Turkiye MPs pass bill to restrict social media use for children under 15
Lawmakers pass bill to require social media platforms to introduce age-verification tools and control mechanisms. Published On 23 Apr 202623 Apr 2026 Turkish MPs have passed a bill that includes restricting access to social media platforms for children under 15, according to state media. The legislation is the latest in a global trend aimed at protecting young people from dangerous online activity, following in the footsteps of Australia, which introduced landmark restrictions on social media use last year. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The bill’s adoption in Turkiye comes a week after a 14-year-old boy killed nine students and a teacher in a gun attack at a middle school in Kahramanmaras in southern Turkiye. Police are investigating the online activity of the perpetrator, who also died, in a bid to uncover his motivation for the attack. The bill would force social media platforms to install age‑verification systems, provide parental control tools and require companies to rapidly respond to content deemed harmful, the state-run Anadolu news agency said. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan now has 15 days to approve the bill for it to become law. He spoke in the wake of the Kahramanmaras killings of the need to mitigate the online risks to children’s safety and privacy. “We are living in a period where some digital sharing applications are corrupting our children’s minds, and social media platforms have, to put it bluntly, become cesspools,” he said in a televised address on Monday. The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has criticised the proposal, saying children should be protected “not with bans but with rights-based policies”. Mandatory measures Under the law, digital platforms – such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram – would have to block children under 15 from opening accounts and introduce parental controls that would manage children’s access. Advertisement Online gaming companies will also be required to appoint a representative in Turkiye to ensure they abide by the new regulations. Potential penalties include internet bandwidth reductions and fines imposed by Turkiye’s communications watchdog. The Turkish government has been criticised by the opposition for restricting online platforms when used as a means of expressing dissent. Online communications were widely restricted during last year’s protests in support of Istanbul’s jailed opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu. Restrictions on social media access for children under 16 first began in December in Australia, where social media companies revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children. Last month, Indonesia began implementing a new government regulation banning children younger than 16 from access to digital platforms that could expose them to pornography, cyberbullying, online scams and addiction. Other countries – including Spain, France and the United Kingdom – are also taking or considering measures to restrict children’s access to social media amid growing concern that they are being harmed by exposure to unregulated social media content. Adblock test (Why?)
Journalist recalls Israeli strike killing Amal Khalil in southern Lebanon
NewsFeed Journalist Zainab Faraj recalled the final moments of fellow journalist Amal Khalil. An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed Amal and caused severe injuries to Zainab, who spoke from her hospital bed. Israel has killed at least five people in its recent attacks on Lebanon. Published On 23 Apr 202623 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Warner Bros shareholders approve Paramount’s takeover
Attention now turns to regulatory authorities, with both Washington and London expected to examine the merger’s impact on competition. By AP and Reuters Published On 23 Apr 202623 Apr 2026 Warner Bros Discovery shareholders have backed the company’s proposed $110bn merger with Paramount Skydance, but cast an advisory vote against executive compensation plans tied to the deal. Per a preliminary vote count on Thursday, the overwhelming majority of Warner Bros Discovery shareholders voted in support of selling the entire business to Paramount for $31 a share, the company said. Including debt, the deal is valued at nearly $111bn. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Under the pay packages proposed to executives, CEO David Zaslav could receive up to $887m if the sale is completed. Skydance-owned Paramount wants to buy all of Warner. That means HBO Max, valuable titles like Harry Potter and even CNN could soon find themselves under the same roof with CBS, Top Gun and the Paramount+ streaming service. A greenlight from company shareholders increases the likelihood of that becoming a reality. Attention now turns to regulatory authorities, with both Washington and London expected to examine the merger’s impact on competition. The United States Department of Justice sent subpoenas in late March seeking information on how the merger would affect studio output, content rights, streaming competition and movie theatres. Paramount triumphed over Netflix in a months-long bidding war, sealing the Warner Bros deal and cementing chief executive David Ellison as a powerful force in the rapidly contracting entertainment landscape. The merger has faced considerable opposition from actors, filmmakers and theatre groups that have raised concerns about the loss of a major studio and its impact on the creative community, theatre owners and moviegoers. Advertisement “Shareholder approval marks another important milestone towards completing our acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery,” a Paramount spokesperson said. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter this year. The merger will reduce the number of major US film studios to four and lead to fewer jobs, creative opportunities and less choice for consumers, over 4,000 film industry professionals and consumers said in an open letter, which called on California Attorney General Rob Bonta to consider taking legal action to block it. Ellison promised theatre owners that Paramount and Warner Bros would release at least 30 films a year if regulators clear the deal. However, analysts expect Hollywood’s overall film output to contract, as theatre attendance declines and the major studios focus on fewer, big-budget films. Adblock test (Why?)
