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CMG Investors Have Opportunity to Lead Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Securities Fraud Lawsuit Filed by The Rosen Law FirmISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani police arrested thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of a rally in the capital to demand the ex-premier’s release from prison, a security officer said Sunday. Khan has been behind bars for more than a year and has over 150 criminal cases against him. But he remains popular and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated. Shahid Nawaz, a security officer in eastern Punjab province, said police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters. They include five parliamentarians. Pakistan has sealed off Islamabad with shipping containers and shut down major roads and highways connecting the city with PTI strongholds in Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Tit-for-tat teargas shelling between the police and the PTI was reported on the highway bordering Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier on Sunday, Pakistan suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns.” The government and Interior Ministry posted the announcement on the social media platform X, which is banned in Pakistan. They did not specify the areas, nor did they say how long the suspension would be in place. “Internet and mobile services will continue to operate as usual in the rest of the country,” the posts said. Meanwhile, telecom company Nayatel sent out emails offering customers “a reliable landline service” as a workaround in the areas suffering suspended cellphone service. Khan's supporters rely heavily on social media to demand his release and use messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said Khan's wife Bushra Bibi was traveling to Islamabad in a convoy led by the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur. “She cannot leave the party workers on their own,” said Akram. There was a festive mood in Peshawar, with PTI members dancing, drumming and holding up pictures of Khan as cars set off for Islamabad. The government is imposing social media platform bans and targeting VPN services , according to internet advocacy group Netblocks. On Sunday, the group said live metrics showed problems with WhatsApp that were affecting media sharing on the app. The U.S. Embassy issued a security alert for Americans in the capital, encouraging them to avoid large gatherings and warning that even “peaceful gatherings can turn violent.” Last month, authorities suspended the cellphone service in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to thwart a pro-Khan rally. The shutdown disrupted communications and affected everyday services such as banking, ride-hailing and food delivery. The latest crackdown comes on the eve of a visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko . Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said authorities have sealed off Islamabad's Red Zone, which houses key government buildings and is the destination for Khan's supporters. “Anyone reaching it will be arrested,” Naqvi told a press conference. He said the security measures were in place to protect residents and property, blaming the PTI for inconveniencing people and businesses. He added that protesters were planning to take the same route as the Belarusian delegation, but that the government had headed off this scenario. Naqvi denied cellphone services were suspended and said only mobile data was affected. Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in Peshawar and Asim Tanveer in Multan contributed to this report.
Hillsboro, Oregon, has a new mayor-elect, Beach Pace. Elected this November for a term beginning on January 7, 2025, Pace brings a wealth of community service and military experience to the role. According to a city announcement , Mayor-elect Pace has been actively involved in the Hillsboro community since moving there in 2012. She has served on the Hillsboro Planning Commission and participated in various educational and environmental volunteer initiatives throughout the city. Before taking on the role of mayor, Pace served as a City Councilor, having first been elected in November 2018, re-elected in 2022, the dedication to her community shines through her extensive work which includes advocating for technology in classrooms and leading service days, her history of volunteerism also includes serving meals for Hillsboro’s Farm-to-Table fundraising event and supporting school district bonds. Pace's professional background is equally impressive. She is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a U.S. Army veteran who served across the U.S. and Europe. After her military service, she transitioned to corporate America before taking on leadership roles in social change organizations on the West Coast, as per Hillsboro announcement . As for her reasoning behind seeking public office, Pace said, "Hillsboro is my home. It’s the city where my wife and I chose to raise our children. It’s the community we sought out for its diversity, inclusion, and safety," showing her deep personal investment in the city she will soon govern, bringing those who have thrived in Hillsboro and those just beginning to forge their paths together, is a major pillar of her commitment to public service. Among her top concerns is the housing situation in Hillsboro, she reflects an urgent desire to tackle the city's housing issues head-on and create more affordable options for residents.TJC, Navarro tangle for league title
