Good evening, and welcome to World in Focus — your in-depth breakdown of the events reshaping global geopolitics, security, and strategy. Tonight, tensions flare in Central Africa, global aviation safety concerns rise in India, and a deadly nightclub blaze in Goa sparks an international manhunt.
And in our deep dive, we examine Australia’s world-first social media restrictions for children — a bold experiment that could reshape the global internet.
In tonight’s World in Focus, we track:
• Congo accuses Rwanda of violating a U.S.-brokered peace deal — as President Felix Tshisekedi warns that fragile peace efforts in the mineral-rich eastern DRC are already under strain, with Washington urging restraint from both sides
• Global pilots warn India over relaxed rest rules — as IndiGo faces international scrutiny after easing fatigue safety standards following mass flight cancellations that stranded thousands of passengers
• Goa nightclub owners flee after deadly fire — as police launch a cross-border manhunt after 25 people are killed in a massive blaze, reigniting nationwide concerns over lax fire safety enforcement
Deep Dive — Australia’s Social Media Ban: A Global Test Case Tonight, we take a closer look at Australia’s sweeping crackdown on social media use for children — a policy already being studied by governments worldwide.
• From December 10th, platforms must block users under 16 and remove existing underage accounts
• Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, X, Reddit, Twitch and more face major enforcement obligations
• The move is driven by concerns over mental health, digital harm, algorithmic exploitation and screen addiction
• Denmark, Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia, Spain, New Zealand and Singapore are now weighing similar rules • U.S. lawmakers push back, warning of global privacy and free speech consequences
• Tech firms are deploying AI age detection, manual reviews and account freezing systems
• Despite the ban, most teens plan to bypass restrictions using VPNs and alternate accounts
• With a $245 billion global social media ad market at stake, even small shifts in teen usage could reshape platform revenues worldwide. Australia’s move now becomes a real-world stress test: If it succeeds, global policy may follow.
If it fails, governments may rethink digital-age regulation entirely. From fragile peace efforts in Central Africa and airline safety debates in India to global shockwaves from Australia’s digital crackdown — tonight’s headlines show just how tightly security, technology, and governance are now intertwined.