Nepal’s home minister resigns, second cabinet exit in one month
Sudan Gurung steps down after less than a month in office, citing questions about his investments and other matters. By AFP and Reuters Published On 22 Apr 202622 Apr 2026 Nepal’s minister of home affairs has resigned, saying there have been questions about his investments and other matters. He is the second minister to withdraw from the country’s month-old government. Sudan Gurung announced his departure on Wednesday, stressing that questions should be investigated, without giving further details. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “I have resigned from the position of Home Minister with effect from today,” the 38-year-old posted on his social media accounts. “For me, morality is greater than a position, and there is no greater power than public trust … Public life should be clean, leadership should be accountable,” added Gurung, who took office on March 27. Dipa Dahal, press adviser to Prime Minister Balendra Shah, confirmed the reception of Gurung’s resignation. Shah will take charge of the Ministry of Home Affairs until a new appointment is made, Dahal added. Gurung came into the spotlight after he ordered the arrest of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his home minister, Ramesh Lekhak, in connection with an investigation into their roles during a crackdown on youth-led protests last September. Rapper-turned-politician Shah, 35, became prime minister after his three-year-old Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which had promised to control corruption, provide good governance and transparency, was swept into power in last month’s parliamentary election. During his three-year stint as mayor of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, Shah gained popularity for his reforms. Earlier this month, the government formed a five-member commission led by a former Supreme Court judge to investigate the assets of politicians and officials. Advertisement The commission was a part of the government’s 100-point reform agenda issued after Shah took office. Shah dismissed his labour minister earlier this month after RSP ruled Dipak Kumar Sah had misused “the dignity of his position” to get his wife appointed as a member of the board of directors of the country’s Health Insurance Board. Nepal currently ranks 109th out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. Adblock test (Why?)
Fires ignited by Ukrainian drones rage at Russian oil refinery
NewsFeed Hundreds of firefighters are trying to contain fires at Russia’s Tuapse oil refinery, days after it was hit by a Ukrainian drone attack. Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova is at the scene. Published On 22 Apr 202622 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Trump calls Iran’s leadership ‘fractured’. Is it, and who’s in charge?
United States President Donald Trump has described the Iranian leadership as “seriously fractured” as he announced an extension to a ceasefire. Trump said on Tuesday that the ceasefire would be extended to allow more time for negotiations and appeared to be suggesting that Iran’s leadership is in disarray. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list He added that the US naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian ports would remain in place. Three weeks ago, Trump claimed the US military campaign had succeeded in its goal of forcing a change in Iran’s government and the US was now dealing with “a whole new set of people” in charge of the country. On April 11, Iran sent a delegation led by parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, to begin talks with the US. So is Iran’s government “fractured”? We take a look at the key Iranian stakeholders and power centres in Iran and how their approach to US negotiations may differ. Who are the key figures in Iran, and are they ‘fractured’ over talks with the US? Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei Khamenei is the second son of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli air strikes on Tehran on the first day of the war on February 28. Mojtaba Khamenei was selected as Iran’s new supreme leader on March 8, according to state media reports. The 56-year old has never run for office or been elected but has for decades been a highly influential figure in the inner circle of his father, cultivating deep ties with the the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Advertisement Observers said the younger Khamenei’s ascension is a clear sign that more hardline factions in Iran’s establishment have retained power and could indicate that the government has little desire to agree to a deal or negotiations with the US in the short term. Since his ascension, however, Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public. On March 13, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claimed Iran’s new supreme leader had been wounded in US-Israeli strikes. An April 11, a Reuters news agency report that quoted three people close to the supreme leader’s inner circle said Khamenei was still recovering from severe facial and leg injuries suffered in the air strike that killed his father. The sources were quoted as saying he was taking part in meetings with senior officials through audioconferencing. Al Jazeera could not independently verify these claims. According to state media reports, Khamenei has been active in making decisions on the war. In a message read on Iranian state TV on April 18, Khamenei warned that the Iranian navy was ready to inflict “new bitter defeats” on the US and Israel as tensions escalated in the Strait of Hormuz. Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf Ghalibaf, 64, has served as Iran’s parliamentary speaker since 2020. He was commander of the IRGC air force from 1997 to 2000. After that, he served as the country’s police chief. From 2005 to 2017, he was the mayor of Tehran. Ghalibaf stood in elections for president in 2005, 2013, 2017 and 2024. He withdrew his bid for president before the election in 2017 when Hassan Rouhani won a second term. Last month in the early days of the US-Israel war on Iran, it was suggested that Ghalibaf was the Trump administration’s “pick” to lead the country after the war ended. He has also been the main Iranian official leading negotiations with Washington since they began on April 11 in Pakistan. In an overnight post on X on Tuesday, Ghalibaf wrote that Iran is “prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield” after Trump threatened Tehran with “problems like they’ve never seen before” if the two-week ceasefire ended this week without a deal. Ghalibaf expressed anger at Trump for “imposing a siege and violating the ceasefire”. “We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield,” he said. The ceasefire was supposed to have ended on Wednesday, but shortly before its expiration, Trump extended it until Iran “can come up with a unified proposal”. Advertisement Within Iran, however, Ghalibaf’s willingness to engage in negotiations with the US has been criticised by some people who have accused him of “betrayal”. According to a report on Monday by the Iran International TV channel, some critics of Ghalibaf have said on social media platforms in Iran that the parliamentary speaker’s suggestion that peace talks with the US were progressing was “worrying”. “There is no good in negotiation except harm,” one critic said. But Ghalibaf has defended undertaking negotiations with the US. In a televised interview on Saturday, he said diplomacy does not mean “a withdrawal from Iran’s demands” but is a way to “consolidate military gains and translate them into political outcomes and lasting peace”. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Iran’s military power structure is often described as opaque and complex. The nation operates parallel armies, multiple intelligence services and layered command structures, all of which answer directly to the supreme leader, who serves as the commander in chief of all the armed forces. The parallel armies comprise the Artesh, Iran’s regular army, which is responsible for territorial defence, defence of Iran’s airspace and conventional warfare, and the IRGC, whose role goes beyond defence and includes protecting Iran’s political structure. The IRGC also controls Iran’s airspace and drone arsenal, which has become the backbone of Iran’s deterrence strategy against attacks by Israel and the US. After the US and Israel struck Iran and killed Ali Khamenei, the IRGC promised revenge and launched what it called “the heaviest offensive operations in the history of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic against occupied lands [a reference to Israel] and the bases of American terrorists”. Since then, it has struck US military assets and infrastructure across the Gulf region. Some experts said Iranian officials negotiating with the US are more closely aligned
Argentina’s Milei sings and lights torch for Israeli national day
NewsFeed Argentine President Javier Milei sang and lit a ceremonial torch at Israel’s 78th Independence Day celebrations. Milei has doubled down on relations with Israel at a time when other leaders are distancing themselves. Published On 22 Apr 202622 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
FIFA unlocks more World Cup tickets and adds new, more expensive categories
Football’s governing body puts more tickets on sale but has introduced new premium-priced tiers that angered some fans. Published On 22 Apr 202622 Apr 2026 The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is putting more World Cup tickets on sale after angering some fans by adding new, more expensive categories. FIFA announced on Tuesday that it would make more tickets available at 11am EDT (15:00 GMT) on Wednesday for all 104 games in Categories 1, 2 and 3, in addition to the new “front category” pricing it added this month. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list The new category led to online complaints from fans, who said they had thought that the better seats in the categories they had bought tickets for were withheld, and they had been assigned less favourable locations. FIFA in December put tickets on sale at prices ranging from $140 for Category 3 in the first round to $8,680 for the final, then raised prices to as much as $10,990 when sales reopened on April 1. FIFA did not respond to an April 9 request for comment about the new ticket categories it added. Also on Tuesday, The Athletic reported that ticket sales are lagging for the US opener against Paraguay on June 12 at Inglewood, California. It said a document distributed to local organisers, dated April 10, said that 40,934 tickets had been bought for the US-Paraguay game, and 50,661 were bought for the Iran-New Zealand contest on April 15. FIFA projects the capacity at the Los Angeles SoFi Stadium, where the US-Paraguay and Iran-New Zealand games will be held, to be about 69,650, noting that it may change. FIFA’s December sale priced US-Paraguay tickets at $1,120, $1,940 and $2,735, and Iran-New Zealand seats at $140, $380 and $450. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Tehran held military parades as ceasefire was set to end
NewsFeed Videos show large crowds attending a military parade in Tehran on Tuesday as the US-Iran ceasefire deadline approached. Donald Trump has since said the US was indefinitely extending it. Published On 22 Apr 202622 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Global Sumud Flotilla disrupts cargo ship bound for Israel
NewsFeed Activists with the Global Sumud Flotilla have disrupted the MSC Maya, a cargo ship they believe was carrying materials used for Israeli weapons to the ports of Ashdod and Haifa. The vessel is operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company, which Al Jazeera confirms has carried hundreds of shipments to and from illegal Israeli settlements. Published On 21 Apr 202621 Apr 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)