French ambassador celebrates achievements of 2024, reopening of Notre-Dame CathedralOWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Fresh off one of its best showings of the season, the Baltimore defense now has another problem to worry about. Roquan Smith missed practice again Friday because of a hamstring injury. Although the Ravens didn't officially rule him or anyone else out — they don't play until Monday night — the All-Pro linebacker's status seems dicey. “Definitely it will be a challenge if Roquan can’t go,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said. “We’re holding out hope and everything like that. I think it’ll just be by committee. Not one person is going to replace Roquan. Roquan’s an every-down linebacker.” Although the Ravens lost 18-16 last weekend, Baltimore didn't allow a touchdown. That was an encouraging sign for a team that ranks 26th in the league in total defense. Baltimore is on the road Monday against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Ravens appear to have dodged one potential nightmare. Star safety Kyle Hamilton injured an ankle against Cincinnati on Nov. 7, but he was able to play almost every defensive snap the following week against Pittsburgh. But Smith was injured in that game and didn't practice Thursday or Friday. Linebacker Malik Harrison had a season high in tackles last weekend and figures to have a significant role if Smith can't go. “We tell these guys, ‘You’re one play away to going in there — you never know, so you got to stay ready.’ Malik — he was ready,” Orr said. “I thought he went in there and did a good job, especially after the first series, he settled down. That’s what we expect from him.” It's hard to tell whether last week can be a significant turning point for Baltimore's defense. The Ravens allowed only 10 points in a dominant win over Buffalo in Week 4, then yielded 38 against Cincinnati the following game. After allowing 10 against Denver, the Ravens were picked apart by the Bengals again a few days later. So they still haven't shown they can play a good game defensively and then build on it. “I think it’s easier said than done. It’s something that we kind of got caught up saying against Buffalo and then coming up the next week and not doing," Hamilton said. "We’re aware of it now and know that we played a good game, but I think we can get a lot better, and I think that’s kind of the mindset everybody on defense has right now.” Hamilton's ability to make a difference all over the field is part of what makes him valuable, but positioning him deep is one way the Ravens can try to guard against big passing plays. Pittsburgh's Russell Wilson threw for only 205 yards against Baltimore. That's after Joe Burrow passed for 428 and four touchdowns in the Ravens' previous game. “I’ve always seen myself as a safety. A versatile one, but at the end of the day, I think I play safety,” Hamilton said. “If I’m asked to go play safety, I feel like that’s not an issue for me to play safety if I’m a safety.” NOTES: In addition to Smith, WR Rashod Bateman (knee), DT Travis Jones (ankle), S Sanoussi Kane (ankle) C Tyler Linderbaum (back) and CB Arthur Maulet (calf) missed practice Friday. WR Nelson Agholor (illness) returned to full participation after missing Thursday's practice. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Alabama and Mississippi tumbled out of the top 10 of The Associated Press Top 25 poll Sunday and Miami and SMU moved in following a chaotic weekend in the SEC and across college football in general. Oregon is No. 1 for the sixth straight week and Ohio State, Texas and Penn State held their places behind the Ducks, who are the last unbeaten team. The shuffling begins at No. 5, where Notre Dame returned for the first time since Week 2 after beating Army for its ninth straight win. No. 6 Georgia moved up two spots, No. 7 Tennessee and No. 8 Miami each got a three-rung promotion and No. 9 SMU jumped four places for its first top-10 ranking since 1985. SMU has clinched a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game and would play Miami, if the Hurricanes win at Syracuse this week, or No. 12 Clemson . Indiana dropped from No. 5 to No. 10 following its first loss, a 38-15 defeat at Ohio State. The Buckeyes would play Oregon in the Big Ten championship game if they beat Michigan this