked the government to think about “safety standards” instead. In an open letter, the organization referenced UN recommendations for regulations that allow kids to interact with digital spaces in a secure way instead of limiting their access.

Some activists, however, are in favor of the ban, pointing to worries about kids being exposed to harmful content, false information, and cyberbullying. Currently, “excessive social media use is rewiring young brains within a critical window of psychological development, causing an epidemic of mental illness,” according to the 36Months initiative, which has amassed over 125,000 signatures. It contends that children are “not yet ready to navigate online social networks safely” until they are at least age 16.

Albanese stated that education alone is insufficient since it “assumes an equal power relationship.” This begs the question of whether the emphasis should instead be on educating kids how to manage the advantages and risks of the online environment.

“I don’t want to see some items that keep coming up on my system; I’m not sure about you. Let alone a 14-year-old who is so vulnerable,” he stated on Thursday. “These tech firms are really strong. These apps’ algorithms encourage users to act in particular ways.

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Large-scale raid at the airport in Islamabad

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A travel attempt is blocked by FIA immigration, and two suspects are released.

At Islamabad Airport, the immigration squad of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) stopped two travelers from using forged documents to fly outside.

Wajid Ali and Irfan Khan were the two people who were trying to get to Poland.

Both travelers, who were from Rawalpindi and Islamabad, were removed from the aircraft when their fake visas were found. Fake visas were discovered affixed to the suspects’ passports while they were aboard a private airline.

After the discovery, the suspects were sent to Islamabad’s Anti-Human Trafficking Circle for additional examination.

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National Action Plan: Coordinating Meeting Reviews with Provinces and NACTA

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In Islamabad, Mohsin Naqvi, the federal interior minister, presided over a crucial National Action Plan Coordination Committee meeting.

It was agreed at the meeting that NACTA and the provinces should coordinate better, and a National Fusion Center has been set up to facilitate efficient communication in this area.

According to information presented to the meeting, 206 terrorists were killed during the 7984 intelligence-based operations carried out up until October of this year.

The meeting decided that comprehensive measures will be taken to prevent the activities of banned terrorist organizations on social media, and accounts of terrorist groups will be blocked with the cooperation of PTA.

The provinces will implement a comprehensive plan to stop the issuing and blocking of unauthorized SIM cards.

Due to recent terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, the interior minister instructed top authorities to show an efficient counterterrorism mechanism at the upcoming meeting.

Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would receive full assistance from the federation to enhance local counterterrorism agencies’ capacities, according to the interior minister.

The frontier constabulary will be reinforced, he stated, and the police and Frontier Corps will deal with terrorists.

He gave the Interior Ministry a week’s notice to receive a report from each agency outlining their needs. NACTA will be a key player in the war against terrorism, he declared.

The interior minister gave the order to put the infallible security plan into action for the protection of Chinese nationals after the meeting evaluated the provisions made for their safety.

He stated facilities will be made available to Coast Guards to stop drug smuggling along the coast.

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New Operational Difficulties: COAS Visits Troops Taking Part in Field Training

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In the vicinity of Narowal and Sialkot, soldiers engaged in a field training exercise were inspected by General Syed Asim Munir, Chief of the Army Staff.

The aims and conduct of the exercise, which sought to hone professional abilities and battlefield procedures necessary for tackling new operational problems, were thoroughly explained to him.

Several elements, including armor, infantry, mechanized infantry, artillery, air defense, army aviation, and anti-tank guided missile units, carried out integrated fire and maneuver operations during the exercise. In a contemporary military setting, the exercise also showed how to effectively use information operations and electronic warfare capabilities to thwart enemy communications and counter misinformation tactics.

COAS accompanied the troops in the field for the day and praised their strong morale, operational preparedness, and training standards. He stressed the vital need of remaining constantly ready to combat any threats that opponents may offer throughout his conversation with the attendees.

The COAS confirmed that the Pakistan Armed Forces, with the nation’s unwavering support, are fully capable of protecting our beloved motherland’s territorial integrity and sovereignty from any threats.

The Commander Gujranwala Corps and the Inspector General of Training and Evaluation had earlier greeted COAS when he arrived at the training field.

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