International
Australia passes historic law banning minors under 16 from social media
Australia approved a historic law on Thursday that bans minors under the age of 16 from accessing social media, one of the strictest measures in the world to keep teenagers away from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X.
After being approved by the lower house of Parliament the previous day, the Senate voted in favor of the groundbreaking legislation on Thursday. Soon, social media companies will be required to take “reasonable steps” to prevent teenagers from having accounts on their platforms.
Tech companies, facing fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (32.5 million U.S. dollars) for non-compliance, have labeled the legislation as “rushed,” “problematic,” and “vague.”
Center-left Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is seeking re-election next year, campaigned in favor of the law and called on parents to support it.
Albanese described social media as “platforms where peer pressure is exerted, sources of anxiety, channels for scammers, and, worst of all, a tool for online predators.”
“I want to see children away from their devices and on football fields, at swimming pools, and on tennis courts,” Albanese said in an interview in September.
On paper, this ban is one of the strictest in the world, but it remains unclear how social media companies will enforce the prohibition.
International
Biden urges no harm to U.S.-Mexico-Canada relations amid Trump’s tariff threat
President Joe Biden called on Thursday for the preservation of the relationship between the United States and its partners, Mexico and Canada, following former President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 25% tariff on these countries when he returns to the White House in January.
“The last thing we need to do is start ruining those relationships,” Biden said to reporters when asked about Trump’s proposed tariffs.
“It’s counterproductive,” the outgoing president stated.
Biden expressed hope that Trump would “reconsider” the plan once he assumes the presidency at the end of January.
The future president threatened last Monday to impose a 25% customs duty on all goods Mexico exports to the U.S. if the government of Claudia Sheinbaum does not stop irregular migrant flows and drug trafficking at the shared border.
The warning also extended to Canada, the third partner in the North American free trade agreement, the USMCA.
In response, Sheinbaum sent a letter to the magnate on Tuesday, stating that migration and drug consumption issues cannot be resolved “with threats” and that if the U.S. imposes tariffs, Mexico would take similar measures.
However, on Thursday, following a phone call with Trump, Sheinbaum ruled out an “tariff war” with the United States.
During his campaign, Trump presented the tariffs as a cornerstone of his economic policy. The idea aims to fund tax cuts, encourage companies to set up in the U.S., and use the tariffs as leverage for future trade negotiations.
International
Chilean President Boric denies sexual harassment allegations, trusts justice system
Chilean President Gabriel Boric stated on Thursday that he trusts the justice system to do its job regarding the allegations against him of supposed sexual harassment of a woman ten years ago and the distribution of intimate images, accusations that the president strongly denied.
“The government spokesperson and my lawyer have already clearly addressed the complaint. Let the institutions do their work, and let the government govern,” Boric told the press during a housing delivery event in Santiago. This was the first time the 38-year-old president publicly commented on the investigation against him, albeit briefly.
Boric has been accused by a woman, whose identity remains confidential, of sexual harassment and the improper sharing of intimate images, according to his lawyer Jonatan Valenzuela, who made the announcement on Monday.
In a video statement, the Chilean prosecutor’s office confirmed that it is investigating the president as a “defendant” for the alleged distribution of those images, but did not mention the sexual harassment accusation.
The government, for its part, dismissed the allegations as unfounded. Presidential spokesperson Camila Vallejo, who addressed the issue on Tuesday, stated that the action lacked “merit” and claimed that, on the contrary, it was the complainant who allegedly “systematically” harassed Boric through emails.
The legal action was filed on September 6, more than a decade after Boric and the complainant crossed paths during a professional internship in Punta Arenas, the president’s hometown.
At that time, Boric was 27 years old, had finished his law studies, and was already a prominent figure as a student leader. In 2014, he was elected as a deputy for that region.