Saturday for the first time in four years. The Southeastern Conference's hopes for landing four spots in the College Football Playoff took a hit with two of their teams losing as double-digit favorites. Texas, Georgia and Tennessee are the only SEC teams with fewer than three losses after Alabama lost 24-3 at Oklahoma and Mississippi lost 24-17 at Florida. Alabama and Mississippi each dropped six spots in the AP poll, the Crimson Tide to No. 13 and the Rebels to No. 15. Texas A&M was the third SEC team to lose, 43-41 at Auburn in four overtimes. The Aggies tumbled five places to No. 20 but would play Georgia in the SEC championship game if they knock off Texas this week. Losses by BYU and Colorado created a four-way tie for first in the Big 12. No. 14 Arizona State, picked to finish last in the conference, handed BYU its second straight loss and is the highest-ranked Big 12 team. No. 17 Iowa State earned a five-rung promotion with its win at Utah. BYU is No. 19 and Colorado, which lost to Kansas , is No. 23. If the four teams each finish 7-2 in conference play, it's Iowa State vs. Arizona State in the Big 12 championship game. No. 11 Boise State is first among the four ranked Group of Five teams. The Broncos got a one-spot bump despite struggling to beat a two-win Wyoming team. Tulane is No. 18, UNLV is No. 21 and Army is No. 25. Oregon, which was idle, was the consensus No. 1 team for the fourth straight week. The Ducks will be unbeaten in the regular season for the first time since 2010 if they beat Washington at home Saturday. Boise State's ranking is its highest since it was No. 8 in the final poll of the 2011 season. Arizona State's ranking is its highest since it was No. 12 in the final poll of the 2014 season. Indiana-Ohio State was the final top-five matchup of the regular season. The five were the most in a regular season since 1996. There also were five in 1936 and 1943. No. 24 Missouri, a 39-20 winner at Mississippi State , returned to the Top 25 after a one-week absence. Washington State's four-week run in the rankings ended with its second straight loss, 41-38 loss at Oregon State. SEC — 8 (Nos. 3, 6, 7, 13, 15, 16, 20, 24). Big Ten — 5 (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 10, 22). Big 12 — 4 (Nos. 14, 17, 19, 23). ACC — 3 (Nos. 8, 9, 12). AAC — 2 (Nos. 18, 25). Mountain West — 2 (Nos. 11, 21). Independent — 1 (No. 5). —No. 16 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson: It's a Top 25 matchup for the first time since 2013. Clemson's 16-7 victory in Columbia last year was the fourth of five straight wins to end the Tigers' season. —No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M: Stakes are high for the first meeting of longtime rivals since both were in the Big 12 in 2011. Winner goes to the SEC title game. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
The Los Angeles Chargers activated running back J.K. Dobbins from injured reserve on Friday. Dobbins is formally listed as questionable but figures to be the team's top running threat for Saturday's road game against the New England Patriots. Teammate Gus Edwards (ankle) was ruled out Thursday. Dobbins has missed the past four games since sustaining a knee injury against the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 25. He was a full practice participant Thursday before receiving the questionable label. The injury-prone Dobbins was enjoying a solid season prior to the knee ailment, with 766 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground and 28 receptions for 134 yards in 11 games. His career high for rushing yardage is 805 for the Ravens in 2020. Dobbins' return comes with the Chargers (9-6) just one win from clinching an AFC wild-card playoff spot. Los Angeles also elevated safeties Eddie Jackson and Kendall Williamson from the practice squad. --Field Level Media
Stock market today: Wall Street ends mixed after a bumpy weekUS, European states ramp up pressure on Iran’s nuclear program in new statementJACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Robert McCray scored 22 points as Jacksonville beat East Tennessee State 60-52 on Saturday. McCray added five rebounds, five steals, and four blocks for the Dolphins (6-5). Zimi Nwokeji scored 15 points while going 5 of 6 (4 for 5 from 3-point range) and added five rebounds. Kendall Munson shot 3 of 4 from the field and 2 for 3 from the line to finish with eight points. The Buccaneers (6-5) were led by John Buggs III, who recorded 15 points. East Tennessee State also got 13 points and five assists from Quimari Peterson. Jaden Seymour also put up nine points and two blocks. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from . The Associated Press
