Media registration opens for COP30 in Brazil
Media accreditation is now open for COP30, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, set to take place in Belém, Brazil in 2025....
Texas is poised to become the second U.S. state to implement a sweeping ban on social media use by minors, joining a growing movement among states to regulate digital access for children amid rising concerns over mental health and online safety.
The state of Texas is advancing legislation that would impose one of the most comprehensive bans in the United States on social media use by minors, as reported by NBC News. The bill has already passed the Texas House and is expected to move through the Senate in the final days of the legislative session.
If signed into law, the measure would bar individuals under the age of 18 from creating or using accounts on social media platforms. Companies would be required to verify users’ ages and offer parents the ability to request account deletions for their children - a process platforms would have to complete within 10 days.
Violations would be classified as “deceptive trade practices,” exposing companies to civil penalties and potential legal action.
The proposed legislation reflects a broader trend across the U.S., as more states introduce laws aimed at protecting children from the potential harms of online platforms. Lawmakers and advocates cite growing evidence of links between social media use and mental health issues in young people, prompting increased scrutiny and calls for stricter regulation.
Governor Greg Abbott’s office emphasized that child safety and digital privacy are among his top concerns. His spokesperson, Andrew Mahaleris, stated that the governor will closely review any legislation that addresses these priorities.
Florida became the first state to enact such a measure when Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law banning children under 14 from using social media platforms in 2024. If the Texas bill passes, it would represent the most stringent state-level restriction on social media use by minors to date.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
Germany's export slump since 2021 is largely driven by deep-rooted competitiveness issues, the Bundesbank warned in its latest report, calling for urgent structural reforms.
Israeli researchers have unveiled an artificial intelligence tool that can determine a person’s true biological age from tiny DNA samples with remarkable precision.
Two Harry Potter actresses, Emma Watson and Zoe Wanamaker, have each received a six-month driving ban after separate speeding offences, both sentenced on the same day at a Buckinghamshire court.
Several nights a week, Daria Slavytska packs a stroller with blankets, food, and a yoga mat. Then she heads into the Kyiv subway with her two-year-old son Emil, to sleep.
The Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels have agreed on a declaration of principles in Qatar on Saturday. The ceasefire aims to halt fighting and pave the way for broader peace talks, though major challenges remain.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that more than 300 Russian attack drones and more than 30 missiles of various types were launched against peaceful Ukrainian cities overnight, in one of the largest air assaults in recent weeks.
A mass Russian drone strike hit the Ukrainian port city of Odesa early Saturday, killing at least one resident and igniting a multi-storey apartment building, the city’s mayor said.
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