28/01/2026

WEDNESDAY | JAN 28, 2026

/thesuntelegram FOLLOW / Malaysian Paper

ON TELEGRAM m RAM

8

France joins worldwide battle for free minds

CHINA SEEKS TO UPHOLD UN-BASED WORLD ORDER BEIJING: President Xi Jinping said yesterday that China seeks to uphold the UN-based world order, in remarks as he met Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Beijing. His comments come after Donald Trump unveiled plans for his new “Board of Peace” this month, which has sparked concerns the US president wants to create a rival to the United Nations. Xi told Orpo in the opulent Great Hall of the People that “China is willing to work with Finland to firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core”. While China has been invited to join Trump’s new grouping, it has not confirmed participation, and Xi has since stressed the importance of a UN-centred international order. Orpo said he looked forward to discussing “international issues” and topics on “bilateral cooperation” with Xi. – AFP KANYE WEST BLAMES RANTS ON BIPOLAR DISORDER NEW YORK: Rapper Kanye West denied being a Nazi and expressed regret over his rants, blaming such behaviour, which included recording a song that celebrates Hitler, on his bipolar disorder. The 48 year-old music star, who has lost fans and business deals in recent years because of his outbursts, released his song Heil Hitler last May to mark the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. West, who changed his name to Ye and struggled with bipolar disorder for years, said in an open letter published on Monday in The Wall Street Journal that when bipolar people are in a manic phase they do not feel sick. “You think everyone else is overreacting. You feel like you’re seeing the world more clearly than ever, when in reality you’re losing your grip,” said West, whose achievements include winning 24 Grammy awards. – AFP MAN CHARGED WITH THROWING ‘EXPLOSIVE’ SYDNEY: Australian police charged a man yesterday with throwing an “explosive device” with nails and ball bearings into a crowd of thousands at an indigenous rights rally. Police alleged that the 31 year-old man removed the device from his bag and threw it from a walkway into a crowd of more than 2,000 people in Perth, Western Australia, during the protest on Monday. Alerted by a member of the public, police took the man into custody and bomb response officers inspected the device, the Western Australia Police Force said in a statement. “It was confirmed to be a homemade improvised explosive device containing a mixture of volatile and potentially explosive chemicals, with nails and metal ball bearings affixed to the exterior.” The suspect was charged with an attempt to cause harm and with making or possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances. – AFP AUSTRALIA CANCELS ISRAELI INFLUENCER’S VISA SYDNEY: Australia has cancelled the visa of an Israeli influencer who campaigns against Islam, saying it will not accept visitors who come to spread hatred. Sammy Yahood said on Monday his visa was cancelled three hours before his flight departed from Israel. Yahood flew to Abu Dhabi anyway, but was blocked from getting his connecting flight. “This is a story about tyranny, censorship and control,” he posted on X. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said in a statement that people who want to visit Australia should apply for the right visa and come for the right reasons. “Spreading hatred is not a good reason to come,” he said. Australia tightened its hate crime laws this month in response to a Dec 14 mass shooting that killed 15 people. – AFP

BR I E F S

o Lawmakers pass Bill on social media ban for teens

children?” Perez said. The French ban would require platforms to block access to young teenagers through age verification mechanisms compliant with European Union law. Enforcing such bans can be difficult. Australia’s government acknowledged the rollout of its ban would be bumpy after children claiming to be under 16 flooded the country’s social media feeds with messages gloating about their continued ability to access networks. The French legislation also extends an existing ban on smartphones in junior and middle schools to cover high schools. A Harris Interactive survey in 2024 showed 73% of the public supported a ban on social media access for under-15s. Teenagers on the streets of Paris were split in their views. Some said they acknowledged the dangers associated with social media. Others felt a ban was excessive. The hard-left France Unbowed’s (LFI) Arnaud Saint-Martin criticised the ban as “a form of digital paternalism” and an “overly simplistic” response to the negative impacts of technology. On Monday, nine child protection associations urged lawmakers to “hold platforms accountable”. – Reuters/AFP

are not for sale or to be manipulated, either by American platforms or Chinese algorithms,” Macron said in a video broadcast on Saturday. Former prime minister Gabriel Attal said: “France can be a pioneer in Europe in a month: we can change the lives of our young people and our families, and perhaps also change the destiny of our country in terms of independence.” “With this law, we are setting a clear boundary in society and saying social media is not harmless,” centrist lawmaker Laure Miller told the chamber as she presented the Bill. “Our children are reading less, sleeping less, and comparing themselves to one another more,” she said. “This is a battle for free minds.” Australia’s social media ban is being studied in countries including Britain, Denmark, Spain and Greece. The European Parliament has called for the European Union to set minimum ages for children to access social media, although it is up to member states to impose age limits. There is broad political and public support in France for curbing minors’ access to social media. Lawmaker Thierry Perez said the Bill responded to a “health emergency”. “Social media has allowed everyone to express themselves, but at what cost to our

PARIS: France’s National Assembly on Monday backed legislation to ban children under 15 years old from social media amid growing concerns about online bullying and mental health risks. The Bill proposes banning under-15s from social networks and “social networking functionalities” embedded within broader platforms, and reflects rising public angst over the impact of social media on minors. Lawmakers voted 116 to 23 in favour of the Bill. It now passes to the Senate before a final vote in the lower house. President Emmanuel Macron has pointed to social media as one factor to blame for violence among young people. He is urging France to follow Australia, whose world-first ban for under-16s on social media platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube came into force in December. Macron wants the ban in place in time for the start of the next academic year in September. “The emotions of our children and teenagers

‘Japan-US alliance would crumble if Tokyo ignored Taiwan’ TOKYO: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan’s strategic alliance with the US would collapse if Tokyo were to turn away from a conflict in Taiwan, but distanced herself from previous comments that suggested a possible military response. “I want to make it absolutely clear that this is not about Japan going out and taking military action if China and the United States come into conflict (over Taiwan),” Takaichi said on the live TV show, referring to the comments she made in parliament in November. ground.”Takaichi did not elaborate. With an eye on the electorate, Takaichi has stopped short of retracting the remarks from November, saying her stance was consistent with Japan’s long-standing policy. She has also said that China’s characterisation of her remarks was inconsistent with the facts. Takaichi, as president of the Liberal Democratic Party, and co-leaders of the Japan Innovation Party, Hirofumi Yoshimura (left) and Fumitake Fujita attend their first campaign speech yesterday. – AFPPIC

“If something serious happens there, we would have to go to rescue the Japanese and American citizens in Taiwan. In that situation, there may be cases where we take joint action. “And if the US forces, acting jointly with us, come under attack and Japan does nothing and simply runs away, the Japan-US alliance would collapse. So we would respond strictly within the limits of the law – within the limits of the laws as they exist – while making a comprehensive judgment based on what is happening on the

Takaichi expressed her latest views on a TV programme late on Monday, where an opposition party leader criticised her for igniting tensions with China with the earlier remarks. Ties between Japan and China have sunk to the worst level in years after Takaichi said in November that a hypothetical attack on Taiwan could bring about a Japanese military response. Beijing has responded with export curbs, flight cancellations and vitriolic commentaries, repeatedly demanding a retraction.

Japan’s pacifist constitution prohibits direct military action but allows it to exercise the right of collective self-defence, or defending the United States or another friendly country that comes under attack, in cases where Japan faces a “threat to its survival”. Takaichi has enjoyed high approval ratings since taking office in October and has called a snap election on Feb 8 to capitalise on her popularity. – Reuters