NoneThe Seattle Seahawks have only one path to the playoffs: winning the NFC West. Seattle finds itself heading into a must-win game against the host Bears on Thursday night, and even if the Seahawks can top Chicago and beat the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18, they still might miss out on the postseason because of the strength-of-victory tiebreaker. If Seattle (8-7) was to get past Los Angeles for a 10-7 finish, the teams would split their season series 1-1, have matching 4-4 records against common opponents and would hold the same in-conference record, leaving strength of victory to determine the fate of the Seahawks and Rams. And that fifth tiebreaker belongs to Los Angeles. "We just got to handle our part, which is win out," Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. "Then, let the chips fall where they fall. Hopefully, we catch a little luck and we can get in there." Seattle dropped out of wild-card contention after a 27-24 loss to the Vikings on Sunday. Minnesota was down 24-20 with less than 4 1/2 minutes to go, but Sam Darnold threw a go-ahead 39-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson with 3:51 remaining. Jason Myers came up short on a 60-yard field-goal attempt with 1:55 left, preventing the Seahawks from drawing even. "We got to win two, but it starts with one," said Seattle quarterback Geno Smith, who had 314 passing yards, three touchdowns and two picks against Minnesota. "We got a tough Chicago team on the road. I know their record isn't the greatest, but if you watch film on those guys, they got a tough team ask with a lot of the talent. "We got to be ready coming off a short week, traveling on Christmas. Guys got to get their minds right and get ready to go." The Seahawks will need to rely on Zach Charbonnet in the backfield after placing fellow running back Kenneth Walker III (ankle) on injured reserve ahead of Thursday's game. In a corresponding move, the team signed rookie running back George Holani from the practice squad to the 53-man active roster. Walker returned from a two-game absence due to an ailing calf on Sunday before injuring his ankle versus the Vikings. He leads the Seahawks in carries (153) and rushing yards (573) to go along with seven rushing touchdowns. Charbonnet, in turn, has a team-best eight rushing touchdowns to go along with 106 carries for 453 yards. The Seahawks also ruled out tight end Brady Russell (foot) and safety K'Von Wallace (ankle). The Bears (4-11) have dropped nine consecutive games, most recently losing 34-17 to the Detroit Lions. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams continued to shine, passing for 334 yards and two TDs. "Every snap is valuable," Williams said. "There are so many different situations that happen throughout games that you can learn from and that I've learned from this year." Williams has been building a strong rapport with wide receiver Rome Odunze, a fellow first-round pick in this year's draft. The two hooked up four times for 77 yards against Detroit. "From the moment you step on the field with a great player like him, you feel that confidence and I think that you feed off of that from one another and I think that we do that well," Odunze said of his relationship with Williams. "But you've got to go out there and prove it on the field and we have to continue to do that." The Bears will be without defensive backs Elijah Hicks (ankle/foot) and Tarvarius Moore (knee), running back Travis Homer (hamstring) and offensive lineman Teven Jenkins (calf) for Thursday's game. --Field Level Media
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Jakob Blakley’s 28 points helped Le Moyne defeat SUNY Delhi 106-51 on Saturday. Blakley added five rebounds and three steals for the Dolphins (4-8). Robby Carmody went 5 of 7 from the field (4 for 6 from 3-point range) to add 14 points. Isaac Nyakundi shot 4 of 8 from the field and 3 for 6 from the line to finish with 11 points, while adding seven rebounds. The Broncos were led by Lester McCarthy, who recorded 16 points. Abdul-Jaleel Ibrahim added seven points. Isaiah Barnes had four points and three steals. __ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Roundup Of Our Favorite Pet Products Of The YearPeter Dutton will use a private Coalition meeting to calm MPs fearful that Labor’s teen social media ban is a Trojan Horse for government control of the internet, ahead of a sitting week in which the major parties plan to ram the legislation through parliament. On Friday Coalition MPs were called to a Monday morning gathering in Canberra, party sources said, where Dutton and communications spokesman David Coleman planned to field questions about Labor’s proposed law to ban children under 16 from platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and communications spokesman David Coleman will face concerned MPs. Credit: Louise Kennerley Right-wing Coalition senators Matt Canavan and Alex Antic have been sharply critical of the bill’s potential to require Australians to give tech giants their IDs and the power it would give the eSafety Commission, which is a federal agency that will be charged with overseeing the ban. But doubts about the bill, which was only released last week, have expanded from