Central America
Guatemalan migrant José Yovanny Bocel Conoz repatriated for burial 13 years after being killed in Mexico
-
International5 days ago
Armed clashes in northwestern Pakistan leave at least 35 dead and 50 injured
-
International3 days ago
UNICEF reports 70% increase in child recruitment by gangs in Haiti
-
International5 days ago
Ukraine attacks the port of Berdyansk with missiles, according to pro-Russian authorities
-
International3 days ago
Guatemalan President Arévalo sends best wishes to Uruguay’s new president Orsi
-
Central America2 days ago
UN experts concerned over human rights impact of Nicaragua’s new constitutional changes
-
International3 days ago
Petro says Orsi’s victory reflects Latin America’s desire for change and unity
-
International5 days ago
“The Bukele recipe is not applicable to Santiago,” says its elected mayor, Mario Desbordes
-
International3 days ago
UN Report: 51,100 women and girls killed worldwide in 2023 in femicides
-
International5 days ago
The number of dead and the number of injured in the Israeli attack on downtown Beirut rises to 20
-
Central America1 day ago
Guatemala reform allows Semilla Party to be reinstated amid legal battle
-
Central America1 day ago
Nicaragua’s Ortega proposes law to control international organizations and cooperation
-
International3 days ago
Venezuelan president Maduro congratulates Yamandú Orsi on Uruguay’s election victory
-
International5 days ago
At least 120 dead in the Gaza Strip in the last 48 hours from Israeli attacks
-
International2 days ago
Biden to attend Trump’s inauguration in January
-
International2 days ago
Iran’s Khamenei calls ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu insufficient
-
International1 day ago
Uruguay clears two ex-consuls of involvement in russian passport fraud case
-
International2 days ago
Mexico’s Sheinbaum warns Trump: Tariffs won’t stop migration or drug consumption
-
International1 day ago
Migrants gather in caravans for protection on dangerous journey to the U.S.
-
International2 days ago
U.S. says ceasefire deal with Hezbollah is close as Israel intensifies bombing campaign
-
Central America3 hours ago
Guatemalan court orders cancellation of Movimiento Semilla Party amid legal dispute
-
International3 hours ago
Putin claims mass missile and drone strike on Ukraine as retaliation for U.S. ATACMS attacks
-
International5 days ago
At least 10 people died at the hands of strangers in a mosque in northern Afghanistan
-
International1 day ago
Trump’s social media announcement triggers panic with tariffs on Mexico and Canada
-
International5 days ago
Cristina Fernández demands the restitution of the pensions that the Milei Government took away from her
-
International1 day ago
Jair Bolsonaro accused of active role in 2022 coup attempt to prevent Lula’s presidency
-
Internacionales3 days ago
Latin american leaders celebrate Yamandú Orsi’s victory in Uruguay’s historic election
-
International2 days ago
Death toll in Gaza reaches 44,249 as 14 more people die in last 24 hours
-
International5 days ago
The former Chancellor of Peru asks the US and Europe to freeze assets of “corrupt jers of Venezuela”
-
International5 days ago
Controlled detonation of a suspicious package next to the US Embassy in London
-
International5 days ago
Change course or follow the same line: Uruguay elects its new president on Sunday
-
International1 day ago
World’s oldest man, John Tinniswood, dies at 112
-
International5 days ago
Possible lack of final agreement overspeaks Baku summit negotiations
-
International3 days ago
G7 Foreign Ministers to meet near Rome for talks on Middle East and Ukraine
-
International3 days ago
Yamandú Orsi calls for unity in victory speech after winning Uruguay’s presidency
-
International1 day ago
Thousands of lebanese return home after two-month Hezbollah-Israel conflict ceasefire
-
International3 hours ago
Chilean President Boric denies sexual harassment allegations, trusts justice system
-
International5 days ago
Rutte and Trump discussed in Florida the issues of “global security” facing NATO
-
International2 days ago
India’s Coast Guard seizes 5.5 tons of methamphetamine in largest ever drug bust
-
Central America3 hours ago
President Bukele calls El Salvador’s total mining ban “absurd” due to gold deposits
-
Central America3 hours ago
Guatemalan migrant José Yovanny Bocel Conoz repatriated for burial 13 years after being killed in Mexico