☕️ Legislation for social media ban is introduced

You may have heard that one of the worst shutdowns of Sydney’s trains network has been avoided after a last-minute agreement yesterday.

Numerous strikes have been held across the health, education, and retail sectors this year, mostly calling for better pay and working conditions.

But how do strikes actually work? What role do unions play? And how is an agreement reached? We explain all your questions about strikes on today’s podcast. You can listen here.

“You do regret your mistakes, you don’t forget your failures. What I would give to go back to election day 2016 and turn up a sausage and bread and eat it a different way.”
Former Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in his farewell speech to Parliament.

$US96,753 ($AU148,390)
The all-time highest price of Bitcoin, reached on Thursday afternoon (AEDT).

1886
The Victoria Street cable tram in Melbourne opened up, shortly after the North Fitzroy line. It was the third tram line to open up in the state.

🐱Purrfection: Michu’s biodegradable cat litter, treats and accessorises, are 30% off this Black Friday - use code BFMICHU30 from Nov 27 to Dec 2!

🛌 Get cosy: Get 25% off storewide at Hommey - perfect for Christmas gifting!

😄 Smile brighter: Smilie’s gentle, dentist-approved formula brightens up to 6 shades in a week.

^{Transparency: This is a sponsored section of the newsletter. It's the best way we can keep this newsletter free for you.}

Melbourne teenager Bianca Jones has died in a Thailand hospital after a suspected mass poisoning in the neighbouring country of Laos.

The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, told Parliament that Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) confirmed Jones’ death.

Her friend and fellow traveller, Holly Bowles, is in another Thai hospital on life support.

The suspected methanol poisoning is believed to have claimed the lives of at least three people — two Danish women and an American citizen.

Nine-owned radio station 3AW first reported two 19-year-olds from Melbourne, Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, had been hospitalised after a night out.

The two women were staying in a hostel in the tourist town of Vang Vieng, about two hours outside Laos’ capital Vientiane.

At least a dozen people were affected by the poisoning, which is believed to have involved methanol — a colourless, sweet-scented chemical that is dangerous for humans to consume.

PM Albanese confirmed Jones’ death, calling it a “terrible and cruel loss”.

“Bianca’s trip should have been a joyous time and a source of fond memories in years to come. It is beyond sad that this was not be.”

Independent MP Zoe Daniel, whose Melbourne electorate covers part of the area where the two lived, said: “I know that so many members of our community are connected to these girls”.

“Our hearts are broken.”

Jones’ family has provided a statement to Melbourne-based newspaper The Herald Sun confirming her death.

“She was surrounded by love, and we are comforted by the knowledge that her incredible spirit touched so many lives during her time with us.”

“We kindly ask for privacy as we navigate through our grief and begin to heal.”

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

The Government has tabled legislation to enforce a minimum age requirement of 16 for social media users.

The bill includes fines of $50 million for platforms, like Instagram and Snapchat, if they don’t block children under 16.

It followed public pressure to restrict children’s social media access.

The Opposition has said it will support the bill, meaning it will likely pass. Once that happens, the ban will come into effect within a year.

Campaign group 36 Months has been calling for a social media ban for children under 16, citing concerns about young people’s mental health.

Since May, more than 127,000 people have signed the group’s online petition to lift the age of social media access.

Earlier this year, South Australia became the first jurisdiction in the country to move towards restricting teens under 16 from social media.

The Government’s ban will make it illegal for children under 16 to access certain social media platforms.

Under the new measure, Snapchat, Reddit, Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook must stop children under 16 from creating an account.

Under 16s will still be able to watch YouTube because the site does not require an account to watch most videos.

Messaging apps and online gaming platforms will be exempt from the ban.

Young people will also be able to create accounts to access educational platforms.

The responsibility will fall on social media companies to enforce the ban. Failure to comply will result in a $50 million fine.

The Government is trialling “age assurance” technology to find the best way to verify users’ age.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland introduced the bill to Parliament on Thursday.

“Social media has a social responsibility for the safety and mental health of young Australians,“ Rowland said.

The bill is expected to pass after the Opposition expressed support for the ban.

Once passed, the age limit for social media accounts will come into effect within 12 months.

The Opposition has long been in favour of an under-16 ban on social media.

In June, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said he’d introduce a ban within 100 days of coming to power if the Coalition wins the next election.

On Wednesday, Shadow Communications Minister David Coleman told the ABC he supported the age limit, saying “we want to get this done”.

“We want to see this bill passed before... the end of the year.”

The Greens are against an age limit.

The party’s communications spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said: “You don’t make platforms safer by just locking young people out.”

She pointed to a parliamentary committee report earlier this week which did not recommend a ban.

“Whether you're a 14-year-old or a 64-year-old — these companies have a responsibility to provide a safe product,” Hanson-Young said.

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

Give Back With HoMie's Feel Good Gifts!

HoMie’s 'Feel Good Gifts' campaign features 12 awesome bundles, perfect for everyone on your list. Best of all, every purchase helps young people affected by homelessness or hardship.

100% of HoMie’s profits go towards their life-changing programs, such as:

🍊 AFL club Hawthorn has settled a court case. More details here.
🍊 The Aussies going for golf's biggest prize. How much money?
🍊 Italy won the Billie Jean King Cup. More tennis news here.
🗞️ Also in the Sport Newsletter: basketball, rugby, and more…

The red carpet event brought together some of Australia’s biggest artists in Sydney on Wednesday night. First Nations talent took home trophies in multiple categories, such as Best Country Album, Best Hip Hop/Rap Release, and Best Adult Contemporary Album. The list of First Nations winners included Nooky, Angus Field and Dallas Woods of 3%, Troy Casser-Daley and Emily Wurramara.

Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!

Reporting by Achol Arok.

You might pay $5, maybe less, for a bunch of bananas. But how about $9.5 million… for one?

You know the banana I’m talking about: it’s the one stuck to the wall with a single piece of duct tape.

The now famous artwork, titled ‘Comedian’, has just made close to $10 million ($US6.2 million) at a New York auction.

Maurizio Cattelan created the artwork in 2019, after which it soon went viral.

In case you were wondering, yes, it is a real banana. The artwork comes with instructions to replace the banana as needed.

Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun won the bid for the artwork. In a post to Instagram, he said: “This is not just an artwork; it represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.”

Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

There’s been a lot of news this week about planned strikes by the Rail Tram and Bus Union NSW which have since been postponed. Numerous strikes have been held across the health, education, and retail sectors this year, mostly calling for better pay and working conditions. But how do strikes actually work? What role do unions play? And how is an agreement reached?

In today's podcast, we strip it back and look into the different types of strike action, some of the ongoing negotiations, and why you might have been looking at alternative modes of travel this week.