the pair to more mainstream Coalition MPs, setting up the meeting as a test of the opposition leader’s authority after he hauled his party room into line on abortion earlier this month. On Sunday night, the MPs were informed Monday’s meeting was cancelled, with the conversation to take place on Tuesday as part of the Coalition’s party room meeting. The Coalition leadership remains confident of overwhelming support for the bill inside the party, according to several opposition sources speaking anonymously about internal dynamics. Dutton, whose office declined to comment, plans to hear out his concerned colleagues but ultimately expects the party to back the bill, allowing it to pass parliament this week. The opposition rode a wave of conservative and libertarian campaigning against Labor’s misinformation bill in recent months before the government dropped its plan to crack down on falsehoods online on Sunday. Some of the groups and people behind that campaign, including One Nation, the Libertarian Party and former Coalition MPs George Christensen and Craig Kelly, have launched an email crusade about the social media age barrier that has resulted in complaints flooding into MPs inboxes. They endorse the view of X owner Elon Musk, who wrote on the platform last month that the ban “seems like a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians” because it could require users to prove their identities before accessing major online services. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland was asked about the need to hand over ID in a Labor caucus meeting last week and said her laws would not force people to give ID documents to social media giants, dismissing the prospect as a right-wing scare campaign. However, the government has not announced the technology that would be used to prove a user’s age. ‘A red flag’ LNP MP Garth Hamilton said Labor had rushed the legislation and sent mixed signals about details such as which platforms would be included. The Wiggles successfully lobbied to allow YouTube to remain while Snapchat will be banned, though both apps now also have a TikTok-style feed of clips. “The tests for this bill are that it should not be a proxy for digital ID [to be required to access the internet] and that it actually responds to parents’ needs,” Hamilton said.“I fully agree with Peter Dutton’s concerns about the impacts of social media, and they are long-held. But Labor has had a long time to get details right [and] the utter confusion on the detail is a red flag.” Loading Coleman, who first proposed a teen ban in an April interview with this masthead at a time when Labor opposed such a change , told opposition MPs last week that the government could use a “double-blind tokenised approach” suggested by the eSafety Commission last year. That would allow a third party to verify a user’s age on a social media platform without revealing the identity information used to do so, while another option could force companies that operate app stores, such as Google and Apple, to take on the role. Labor announced the ban early this month after years of claims that social media was harming children’s mental health, much of which is disputed by the technology giants, and argued that it would bolster parents’ ability to reject pestering from kids to go online. But detractors including Ben Thompson, the boss of major Australian tech firm Employment Hero, said on X that bill would make it harder for children with special needs to make friends online. “Not to mention that it’s a Trojan Horse for digital ID and further censorship,” he said. On Sunday, Greens communications spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young called advocates for the ban well-intentioned, but said the bill was rushed compared to the government’s halting approach to gambling reform. “The government and the opposition are ramming through a ban on social media that was introduced on Thursday,” she said on ABC’s Insiders . “We’ve got a joke of a Senate inquiry for three days tomorrow. But they can’t do gambling ... Talk about priorities.” Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Social media Peter Dutton Anthony Albanese Paul Sakkal is federal political correspondent for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald who previously covered Victorian politics and has won two Walkley awards. Connect via Twitter . Most Viewed in Politics Loading
