TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
United States President Donald Trump has had a meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
The encounter could affect the way the US president seeks to shape the South American country's political future.
Ms Machado fled Venezuela in a daring seaborne escape in December, and is competing for Mr Trump's attention with members of Venezuela's government.
She wants to have a role in governing the nation, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says President Trump stands by his original belief that she does not have the support to do so.
"I think the president's assessment that you just pointed out was based on realities on the ground. It was a realistic assessment based on what the president was reading and hearing from his advisers and national security team. And at this moment in time, his opinion on that matter has not changed.”
—
The government says new figures showing the number of accounts deleted to comply with their social media ban is evidence that the reforms are working as intended.
Communications Minister Anika Wells says more than 4.7 million under-16 accounts have been removed allowing young teenagers to discover who they are offline.
"They can spend a summer making real world connections with each other, with their siblings, with their parents. Skateboarding, writing, reading, art, music. I don't care what it is - but it's off the screen. Discovering who they are and forging connections in the real world."
ESafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant says her office estimated 84 percent of 8 to 12 year olds had accounts before the ban was introduced in December.
She says the figures suggest social media companies are making meaningful efforts to follow the legislation .
"We said please focus on the deactivations first, but we expect continued improvement. We expect you to prevent recidivism, so the creation of additional accounts. There are a range of signals they can take to prevent that from happening."
—
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has urged Australians to leave Iran immediately if possible.
Ms Wong has condemned the Iranian government's bloody crackdown on nationwide protests that activists say have killed at least 2,677 people.
The United States has also threatened military retaliation for the protesters' deaths.
The Foreign Minister advises all Australians to avoid the region for the foreseeable future.
"We have advised Australians not to travel for to Iran. The security situation remains extremely volatile. If you are Australian and you are in Iran, we urge you to leave and if it is safe to do so. We do not have a bill the ability to provide consular assistance other than in the most extremely limited of circumstances."
—
A new study suggests there are major treatment gaps for people experiencing depression.
The research, from the University of Sydney Brain and Mind Centre, has found that while anti-depressants are routinely prescribed as a first treatment, they are not always effective.
The study has found people with less common depression were less likely to respond to the medication and more likely to experience side effects such as weight gain.
Lead author Mirim Shin says depression is an illness experienced uniquely by everyone, and the treatment needs to be tailored to address this.
—
To sport,
Australian para skier Josh Hanlon has claimed a podium finish in the sitting downhill at the Para World Cup.
The Australian para alpine skier was just 2.26 seconds off first-placed Jesper Pederson of Norway to take third place on the second day of competition at Saalbach.
His victory has come eight years after winning bronze at the World Cup in Austria.









