TRANSCRIPT:
- Teething problems emerge on day one of Australia's social media ban;
- Indigenous children still being removed from families at staggering rates;
- Tottenham Hotspur emerge victorious in their latest Champions League home game.
The Prime Minister says adjusting to life without social media will be challenging for millions of young Australians, on day one of the new ban for teens under 16.
The PM is encouraging Australian young people to enjoy a summer without social media.
"This is a change in the power structure. These companies are powerful. We know that that is the case and so we know that there will be a difficult period. We are fully conscious of that but we also know that this is necessary and this will make a positive difference going forward."
But teething problems have already emerged, amid reports some teens and tweens still have access to social media accounts.
Still, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has told Channel Nine's Today Show her office would be able to see "pretty quickly" which platforms are complying and which ones are not.
"I don't expect that they're all going to magically disappear. There are going to be technology teething issues; it takes a while to replicate through these major systems.
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Advocates say Indigenous children continue to be removed from families at rates they have called 'obscene'.
The Family Matters report released today [[Wed 10 Dec]] by Indigenous children's organisation SNAICC has found Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are almost ten times [[9.6]] more likely to be removed from their parents than non-Indigenous kids, and make up 45 per cent of those in out-of-home care.
The group's chief executive Catherine Liddle says not enough money is being spent on early intervention and community-led support services to address issues like poverty, housing insecurity, racism and exclusion.
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Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir has declared the "yellow line" demarcation inside the Gaza Strip is Israel's new borderline with the territory.
The "yellow line" marks the zone from which Israeli troops have not withdrawn in the Palestinian enclave, as part of the first stage of ceasefire arrangements that took effect on October 10.
Mr Zamir has told his division commanders Israeli forces plan to remain in those areas, including the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, so that Hamas cannot reestablish itself.
The army has confirmed a Palestinian was killed by Israeli army fire in the Mawasi area of Rafah in southern Gaza after he allegedly crossed the yellow line.
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Female writers, influencers and social media content providers who focus on human rights are increasingly being affected by online violence.
Some 42 percent of respondents to a new report by UN Women have experienced offline attacks, abuse or harassment that they linked with online violence.
Lead researcher Julie Posetti says such reported attacks have more than doubled in the past five years.
"This is part of what I refer to as a continuum of violence against women or the enabling of violence against women in public life. So when a president or a prime minister or some senior official makes such egregious comments, it tends to stir up the mob online. It's not even a dog whistle, which is a kind of subtle way of triggering a mob reaction. It's an overt attack."
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Communications Minister Anika Wells has faced more tough questions about her travel expenses.
She has referred herself to parliament's expenses oversight committee after revelations she slugged taxpayers to fly her husband to sporting events.
But the Minister maintains she has always followed the rules and has nothing to hide.
And she has suggested the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, or IPEA, should review these rules on a regular basis, taking into account the views of the public.
"I think parliamentarians should always be sensitive to community sentiment, this has obviously prompted a national discussion as I note we've had several times before even during my time in the parliament I think. That's why IPEA should constantly review these things and should take into account community sentiment."
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Emergency service officials in Victoria have urged residents not to become complacent, and to be prepared, as summer progresses and temperatures start to rise.
The warning has come as Victoria unveils new planes specially designed for fighting fires from the air, and as crews battle blazes on two major fronts in New South Wales and Tasmania.
Victoria's Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch says people should be ready because the conditions are ripe for an extended bushfire season.
"We know that there has been underlying dryness now for the last two years, particularly across the western parts of Victoria and west and south Gippsland. And we will see above average temperatures in the months of January and February, and we will see the state dry out again."
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In football,
Tottenham Hotspur have beaten Slavia Praha 3-0 at home in the Champions League.
Spurs put on a dominant performance against their Czech opponents who have wallowed at the bottom of the ladder, failing to win any Champions League match-up this season.
Spurs manager Thomas Frank has praised the team for their offensive performance.
"A positive note to take from the game as well. Positive individual performances but also the team just gelling a little bit more and more together in a tricky game against opponent that it's not easy to play against."