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Peter Dutton will use a private Coalition meeting to calm MPs fearful that Labor’s teen social media ban is a Trojan Horse for government control of the internet, ahead of a sitting week in which the major parties plan to ram the legislation through parliament. On Friday Coalition MPs were called to a Monday morning gathering in Canberra, party sources said, where Dutton and communications spokesman David Coleman planned to field questions about Labor’s proposed law to ban children under 16 from platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and communications spokesman David Coleman will face concerned MPs. Credit: Louise Kennerley Right-wing Coalition senators Matt Canavan and Alex Antic have been sharply critical of the bill’s potential to require Australians to give tech giants their IDs and the power it would give the eSafety Commission, which is a federal agency that will be charged with overseeing the ban. But doubts about the bill, which was only released last week, have expanded from the pair to more mainstream Coalition MPs, setting up the meeting as a test of the opposition leader’s authority after he hauled his party room into line on abortion earlier this month. On Sunday night, the MPs were informed Monday’s meeting was cancelled, with the conversation to take place on Tuesday as part of the Coalition’s party room meeting. The Coalition leadership remains confident of overwhelming support for the bill inside the party, according to several opposition sources speaking anonymously about internal dynamics. Dutton, whose office declined to comment, plans to hear out his concerned colleagues but ultimately expects the party to back the bill, allowing it to pass parliament this week. The opposition rode a wave of conservative and libertarian campaigning against Labor’s misinformation bill in recent months before the government dropped its plan to crack down on falsehoods online on Sunday. Some of the groups and people behind that campaign, including One Nation, the Libertarian Party and former Coalition MPs George Christensen and Craig Kelly, have launched an email crusade about the social media age barrier that has resulted in complaints flooding into MPs inboxes. They endorse the view of X owner Elon Musk, who wrote on the platform last month that the ban “seems like a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians” because it could require users to prove their identities before accessing major online services. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland was asked about the need to hand over ID in a Labor caucus meeting last week and said her laws would not force people to give ID documents to social media giants, dismissing the prospect as a right-wing scare campaign. However, the government has not announced the technology that would be used to prove a user’s age. ‘A red flag’ LNP MP Garth Hamilton said Labor had rushed the legislation and sent mixed signals about details such as which platforms would be included. The Wiggles successfully lobbied to allow YouTube to remain while Snapchat will be banned, though both apps now also have a TikTok-style feed of clips. “The tests for this bill are that it should not be a proxy for digital ID [to be required to access the internet] and that it actually responds to parents’ needs,” Hamilton said.“I fully agree with Peter Dutton’s concerns about the impacts of social media, and they are long-held. But Labor has had a long time to get details right [and] the utter confusion on the detail is a red flag.” Loading Coleman, who first proposed a teen ban in an April interview with this masthead at a time when Labor opposed such a change , told opposition MPs last week that the government could use a “double-blind tokenised approach” suggested by the eSafety Commission last year. That would allow a third party to verify a user’s age on a social media platform without revealing the identity information used to do so, while another option could force companies that operate app stores, such as Google and Apple, to take on the role. Labor announced the ban early this month after years of claims that social media was harming children’s mental health, much of which is disputed by the technology giants, and argued that it would bolster parents’ ability to reject pestering from kids to go online. But detractors including Ben Thompson, the boss of major Australian tech firm Employment Hero, said on X that bill would make it harder for children with special needs to make friends online. “Not to mention that it’s a Trojan Horse for digital ID and further censorship,” he said. On Sunday, Greens communications spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young called advocates for the ban well-intentioned, but said the bill was rushed compared to the government’s halting approach to gambling reform. “The government and the opposition are ramming through a ban on social media that was introduced on Thursday,” she said on ABC’s Insiders . “We’ve got a joke of a Senate inquiry for three days tomorrow. But they can’t do gambling ... Talk about priorities.” Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Social media Peter Dutton Anthony Albanese Paul Sakkal is federal political correspondent for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald who previously covered Victorian politics and has won two Walkley awards. Connect via Twitter . Most Viewed in Politics Loading
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